7 signs without a permit

Here are 7 signs you can use for your Minnesota business and not need a permit.

1 – Vehicle lettering or Wrap
You should be lettering your car or truck and park it by the main road in front of your business for extra exposure.

2 – Door Lettering
This is especially helpful when you have a lot of walking traffic.

3 – Window Lettering
This is a great supplement to your overall signage. Window lettering can be changed often for more attention.

4 – Drive Thru signs
Obviously you need a drive thru for this to work, but if you do, make sure people can see it.

5 – Directional signs (most places)
This is not used for advertising but, you have to put your name on the sign to show whose entrance it is.

6 – Sidewalk signs
You can often use sidewalk signs provided you are able to move them in and out every day.

7 – Sandwich board signs
You know the kind that a guy wears and walks up and down your street advertising some special or event. Don’t snicker at this, people look at these signs and buy!

There you have it, 7 signs that you can have to increase the visibility to your shop. Call your neighborhood sign guy and get these ordered right away. With this economy, you need all the traffic you can get.

Good Signing

Minnesota Sign Maker & Franchise Owners

Why should I go with a Sign Maker from Minnesota?

Because Minnesotans are so nice and their sign guys are really good.

Really, the reason is service. You want your neon sign maker to be local. Many franchise owners have their sign shipped in from some other place, but who is around to cover the warranty?

Additionally, your Minnesota sign maker is more familiar with the city codes and special conditions that exist around Minneapolis & St. Paul. We know the hoops that the city wants you to jump through. We know about the Minnesota winters. We’re know it alls.

We also know how to install your pylon sign into a frozen ground. Your other sign guy from Texas has no idea about such things.

Call your Minnesota sign maker today, he may actually know what he is talking about.

good signing

Sign Repair & Minnesota Winters

Winter is on the way, so why did my sign suddenly stop working?

Chances are your sign was already broken before winter came along. You see, during the beautiful Minnesota summers we have a lot of daylight. You get to work and it’s light out. You go home and it’s light out. So it’s no wonder that when it get’s dark earlier that you “suddenly” think your sign needs to be repaired.

Of course it could have suddenly stopped working, but except for a few instances, it’s not because of the winter.

When does a Minnesota winter affect my sign?

Great question! My one word answer “Mercury”. Mercury is found in all florescent lamps (yes in your home light bulbs as well) and some neon lights. Mercury is negatively affected by the cold. The element is found in trace amounts in some neon signs, and sign cabinets. It needs heat to vaporize inside of the tube of light. What is missing in the winter? Heat!

So this means that your neon sign or wall sign or pylon sign may be dimmer, much dimmer during the winter.

If your neon sign is getting worse, it may be time for replacement. Unfortunately, that is about the only viable remedy. But don’t fret, Signs are still the best form of advertising around!

Good Signing

Ignore the recession with a Message Center

Do you want to ignore the Minnesota recession? Get an Electronic message center.

One way that you can ignore the recession while everyone else is in a panic, is to get more customers. If you have more customers, you have more money, more money, Less stress.

An electronic message center (LED message center) is a proven way to increase traffic into your store. Did you know that your potential clients are on their way to a different store and can be intercepted along the way if you could somehow get their attention?

Major retail outlets recognize this and invest in an EMC. You have a business in Minnesota or the Twin cities already, why not improve that business? You have to advertise anyway, why not use an advertisement that will target the clients you need? You know, the ones driving right past your store!

Well lit Wall signs help too!

You may not be able to justify the expence of a message center, but what about that terrible sign you have now? Make it work for you with a new lit wall sign or channel letters.

Ignore the recession with signs.

The only way to stay on top of this slowdown is to have more customers. What is the best way to get more customers? When they are driving right in front of your store. Call me if I can help. 763-753-7571

good signing!

Minnesota Interior Signs

Interior Signs, an Effective form of Advertising

Signs can be particularly effective inside your business.  Once your customer has become enthralled by your outside signage and then enticed to come on inside they are still susceptible to the subtle influences signs can do.  Indoor signs include window lettering, posters, displays, and even floor lettering.

High Traffic Areas

It is not a good idea to saturate your business in interior signs.  Rather, place your signs in high traffic areas.  If your in retail, end caps and popular items are high traffic areas and will be the most effective places to put your signs.  Also, the point of purchase is an excellent place to put signs to influence your customers to make impulse buys.

These signs can be posters, banners, hanging signs & vinyl lettering. Don’t forget about the use of photo’s to further assist your clientele into buying more.

Good Signing!

Twin Cities, Minnesota, Sign Opportunities.

Exterior Sign Opportunities for your Minnesota Business

Your business probably has more opportunities for exterior signs than the average business owner knows. As business owner that spends thousands of dollars per month on your location, you should take advantage of all the exterior signs possible.

Starting with the most obvious type of sign would be a pole sign which is most likely the first thing people see when they notice your business.  It is the largest and most noticeable sign upon first glance therefore should tell your customers everything you want them to know before they enter the business.

