The Summer Property Boom: Why Your Estate Agents Display Matters

The summer months are a bumper time of year for many businesses, and for estate agents, there’s usually a boost in trade to accompany the nicer weather

We’ve just weathered a cold snap, but believe it or not, summer is almost upon us. The summer months are a bumper time of year for many businesses, and for estate agents, there’s usually a boost in trade to accompany the nicer weather. People are quite often reluctant to buy and sell over the autumn and winter months, as nobody wants the added stress of moving on top of Christmas, and houses never photograph as well on dark and miserable days at the tail end of the year.

Summer is often seen as the ideal time to go property hunting. People like the idea of finding a new home and being well settled before the festive season, and given the length of the process, the next few months seem like the best chance of finding a new pad and sealing the deal on it. With the nicer weather, you may see a surge of interest in your estate agents, so ensuring your estate agents display and the front of your premises are looking in top condition is key to getting people through the door.

Sunnier climes

Lots of people will be thinking about buying and selling their homes around this time of year. Houses photograph well in glorious summer sunshine, when the garden’s in full bloom and there’s plenty of light to flood rooms during viewings. It works well for those selling, but many people thinking of looking for a new home are also tempted out by the good weather – if they’re doing multiple viewings in one area, who wants to traipse around town in the cold and the wind of winter and autumn?

Good weather tends to bring more people out onto the High Streets too, so increased footfall means more people passing by your windows. Catching their eye with a high quality estate agents display therefore becomes all the more important, as this may be a good opportunity to capture the interest of people who might not often pass by. They might not be interested in buying or selling at the moment, but if your display creates a lasting impression, then they may well remember you and return to you when they do eventually decide they need the services of an estate agent.

This is also the time of year when there may be more tourists in the area, and tourists are often tempted to investigate houses and house prices in the area, if they’ve fallen in love with the place. If you’re lucky enough to have an estate agents in a tourist destination city, town or village, you might find there are more people making spur of the moment enquiries. Making sure they enquire with you rather than the agency down the road could all be down to how impressed they are by what they see in the window, so a standout display could really help you capture this whole new group of potential customers.

What makes a good estate agents display?

A good window display can make a massive difference to how people see your estate agents. Illuminated LED window displays act as great advertising for your business, and because they use very little energy, they can be left on all night, which means your window display is working for you 24/7 and 365 days of the year. A bold, bright window display is difficult for people to ignore, whether they’re currently interested in buying a new home or not.

Your window display could be used to promote your contact details or the most stand-out properties you have on your books – the ones which are going to generate the most interest and get the maximum number of people into your offices. Few people can resist the temptation of actually setting foot through your door, when they’ve seen that immaculate modern apartment in the window, or the spacious semi with the big back garden. Showcasing the cream of the crop with a visually stunning display is the ticket to attracting passing trade and getting people to stop for a closer look.

Time to act?

The time to act isn’t when the summer property boom is already in full swing. In order to be truly effective, your window signs need to be in place and doing their work well in advance of the boost to High Street footfall. It’s not just estate agents who can expect to see an increase in business at this time of the year – companies across all sectors and industries benefit from an increase in trade, and many of them will also be interested in upgrading their signage or window displays in the coming months.

If you want to beat the rush and make sure you’re at the front of the queue, the time to commission your new estate agents display is now. Having a new LED window display designed, installed and up and working ahead of the summer rush may well be the best way to stay ahead of the competition this summer.

For more than two decades, The Sussex Sign Company have been providing estate agents with the highest quality window displays. All crafted to your exact specifications, our expert team can design and install your new display well in advance of the summer property boom, giving you the boost you need to stay ahead of your rivals during the busy season.

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

School’s Out! Why the Summer Holidays are the Ideal Time for New School Signs

We’re approaching that stressful time of year when exams loom and revision seems to dominate every waking moment – for kids, parents and teachers alike. As soon as ‘time’s up’ is announced for that final paper, however, thoughts will immediately turn to the long summer holidays and the lazy, sunny days of freedom. It’s not just the students who look forward to the well-earned summer break, teachers are no doubt desperate for the holidays to start too!

But just because things will soon start winding down at schools and colleges, it doesn’t mean that this should be an unproductive time in the school calendar. If you’re a head teacher or the person responsible for maintenance around your school, the summer holidays are the perfect time to carry out all those jobs which need doing before the start of the new academic year – and that might involve replacing or sprucing up your school’s signage.

