Five reasons to update your vehicle livery

Whether you own a runaround vehicle or a whole fleet of cars or vans, updating the livery of your company vehicles will give your business a whole new lease of life. A brand new livery means so much more than simply making your vehicles look pretty. It can have a positive knock-on effect on other aspects of your enterprise, helping boost brand awareness, generate interest among potential customers and giving you the edge over the competition.

Your vehicle livery is your way of getting your name and brand seen, letting the public know about the goods or services you supply and how they can get in touch with you. Here are just five of the top reasons for updating your livery today.

It’s free advertising space

If you already own the car or van, then the side of your vehicle is prime, free advertising space just waiting to be exploited. If you’re not already making use of it, then you’re missing a very important opportunity to promote your business and get your contact details seen. If you do already have vehicle signage, it might be time for an upgrade, to keep it up to date and looking attractive.

What’s more, your car or van provides you with round-the-clock publicity. Whether you’ve just stopped off for a few minutes at the petrol station or have left your vehicle parked up on the street overnight, your vehicle signage is always there and always visible.

You will reach more people

Studies have found that a vehicle with company branding could be seen by between 2,000 and 9,000 people per hour, both other road users and pedestrians passing by. With that much exposure, you can’t afford not to have an attractive livery. People are instantly attracted to bold, well-designed car graphics, so updating yours to ensure it’s looking its best is a wise move.

While you could fork out for a slot on the local radio or an advert in the local paper, the audience for such publicity tends to be very limited and the effect short-lived. With your livery acting as free advertising, you could reach more people without having to lift a finger, just in the course of going about your daily working life.

You can create a unified brand

Most companies will have a specific logo, colour scheme and font which they use across all their corporate branding, on everything from their shop front sign to their letterheads, their business cards and their websites. Including your vehicle in that overall, unified brand identity is important, because your business vehicles often play a key role in your day-to-day work.

A unified brand means customers are better able to instantly recognise your company, seeing a familiar logo and colour scheme across a range of materials and platforms. With your fleet of vehicles proudly displaying your new livery, you’re ensuring that unified brand is gaining as much visibility as possible, so potential customers will know it again when they pass by your shop front’s illuminated signs, or see that familiar font at the head of your restaurant menu or price list.

It helps you stay current and on-trend

Many companies are reluctant to embrace change, but change is sometimes exactly what’s needed to inject new energy into a business. If your company has been around for a while, it could be that your logo and branding are looking a little outdated and could benefit from a bit of an update, to ensure they’re on trend. Perhaps you’re regretting that particularly vivid shade of green you picked all those years ago, or you think your logo now looks a little bit unfashionable. Whatever the reasons, if your branding is looking a little tired, then it might be high time for a makeover.

It’s also a good opportunity to update your contact details. Many more companies are embracing social media and making use of their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages, so if you want to direct more traffic to your website and social media platforms, then you need to make sure people know how to find you. Adding this information to your vehicle livery is a great idea, because people who are out and about with their smartphones to hand can instantly search for you before they have a chance to forget.

It shows you mean business

There’s no doubt that we’re in for yet another tough year, and keeping ahead of your rivals is crucial. Whatever field you work in, from shops and estate agents to restaurants, bars, cafes, gyms, cleaners and building firms, you know just how fierce competition is at the moment. Companies which invest in themselves and in their own self-promotion show they mean business and are here to stay.

By updating the livery of your car, van or fleet, you’re showing the world that you take pride in what you do, and if you show an interest in your business, then potential customers will be more inclined to show an interest too.

Here at The Sussex Sign Company, we’ve perfected our vehicle wrapping techniques over the course of many years, and are able to offer our clients the highest quality and most long-lasting vehicle signage. Our expert team of designers can work with you to craft bespoke and beautiful vehicle wraps which truly reflect you and your business. If you’re feeling inspired to update your vehicle livery, simply get in touch with us today.

Great design and print can help you grow your business

We may have entered a so-called ‘digital age’, but businesses overlook the power of print at their peril. Today, having a strong online presence is, of course, absolutely vital, with more aspects of our everyday lives being transferred online and the growth of e-commerce meaning any company – selling goods, products and services of any kind – needs a powerful digital marketing campaign. Yet despite this, the printed word is far from dead, and neglecting this more ‘traditional’ channel of communication could mean your business is missing a trick. With a bit of creative flair and the right products, great design and print really could help your business grow.

Building a brand

A company of any shape and size needs to develop a coherent brand if they are to succeed, and that brand has to be consistent across all the communication channels it uses, from the signage outside your premises to the business cards in your pocket. A coherent brand creates a unique identity for your business, which allows customers to better engage with you, your work, your core beliefs and your company’s story.

Every business has a story to tell, and the very best branding campaigns help put that narrative across. When your digital media marketing ties up with your ‘real world’ printed marketing, you can develop a strong, diverse and incredibly effective campaign which will generate interest in your business, attracting ever greater numbers of customers from ever more varied walks of life.