Like the pylon sign above, there are also Directional signs. Directional signs are usually allowed if they aren’t truly advertising but showing the entrance of the business. There is a limited amount of area but can be very effective.

If you have a drive thru, this is a great sign addition that can also attract business by having an attractive drive thru menu board.

Next we have wall signs, these can include channel letters, box signs and banners.  Banners are more temporary and cheaper than channel letters.  They usually advertise special events and sales.  Channel letters, because they are more permanent, tend to just have the name of the business. Box signs are less expensive than channel letters and should not be ignored.

Then there is window lettering.  Window lettering can be less permanent simply because it’s easier to put up.  However, once it is up it is probably going to stay there for a while so this type of sign advertises products and services.  Along the same line as window lettering is store hours.  It is surprising how many small businesses don’t take advantage of the simple opportunity of store hours signs. Don’t allow walking traffic to miss you just because they can’t see the main sign.

In short, since you are spending so much money on your location, make sure that your exterior signs are doing all they can for your business.

In a few days we will talk about the interior sign opportunities to increase business, and more profit.

good signing.

simple advertising, YARD SIGNS!

An inexpensive form of advertising

Yard signs are simple, quick, cheap, and you can’t help but look at them.  They stick out on a field of green like a sore thumb.  Everyone has been driving down the road and has seen that crudely made sign of cardboard stuck into the ground advertising a yard sale, but you look at it and try to read it simply because it wasn’t there before.  Why not take advantage of that pull from a crudely made sign with a professional looking yard sign.

Yard signs do not stop at simple coroplast signs.  They can be T-post signs and large aluminum signs.  Real estate agents use T-post signs all the time simply because they do two things attract attention, and convey a simple message.  A construction site will have tons of simple signs along the chain link fence conveying the names of the companies working on the site and the companies financing the site.

Yard signs aren’t big or impressive but they do their jobs well.

Time and Temperature Signs in Minnesota

Electronic time and temperature message centers in Minnesota

During the freezing cold months of the northern states, such as Minnesota, people can’t help but talk about the weather.  Particularly how cold the weather is.  A time and temperature message center is a great way for people to find out exactly how cold it is on the way to work so they can have something to talk about around the water cooler.  This type of sign isn’t just to tell what time it is or what the temperature is but rather to get people talking about your business.

A silly story about time & temperature signs:

My father lived in Alaska when he was a teenager and had to endure incredibly cold dark winters.  On his way to and from school everyday he would check the temperature on a large pylon sign.  To this day he still remembers the Fred Meyer’s sign. The sign wasn’t simply a thermometer, to that town, it was a landmark.  People will notice a sign like that, especially in a cold state like Minnesota.

What does a time & temperature sign really do?

It makes your sign more noticeable. It makes your business a landmark by which many of your potential clients will use to give directions. It may increase your profits and get your business ingrained in the minds of the local people as a landmark with an electronic time and temperature sign.

Time & Temp sign gets noticed

Minnesota trade show displays

Effective Trade show displays

During a trade show the number one priority is to get yourself noticed.  Banners and literature racks are popular forms of displays used at trade shows. These displays are great forms of advertising because they are easy to set up and easily customized, whatever the trade show may be.  Displays can be purchased online and from signs by RSG.  Bigger displays will get you noticed more but most people don’t want to spend a large amount of money on a huge display.  Also, the space available at a trade show is often limited so effectively using the space is key.

For people who are looking for an easy display a complete Kit, which can contain everything from a small display rack to a large banner, could be the answer.  A display kit can be customized to the customers needs and comes in an easy to handle box that can be unpacked at any trade show.

One other important thing to think about when preparing a trade show display is keeping a stock of promotional items as giveaways.  These small pens, magnets, mug holders, calenders, ect. are great forms of advertising and very simple.  The promotional items are essentially business cards except that they aren’t shoved into a pocket or trash can but rather are used.  A pen with your logo and website can go a long way.

The Benefit of Vehicle Wraps in MN

Minnesota vehicle wraps

Vehicle wraps are a great source of advertising if your business requires a lot of commuting.  Also, if you run a daycare or other home based business and are a soccer mom, every time you pick your kids up from practice or go to a game you could be taking that as an opportunity to advertise your business.

Any vehicle can be wrapped whether it be a truck, car, motorcycle, van, bus, and even a boat.  The profile of the vehicle may be taken into consideration.  If it’s a high profile vehicle like a sports car or a unique foreign car people are going to look at it anyway so putting a wrap on it will only add to its eye drawing ability.

Vehicle wraps can be used to carve a niche for your business in the local community giving your fleet a local appeal and recognition.  Vehicle wraps can actually have a better return on your investment than other forms of advertising like radio ads or billboards.

Just ask yourself. Are vehicle wraps right for your business?  Are they a good investment? We think they are worth the money.