School signage: what can it teach us?

As a school, you might not think you need to ‘advertise’ yourself in the same way that a business might. However, simply because you’re there, you have a catchment area and children will always need educating, it doesn’t mean you can simply sit back and let things take their course. Class sizes might be getting bigger, but students and parents still have some say in where they send their children, and appearances really do matter when it comes to attracting new pupils.

Whether you’re a nursery, primary, junior or secondary school, public or private, co-ed or single-sex, the way you present your educational establishment can make a big difference. Schools play a vital role in the local community, and you want to be sure that the community sees your school in a positive light and is more willing to support you. If your school building looks run-down and a little bit shabby, you may well be letting your students down. The expectations of all are lowered if a school looks unappealing. It follows, perhaps, that educational standards are also lower, or that pupils will be less well-behaved and take less pride in their school.

School signs which are poorly designed and poorly maintained do not bode well, and when it comes to impressing prospective students, their parents and the wider community, ensuring your signage is in top condition is crucial. A school sign is often the first things people see when they arrive at the school gates, and first impressions can make a vast difference to how they approach what lies beyond.

Why new signage now?

The school holidays represent a perfect time for new school signs. Not only is it easier to carry out that all-important maintenance work with no students about the place, but getting things tidied up and looking good before the start of the next academic year means you won’t have to think about it come autumn or winter, when less favourable weather arrives.

Summer is the ideal time for new signage in any sector, but for schools which often have large premises to maintain and few occasions in which to carry out these vital tasks, the lull of the holidays is about the only time you have spare. With sunnier weather, having new signs installed can be a quick and easy task, which makes an immediate and very visible impact.

A new school term represents a fresh start for all, and with any luck, both students and teachers alike will be returning feeling renewed, enthused and looking forward to new beginnings. All children, from reception right through to sixth form, like to see change and improvements in their surroundings, and being welcomed back with a new, updated school sign is a great way to kick off the new term. Seeing the school’s name and logo set out on bold new signage can be a real morale and confidence boost, as everyone settles back into the routine of school life.

Time for a change

If your school signs are looking in need of a little TLC this summer, now might be the right time to consider what changes you might want to make. If it’s getting on in years, it could just be that you need your existing signage replaced like for like. It could be that you need to update the contact details on your school sign, or add the name of an incoming headteacher or deputy head. You might be considering something even more drastic – a complete change of colour scheme, for instance, or changing the school logo or motto altogether.

Whatever changes need to be made, it’s worth getting in touch with a professional signage company early on, before the school breaks up for the holidays. While schools are winding down, other businesses are gearing up for a summer rush, and that includes signwriting companies. Chances are that if new signage is on the cards for your nursery or school, other headteachers are having similar thoughts. To avoid being at the bottom of a waiting list, now’s the time to act.

Here at The Sussex Sign Company, we’ve spent many years supplying schools across London and the South East with bespoke signage. Our highly-qualified team of graphic designers and sign fitters can work with you to create bold and beautiful new school signs, perfectly capturing the ethos of your educational establishment. For more information on the services we provide, simply get in touch with our expert team today.

Afraid of Change? How New Signage Could Revolutionise Your Business

New Signage Adds More Profit For Your Business

Change can be a frightening thing. Everybody has a comfort zone they like to stay within, and change frequently represents a foray into the unknown and unfamiliar, which we’re often reluctant to make. People trust and like things they know and have always known – just look at the uproar caused when Toblerone changed the shape of its iconic pyramid chocolate, or when High Street giant GAP changed its familiar logo and were forced to do a U-turn within the week. Not all change is bad though, and when it comes to branding and signage, a little well-executed change now and then can inject a whole new lease of life into your company.

In fact, when it comes to business, you could argue that change is necessary if you are to avoid dying a slow death. Retailers already know that if they didn’t change their product line now and then to reflect what people want to buy, they wouldn’t be around five years from now. If retailers don’t move with the times, they soon become obsolete, so standing still is not an option. The same goes for restaurants and bars. If you don’t change your menu every so often to shake things up a little, customers soon get bored and look elsewhere.

Not all change is scary, then, and in many cases it’s a positive, helping us push beyond our limits, adapt and progress to something better. That’s certainly the case when it comes to signage. While we’re always told that people like familiarity in their local area and are slow to adjust to change, new signs outside your business premises can transform the appearance of your shop, bar, restaurant, pub or other High Street establishment – and for the better. Changing your signs can, in fact, revolutionise your business in ways you’d never imagined.