Can the pen be mightier than the mouse?

Printed materials such as leaflets, advertising brochures, branded letterheads, office stationery and business cards can reach a whole new demographic, when it comes to generating new custom for your business. There’s still something incredibly satisfying about holding the printed word in your hands. Distributing something tangible and ‘real world’ can have a big impact and bring in customers who may not have had any other way of discovering and engaging with your company and brand. Although people of every age are now conducting more and more of their lives online, there are still plenty of potential customers who don’t want to interact in this way. We’re not just talking about older adults either, but also young, tech-savvy but cynical ‘Millennials’, who regularly shop online and have had enough negative experiences to be naturally wary of trying a new and unfamiliar retailer.

Printed materials have a solid and reassuring feel to them, and when they look attractive, they’re hard to ignore. When looking at things on screens, particularly the smaller screens of smartphones or tablets, there is a tendency to just skim through text and glance over images, without really taking in or fully engaging with the content. That can mean customers miss out on vital information or simply switch off before they get round to exploring your online catalogue or making a purchase.

By comparison, a beautifully illustrated and well-written leaflet or brochure can be more successful at grabbing and holding a viewer’s interest. For all the screens we have incorporated into our daily lives, research has shown that most people still feel more comfortable reading a physical document than trying to focus on the glowing face of a computer or portable device.

Also consider the impact that a glossy brochure or leaflet can have when hand-posted through a letterbox. The vast majority of your existing and potential customers will probably live within a few miles’ radius of your business premises, and can easily be targeted with printed materials delivered by your team. Even now, with the ping of emails and texts a constant in most people’s lives, hearing the letterbox rattle still generates that little buzz of excitement. When they receive your printed product, people inevitably have to look at it, even if it’s just to decide whether it’s something they’re interested in, or whether it’s heading for the recycling. With powerful branding, a clear layout and a strong message, it will make more of an impact and greatly increase the chances that it will end up saved for future reference.

Printed materials: the choices are endless

The printed products you choose should complement the digital branding you have. Most companies will have a stylised version of their company name, a logo and a set of colours which make up their unique branding, and keeping these consistent between your website and email advertising and the printed materials you select is very important.

A design and print campaign can really help your business grow, when it complements and works with your digital marketing strategy. Branded business cards are a great way of making your business memorable, especially at networking events or occasions when you can hand them out to customers. With branded office stationery and letterheads, you can ensure that any documentation you have to send out is also working to promote your company, while leaflets, brochures and other advertising materials can have a much wider appeal and reach far more people than a brief slot on the local radio station or a small ad in the local paper.

With great advances in the printing technology now available to specialist design and print firms, the choice of printed materials is virtually limitless. A good design team will be able to craft creative, vibrant and eye-catching printed products, enabling you to combine this traditional yet effective channel of communication with your digital branding and help your business reach a wider audience.

How can we help?

Here at The Sussex Sign Company, we have a team dedicated to producing bespoke printed products perfectly tailored to your business needs. With a whole range of packages available, we can undertake projects of any size and scope to help you get the very best in branded printed materials – from basic artwork printing and running up business cards, to full re-branding exercises. Simply get in touch today to see how we can help your business grow. Call us on 01273 424900

What makes a great sign?

Signage is one thing no business can afford to get wrong. Because the signs on the front of your premises are always visible and always advertising you to the world, ensuring they stand out, look attractive and are memorable to potential customers is absolutely vital when it comes to winning that much-needed footfall on the High Street.

Poorly designed and badly installed signs not only make your business look like an eyesore in the local area, they may very well put customers off altogether. When the front of your premises look unappealing and unloved, it suggests that everything else you have to offer will also be disappointing to customers. That means that keeping the façade of your establishment in top condition is key. So what makes a great sign, and how can you ensure your signs are working hard for you?

Bold design

When it comes to sign design, there’s no point in doing things by halves. Employing a professional sign designer with the relevant experience and knowledge can make all the difference if you want to get the best signs for your business. While it might seem like an expense you could do without, professional design teams are highly skilled and know exactly what works and what doesn’t. Even if you can clearly picture what you want in your mind’s eye, a professional designer might just come up with some creative alternatives or valuable additions which you perhaps hadn’t thought of.

A bold sign is one which makes the best use of colour, imagery and font. Too bland in its colour scheme and your signs are easily overlooked, too loud and you run the risk of them perhaps seeming garish and tacky. The colours you and your designer choose will probably tie in with the branding your business already uses, so if you have a particular colour scheme you use elsewhere, then incorporating this is a good way of promoting your brand identity more forcefully.

The same goes for imagery, and working your logo into pride of place in your sign is key. You may also have a specific font which is associated with your company’s brand image, which needs to form part of a bold signage solution. A good designer will know how to strike a balance with all these elements, creating a sign design which is striking, clean, legible and uncluttered.

