Business Signage Advice

Choosing a Business Sign Company

For consumers, a great sign is a hallmark of a great company. Since your business can't afford to put your sign design in the hands of amateurs, you need to know the qualities to look for in a custom business sign company.

A high-quality business sign is a major investment.

Small signs that are displayed on the interior of your business can be easily replaced, but exterior signs are pricier because they are constructed of more expensive materials and because there is more at stake. It's not a big deal if you drop the ball on the signage for your janitor's closet. But if you blow your business' primary exterior signage it could drive away customers and leave passersby with an unfavorable impression about your company.

Custom sign companies specialize in providing businesses and other organizations with attractive and affordable options in signage. These days, your choices in signs and sign companies are virtually unlimited - and that's part of the problem. Sometimes it can be difficult to know how whether or not your sign company is capable of delivering an effective product.

Unfortunately there is no shortage of hacks and amateurs in the business sign industry. The only way to determine your sign company's qualifications is to ask questions - lots of them, including the following:

What kinds of business signs do they specialize in?

Small business owners are usually not aware of the fact that sign builders almost always specialize in a specific style or type of sign. Sign builders themselves actually cloud the water even more because they don't want you to know that they specialize in anything. They would rather have you believe they can do it all just in case you are looking for a sign that is outside their field of specialization. But if you do your homework, it's not that difficult to discover which companies are experienced in producing the type of sign you're looking for.

What types of business signage projects do they specialize in?

Sign companies don't only specialize in specific construction styles. They specialize in specific types of projects, too. This is actually much more important than it sounds because you will rely on your sign builder for advice about a wide range of sign issues. Sign placement, design features, code compliance - you're probably going to rely on your sign builder's advice for all of these things and unless he has experience doing similar projects, he could lead you down the wrong path.

What other business signs have they done locally?

The real test is to inspect some of the sign builder's completed projects. A good sign builder should have a long list of completed projects and photos to show you and they should be similar to the sign you are requesting. If the sign company cites confidentiality or some other excuse for not offering a completed project list, move on and find someone who is better able to create a business sign you can be proud of.

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