Permit Management Software and More Sign Business Advice

ABOVE PHOTO: GABE GRIFFIN, CLEAR SIGN & DESIGN

“You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.” — Bob Dylan

INSTALLATION Be More Mindful

1 Joe Allen, So Easy Signs (Middletown, OH), advises keeping the installers in mind during discovery and the sales process. “We try to stay in our lane as it pertains to what we’re really good at. I now know our limitations and conversely where we shine,” he says. Earl Walker, Image360 Tucker (Tucker, GA), has cut pre-drilling time for installing driver U-channel posts in half by using a 2-in. auger.

FABRICATION Compare and Respond

2 Estimate materials and products used for signage per project to ensure up-to-date costs, recommends Derrick Weinbrecht of Creative Signs (Topeka, KS), adding that they no longer make price sheets due to fluctuating costs. In terms of tools, Steve Rowe of SpeedPro Affinity Solutions (Sarasota, FL) is impressed with the results of Parker LORD Adhesives versus welding aluminum for smaller jobs.

SOFTWARE Spread the Word

3 FSG Signs (Austin, TX) has added the web portal PermitPal to their code and permit toolbox. PermitPal uses AI and verified sources to determine code and respond to specific questions about a project address, says FSG’s Director of Permitting Wendy Allgood. “It saves hours and even days if you have a question you would have to wait for answers from the city for, usually.” Three hours away, It’s A Good Sign (Dallas) has implemented Monday.com for project management to streamline their processes, according to co-owner Gayle Goodman Lynch.

MARKETING Online, Offline

4 The new marketing manager for Signarama River Cities (South Point, OH) has been steadily building a following on their TikTok account, says owner Heather Kincaid. “These are also filtered into our other social media platforms and the engagement is off the charts compared to our other work posts.” More traditional marketing methods remain relevant: Robert Burke, Burke Enterprise (Oakdale, CT), and Erin Rosado, His & Her Studio (Loxahatchee, FL), both emphasize word of mouth in addition to social media and advertising.

PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO

PRODUCTIVITY Baby Steps

5 The brain resists anything that feels scary or huge, so big goals can easily overwhelm and stall out. You can trick yourself into achieving greater things by taking very small steps: Do one pushup, make one call, write one line. “The habit sticks because it’s too small to fail. Each little move builds confidence and momentum,” writes Robert Maurer, author of One Small Step Can Change Your Life.

PICK A CARD, ANY CARD

6 Handing out jobs can feel like punishment duty — until you realize different people see the same task very differently. Business coach Dave Bailey recommends an exercise called Planning Poker: You describe the job, whether it’s updating the website photo gallery or calling past customers, and everyone silently picks a numbered playing card for how much effort it will take. A “2” means easy, a “10” means hard. When the cards flip, you see the spread. The gaps spark quick discussion: Maybe one person knows there’s hidden work while another doesn’t. But here’s the bonus: Those mismatched numbers often reveal natural fits. Someone who rates phone calls as a “2” should be the one making them, while the staffer who sees calls as a “9” can take on a different job they find easier. Planning Poker turns assigning work from guesswork into a team exercise where staff feels heard, jobs get divided fairly and people actually end up with tasks they don’t dread.