A branding opportunity

You should treat the installation of new signs as a way to build your brand identity. Whether you own or manage a shop, restaurant, café, bar, gym or any other establishment, you’ll have worked hard to shape an image which reflects what you do and the pride you take in doing it. If you’re installing new signage and feel your old branding is looking a little lacklustre, this can be a great chance to modernise or update your brand identity.

Great signs are able to convey a message and tell a story, about you, your business and your work. We all make instant judgements about what we’re looking at within a fraction of a second, so the amount of time your sign has to make an impact on potential customers is minimal, and you only get one shot at that first impression. What elevates a good sign to a great one is the ability to convey in that split second everything they need to know about you. Well-designed, well-maintained and memorable, a great sign gives them the whole picture in an instant.

Internal signs

It’s not just the outside of your premises which needs great signs, but the inside can benefit too. Wayfinding signs, promotional graphics and other internal signs all need to be designed with the same principles in mind, ensuring they tie in with your branding and are clear and easily understood.

While the external signs might be the stars of the show, those indoors need to work just as hard and be just as striking. Signs which confuse and are unclear could lead to all sorts of problems for clients and customers, causing frustration and putting your business across in a less than favourable light. A good designer will be able to develop a signage solution which works well with the layout of your indoor space and enhances the customer experience while they’re visiting your premises.

Still looking great?

As with anything new and shiny, the novelty of a new sign might well wear off after a while, but it still needs to remain looking great. If you’ve already invested the money in getting a beautiful, bespoke sign for the outside of your premises, then it makes sense to keep it well maintained. The ‘greatness’ will soon rub off your new signs if you don’t keep them in tip-top condition, so considering a long-term maintenance package may well be a sensible option.

Go to the pros

Only by using a professional sign design and installation company can you be sure you’re getting a great signage solution. The Sussex Sign Company has been working in this field for more than two decades, crafting beautiful, bespoke signs for business across the region, and further afield.

Thanks to the talents of our highly skilled design and installation teams, we’re able to offer our clients a service like no other. We offer a tailor-made package which ensures you get exactly what you need from your signs, designing, fitting and maintaining great signs which will help your business stand out. For more information on the services we can provide, simply contact our expert team today, on 01273 424900.

The Sussex Sign Company Is proud to sponsor the Let’s Do Business Brighton Expo 2017

The Sussex Sign Company is very proud to announce that it has been selected as the headline sponsor of 2017’s Let’s Do Business Brighton Expo, which takes place on May 11th this year. This is one of the most exciting and prestigious events in the South East’s business calendar, and The Sussex Sign Company is extremely pleased to be able to offer its support to the event organisers and the wider Sussex business community.

Last year’s LDB Brighton Expo saw record numbers of visitors and exhibitors, and with more than 110 exhibitors already lined up for the eighth show, 2017’s event looks set to be even more successful. This year’s headline speaker has been confirmed as Dragon’s Den star Rob Law MBE, who follows in the footsteps of fellow Dragon Levi Roots, whose appearance at last year’s show was a great success. As CEO of much-loved children’s suitcase manufacturer Trunki, Rob Law has proved his credentials as an innovative and inspirational entrepreneur, and his speech is guaranteed to draw in the crowds.

Let’s Do Business

The Let’s Do Business Group helps businesses large and small in Brighton and across the wider Sussex region, and the variety of stands which have featured at the Brighton Expo over the years is testament to the good work they do, across a range of industries and sectors. Alongside the exhibitor stands, visitors will be able to listen to a selection of fascinating seminars from guest speakers and participate in workshop events.

Created with the aim of inspiring, educating and nurturing local business talent, the Let’s Do Business Group event helps companies from across the South East to find a wider platform to display their work, helping them build brand awareness and grow. This desire to help other businesses build brand awareness is something that The Sussex Sign Company shares, and the company’s mission has always been to work with fellow business owners to design the most powerful signage for their brand.

Taking a leading role

The Sussex Sign Company feels extremely privileged to have been chosen as the LDB Brighton Expo’s headline sponsor. Having worked in the Brighton and Sussex area for more than two decades, the company feels a strong connection to the region and to the South East’s thriving business community. Over the years, it has enjoyed working closely with small- and medium-sized enterprises across the region, many of whom will no doubt attend this very special event.

The opportunity to take a leading role in helping fellow businesses showcase their hard work and celebrate their continued success was one which that The Sussex Sign Company embraced, and it is very much looking forward to May 11th. Along with the event’s supporting sponsors and the Brighton and Hove Chamber of Commerce, it is hoped that this Expo will be every bit as successful as last year’s, and The Sussex Sign Company is already working hard to prepare for the role it will play at the event.

