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

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

Marketing for profit

What is marketing? Is it the yellow pages, not really. Yellow pages are advertising, and so are wall signs, pylon signs or any type of sign or ad.

Marketing is getting the right message to the right people through the right media.

We learn marketing from the people who sell advertising. You know it is true. Their job is to find out how much you spend on advertising and then get it.

Do you want to make money with your marketing? Then you must figure out how to get the right message to the right people through the right media. Otherwise, we are not ‘marketing’. We are ‘blowing money’ on ‘hit and miss’
advertising—which is exactly what 99% of ALL small businesses do!!!

One way is through a well planned sign plan. Either wall signs or pylon signs on your property.

Proper marketing is the only part of your business that creates income for your business. No customers, no work, no money. The more that customers know about you, the more work, the more money. It is that simple.

The hard part is figuring out what method works. Yellow pages? TV? Newspapers? Signs?

All are important parts of the marketing plan. If you have a building with a road in front of it, remember, the best way to get a client to come into your store is when they are right in front of it.

If you need clients from different parts of the Twin cities, then gear your marketing to those media that will reach them.

I like to test and measure before committing large sums of money on advertising. The other thing I like to do is to market in a variety of ways. I go to networking groups, community groups, vehicle lettering, road signs as well as other print media. My thinking is if you have customers coming in from multiple sources, then you won’t have any problems if one of them stops working.

I also like the web. I am beginning to think that this internet thing is not going away.

good signing

The Sign Guy is the owner of Signs by RSG located in Ramsey, Mn. He and his brother (The sign dude) are 4th generation sign makers and can be reached at 763.753.7571

Signs are Marketing

A Minnesota business needs to be marketed, and signs are just one part.

There are several ways to market your business, whether your in Minneapolis, Coon Rapids, Edina or anywhere in Minnesota. Let us talk about some of the most obvious ones.

On site marketing – Wall signs, banners, pylon signs:
Signs on your building or property are the most obvious ways your clients will find you. If you have a retail business where you rely on walk in business, the building sign is the most vital part of your marketing plan. Many business find a great location with high traffic, then shoot themselves in the foot by not putting up a well designed, lit wall or pylon sign.

Point of Sale signs:
Point of purchase signs, the sign people see when they are in your store promoting a special product, are often under used. Think about this, why does Target, WalMart or any other major retail outlet have in store displays? Because they sell more stuff. The next time your in one of those places look around and see all of the signs, then notice how they’re being used.

Promotional products:
Not typically called a sign, but promotional products like pens, t-shirts, golf balls, all emblazoned with your company name, are like mini signs. A business card is important, but they get thrown away all to quickly. Promotional products allow your name to be in front of potential clients much longer. More about this in a future blog.

Thank you Cards:
Again, not thought of as a sign, but saying thank you to your clients is a must. Don’t buy just any card, get them printed with your company name. My company uses SendOut Cards. This has been one of the easiest ways to keep a client. You would be amazed at the results. For about $1.50, I can send out a printed card from my computer, with my company logo and my signature to any or all of my clients. I can even create campains and let the program do it auotmatically.

Your customer then receives a hand written card in the mail. Beleive me, they get opened and read.

This is just the tip of the ice berg. Next week I will share with you some other ideas that we know will help your business in these tough economic times.

good signing

The Sign Guy is the owner of Signs by RSG located in Ramsey, Mn. He and his brother (The sign dude) are 4th generation sign makers and can be reached at 763.753.7571

minnesota signs 2009

How do buy a sign in ‘09

Kinda catchy, I may use this in my literature. The question is important. How DO you buy a sign? At first it may sound simple, but really their are some hidden pitfalls. Let me show you.

You call a sign guy from the phone book, or three. He asks, “what kind of sign do you want?” You guess what kind of sign you want, either channel letters or pylon,  because you don’t want to sound stupid. You get their bids, all different. Then choose the guy who called you back.

Why go through this hassle. Buying a sign in Minnesota is much easier than that. Here’s how

Call me, Signs by rsg,  and I will immediately become your sign guy (consultant). I will come and visit your building if a lit sign and find out what you need, can have, want and can afford. In other words, sell you a sign that gives you the most impact for the money you have to spend. In many cases, SAVE YOU the money from your sign budget so you can spend it on your business.

Here’s why this is better:

Are you a sign professional?
Do you know the city sign rules?
Do you know how to determine an effective sign size?
Do you know the difference between channel letters, pylons, monuments, raceway signs, and why one is better than another?

If the answer is no to any or all of those questions, then why would I or any other sign person ask YOU “what kind of sign do you want?” It’s like going to the tax guy and him asking you which form should he fill out. Ridiculous.

Don’t be forced to buy a sign that you had to come up with because you didn’t want to sound dumb, call me, I will never let you sound dumb. You will always be able to make an informed decision.

good signing

Lit Signs work!

Does a lit sign really help, or would a non lit wall sign work?

We answer this question every day with another questions; When will your clients be coming by your store?

If the answer is at night, then a lit sign is the way to go. If the answer is during the day, then yes, you may ignore the thousands of potential clients who drive by your store at night and get a non lit sign.

Do you see my point. A well designed lit wall sign or pylon sign works for you 24 hours a day and is seen by your most likely clients. THE ONES DRIVING RIGHT PAST YOUR DOOR (usually on their way to your competition)

In Minnesota, we have an added challenge, and that is night comes earlier and lasts longer during the winter months. So, your Minnesota Signs should be lit to give you the maximum benefit.

Your sign works for you and literally could only cost just penny’s a day. This is by for the cheapest and most effective form of advertising.

good signing

Minneapolis sign installer

So you need a sign installed in the Twin Cities, eh?

What should you do first? You just found a guy going out of business, bought his sign off of Ebay and had it shipped to Minnesota. Now what?

Your in luck, here is a quick check list on the things to do to get your new old sign installed here in Minnesota.

1. Does it fit? All cities have size restrictions on wall signs. Usually 10-15% of the area of the wall on which it will be installed.
2. Does it match? Many landlords and some cities require that the sign match the other signs in the shopping center.
3. Did the landlord approve? It only takes a moment to ask.
4. Is it up to code? Check the sign for a UL label. This tells the electrical inspector that this electric sign was manufactured to specific criteria for safety.
5. Does it work? Surprisingly, many signs that have been shipped in, that you bought dirt cheap, doesn’t work
6. Did you call a licensed sign installer? Many if not all cities in the Twin Cities require a licensed sign installer to actually hang the sign.

Just a couple of simple questions, but questions that could save you hundreds, and maybe thousands of dollars. No one wants a wall sign that they can’t hang.

good signing

PS – call your local sign guy (763-753-7571) he may have some used signs hanging around looking for a good home.

Minnesota Signs so blue

Why does your sign guy want you to stay away from blue letters?

Channel letters that are blue are just blurry at night. They’re hard to read. Same thing with green channel letters. At night, they are not very clear.

There are some things you can do to still have blue letters. Outline the letters with white. What this does is to provide a defined edge of the blue, bringing it into perfect sharpness.

Blue channel letters that work

Do you want to be seen at night? Then make sure your sign can be read.

good signing