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

Cheap channel letters

I need channel letters cheap

Yes you do, but do you need inexpensive signs or a cheap sign? I think your looking for inexpensive, not cheap. If you have been around at all your know that asking for cheap channel letters may not get you what you are asking for.

Cheap channel letters, cheap pylon signs in Minneapolis, mn

You don’t necessarily have to get a cheap quality sign just because the budget is tight. When you call a sign guy, he should be able to help you find the right wall sign or pole sign that fits your budget, but still helps your business.

A cheap expensive sign

Signs aren’t always expensive advertising. Unlike other forms of advertising that are very expensive and a flash in the pan, signs work 24hours a day, 7 days a week. Not many businesses will spend $18, 000 on a new sign, but they will spend that in a year using the yellow pages and not realize the profits as they would from their pole sign. Then, the advertising is gone, but the pole sign or channel letters will remain, and you will likely spend much less than that!

Visibility, Accessability & parking. These are the 3 important items when selecting your retail location. If you have the visibility, use it.

I have cheap channel letters, or should I say, inexpensive. Just ask

good signing

this sign guy is a 4th generation sign guy working in Ramsey, MN

Summer Signs of MN

It’s summer in Minneapolis, MN (if only for a few days) how are your sales?

Many people take the summer off for vacations and the kids are out of school, so life is a bit different. Many companies are busier also during the summer. All that being said, the summer is not the time to quit marketing. Here is a short list of things that you can take advantage of during the summer to keep your business busy well into the winter:

1. Wash / maintain your lit signs. Why? Because it’s cheaper then waiting for a problem in the dead of winter
2. Visit your referral sources. Why? The weather is nice, you might as well enjoy it.
3. Plan a new wall sign now? Why? You may be able to get a deal as the summer winds down, sign companies in MN want to stay busy also.
4. Re order your promotional products. Why? The trade show business picks up in the fall and you don’t want to get caught up in the rush, right now you may be able to find a deal.
5. Get that Pylon sign by the road in the ground. Why? Were in Minnesota, do I have to tell you why?
6. Add an EMC – Electronic message center. Why? Cuz they work!!!

This is just a simle few items. You should be planning the fall even during this busy summer season. Drop me a note of some of your good ideas.

good signing

The sign guy is the owner of signs by rsg located in Ramsey, MN.

Signs of a recession

I thought it would be helpful to show you some signs from the big recession.

I show you these photos because even during a depression, folks understood the need for signs. Wall signs, pole signs and mostly hand painted signs. Signs work for your business yesterday, today and well into tomorrow.

Are you feeling the economic pinch? What is our choice, get clients or close the business? I choose more clients, let my competition close.

signed -

The sign guy is a 4th generation sign manufacturer in Ramsey,  Minnesota.

Promotional products are keepers

Last week a client brought back one of my promotional advertising products that had an offer on it. I told him if he will give it to me then I will give you the discount offered on it.

His answer, “No, I want to keep it.”

Now that was music to my ears, and it should be to yours. A promotional product with an offer that the client refuses to give up. Promoting my business this way pays off.

Pens, Coins, Toys or calendars….

How do you choose? There are 2 main ways to use promotional items.

1. Trade shows
2. Daily give aways

Let’s take a look…..

TRADE SHOWS

At trade shows your expected to give away stuff. Since everyone will be giving stuff away, your item should be unique and have some utility. You have the right item if folks take it home and then use it regularly. I also suggest that an offer be printed right on the item without an expiration date. This way they won’t want to lose it. People still like coupons and free offers, so give it to them.

Buy a bunch as cheap as you can.

DAILY GIVE AWAYS

This is totally different from Trade Shows. With this method you should think repetition. Frequent visits of different items to a referral source that needs to remember you so they can refer their clients to you.

I like note pads, pens, mouse pads and calendars. However, there are many many other promo items and ideas. This method keeps your name in front of your referral partner.

There are some other ideas that can get your name in front of your clients. Promotional items are like long lasting business cards.

Go sell something

the sign guy

The sign guy owns Signs by rsg and has worked in the promotional products business for over 10 years. Located in Ramsey, MN for 6 years.

Promotional products work.

How do you make promotional products work?

Many folks buy some pens or cups and hope that these corporate gifts give them an increase in sales. The idea is when you give a guy a gift with your name on it, he will keep it and then buy from you again. This does work, but is there a way to get more sales from new customers?

Yes! You can use promo products to gain new clients but, it requires you to think a bit differently about how to use them. Normally you will buy a large quantity of items like pens and cups to get a better per piece price. Then it takes you 2 years to get rid of them to your clients. Try it this way. Think of the people that are in a compatible business as your own and that come into contact with your client before you do. Then, own their desk with different useful items that you give to them throughout the year.

For example; auto glass companies will give insurance agents note pads, pens, mouse pads, cups and other items he can use on his desk. These items add up over time and when the insurance agent has a client that needs glass, then guess what? That auto glass guy gets referred. Bada bing, New business.

Just because a guy doesn’t work in an office doesn’t mean you can’t own his desk. You can find items for construction workers, car offices and many other “desks”.

now, go sell something

The sign guy is the owner of signs by rsg and is a 4th generation sign maker.