This is a unique and very special opportunity for The Sussex Sign Company, and the company wishes all the exhibitors who have already signed up to the event well, as they prepare.

Planning Your New Sign Project

Spring Into Action With New Signage

Whether you’re launching a full rebranding exercise or you’re looking at a smaller-scale makeover to the front of your business premises, you need to plan your new sign project with care. Studies have shown that the human brain processes what it can see, forms a first impression or makes a judgement in just a tenth of a second, so appearances really do matter. In an already challenging retail and hospitality market, ensuring your premises are looking their very best has never been so important. A well-presented shop or restaurant front encourages custom, offering a promising glimpse into what might lie beyond the double doors.

New signage can make an immediate difference to how potential customers perceive your company. High-quality signage is the gift which keeps on giving, always visible and acting as round-the-clock and year-round advertising for your business. Done well, signage does more than simply put your company name and logo in lights – it reflects your brand to the world, it lets customers know you take pride in your work and it enhances the area around it by being attractive and pleasing to the eye. If you’re planning on updating your existing signage or considering a whole new sign project, getting the right team on board to support you in the design, installation and maintenance of your new signs is crucial, if the exercise is to be a success.

Why New Signage?

As an advertising tool, strong, well-designed signs have a more far-reaching and enduring power than taking out a small ad in the local paper or a slot on a local radio show, as more people come into contact with your signs on a daily basis. Made up in your company’s signature colours and clearly displaying your name, logo and contact details, a good sign makes a lasting impression on all who see it, whether they’re conscious of the fact or not.

It’s also true to say that people notice change in their neighbourhoods, especially when the change they see is improving the local area or making them sit up and take notice. Familiarity can breed indifference, and no matter how brilliant the products you sell, the food you serve or the services you offer, if people have stopped noticing your premises, then trade inevitably trails off. Sometimes, when they pass your shop, café, bar or restaurant every day on the school run or commute, people may simply have ceased to register your existence. If the signage changes, if the front of your premises suddenly gets that bold new look, then it will turn heads – and heads turned equates to more trade in the long-term.

It’s All In The Planning

Installing new signage does require a certain level of investment. Done well, though, it will pay you back multiple times over and will last for many, many years to come. Just as you wouldn’t rush into any other important business decision without first looking at it from several different angles, having new signs installed must be undertaken only after careful consideration and plenty of planning, and preferably with the expert advice of an experienced signage company.

You may well begin planning your new sign project with a very clear mental image of what your signs should look like, or you may be completely open-minded and looking for guidance. Either way, the best sign designers will be able to find creative alternatives and new solutions that you may not even have considered. Technical expertise, such as which fonts, colours and types of sign work well together are only acquired with experience, which is why it can be a good approach to go into the process with an open mind about what you might want from your new signs. An installation company will also be best placed to advise you on the positioning of your signs, to ensure they get the maximum exposure and are legible, eye-catching and more likely to capture the attention of potential customers.

As well as the visual appearance of your signs, you also have to consider the health and safety implications of new signage. Poorly fitted and badly-maintained signs can pose a serious risk, both to you and your customers. If there’s any danger that they might cause injuries, the consequences can be dire, in terms of reputation damage and costly litigation. Good planning in advance means that risk is reduced, and setting up an ongoing maintenance programme ensures they are kept safe and sparkling throughout the year.

Other Considerations

Finally, you need to decide when the best time would be to have your new signage installed. A professional signage company is unlikely to be put off by the bad weather over the autumn and winter months, so your new sign project could really be undertaken at any time of the year. Spring is, however, a particularly good time to consider new signs, especially as this is a period when lots of business owners feel the need for a cathartic deep spring clean and a fresh start with better branding. The timing will have to depend on when you feel you’ll make the minimum impact on your customers and the maximum impact in terms of relaunching your powerful new brand identity.

You also need to make sure you work with designers and sign installers you’re comfortable with and a team you can build a rapport with, as this can be a long-lasting relationship. Not only are you entrusting them with your company image and your creative ideas, but they may also be involved in the ongoing maintenance and servicing of your signs.

Here at The Sussex Sign Company, we’ve spent many years working with local businesses to plan and manage their new sign projects. Thanks to our highly creative design team and our expertly qualified professional fitters, we combine bright ideas and technical skills to make your new signs work for you. For more information on how we can help, simply get in touch today on 01273 417057 or contact us using the contact form.

How To Make Your Signs Work All Year

Ensure Your Signs Work For You and Add Value To Your Bottom Line

If you own or run a small- or medium-sized business, chances are you’re hard at work day in, day out, throughout the year. For many, the concept of a ‘day off’ is probably alien, and holidays can be few and far between if you’re dedicated to making your company a success, especially early on, when building a brand and forging a reputation can consume every waking minute. When you’re so hard at work, you need all the help you can get, which is why your signage ought to be made to work just as hard throughout the year.

