Signs make money part 2; saving money.

In the last post, we talked about how we can make money with signs. Now we want to know if we can save money too.

I don’t have any money to spend or invest!

Yes I know, but we still need to make money and reduce costs. So how can you invest in that new message center to increase your sales without breaking the bank? Below is a list of things on the reduction side, that will help you find the money you need:

How much are you spending every month on the following items?

• Newspaper ads
• Radio
• direct mailing
• direct mailing printing costs
• signs that can’t be seen or don’t have a clear message
• yellow pages
• web presence and SEO (if you don’t know what that is, find out)
• sales people / call centers
• promotional products

This list are some of the major advertising expenses that many businesses have every month. The question is this: How much money are these things bringing to you? If the answer is not much, then you may want to reduce the cost or eliminate them altogether. Only you can know how effective your advertising is doing. You have to ask every call, “How did you hear about us?”

Hey, you found some wasted money now what?

If you were able to find some wasted money, eliminate the waste. End the bad ad campaign and let’s see if we can use that money more wisely. If you have been reading the articles in my blog, you have seen that signs make money. You know it is a good idea, but you don’t have enough right now to buy it outright. Maybe in a year or two of savings, but not now. I have 2 words….

Sign leasing

Sign leasing is a way that you can upgrade your wall sign, or pole sign to increase traffic into your store. Sign leasing will also allow you to get the sign you need without harming your cash flow. For a low down payment, you can begin reaping the rewards of your new sign within 30 days.

Leases are handled through your bank or lender and do require an approval process. Talk with your accountant about the pros & cons. Either way, don’t delay. Your business future depends on it.

go sell something

The sign guy is the owner of Signs by rsg Northwest of the twin cities.

Saving Money & Making Money with Signs

Suppose you have a business in St. Paul or Minneapolis, MN…….

It’s the first of the month and your projections look grim for sales this year. You’re left with one of 2 options, make more sales or reduce costs. Reducing costs hurt, and for the sake of efficiency and remaining in business, necessary. Increasing sales is also easier said than done.

Then while you’re crying over your coffee, in walks a sign guy and he asks, “whats wrong?” After giving him your story and making it clear that you can’t purchase anything now, he begins to smile and says, ” I think I can help with both of those problems.”

This sign guy then proceeds to show you a cool little website from the DOT showing how many cars are already driving past your store. (BTW, whether you’re in Edina or Maplewood and anywhere in Minnesota, you can find this traffic data) He then asks, “How would things look if you could capture just 10% more sales by getting those people driving by, to stop & buy?” “That would be great, but signs cost money” you say.

“Signs make money!”

You see, this is where I want to stop the story. Most folks think signs COST money, when in actuality, they MAKE money. They make money by letting your potential clients know that you’ve got something inside to sell. That is why the larger corporations spend thousands of dollars on wall signs, pylon signs and vehicle graphics. They invest money on neon, message centers and lit signs to capture the attention of those folks driving right past their store. The more people know that you have something to sell, the more likely you will be able to sell it to them.

Signs do require some spending, but I think I have that one solved to save on your cash flow.  Check back next week and I will tell you how.

now go sell something

The Sign guy lives, works and prays near Champlin, MN and is a 4th generation sign maker.

How Many Minnesota Residents are you Advertising too?

I know that I shouldn’t end a sentence with a preposition, but this question is vital.

At your Minnesota retail location, do you know how many cars are driving past your store?

At the Minnesota Dept of Transportation website, you can find the answer. Look for the page that shows traffic volumes. You can also do a Google search for “traffic volumes” + your location ie. St. Paul. This will bring up a page that will let you see how many cars are driving past your store on a daily basis.

Is this useful? I bet it is, because now you can ask, how many of them are buying from me?

The purpose of an electronic sign is…..

To get Minnesota purchasers from driving by to stop n buy. (pun intended) Your wall sign, or pole sign must attract their attention. If it doesn’t or if it doesn’t have a clear message, your just scenery. Do you want to be just scenery? A well designed sign will have the following properties:

1. The channel letters or vinyl lettering should be legible from the traffics point of view
2. You should light your pole or wall signs brightly
3. The graphics should be of a high contrast between the letters and background
4. The message of the design should tell what you sell, if your company name doesn’t
5. You should have a sign at every place viewable by traffic on your building & or by the road
6. Upgrade the pole sign to an electronic digital LED sign for added selling

This is a great place to begin on your advertising to the drive by’s. Call your sign guy (me) to help evaluate what is allowed by the city code.

