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Your
All Important Building Sign
This topic was
suggested by several site visitors. It's a great idea, and it just
so happens that Stephen our Webmaster designs road signs for pet
care businesses. In 1997 he assisted Madeline's Institute of Pet Grooming to redesign an
economical but effective road sign. New signs were created to fit the
existing sign hardware. Since the existing light box was two-sided
Stephen had to design two panels which worked well for traffic
going either direction to view the same sign.
Pictured above is on the
left is Maddie Ogle, author of From Problems to Profits. In yellow
is Aleyn, a student of grooming attending the Becoming the
Business Person That Grooms Workshop. In the back, that's Stephen,
Webmaster and designer of the sign.
We don't have a picture
of the sign taken at night, but it's a TRAFFIC STOPPER!
Fluorescent bulbs are mounted behind the white Lexan panel, a
light box in other words. "Lonnie" the mixed breed
fluffy pet you see is actually a "half-tone" photograph
printed on clear acetate and pasted onto the white Lexan panel.
The fluorescent light filtering through the half-tone is most
dramatic photo-realistic effect, and many customers driving by a
night say it looks like Lonnie is going to jump off the sign.
Michelle Higbee collects new customer source information and
discovered that in her first year at the new location this sign
attracted over 1,000 first-time customers driving by. If those
customers became clients and came in about 6 times a year, this
new sign created new revenue of about $180,000 annually.
The lettering on the
sign was kept to available stock from the sign maker to maintain
the budget for the sign. Cost of the sign? Each panel was $600.00
(there's another one on the opposite side shown). Based on our
experience we prefer "light box" style road signs versus
hand-painted signs with flood lighting. We also prefer
photo-realism as mentioned above. If your location does not have a
light box style sign you can expect to easily spend another $2,000
or more for one, including installation, electrical and permits.
In our opinion it is almost always worth it, and your landlord may
share the cost with you as it is a leasehold improvement for their
property.
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Compared to the next
most popular method of marketing, advertising in Resources Directory
telephone books, road signs almost always attract the most
business. A recent Workshop attendee, Ed Carlson who you
participates on this site's BBS, conducted an interesting study of
new customer sources. Ed discovered that new clients developed
from road signs tend to be more loyal clients compared to new
clients developed from Resources Directory advertising. Could it be that
clients developed from the Resources Directory "shop around
more?" Could be. Excellent deduction Ed!
Your sign should have
your company logo prominently displayed on it. The net worth of
your business is greatly increased by a well-known and copyrighted
or registered service mark. Use your logo on all promotions,
including your building sign. The "Lonnie" logo in the
picture above has been promoted for nearly four decades and is worth
tens of thousands of dollars as an "intellectual
property" when appraising the market value of the
business. You can do the same.
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