Signage is an integral part of any business premises, whether you own a small café, run a bar or restaurant, operate a gym or are the owner of a retail shop or store. Signage is one of the most powerful promotional and advertising tools your company has in its arsenal, and done well, it does far more than simply announce your company’s name and logo to the world. Your signs can reflect your brand and help shape a lasting impression in the minds of potential customers, increasing footfall and showing that you take pride in your work.

Keeping Up Appearances

The signage outside your business premises really can be made to work hard. It’s prime advertising space, after all, visible to all passersby 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 52 weeks of the year. There’s no point it being there, however, if it’s not a positive reflection of your company. On every high street, in every town, village and city, you’ll find signage which not only makes a shop or restaurant an eyesore, but which also gives the impression there’s a lack of interest in appearances, which can only translate into a lack of interest in services. Faulty illuminations, missing or faded lettering, grubby or poorly-kept signs – these all suggest to customers that what lies within the establishment will be just as disappointing as the external appearance.

For signage to work all year round, it has to be not only well designed and well fitted, but well-maintained come rain or shine. Finding a company which can install powerful signage and also provide a year-round maintenance service to keep it looking in tip-top condition is crucial if you’re to keep up appearances.

Autumn and Winter Time Signage

During the colder, darker months towards the end of the year, well maintained signage can be a real blessing to a business. Far from being a ‘dead’ period for retailers and those in the hospitality and leisure industries, the autumn and winter can be a very busy time of year. Between Halloween, Bonfire Night, the build up to Christmas and New Year and the seasonal sales, this is often a period when competition on the High Street is fierce, and encouraging customers to choose your business over those of your rivals becomes more important than ever.

The weather may be unpleasant and people may be a little deterred from venturing out, but that’s when quality signage comes into its own. A well-illuminated, well-maintained sign acts as a beacon to passersby, encouraging them through the door, or at least persuading them to pause and examine your window display, your menu or your list of offers. The welcoming façade of your premises can make a major difference to the number of customers you attract, which is more important than ever during those post-Christmas months when footfall tends to tail off.

While this might not seem like the most logical time of year to carry out maintenance work to your signage, ensuring it is all in working order and looking immaculate is as important now as during the sunnier months of the year, if not more so. Bad weather can damage signs, leaving them not only looking a little worse for wear but potentially dangerous to you and your customers. Good sign maintenance companies are undeterred by a little rain and wind, so keeping your signage safe and sparkling is straightforward over the autumn and winter.

Spring and Summer Time Signage

With the better weather comes higher footfall on the High Street, and all eyes are on you. Spring can provide a wonderful opportunity to make a fresh start, so if you’ve been thinking about a little rebranding or just a deep spring clean, then now is a good time to have new signage installed. Sprucing up the front of your premises in anticipation of the better weather can give a real boost to how you feel and see your business, and how customers see it. Spring can be a time for transformations, and people notice change. New signage now can renew or generate interest in your business, and it could be the pick-me-up you need after a quiet couple of months.

Summer again provides plenty of opportunities, and your signage needs to be working as hard now as it did throughout the autumn and winter. With more people than ever choosing to remain within the UK for their holidays, you may find there’s an increase in the number of people passing by, who are unfamiliar with your brand and what you do. Depending on where your business is located and how likely the area is to attract tourists or holidaymakers, clear signage which announces your presence and encourages those one-off customers to take a closer look could help secure some all-important impulse buys.

How Can We Help?

Here at The Sussex Sign Company, we’ve spent many years working with businesses across East Sussex to not only design and install bespoke and beautiful signage, but to keep it looking it’s best all year round. With tailored maintenance packages built around your individual requirements, we can help you keep your signs as stand-out and sparkling as the day they were first fitted. For more information on how we can make your signage work harder for you year-round, simply get in touch with our expert team today on 01273 417057 or contact us using the contact form.

Organisations change all the time, so their signage should too.

Change is good. We live in an age where nothing stands still, and while some of us might feel a sense of dread when things are shaken up, there can be no doubt that the only way companies move forward is by embracing change. Being pushed out of our comfort zones by change is one of the only ways both businesses and we as individuals learn, adapt and improve, and a change – as the old adage goes – can be as good as a rest.

As organisations are always looking to change and improve their workplace practices and cultures, their brand image also needs to keep up with the alterations they make. Revolutionising and building your business is a rather futile exercise, if the people you’re selling to still hold onto the outdated vision of the ‘old you’. If the improvements you make go unnoticed and if you don’t spread the word, then your customers and clients won’t be able to see the benefits of getting on board with your organisation. Probably the most important and visible way of announcing the internal changes to your business is through the outside of your business. That’s why, if change is to work, considering a shake-up of your signage to attract some attention could be vital in the next chapter of your company’s story.