Now go sell something

The sign guy lives and works near Blaine, MN and has grown up in the sign business as a 4th generation sign maker.

New year, new you

So, another year is gone, and another has begun.

As you pause and reflect on this past 2009 and the recession, I hope you recognize that the basics still didn’t change. This is a blog for Minnesota signs and marketing ideas. I hope you noticed, that businesses still needed to sell stuff, and in order to do that, they had to tell folks they were selling.

Businesses that continue to advertise and market their business in a down economy will be ahead of those who choose to cut back. This includes the most important part of your marketing, on site signs.

As you view 2010, what can you do to your existing location to update or upgrade your wall signs or pylon signs? Below are a few things to think about as your planning for the new year:

• Traffic counts – how many cars are driving in front of your store?
• Visibility – Can those folks driving by see your pylon sign? Can they read the channel letters on the wall?
• Lighting – Are your signs by the road or wall signs properly lit? Do they light at all? Do they turn on at night?
• Style – Is your lettering fading? Does it look like it was put up 20years ago? Does it reflect your quality of business?
• Message – Does your sign tell your future clients what you sell, or do they have to guess?
• Regulars – Your regulars know you, but do the multitude of new folks know you?
• Money – Will you invest in marketing your business this year, or wait till the economy improves?

Waiting is usually not a very good business plan. I hope that you have a very successful 2010, and that everyone will know how great your business is. You just have to tell them.

go sell something

This sign guy is a 4th generation sign maker, and is serving the Minneapolis / St. Paul area.

What is the cost of channel letters?

In the Twin Cities here in Minnesota, I have some advice.

Recently, while comparing sign bids, I noticed that the cheapest sign company was almost $1000 cheaper than my bid. Upon close examination I noticed that their bid for an electric lit channel letter sign installed in Andover, MN, did not include the REQUIRED permits nor the REQUIRED electrical hook up.

Lit wall signs and pylon signs require city permits & electric

Yes, it seems obvious to me that a lit wall sign would require a permit and should be to clearly disclosed in the quote, but evidently not all sign companies believe that. I am not bashing other sign companies, but I am bashing all contractors who do this type of improper bidding process. We have great sign companies here in and around Minneapolis / St. Paul, but this practice is misleading to the customer.

What does your channel letter quote say?

To the buyer, beware! Not from me, because we will show you the entire cost of the sign project. Try me, I will prove it. It costs you nothing to get a lit sign quote. If you have a quote now and want a comparison, I will be happy to give you an apples to oranges comparison. Yes that’s right, apples to oranges, because I know our bid will be complete giving you control of all aspects of the sign project.

What are you waiting for, click the button

This sign guy is the owner of Signs by rsg and is the son of a 3rd generation sign maker.

Making money during a recession

Can your Minnesota business make money during a recession?

YES!

This blog is not going to go into lengthy discussion about the economy, nor will it give you any legal advice. What I will do is tell you simply that if you want more money, you have to sell more stuff.

Now is the time to increase your marketing. Some studies have shown that during a down turn in the economy, those businesses that continue to be aggressive with their marketing will end up about 14% ahead of the competition.

Do you want to be 14% ahead of your competition?

If no, your done reading. Matter of fact, if no, your done.

If yes, then let’s see how we can get your twin cities business to grow.

The only thing I know about marketing is this; the more that people know your selling stuff, the more likely folks will buy. Certainly some “expert” will come in and explain demographics and target markets and junk like that. Sure, that’s important, but we need cash right now!

If you have a retail store that is relying on folks stopping by, then on site signs are the way to go. Your on site wall sign, channel letters or pylon sign can do a combination of only 2 things. Advertise and/or Identify. If the name of your company doesn’t tell what you sell, it is an identification sign. If your company name also tells what you sell, then it advertises.

Advertising type signs have a greater impact on the short term. Advertising type signs create an image in the minds of folks driving by stating a specific product or service. You will find that when a specific product is mentioned, your sales for that product will increase by 40%.

Another way to advertise specific products is with an electronic message center. These can have a dramatic effect on your bottom line, and I don’t mean by making it red. A message center can increase your sales by at least 4 times the cost in the first year!!!

get them to stop and buy, not just driving by.

Call me and I can send you a free report with some more information.

The sign guy lives and works near Anoka, MN and is the son of a 3rd generation sign maker.

Recession Opportunities

Recession is a great opportunity to make some serious money!

What?! you say. How can you talk about making money during a recession? Easy, people still need to live and eat so they must find work, and if they can’t find work then they must create their own job.

