Monthly Archives: February 2013

Why business signs make good financial sense in the modern world

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Why business signs make good financial sense in the modern world

There is an old sign adage that reads: “ A business without a sign is a sign of NO BUSINESS”, and believe it or not, it is as true today as it was a hundred years ago – possibly even more so.

OK, before you all shoot me down, let me elaborate.

Yes, in the modern world, I have to concede that not every business needs a sign, because some businesses simply NEVER see clients. Cyber businesses are one such example.

However, being the human animals that we are, most people still visit stores, not only for the social interaction, but also be cause they want to TOUCH and FEEL the merchandise they are going to purchase. It is an almost primal need to touch, in order to see better. If you are a parent, simply think of how often you have to tell your toddler that they don not need to “touch to see”! (The truth is they DO! We all do)

Because of the desire to touch to see, shops, stores, supermarkets and the like are still going to be around for the foreseeable future, and if they want people to visit them, they have to stand out from the competition. One way to achieve this is to possibly have a bigger, and certainly have a BETTER sign.

BETTER in signage generally refers to LARGER, although this is not always the case. Sometimes a simple sign can make a far bolder statement than the larger, illegible sign that is screaming at you.

In the modern world us human animals are still pretty much unchanged in our habits and nature, and as such we need to remember that while internet marketing, social media, Google and the like are all fantastic tools, they are just that – TOOLS! Like a good electrician, who will have more than a hammer and a set of screwdrivers in their toolbox, a good modern marketer should keep in mind that even if your internet marketing gets the client’s to the shopping centre where your store is located, if the client walks past your store because you do not have a sign, all your marketing effort has been for naught!

There is also the reality that signs tend to be a once off purchase, or at worst an irregular purchase. When one compares the cost of a great sign to the monthly cost of a salaried salesperson who may not have the best client service manner, the cost of the sign tends to be a lot cheaper than the alternatives.

If you are willing to hear OUR truth, and possibly even receive some expert advice on what signs will work for you, SignForce are marketing professionals with experience over multiple medium’s, and we will gladly give you our truth.

If you are in the market for professional looking signs at “FAIR VLAUE”, and would like advice on how best to project your business’s image while making any funds you spend on marketing and signs an investment, please contact the writer at arnold@signforce.co.zaor david@signforce.co.za and use the subject line: ADVICE PLEASE and we will get back to you.

http://www.signforce.co.za http://www.signforce.co.za/blog

How long should a sign last?

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Long should a sign last? or What is the expected life of a sign?

Often the life expectancy of a sign is linked directly to the cost of the sign.

As as general rule, the more expensive the sign, the longer is will last, but there are a number of factors that need to be considered.

First off all materials are not created equal, and even equal materials will not have the same life expectancy in different locations.

At SignForce we use vinyl that the manufacturer’s say has a life expectancy of five to seven years. While this may be true in Europe and North America, where the climate is cooler tan here in South Africa, we tend to find that five to seven year materials have a life expectancy of around five years. The difference between the better and cheaper options being that the better options tend to shrink evenly, so your circle maintains the shape of a circle, etc.

That is for vinyl. Perspex (or Plexiglas or many other brand names for plastic signs) has an outdoor life expectancy of between seven to ten years, and as long as the sign is not tampered with, this tends to be fairly accurate.

In the harsh African sun good, outdoor digital print and silk screening inks tend to have a life expectancy of between 12 and 36 months, so as a rule the vinyl that is printed on tends to have a life expectancy of no more than three years, as it is figured that the print will fae before the vinyl cracks and peels.

As a buyer of signs what we at SignForce suggest is that you look at the investment over a period of time. A sun that runs and looks bad is BAD for business! That said, if the cost of a print that will last three years is double the cost of a print that lasts 18 months, the latter is actually more expensive, as chances are that in 18 months the latter will cost more and you would thus have been better off looking at the long term cost. Of course, if you only need the print for six months, then a print that lasts 18 months is a better investment.