Change shouldn’t be scary

Everyone likes stability, but change doesn’t have to be a scary thing and, done well, the two are not incompatible. Companies have to adapt all the time, whether that’s overhauling an old-fashioned process which no longer works, implementing a few role changes in a department which is no longer functioning at its best, or embracing new technologies designed to improve particular systems.

If companies cannot be open to change, there is always a danger of stagnation. Sometimes individuals can simply be too close, too far into an organisation to see that there is a problem, and it takes someone coming in from the outside – a new member of staff or an expert specially drafted in – to point out that they’ve become stuck in a rut. If sales figures are on a downward spiral or targets are not being met, there’s no other option but change.

Tinkering about the edges

Of course, if a company is going to implement changes which are meaningful and lasting, then there is no point in simply tinkering about the edges. The whole point of the exercise and upheaval has to be to improve things in the long-term, so whatever goods, products or services a company is offering, just tweaking minor things is not going to make a tangible difference to sales figures or footfall.

If customers are going to see a real difference and be tempted back into a bar, restaurant, shop, gym or other establishment which has become tired and stuck in a rut, then they need to be blown away by the impact of the changes which are being made. Simply updating the signature dish, adding a single new line of beauty products or offering a week-long discount on membership fees isn’t going to cut the mustard in such a competitive High Street market.

Big changes inside your premises call for big changes outside. Having made the decision to change and shake things up a bit, you need to announce that to the world – and that’s where upgrading your signs comes in.

How new signage can help

Customers and clients notice change when they see it on the streets they’re so familiar with, especially when it’s change for the better. If they’ve passed your premises day in, day out on the long commute to work or whilst running the kids to school, then they’ve probably stopped noticing you altogether. After all, familiarity breeds indifference, and they see just the same old, same old thing.

If, however, you decide to spruce up your shopfront and introduce improved and bolder signage, then the people who might have once simply passed you by will see something’s different and they may be more tempted to pause at your window display or stop to look at your menu. Seeing a difference, and noticing a change for the better can only encourage more footfall and give your business the boost it so definitely deserves.

In these difficult times for companies in all sectors, rebranding through improved signs announces your new, more confident and more efficient business to the world. While it might seem like an expensive investment on the back of all the other changes you’ve been making, high quality new signs really will pay dividends in the long run. Signs act as a round-the-clock advertisement for your company, and properly designed, installed and maintained, they are the most powerful branding tool you have available.

If you have invested time, money and effort in implementing difficult changes beyond the double doors at the front of your premises, then it makes sound business sense to announce that change to the world. You’ve done all the hard work inside, so make the outside reflect that.

Here at The Sussex Sign Company, we’ve dedicated years to crafting the most beautiful and enduring signage solutions for companies across the region, and are the go-to people when it comes to rebranding and upgrading all your external and internal signs. Our team of skilled designers and professional, highly-qualified sign fitters are always on hand to help you make the changes you need to keep your business going from strength to strength. For more information about the services we can offer you, simply get in touch today.

Is 2017 the year to renew your signs?

New Year, New Signs

We were only a handful of days into 2017 when several major High Street companies, including Next, began to issue warnings about what a challenging year this could turn out to be. Stock prices began to slide, as industry analysts assessed sluggish sales over the Christmas period and expressed their fears that the coming months could be particularly hard for all involved in the retail, hospitality, services and manufacturing industries. A decade on from the crippling financial crash, the economy has been slow to pick up and consumer confidence is only gradually beginning to return. With families everywhere keeping tighter control on their purse strings and continuing uncertainty over the vote to leave the European Union, businesses across all sectors could find 2017 a particularly difficult year.

Tougher competition between companies large and small will inevitably lead to some going out of business altogether, so there has never been a more crucial moment for looking again at what you could be doing to attract more custom and give your business the edge over your rivals. One of the most effective ways of drawing in those much-needed sales is by relaunching your brand, making it stronger so that it stands out from the crowd. One of the best ways to do that is by investing in new signage. So how can an investment in sign replacement now help your business throughout 2017?

New year, new you

January is a good time for a fresh start. Despite the dismal weather and the tighter budgets, people are still lured out onto the streets by the promise of bagging a bargain in the annual sales, so you may find that footfall along your particular stretch of street is not as low as you had expected. That said, persuading people to stop and inspect your illuminated window display, price lists or menu can be a challenge when there are multiple stores competing for the attention of passing trade, so ensuring you stand out from the premises around you is key.

Signage is perhaps the most important tool you have at your disposal in this regard. Especially in these dreary winter months, a well illuminated and well maintained sign acts as a beacon to potential customers, offering a warm invitation to come in out of the cold and explore what you have to offer. As they say, you only get one shot at a first impression, and shops and restaurants with grubby, run down and poorly cared for signage are an eyesore which instantly puts off those passing by. A disappointing shop front suggests the owner takes little pride or interest in their business, so their chances of luring in the spontaneous shopper or retaining their repeat custom are limited.