Updating Signage; Change For The Better

If the signs outside your premises are starting to look a little worse for wear, it’s definitely time to consider a change. Your signs say a lot about you as a company, and worn-out, tired looking signs which have not been well-maintained suggest a lack of interest and pride in what you do. By upgrading your signs, you instantly elevate the overall appearance of your establishment, projecting a much more professional and attractive image to the world.

Research has shown that the human brain registers and passes judgment on what it’s looking at in under a second, so you only get one shot at making a good first impression. Whatever industry you’re in and whatever goods or services you sell, bold and eye-catching signs are going to impress and make you memorable to potential customers.

It’s not just the physical signage you need to consider if you want to make a change. If you pause to look at the clothes you’re wearing today, they’re probably far different to the outfit you might have put on twenty years ago. Fashions change and move on, and the same principle applies to your signs. Company logos and colour schemes can start to look a little stale and dated after a few years, so updating your designs to make them more modern and aesthetically pleasing could be key to breathing new energy into your brand.

If you work with a professional design team to create a bespoke branding campaign, you could find you attract a whole new customer demographic. A truly great sign designer will be able to retain enough of your old branding style that loyal customers will not be upset by the change, while giving it a more modern twist which could capture the interest of new customers too.

Facing The Future

Nothing in life stands still, and that’s often for the good. They always say that ‘a change is as good as a rest’, so if you feel your business is slowing down and could be performing better, now is the ideal time for that change. Rather than take the ‘rest’ by stepping back and feeling disheartened, instigate change now and you’ll soon find that it has a massive impact on your business, boosting creativity, energy and morale among you and your team.

It’s amazing the difference something as simple as new signs and new branding can bring. When your business looks good from the outside, it starts to feel better on the inside too. Investing in new signs announces to the world that you’re a force to be reckoned with and that you having sticking power. at a time when many on the High Street are suffering.

Remember that you don’t need to rush at it though – change only helps when you do it in a considered and thoughtful way. You don’t want to rebrand so drastically and change so much that you’re unrecognisable, nor do you want to make such a big decision without seeking professional help. You know your business inside out, and a good designer knows theirs – put your faith in a trained and qualified individual and you can bring about a change which is subtle yet striking.

For more than two decades now, The Sussex Sign Company has been working with small- and medium-sized businesses across East Sussex, crafting bespoke and beautiful signs which can revolutionise how you and the rest of the world see your business. We understand that change can be a difficult thing, and that it’s a fine balance to strike between the old and new. Our expert team of designers is well-placed to help you make that change. For more information on how new signage could help transform your business, simply get in touch today.

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

Why you should upgrade your shop front signs before summer arrives

We may only just have got Easter out the way, but the pleasant spring weather has probably made many people turn their thoughts towards summer. Long, lazy evenings with a cold glass of wine, barbecuing and dining al fresco, picnics in the park, days hot enough for ice cream at the seaside – not things the Great British summer treats us to every year, but who doesn’t live in hope? It’s also an important time of year for businesses up and down the country, and getting prepared for the summer rush should begin with upgrading the external signage on your premises.

Summer is the busiest time of year in all sorts of industries. People who have been putting off that loft conversion are frantically searching for a builder, and those with broken guttering might finally hire a handyman. Those looking to tone up ahead of a holiday might be in search of a gym or personal trainer, and those holidaying in the UK will be keeping an eye out for good places to eat out or enjoy a spot of retail therapy. Summer really is the time of year when people begin to stir and start to get things done after the lethargy of winter.

If you own or manage a company, making sure you’re the one to attract those suddenly busy people is crucial. One of the most effective, fail-safe ways of doing that is through upgrading your signage and making it more eye-catching and appealing, ensuring you stand out from the competition when those potential customers start to get round to their to-do lists and good intentions. There’s no point leaving it until the summer is underway, though, because by then it may well be too late. The perfect time to upgrade your shop signs and vehicle liveries is now.

Capturing the summer rush

Summer inevitably brings more people outdoors to enjoy the better weather, drawing them onto the High Street and into town and city centers. With more people out and about, there are more sets of eyes on your shop or restaurant front, more sets of eyes on your branded vehicles and more people taking an interest in the products you sell or the services you provide.