For great advice on how to have signs that make you look good at a fair price, signs that, as an investment, will generate greater income than their cost, and enhance your image, contact SignForce now. David: david@signforce.co.za Arnold: arnold@signforce.co.za 0861 SIGNFORCE / 0861 744 63 6723

www.signforce.co.za  www.signforce.co.za/blog

 

Planning for growth

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Planning for Growth

I am sure we must have all heard about planing. It is that ‘thing’ that we are supposed to do in order to enhance and move our lives forward.

This article is not about how to or why to plan. If you want to read some excellent material on planning, how to and why it is important, do a Google search.

My current thinking is about how one plans for growth. Sure, it is great to plan to continue along the same path that one has been on for many years, however, as the saying goes, if you continue to repeat the same actions, don’t expect different results.

To me planning for growth means pushing one’s boundaries to the point that, instead of the target being just out of reach, it should be so far ahead that it requires a totally different thought pattern and totally different action, but not so far ahead that one cannot see the target lying ahead.

Planning need not be engraved on stone, but it should be a guiding light, giving all the steps / milestones / incremental targets along the way for one to be able to measure progress, and see that the ultimate target is getting closer with every completed step.

I believe that planning should NOT be step by step rules, but rather a visible and achievable target that is communicated to those that you expect to implement and help achieve the plan. The implementer’s should then be guided and managed, but still left to their own devices, with them knowing what is expected, as it is often quite amazing how people will rise (or fall) to achieve what they know is expected of them.

With regards to signs, planning should answer the simple questions:

  1. What is the sign expected to achieve?
  2. How much do we want to spend on the sign?,
  3. What should the sign look like? And
  4. What is the image the sign needs to communicate?

With this information it is relatively simple for an experienced designer to design a sign that will fit one’s budget AND project the desired image so the sign can achieve it’s objective.

If you are in the market for professional looking signs that will achieve your objectives for the sign at “fair value”, please contact the writer at arnold@signforce.co.za or David at david@signforce.co.za. Please use the subject line ADVISE PLEASE.

Http://www.signforce.co.za http://www.signforce.co.za/blog

 

Gambling on relationships in business

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Business is about relationships, selling and money! For now I am only going to think about relationships.

Sometimes relationships are a gamble, not unlike a lottery ticket.

Sometimes you buy your ticket, and you simply lose – most often, and a bad investment!

Other times you buy your ticket and get a little (or not so little) payback – possibly an excellent investment – generally very rare.

And then there are the occasions when you purchase the ticket and get informed that your ticket IS a BIG winner. You get so excited. When you go collect your winnings, you are informed that you have to pay 50% of your winnings to tax. The win was LARGE so you justify the diminished reward by thinking that you should not be greedy. Then the cashier asks if you would like your payout in a single payment now or 20 years in the future. You laugh and ask what that means, only to be informed that if you take the payout now you get 50% of the remaining 50% (after tax) or you can wait the 20 years and get the full amount 50% after tax.  It is at times like this that we feel like we are been screwed!

At SignForce we believe that in order to spare your prospects and customers this feeling, it is best that they are informed, BEFORE the event, of the potential pitfalls and costs. I find myself often telling this to my seven year old, advising him that negotiating AFTER the fact means he will ALWAYS be on his back (otherwise known as losing) foot.

In the world of increasingly fast technology, where people seek immediate gratification, the best service we can provide is to make sure we are honest and up-front with clients. They may walk away because they don’t like what they hear, but in the long run, they tend to come back, because they learn (the hard way) that false promises generally cost a lot more than hurt pride – and the seeds for trust – and a great, lasting relationship – have been planted.

If you are willing to hear the truth, SignForce are marketing professionals with experience over multiple medium’s, and we will gladly give you our truth.

If you are in the market for professional looking signs at “FAIR VLAUE”, and would like advice on how best to project your business’s image while making any funds you spend on marketing and signs an investment, please contact the writer at arnold@signforce.co.zaor david@signforce.co.za and use the subject line: ADVICE PLEASE and we will get back to you.

http://www.signforce.co.za http://www.signforce.co.za/blog