Starting a Sign Business: All You Need to Know
According to a study, 35% of shoppers surveyed, mentioned a sign as the reason they came to know about a local business. It implies that the sign business industry holds importance in this digital age too to attract customers. If you too have a knack for doing creative work and designing, starting a sign business can be a good choice for you.
According to a study, 35% of shoppers surveyed, mentioned a sign as the reason they came to know about a local business. It implies that the sign business industry holds importance in this digital age too to attract customers. If you too have a knack for doing creative work and designing, starting a sign business can be a good choice for you.
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Starting a Sign Business: All You Need to
Know.
According to a study, 35% of shoppers surveyed, mentioned a sign as the reason they came to know about a local
business. It implies that the sign business industry holds importance in this digital age too to attract customers. If you
too have a knack for doing creative work and designing, starting a sign business can be a good choice for you.Want
to know how to start a sign business? We’ll tell you how.But, before moving ahead, understand this.
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Starting a sign business is no longer like it was earlier. Rather, it has evolved and sign business owners no longer
restrict themselves to selling signages only. They expand to offering consultation services to customers.
A little roadmap of the post:
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Research Your Target Market
Decide on the Services to Offer
How Would you Stand Out
Promote Your Business
Ready to Start a Sign Making Business?
1. Research Your Target Market
Determine your target customers
When starting a sign business, decide on your target market. A number of businesses and organizations require
signages as under:
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Physical stores including corner shops or departmental stores
Pubs, restaurants, and hotels
Real estate industry where agents need ‘for sale’ sign boards
Professionals like doctors, dentists, insurance brokers, lawyers, etc. with offices in multi-floor buildings
require lobby signs to guide customers
A wide range of organizations including hospitals, schools, entertainment parks, universities, churches,
tourist destinations, and so on
Businesses operating a big fleet of vehicles like driving schools, haulage, and transport companies, bus and
coach operators, courier services, etc.
Individual professionals like builders, electricians, or plumbers that require a vehicle to travel for their work
Factories or stores that need exterior wayfinding signs to direct customers
Administrative departments requiring traffic signs for passengers
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You can also think of other target markets beyond this list. For instance, businesses may need ‘Launched now’, etc.
to let customers in a new city know about them.
Assess the level of competition
After deciding on your potential customers, find out the level of your competition for your sign business. Determine
how well the already existing companies are serving your target customers.
Use online business directories like Yell or Yelp to search for sign businesses to get a better idea of local competition.
Remember that even non-specialists like printers, reprographic specialists, flex printers, etc. can also offer signage
services. You may also face competition from completely online sign makers.
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Therefore, research your competitors thoroughly, their websites, advertisements, etc. It will help you know:
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Their products and services
Whether they offer simple services or specialist services like engraving, handmade signages, etc.
Whether they target any particular type of clients
Whether they belong to any trade associations or work as individual businesses
How their websites and advertisements appear and what impression they give you of the firms
Prices and discounts they offer for their products and services
Focus especially on the businesses whose target market is similar to that you intend to target in particular.
2. Decide on the Services to Offer
Types of Signages
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In general, sign makers provide a few or all the products and services as below.
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Painted signboards for pubs, bars, restaurants, or hotels
Free-standing exterior pavement signs
Signboards like ‘To Let’, ‘For Sale’, etc.
Illuminated shop front signs of various types and materials
Internal signs for various institutes like schools, coachings, universities, etc.
Safety and emergency signs, warning boards, etc.
Illustrated or illuminated menu boards for cafes and eateries
Door plaques
Big banners for outdoor events like sports tournaments, festivals, carnivals, shows, etc.
Adhesive vinyl signs and logos
Sports signs and murals
Artwork for nightclub interiors, tourist attractions, etc.
You can offer a wide range of signs in different styles or materials using different technologies. Or you can go for a
particular service or two like vinyl logos, glass decor signage, etc. You can also prefer to target a niche market if you
think you are an expert in it. Customers may come to you with similar demands at times and one-off design demands
at others.
While you may or may not cater to customers’ demands in general, you always must if you deal in ‘specialty’ signage
services.