A well designed and well looked after sign, by comparison, shows you hold your business to a high standard and care about what the world thinks of you. People notice change in their neighbourhood, so whether they pass your shop on the way to work each day or drive past your gym during the school run, the chances are they will spot your sign replacement and be inclined to investigate further.

No better time

If you thought that the winter months were not the most practical time for sign replacement, prepare to think again. Once the January sales tail off, footfall inevitably follows suit, with fewer people finding any incentive to trudge the High Street once the cold, wintry weather takes hold. You may find that over the winter months and early spring you have less custom, so you have plenty more time to see to all those maintenance jobs and administrative tasks you might have been putting off in the busy run-up to Christmas and New Year.

Think of your sign replacement as part of a pre-spring clean, a sprucing up of your premises ahead of the expected increase in trade that comes with the better weather. Professional sign fitters are undeterred by cold and damp conditions, so new signage can be fitted at any time of the year. Taking advantage of this slack period, now is perhaps the best time of year to give your business premises that new lease of life which will attract new customers and help you pull in those much needed sales.

If the gloomy forecast for 2017 becomes reality, this really could be the year when new signage and a more positive and proactive attitude to re-branding your business makes all the difference.

A professional approach

When it’s done well, sign replacement can work wonders for a business. Giving your shopfront that ‘wow’ factor and making sure your brand identity is clearly displayed for all to see can boost your chances of success. Sign manufacturing is now so advanced that there are virtually no limits to what you can do, but getting advice and having your new signage professionally designed and fitted will give you the very best results.

Here at the The Sussex Sign Company, our expert designers and sign fitters have been working in this field for many years, and we are ideally placed to help you re-brand and re-energise your business with new signage for 2017. As well as crafting beautiful, bespoke signs, we are on hand to help you maintain your signage and keep it looking as pristine and attractive as the day it was installed. Give your business a boost for the year ahead by contacting us today, to see how we can help you weather the uncertain year ahead.

For more information contact us on 01273 417057 or contact us using the contact form.

Renew your image in 2017, with the help of new signage

January is the month of reinvention. The New Year celebrations usher in a phase of good intentions, when we promise ourselves a period of self-improvement and transformation. Determined to shed the excess Christmas pounds, exercise more, drink less, learn a new skill, we all put our best foot forward at the beginning of the year, and hope we have the willpower to make and maintain those big changes to our personal lives.

But there’s no reason the positive thinking and good intentions should stop with our personal lives – January could also be the month when you implement some resolutions and revolutions for your business too. Setting yourself some ambitious goals now could see you reaping the rewards further down the line in 2017, and giving your business a bolder, stronger brand image could be just the thing you need to succeed in the challenging months to come.

There may be trouble ahead…

Last year’s vote to leave the European Union certainly threw the United Kingdom into a period of significant uncertainty. While some argue that it will open up new opportunities, others fear things will become more difficult as the country renegotiates trade deals and finds its footing outside the EU. With the timetable for leaving the union still up in the air, leading figures in the banking, retail, hospitality and manufacturing industries have all predicted that 2017 looks set to be a very bumpy ride for many businesses, up and down the country.

As the year began, some major players on the British High Street were warning that slower than expected sales could spell trouble ahead, with many people curbing their spending habits since the financial downturn of a decade ago, and the economy only slowly recovering. All this means that competition between businesses with a High Street presence is fiercer than ever. Whether you own or manage a shop, pub, restaurant, gym or independent cinema, this year you’ll need to pull out all the stops if you’re to stay ahead of the game and clinch those much needed sales.

A much needed boost

One of the most practical and cost effective things you can do to revamp your image in 2017 is to invest in new, high quality signage for your business premises. If the signs you have above your door are a few years old, chances are they are looking a little past their best and in need of some TLC to inject a new lease of life into your shop front. While renewing your image might seem like an expensive or frivolous pursuit at a time when we’re all feeling the pinch, a new sign is very much the gift which keeps on giving.

New signage is the very best form of advertising, and a bold, well designed sign which stands out from a distance can drive trade your way more successfully than any media marketing campaign. Signs do so much more than inform those passing by of your company name – they give out a very clear message about your brand, about what you can offer and about how you, as the business owner, view the work you do.

A well crafted sign which is well lit and kept in tip top condition demonstrates that you take an interest in how the world sees your business, while a run-down sign with missing lettering is an instant turn-off for potential customers. A pleasant and attractive façade promises a pleasant and attractive interior beyond the sliding doors, which is far more likely to make people stop and take notice of your window display or menu. When you consider the wide choice consumers have and the variety of options open to them, ensuring you are the business they choose out of a long line of stores and cafes is often all about how you appear from the outside, and first impressions matter. We all have short attention spans and we all make snap judgments, so the more eye-catching and the stronger your image, the more chance you have of grabbing that passing trade.

