Drive Foot Traffic With a Sign Making Franchise

Sign-making franchises are in higher demand than ever. Signs are incredibly important to businesses as they are used to fulfil a number of purposes, including selling certain products, attracting attention, increasing customer traffic, announcing discounts and encouraging customers to check them out online.

This article addresses how businesses can use signs to drive foot traffic and provides examples of some of the best sign-making franchise opportunities. By the end, you should have a better insight into how shop-front signs can be used effectively and whether the sign-making business sector is one you’d like to operate in.

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What is the current state of the signage industry?

On average, the number of signs we see a day exceeds 400. Whether it’s billboards, street signs, sandwich boards, health and safety signs or window displays, signs are everywhere. It’s thought that members of the public make their mind up about a store within just three and a half seconds, giving businesses an extremely short timescale in which to make a good first impression.

So, with the UK signage industry being worth approximately £500 million and signs clearly being important for businesses to convey information and impress potential customers, why not consider running a franchise in this lucrative marketplace?

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What is the purpose of retail shop signs?

On a basic level, retail store shop signs tell passers-by what the shop is. They also give potential customers an idea as to the store’s speciality, personality or values. Other types of signs include A-frame signs that stand outside, posters, menu boards and chalk boards.

However, there are many innovative uses for signage that are just starting to be utilised; for example, digital signs can alert customers to important information, display special offers and new products, and even reduce queues at shop tills. Signs have the power to change the way customers behave inside your store or business premises.

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Why are retail shop signs important for businesses?

When over 1,000 businesses were surveyed about the importance of signs, 98 percent said that high-quality signage creates a positive impression of businesses, and 97 percent believed that unprofessional signage would make them less inclined to do business with them.

Evidently, well thought-out signage can make all the difference. It helps a passer-by decide whether they want to enter the store, and perhaps even make a purchase, when they would previously have walked on by.

How can retail store businesses use shop-front signs to drive foot traffic?

A shop-front sign is one of the most powerful tools at a store’s disposal, as something that enables businesses to promote themselves even when they’re closed. However, the public will judge the store by the impression given by its signage, so it is incredibly important to get this right. This is a chance to be creative and show the brand’s personality.

Effective retail shop signs tell customers what they need to know about the business. Shop-front signs should display the business’ name and logo, and other store signage could include the store’s contact details, such as their telephone number or details of its social media pages, which will increase customer engagement.

Top 5 benefits of effective shop-front signs

We now consider five of the main advantages of shop-front signs and, in doing so, suggest how you can make the best use of signs for your business.

1. Attract customers to your shop. Use an eye-catching sign to entice customers to enter. This is especially important for new businesses, which can use a clever design to drum up public curiosity. Spend enough time carefully considering how you can make the best first impression possible.
2. Get you noticed in the first place. If you display your shop signs inadequately, your business risks missing out on potential custom. It’s your responsibility to make sure that potential customers can find you and this is easily achieved with well-placed and bold signage.
3. Cost-effective. When it comes to advertising your business, there is an abundance of methods you can use. However, in comparison to advertising on TV, in newspapers, on the radio, etc., shop-front signage doesn’t require repeat investment and provides years of advertisement for an outright price. This is where the services of a sign-making business come in.

It is no secret that signage can be expensive, especially if businesses seek to achieve a high-end look. The importance of appearances, however, mean that good signage will pay off in the long term, generating more customers and more custom.

What type of shop-front signs are there?

There is a myriad of different sign options for business owners to choose from. There are fluorescent tubing letters, halo illuminated signs and signs with push-through letters backlit with LEDs, as well as A-frame signs which are double-sided, and chalkboard signs, which can be changed and updated on a regular basis.

What to remember when choosing your retail store’s signs

• Keep it simple. Uncluttered signs that are clearly legible are most effective.
• Consistency is key. Signs should be made using the same colour scheme and font that the business uses across the rest of its marketing material, ensuring that the business has a professional feel and that customers can easily identify the brand.

Start a sign-making franchise

Perhaps surprisingly, the sign-making market is a bustling one, full of opportunities for budding investors. With so much choice in the market, potential franchisees really need to think about what they want to get out of their investment and what kind of brand they want to align themselves with.

To give you examples of the wide variety of franchises that are currently operating and looking for franchisees, here is a breakdown of a few of our favourite sign-making franchises.

Signarama

When they set up their business in 1986, US father and son duo Roy and Ray wanted to introduce modern, automated graphic design processes into the – often time-consuming – process of creating business signs.

Since then, the sign making franchise has grown to over 700 individual franchises internationally, of which 308 are located outside the US. The company’s success is built on the fact that it can make almost any kind of indoor or outdoor sign for businesses, as well as more speciality items like boat and vehicle graphics. The company also helps design, finance and install the finished products.

This final point is the sign-making business’ key differentiator. It positions itself as the marketing partner of choice for its clients. If you are looking to build productive relationships with your clients and help them achieve their commercial goals rather than simply churning out signs based on other people’s designs all day, Signarama could be a great opportunity for you.

Signarama asks that interested candidates can make a minimum investment of £35,000 and a total investment of £85,000.

Signs Express

This is a British signage business that is offering franchise opportunities with Point Franchise.

It claims that its franchisees can benefit from an earning potential that is 47 percent higher than in the average sign business. This is due to its almost 30 years of experience and highly successful business model that has allowed it to launch more than 65 stores across the UK and Ireland.

Those who are interested in joining the sign-making company do not need to have any experience in the sector, but simply the personal motivation to successfully represent and grow the brand.

Training in all aspects of the business will be provided by Signs Express experts, and franchisees can also access a dedicated marketing support scheme that will help with publicity and brand awareness.

Franchisees will need to make a minimum investment of £40,000 and a total investment of £115,000, as well as a franchise fee of £20,000.

Image360

With over 300 franchise locations across the US, this sign-making company is looking for opportunities to expand overseas. Image360 currently has eight franchise locations outside of the US.

The custom sign-maker has built its reputation on being able to produce a wide range of business signage, as well as related products including:

• Banners and flags
• Custom art printing
• Custom displays
• Decals and custom appliques
• Engraved signs and products
• Event signs and banners
• Interior signage/graphics/displays
• Illuminated signs and message board
• Monument signage
• Printed marketing materials

Image360 claims to provide the most comprehensive services available on the market and looks to serve high value customers. As a franchise owner, it will be your job to build long-lasting creative partnerships with companies and make sure that you are always their first port of call.

In order to express your interest in this franchise opportunity, head to its website today.

How do I enter the profitable sign-making industry?

If reading this article has helped you decide that starting a sign-making business is your next lucrative business venture, then we have plenty of franchise (/our-franchises/S2-sign-franchises)opportunities to suit your budget. As well as those already mentioned, Countrywide Signs and Fast Signs are two other exciting sign-making franchises looking to expand their UK coverage. Simply click on their company profiles, where you can find out more and get a free information pack.