When a person has been out of work, one of the options is to create your own job. These folks can fill the gaps in the marketplace by providing products or services that companies have eliminated within their walls, but that still need to get the work done. In other words, be the outsourced vendor to those companies.

This blog will not answer all the whys and hows, but what it will do is answer how one of these newly Minnesota unemployed persons can attract customers with effective wall or pylon signs.

Wall signs on your Coon Rapids store front

The first thing that a business must do in order to sell products is to let the public know that they are selling something. One great way is to advertise to the people most likely to buy with a wall sign on your store front. You know who they are, they drive in front of your store everyday on their way to and from work.

Lit Signs Sell Stuff

A recent business put up a wall sign in front of their retail location. This location had 3 other competing businesses of the same type on the same intersection. Because their sign is bold, clear and easily defines what they sell, this business has hit the ground running and is well on their way to profitability so much quicker than their competitors.

Road signs in Coon Rapids

A road sign just adds to your businesses traffic and opportunity to make money. Let’s face it, if your business doesn’t get noticed, it will fail. Business sell stuff. They need to attract attention. The cheapest form of advertising is a sign of lit channel letters or a sign by the road that will advertise 24hrs per day 7 days a week.

what are you waiting for?

The sign guy lives and works in Ramsey, MN. A Family Trade Since 1915

Checkers and their new wall signs

Brooklyn Center, MN has a new restaurant, Checkers

I used to go to the Checkers down in Florida, I love Checkers hamburgers. They make great hamburgers. If you were like me, you only found out about them and tried them because of their street signs and wall signs.

Checkers has a great outdoor sign image. They tag everything. Directional drive thru signs, pylon signs and wall signs. They even do border neon (now LED) on many of their locations. Checkers is a very noticeable restaurant chain.

Do your customers notice your exterior signs?

According to a survey done by a national restaurant, they found that about 40% of destination drivers buy from the competition because they saw their exterior signs. That means, people going to a particular restaurant stopped elsewhere purely because of signage. That chain immediately upgraded their exterior signs.

If a national chain recognizes the need for maximizing their exterior signs, wouldn’t it have a similar effect on your Minnesota business?

There are other places to put your name so that folks driving by will notice your business.

What are you waiting for??

The sign guy is a 4th generation sign guy living and working in Ramsey, MN

Arrow Signs

Today I would like to demonstrate how your sign is like an Arrow for your business. Whether your in a high traffic area like Minneapolis, or in a suburban area like Ham Lake, MN your wall sign or pylon sign helps clients find you faster.

When you find a location and it’s near traffic, your channel letters will become an Arrow sign directing folks into your store. You don’t literally need any arrow signs, but if the message is clearly seen, clearly understood then your potential clients will drive right in.

Ham Lake, Coon Rapids and Ramsey, Minnesota

More urgently, when you are in a suburban area such as those listed, where the retail shops tend to be set back farther from the roadway, it becomes imperative that your business sign directs folks right in. For many businesses their arrow signs suck! Why? Because they decide to invest very little in the size and quality of their sign. They then must spend many thousands of more dollars advertising in other ways. They have no arrow sign at all, but rather a brick wall.

Road signs & channel letters work best

Signs mounted to your business wall or a sign by the road is one of the least expensive forms of advertising. These signs direct your potential clients that are already driving past your store right in to buy from you.

so, what are you waiting for?

this sign guy lives and works in Ramsey, mn and is the owner of Signs by rsg. 763-753-7571

Retail space in Minnesota

This blog is about signs and your talking retail space in MN?

It actually makes sense. My primary client is looking for retail space in the twin cities and surrounding suburbs. Since I have been making signs for so many years, I have come to know many of the commercial property managers in the area.

Minnesota signs, channel letters and Landlords

When looking at property one needs to consider the sign covenants prior to making your choice. After you have found a place with Location, accessibility and parking, then you should look at the signs. Some places require very specific channel letters that may break your budget.

Channel letters are very effective signs, but if you have not planned for it in your budget, you may get some sticker shock. One thing you can do as your looking at property is to notice the type of wall sign all the other tenants have. Chances are, you will have to have the very same type of signage.

Property managers want you to be successful and have planned for the location, accessibility and parking. They have also looked at what signs will look like on their buildings. Many have chosen to have conforming signs to keep the intact the attractiveness of the building.

I work with retail property owners and work with tenants to find the most efficient and cost effective wall signs that will still conform with the landlord covenants.

Good signing

This sign guy is the owner of Signs by rsg located in Ramsey, MN 763.753.7571