The best time for change

You should treat renewing your image as a little spring cleaning, ahead of the better weather. Imagine the impact a new sign could have, with your business name, logo and colours suddenly making the front of your premises that little bit bolder and more vibrant, despite the gloomy winter weather. A new shop sign is a wise investment when you consider the benefits – this is standout advertising which is working for you twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week throughout the year.

We all know that 2017 is going to be a tough year, but when things look set to challenge us, the best thing we can do is take a proactive stance and not bury our heads in the sand. The fiercer the competition and the harder the market, the more need there is to reinvent your business and strengthen your image.

Here at the Sussex Sign Company, we have many years’ experience designing, fitting and maintaining the highest quality signs and way-finding systems available. We appreciate how hard things can be for business owners, which is why we do everything we can to work with you to find tailor-made solutions for all your signage needs. To revamp your image in 2017, simply get in touch with our friendly, highly skilled team today, and together we can drive your business forward to better things.

Printed leaflets and brochures are still just as relevant in 2017

The death of print has been greatly exaggerated. Surrounded by screens, constantly connected as we all may be, the printed word and physical text still has a hold over us. Paper based materials have been around for thousands of years and are stubbornly refusing to go quietly despite technological advances. Human beings like the connection, the touch and feel of the printed page, and there’s no sign of that changing anytime soon.

Our love of ink

There’s something solid and reassuring about ink on paper. At a time when we can simply swipe or click away from any written material or images we’re not interested in, holding a physical piece of paper or a book in your hands still has a charm that’s hard to beat.

When it comes to marketing in the digital era, there’s very definitely a place for printed leaflets and brochures, and many companies still rely on them to reach their core target audience. Despite businesses everywhere having ready access to a range of marketing media, from radio ads and billboards to social media campaigns, print can and still does compete against the new tools in the marketing department’s arsenal. Leaflet printing is still as strong as it’s ever been, but why are printed leaflets and brochures still just as relevant in 2017?

The traditional approach

Print is a very traditional media format, which is not to say it is old-fashioned or outdated. For many people, being able to hold that tangible piece of paper in their hands and examine its contents at their leisure still holds great significance, which is why a leaflet through the door can still work wonders for your marketing campaign. Unlike a radio advert which potential customers might miss or tune out of, or the advertising board which flashes by as they drive to work, a printed brochure can have real sticking power. It takes time and effort to dismiss or dispose of it, and within that time people inevitably examine the goods, services or products being promoted.

No matter what age you are, there’s still that little flicker of excitement when you hear the letterbox rattle. A well-designed brochure or leaflet with strong branding can be a powerful thing when it lands on a potential customer’s doormat, especially if your firm is offering a local service. Hand-delivering your printed materials allows you to better target the audience you need to reach, namely the people living within a radius of a few miles from your business. It also speaks volumes about how seriously you take your work. Trudging the streets in all weathers to deliver glossy leaflets and brochures shows a dedication and personal touch which larger, faceless organisations simply cannot hope to compete with, demonstrating that you have taken the time and energy to promote a business you take pride in.

A well laid-out and carefully designed brochure can be a real thing of beauty, and it does so much more than merely announce your name and contact details to the reader. Done well, it helps build a brand with real staying power. Attractive images, easy to read text and your company logo and colours all help embed your business in the viewer’s mind, so whether they glance at it for all of thirty seconds or pin it to their notice board for future reference, you’ve made an impression.

Brochures are the past and future

While we’re regularly told that we’re living in a ‘digital age’, nobody is burying printed media just yet. 2017 is set to be a particularly challenging year for businesses up and down the country, with uncertainty over Brexit hovering in the background and consumers still tightening their belts and budgets a decade on from the financial crash. However large or small your company, whatever goods, services or products you supply and whatever industry you’re in, there has never been a year when it’s so important to stay ahead of the competition by any means necessary.

Leaflet printing has come on in leaps and bounds over the past few years, and the quality of the printed materials you can now create has never been higher. More advanced printers and greater investment in computer design packages mean there are very few curbs on your creativity. However, when it comes to designing an eye-catching and memorable leaflet or brochure campaign, getting professional assistance is almost always the best way forward. Graphic design companies spend a lot of time and effort in recruiting the most imaginative designers and procuring the most advanced printing technology, and they can achieve a standard of quality far superior to anything which can be run-up on a home computer.

Here at the Sussex Sign Company, we have been working with businesses across the region to help plan, design and produce some of the most effective and enduring print media campaigns, helping you reach a wider audience through the printed word. Leaflet printing and brochure design are among the many services we offer, but it’s a specialism we are particularly proud of. Our expert team of designers have many years’ experience in this field, and we strongly recommend you take a look at the beautifully designed, bespoke printed media we can create.

For more information on how we can help you launch your successful leaflet or brochure campaign, simply get in touch with the Sussex Sign Company today.