The Sign Professional The sign professional is a unique creature. There is no other business that requires as much diversity in talent as the sign business. Cabinetmakers, masons, welders, sheetmetal fabricators, painters, artists, businesspeople, electricians, and many other skilled occupations make up the sign trade. The difference between a sign professional and anyone who is trained in these various fields is that the signperson often has to be all of these people. The sign business is not for the weak-at-heart–both literally and figuratively. Long hours, intense situations and demanding deadlines often eliminate the wanna-bees who were unprepared for such pressure. The would-be sign professional must be sharp, dedicated, hard-working and talented, no matter what entry point is chosen in the sign industry.
A Sense of Accomplishment
So, why would anyone want to come into this field — more specifically, why would you want to be in this field? There is a reason for being in the sign business. However, many who are already in it may not acknowledge the real reason. It boils down to "pride in accomplishment." Ten years from now, you will be able to ride down main street and say, "I did that — and that — and that." Yes, there is that great satisfaction from putting the creative juices to work, then years after the job is done, you can still admire your work.
A Good Family Business
Once you are in the sign business, you will find that the industry is filled with "Mom and Pop" operations as well as offering legitimate employment for the children. Many signshops start off as a one-employee business. Soon after, the workload is more than one person can possibly do. The likely resource for employees is usually found in the immediate family — after all, they will work longer hours for less money — and sometimes that is the factor that determines whether or not the business will survive it’s start-up phase.
Prosperity or Poverty
You have a choice when you enter the sign field — prosperity or poverty. Where you end up will largely depend on where you see yourself ending up. That sounds like double-talk, but one of the proven ingredients of success in any field is positive mental attitude. In fact, one of the oldest books that has remained on the best seller list, the Holy Bible, boils it down to a one-line formula: "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7). The Bible is not alone in its recommendation for success. Emerson said, "A man is what he thinks about all day long." The Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius put it this way, "A man’s life is what his thoughts make of it." William James said, "The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind." If you are about to enter the sign field with a goal of becoming successful in it, then you MUST see yourself succeeding each day. Even when things are seemingly falling apart, chalk it up to a learning experience and move on! Plan on eating, sleeping and drinking the sign business. Absorb every bit of information you can get your hands on. Subscribe to all of the magazines, build a library of books about signs, attend seminars and tradeshows, and join your regional sign! association that most closely relates to the type of sign business you have chosen.