horse prints Business Signs

Making the most of your Business Signs

I just read an article about a sign company in my local electric company newspaper. It quoted the sign shop owner as saying that a good sign ran about $2,500 in 1975 and that now company signs can run as high as $100,000.

So what did you budget for your horse business sign?

I have seen some horse farm signs that looked like they didn’t pay more than their child’s weekly allowance and had their child paint their sign! Well, that is probably better than not having a sign at all (not by much), which I am sad to say is too often the case.

The article also quoted the sign shop owner as saying that your company sign is your business’s single most important identifying symbol, marking your location, and declaring your products, service, or mission. And that successful businesses today (or businesses that want to be successful) are willing to invest their money into a quality sign that makes a statement and creates the desired atmosphere that matches their business goals.

I believe that your LOGO graphic is your business’s single most important identifying symbol and that it should definitely be posted on your sign and everything else that represents your company. If you have a physical location you NEED a sign.

I learned that for many companies that message boards incorporated into illuminated signs results in a 30 percent increase in business! Hey, that is huge, so light up your signs and add a message board that you can change often. You know how it goes — things just blend in if it never changes. When was the last time you made some changes to your welcoming mat area and sign?

Cannot afford a message board sign right now? What about a couple of banners that you rotate under or alongside your main sign? Or affordable yard signs to help advertise your special events. Hey, you are planning special events, right?

Here are a few sign tips I gleamed from my sign research…

Light: A lighted sign draws more attention and is easier to read in the early morning and evening hours when there is the most traffic on the roads.

Size: A large sign gets noticed better than a small one (common sense) Large bold text is easier to read than small thin text. Neatness counts; don’t crowd your sign.

Speed: Everyone is in a hurry so your sign need to be kept short and to the point with just enough text and images to effectively communicate your message, in the shortest time possible.

Sign colors: Yellow background with Black text and graphics is claimed by some to be the best color combination for attracting attention. Some favor Red on White. I say go with your logo or company colors if they will give a good contrast on a white or colored background. Just remember that lettering and background must contrast in value well in order to be readable. Two color signs out draws a one color sign. And full color signs can draw the eye even more.

Be different: If all the signs in your area are 4′ x 8′ horizontal rectangles try going with a vertical sign or a sign that is an odd shape. If all the signs are black on white, go with something else, maybe black on yellow, or red on white, or your company colors. Think about how your eyes go straight to the one dandelion blooming in your near perfect lawn of grass.

If you live where you get a lot of snow then consider a dark sign with white lettering. Don’t go with a green sign backed up to a green pasture. You want to stick out, not like a sore thumb, but in a good way so have a sign that stick out from its environment.

Be creative: Draw more attention to your sign by planting colorful flowers under or around it. If you have a special yearly event, plan on flowers that bloom that time of year. Put a couple of flags on either side of your sign that move in the wind and catches passing looks. Hang your banner upside down for a day or two from time to time. That will get noticed!

Class: Have a sign that matches your business. If you are selling high priced trained horses don’t have a small 2 x 2 foot sign tack crookedly to a tree. What is your sign saying about your company?

“If I were to wish for anything, I should not wish for wealth and power, but for the passionate sense of the potential, for the eye which, ever young and ardent, sees the possible ‚Ķ what wine is so sparkling, so fragrant, so intoxicating, as possibility!” – Soren Kierkegaard

Did you read this blog posting? Using creativity to draw attention to your business

Here is a great web page to visit for a whole long list of business tips articles.

“I want to be all that I am capable of becoming.” – Katherine Mansfield

“Many of us are like Clark Kent, walking around but rarely showing anyone our red capes.” – Manifest Your Potential .com

Never underestimate the impact of a good sign it its potential to help your business. Using signs to boost your locations visibility and is a smart long term investment, whose return on investment can be quickly realized.

I would love to hear your creative company sign tips. Post a comment.

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