Small-biz Expert Sends Reader to Signshop

When a reader wrote in to ask USA Today small-business expert Steve Strauss how to delegate marketing dollars, he stated, “It seems to me that I do not really need to invest a lot of money in a big sign” and asked how to best allocate a budget with no room for signage.

Strauss turned the question around, advising the reader to consider a simple, bold and tasteful sign that would attract foot traffic to the new business. He pointed out that signs can provide an additional source of clients (and impulse buys) as compared to word-of-mouth advertisements.

Citing McDonald’s, which reportedly spends approximately $40,000 on signage for each new restaurant, he advised the business owner to seek out attention-getting signs, with simple messages, including, at most, a business name, tag line and URL or telephone number. McDonalds, according to Strauss, can expect up to $600,000 per store in revenue as a result of their investment in signage.

Strauss didn’t forget signshops: “Getting that valuable sign is a matter of locating and working with a good sign company. . . . Obviously, price is important when choosing a sign and sign company, but it should not be the driving consideration. The profit you can make should be,” he wrote.