New York SBDC Research Network

By  Rieva Lesonsky What’s the first thing that prospective customers see when they approach your business? Your signage tells them where you are, draws their attention and attracts them into your business (or possibly drives them away). Summing up your business brand for the world to see, your business signage creates that all-important first impression. How can you ensure it’s a good one? Whether you’re developing signage for a new business, or updating signage for an existing business, here are some things to consider. What are the constraints affecting signage in your area?  

And the SBDC was cited: Harry C. Alford's presentation to the Signage Foundation Inc.; Mr. Alford is the President and CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce In these turbulent economic times, small businesses rely on effective signage to help ensure the continued viability of their companies. While regulations are a necessary part of a complex society, regulatory flexibility is needed to ensure that businesses have the ability to attract new customers and bring back existing ones. Every law and regulation should be evaluated against its impact on jobs. On premise signs[are particularly important to black-owned business, especially those located in economically disadvantaged areas. Therefore, policymakers should develop and implement zoning laws and regulations for signs in a commonsense, business-friendly manner. More HERE NOTE that 10 of the 57 footnotes, starting with #13, are to New York State Small Business Development Center, What’s Your Signage? How On-Premise

This one of those gooey, somewhat religious pieces. But it also has a basic business application, which is that good signage matters. The Blind Boy's Sign .

Someone recently e-mailed me one those heart-tugging stories. This one starts: "A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: 'I am blind, please help.' There were only a few coins in the hat." Usually, these messages get quickly deleted, but this particular one did not. Go read it here. Or here or here . The business librarian in me focused on one particular line in the Moral of the Story category: "Be creative. Be innovative. Think differently and positively." The man rewriting the sign put a creative spin on the situation. He also recognized that doing things the way it had been done before - using the original wording - wasn't that successful, and the methodology had to change. And of course, the overriding message, which we at the Research Network embrace fully, is that signage matters . A lot. These lessons seem applicable to any entrepreneur.

I've invested a good chunk of my time on the importance of signage to small business owners. Eight months on writing a book, and nine more months on developing a website . I'm invested in this, which is why you've gotten to read a multitude of posts from me on the subject. One feature in both book & website is the idea that a well-designed, well-constructed sign is a fantastic marketing device for a business. A sign should not be some afterthought - a random appendage thrown together at the last minute. Recently I read an article titled " Good Marketing Begins After Sale is Made ," which holds out the thought that effective marketing should be about repeating a consistent message, "from the way your receptionist answers the phone to what your business card looks like," and that, "in these difficult economic times, we must be communicating on every front." Which I agree with, wholeheartedly. I held out a glimmer of hope that its author woul

I just returned from Sturbridge, Massachusetts, where I presented on the demonstrable benefits that a well-designed sign can bring to a small business. Yes, I'm still involved in the subject of signage. For those of you who don't know, we wrote a book on the subject ( What's Your Signage? ) in 2004, and created a website for it in 2006. The New York SBDC is seen by many people in the signage industry as great advocates in this area. I was one of four people who spoke to a collection of 100 or so building inspectors and code administrators from around Massachusetts. These are the people who are charged with enforcing the sign code ordinances of their town. An ordinance in one town can be completely different from the town next door. Just as easily, an ordinance in one town can be friendly to its business community, while the one next door can be terribly restrictive. These folks are the people who have to judge a sign and whether it should exist. They straddle the line betw

See what JJ Hill Library says about this NYS SBDC website: If you run a retail shop or have an office to meet with clients, what's the first thing your customers see when they get to your location? Your sign! So you want to make sure it presents the same good face for your business as you do. The What's Your Signage? site includes articles detailing the importance of signage to a business and provides background on the elements of a well-designed sign. You can use this information to become an informed partner with the sign-maker of your choosing, or use the site's manufacturer locator to find recommendations. What's the most important thing a good sign will do for your business? Reassure your customers that they've found the right place.

Like a lot of struggling smaller cities, in our area, we see businesses that have survived severe changes downtown. There is a drive to increase the traffic to downtown areas and convince businesses to locate there over malls. But sometimes, the cityscape doesn't give an accurate picture of what is going on behind closed doors. Walking down the street, so many businesses that appear defunct from the street are actually viable. Now, I know word-of-mouth is great and all, but these businesses could do more to get someone not already familiar with them in the door. Improving signage, cleaning up window displays and generally smartening up their "face" would go a long way to improving business. Developing a unified image may help develop new business. An example of another way to improve a brand identity is with shopping bags. The lastest Entrepreneur Magazine has a short article by Gwen Moran entitled It's in the Bag that looks at how a business can take advantage of

Not long ago, Dale Rice sent me this article from the October 2nd Buffalo News . It reports the desire of the mayor of East Aurora (about 15 miles southeast of Buffalo) to ban outdoor digital signs in that village. Proposing to ban any kind of sign is fraught with legal & Constitutional issues, as signage (as a form of commercial speech) is protected under the First Amendment. Hundreds of cases have been brought up (and won) by businesses over the years, challenging the legality of their local codes. If passed, the proposed sign code for East Aurora could eventually meet this same fate. Last week, I was part of a panel presentation on the importance of fairly-constructed, legally-sound sign codes. In the audience were town and municipal officials, inspectors, and code enforcement officials who were eager to learn about the subject. Codes exist all over the country that impose restrictions and obstacles on business owners when it comes to the sign outside their front door, and