You should be more resourceful here. And must not let a single customer return from your store without a purchase.
For instance, there may be demands for different types of vinyl if you specialize in vinyl lettering. While a customer
may approach you for a cast vinyl on their car, the other may approach you for a calendered vinyl for indoor signage.
When you specialize in vinyl signages, you must be able to offer them all.
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Design Consultation, Repair, or Restoration Services
While some customers may have a clear idea of what their sign should look like, others may not be so clear about
that. They may need your consultation in deciding on the final look of their signage.
If you offer basic signs only, they may find a lot of sources for that. However, if you want to be “different”, you may
need to do something different. Offer your customers design consultation service, in addition, to attract their attention
and build your brand.
DIY sign-making service is also trending.
Customers want to design their signs by themselves. If you offer customers the freedom to customize their signs, you
can stand out among your competitors. For that, you can integrate an online product design software into your store
and let customers customize signs the way they want.
Check Sign Design Demo Now
Some old-school customers still need to preserve their hand-made signs. To tap into their requirements, you may
also take up repairing and refurbishing old hand-painted signs. It won’t only add an extra source of income but also
expand your customer base.
Sign Removal Services
While some customers may come to your sign making business for new signs, they may also require sign removal
services. You may come across a customer looking to remove an old sign from their vehicle before selling. Or
another customer who wants to remove door plaques before selling their home.
Removing vinyl lettering may not be tedious and time-consuming. You can quote a price for a sign removal job based
on its size and efforts you’ll need for that. This way, you can earn some extra income from occasional sign removal
jobs.
3. How Would you Stand out
If you have researched your target market well, you must be aware of a gap in the market you need to fill. Customers
would choose you over others only if you are able to fill that gap and provide something they couldn’t find elsewhere.
For instance, if you find that no one in your vicinity offers a sign making business for racing cars or hand-made signs
for pubs or bars; you can offer them. You may venture into an even more specialized niche - say engraved plaques
for professionals like accountants, lawyers, or doctors, etc. Similarly, you can offer artistic signs for big boats or ships
too.
You see - options are a lot! Picking the right ones is up to you!
If you take a step ahead, you may innovate a technique superior to all the existing sign-making techniques. It would
pave the way for your uniqueness and great sales.
However, it will of course not be as easy as you think. And you will certainly need more capital, resources, and
research. But if you succeed, you will become the ‘trailblazer’ of a path-breaking technology.You see - it is tough but
not impossible!
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Choose the Right Range of Signs
Always try to match your range of products and services with the local demand. Also, stay abreast of the latest
signage design trends and incorporate them. When customers approach you, they may ask for their own designs or
your help in designs. In both cases, be clear of what your customer wants before starting your sign job.
Charge the Right Prices
Your price for a sign job may vary based on its size, complexity, and materials you use. One example is - wood signs
may cost lower, hand-painted signs may cost higher.
There are some customers that want their sign to be perfect, irrespective of the price. While some others may also
wish to opt for some less expensive yet attractive signs.
In general, large corporates may not worry much about the price if they are getting catchy and appealing signs that
serve their purpose. While some other small startups or individuals may want to stick to their budget also. It’s up to
you how you strike the right balance.
For this, research your competitors who offer similar products and services and keep prices competitive for your sign
making business.
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Build Your Image Right
By providing personalized guidance, you can encourage people to choose your business over others. For this, you
should have an in-depth knowledge of manufacturing and design techniques, legislation, and standards customers’
signs need to comply with. Only with all this knowledge, you can win your target audience’s trust.
You should also familiarize yourself with planning permissions a business may need for a special design. Legal
advice to customers will act as an asset and increase customers’ engagement. Always be polite, friendly, and
resourceful.
Remember - Word-of-mouth popularity goes a long way towards building your brand image.
Offer Personalization Services
Custom Sign making business is one great way to the following reasons:
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They let businesses represent their personality and objective. A lawyer would not be needing a
very catchy casual sign but rather a formal one that goes with their firm. On the contrary, a cafe
would need to design visually appealing signs to grab customers’ attention. As business owners
know what they want, offering personalization freedom can be the best way.
