ABOVE PHOTO: GABE GRIFFIN, CLEAR SIGN & DESIGN
QUESTION:
Do you, personally, have a satisfactory work-life balance?
Yes: 70%
- I run a small business where my work schedule is flexible enough to spend time with family and rest appropriately. — David Hall, Hall Designs, Staten Island, NY
- We have the right people in the right positions so that I do not have to do everything. — Paul Havenaar, Sign Impressions, Kalamazoo, MI
- I have a strong work-life balance because I’m intentional with my time and priorities. I stay organized and focused during my workday so I can be fully present for my kids when I’m home. — Lynsey Washington, Signarama Lancaster, PA, Lancaster, PA
- Stick to hours and energy for efficiency. Wisdom says the longer you work the less you get done with quality or effectiveness. — Gary Wildner, Wildner Sign Co., Cape Coral, FL
- I’m not working all the time. Able to be present at home. — Gary Feldmann, Express Sign & Logo, Monticello, IA
- By being organized and managing my time well. — Mary Gasca, Redrum Graphics, Simi Valley, CA
- Although in this day and age, we are always “on” (with cellphone, email, etc.), those also give us flexibility. — Melanie Harden, Creative Sign Designs, Tampa, FL
No: 30%
- The industry demands that you are working outside of a typical 9-5 job. Clients rely on you to meet deadlines, turnovers, openings and phased milestones. — Matt Robinson, Eastern Sign Tech, Burlington, NJ
- I still work too much in spite of grand plans to build the business up to run without me. — Kelley Campbell, Specialty Graphic Solutions, Vancouver, WA
- I’m too old to change. Life be damned, full speed ahead. — Steven Carpenter, Archetype, Bloomington, MN
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One Quick Question:
What’s the best way your company offers employees a satisfactory work-life balance?
| Generous PTO |
| 8% |
| Flexible hours |
| 57% |
| Working from home |
| 6% |
| Earning bonus time off |
| 3% |
| Other (combo of above, four-day week, family friendly) |
| 26% |
AI in the Sign Industry:
How long ago did your sign company start using any form of AI, if at all?
| Two years or more |
| 12% |
| More than one year, less than two |
| 34% |
| 6 to 12 months ago |
| 19% |
| Within the last 6 months |
| 16% |
| We do not use AI for anything |
| 19% |
What’s the Brain Squad?
Ready to share your thoughts on issues important to signage pros in the pages of Signs of the Times magazine? If you’re an owner or top manager of a US or Canadian-based sign company, you can sign up to participate in our quick, inspirational, five-minute monthly surveys at signsofthetimes.com/brainsquad.
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