They also enable businesses to exercise greater control over their brand image. They can also
decide on the material of the sign to match their brand beyond color and design. Let’s say, a
customer owns a carpentry shop. They would rather go with wooden signs to represent their work
than with a plastic or metal sign. So, you can help them by offering a range of materials to pick
from. This can keep you ahead of the curve and grow faster.
Signs.com is a leading US brand that offers a vast range of custom signs for different industries of
different sizes and materials. You can also incorporate this personalization.
If you also are looking to offer personalization freedom, our Brush Your Ideas Online Product Design Tool
can help. With all the next-gen features of customization to offer, this designer tool can help you cater to
customers’ demands well.
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Online Product Designer
Pricing Policy
The right pricing policy is crucial. Ensure that the price you charge covers the cost of raw materials,
operating costs (including wages or wastage), and the complexity of the job.
Here are a few factors you consider when pricing your sign job.
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Quantity and quality of all the materials and their costs
The time and efforts that go into creating the sign which includes the initial design as well
Profit margin based on the job type
The signage industry is very competitive. Hence, keep your prices in line with your current competitors’
unless you target a very niche market that fewer businesses serve. You can also work out prices for
contract or package prices for large orders for certain sign types. In some other cases, you can work out a
standard price per square meter.
Also include costs of your other services like repairs, restoration, or installation work. Keep reviewing your
prices on a timely basis to stay competitive.
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Special Offers and Discounts
Choose to offer a discount on big orders as per your pricing policy and the level of your competition.
Some customers may have a business that requires signs more often in a year.
Let’s say, your customer owns an apparel store. They may need different signs for different seasons of
the year. In the spring season, they may need a banner to announce a clearance sale for winter clothing.
Similarly, during Diwali or Christmas, they may need a small banner or signage to announce a festive
sale. For repeat customers like these, you should provide scope for nominal discounts to engage them.
One more example. An individual intends to launch a small home-based startup. They may require a
small exterior path-finder sign and a small banner at their location. They may further need your installation
service to get it right. The cost of all these services and products may go a bit high. If you think it is
feasible, you can offer a little discount on the combined package they want. It won’t only save your client’s
money but also give them a reason to return to your store in the future.
You can also keep an eye on your competitors’ discount strategies. Although discounts can attract some
extra purchases, they also reduce your profit margin.
Hence, striking the right balance is essential for you to sustain and grow.
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4. Promote Your Business
Besides encouraging word-of-mouth promotion, adopt several other promotional strategies as well for
your sign making business .
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● Register your business in local business directories and publish ads in local newspapers.
● Advertise your business in trade journals to spread your reach beyond your local market. It would
be even better if you have a specialized sign business catering to a particular industry.
● Optimize your website content for the right keywords. Upload your artwork snaps, your satisfied
clients’ testimonials, and blogs and whitepapers.
● Print leaflets and distribute them across local businesses like shopfitters, painters, decorators,
etc. to increase brand awareness.
● Use social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instragram to engage a large audience.
● Tap into display advertising and paid marketing campaigns too if your budget allows.
● Attend trade expos and festivals for enhanced outreach and more contacts with similar
businesses.
● Associating with a well-established brand may also benefit. There are a few popular sign-making
franchises out there that can help you grow your business. Franchises may range in size from big
national organizations to small local operators.
● Over time as you expand, you can buy another small sign-writing business if you can afford the
cost. Assess the legal and financial position, assets, and liabilities of business you intend to
acquire well beforehand as poor analysis can lead to a loss instead of profit.
● Your own brand signs are probably the greatest representative of your work. So, remember to
keep your exterior and interior signs near your retail store catchy and well-maintained. You can
also use portable signs to put up at your office (if the owner permits) to engage passers-by.
Ready to Start a Sign Making Business?
Starting a sign-making business can open up diverse opportunities in this ever-advancing technological
world. All you need is the right approach and a creative mindset.
If you too want to launch a web-to-print storefront solution, Brush Your Ideas can help that with our
cutting-edge web-to-print storefront solutions. You can also offer freedom of customization to customers
with our Brush Your Ideas Online Product Design Software.
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