Signage is usually the first thing people notice about a shop or other business premises, so if your shop signs aren’t looking their best, you risk losing potential new customers. If you’re lucky enough to live by the coast or in a scenic city, town or village, summer tourist numbers may be boosting footfall in the area, introducing a whole new market that you have a chance to capture. Missing out because your signage is not bold enough to grab their attention would be a costly mistake, so having new shop signs in place ahead of the rush suddenly takes on a new importance.

It’s also worth remembering that investing in vehicle wraps or van signwriting ahead of the summer months could also help you market your business to potential customers. Research has shown that vehicles decked out with custom car wraps or unique vehicle vinyl are seen by between 2,000 and 9,000 people an hour on average. With more people out and about, you’re looking at numbers towards the higher end of that spectrum, and that’s not an opportunity you want to miss!

Why signage matters when summer arrives

Signage matters all year round, of course, but it’s over the summer months when it becomes really key to marketing your brand. With more people keen to hit the shops, dine out or go for a leisurely drink after work, you may find competition between shops, restaurants and bars really hots up along with the weather. Ensuring you stay one step ahead of the competition isn’t down to luck, but to investment, to make sure you look that bit more attractive, distinctive and original. By choosing to install new, bespoke signage which really announces your presence to the world, you stand a better chance of stealing those customers from your High Street rivals.

It’s been a tough couple of years for businesses, with the economy still only slowly picking up after the financial crash. Let’s face it, the last few summers have been pretty terrible too, in many ways, with none of the heatwaves, hosepipe bans and barbecues of previous years. However dire things might seem, it’s still no excuse not to approach this summer feeling positive and full of good intentions. While new, high-quality signage might seem like an expense you could do without in straitened times, it is, nevertheless, a vital investment which will more than pay for itself.

Your signage is your calling card to the world, and acts as round-the-clock advertising for your business, whatever sector you’re in. Professional sign companies begin to see trade pick up around this time of year, so if you’re looking to invest in new signage in order to attract the summer crowds, don’t leave it until the last minute. Get in ahead of the rush and upgrade your shop signs before summer arrives, or you may be too late.

Sunny days ahead

Here at The Sussex Sign Company, we’re already working hard to get businesses across London and the South-East prepared for the sizzling summer we’re all hoping for. Of course, we can still fit in your signage project before the glorious weather arrives!

Even if the weather does disappoint, there will be sunnier days ahead business-wise, when you outshine the competition. So if you’re looking to upgrade with new, top-quality bespoke shop signs, simply get in touch with The Sussex Sign Company’s team of professional designers today.

A unified brand: why corporate identity signage matters

Corporate branding is more important than you think

Getting your branding spot on is key when you’re running a business, because branding is how customers are going to recognise you. The combination of a name, logo, colour scheme and slogan can be a really powerful marketing tool when you get them right, helping to shape an image of your company within the minds of the general public and, hopefully, ensuring they remember and return to you time and time again.

When you think of some of the biggest brand names in the world – Apple, for instance, or Nike, Pepsi or Starbucks – the branding quite often becomes so deeply entrenched in public consciousness that it’s instantly recognisable just from the logo alone. With a presence in 119 of the 195 countries in the world, McDonalds’ golden arches are said to be more widely recognised than the cross.

While you’re probably not setting your sights as high as competing with the likes of Apple, strong branding and a unified brand across your company is clearly important. That means reproducing the same logo, font and colour scheme on everything from your business cards to your company car livery, your letterheads to your free promotional giveaways, and corporate identity signage also plays a major role in achieving a unified brand.

Signage is particularly critical in this regard because it is, perhaps, the most visual representation of your branding, prominently displayed outside your business premises and seen by thousands every day. So what difference does bold corporate identity signage make to a business?

Standing out

Signage is one of the most fundamental marketing tools your company has. On a walk down any average High Street, you’re likely to pass tens, if not hundreds, of external signs which announce to the world what the company or organisation behind the double doors sells or provides. Be they shop front signs, estate agent displays, signs for a gym or restaurant or even school signs, well-designed signage lets you know at a single glance exactly what you can expect.

With so many signs competing for the attention of passersby, making sure that yours stand out from the crowd can seem like a challenge. Bold and aesthetically attractive bespoke signage has been proven to have a significant impact when it comes to generating footfall, and people always react positively to anything which enhances the appearance of a building or area. If your signage is visually appealing and well-maintained, people are more likely to register it and take a second look, particularly if there’s something unusual, eye-catching, beautiful or entertaining about it.

You should think about signage as advertising for your business which is working round the clock and always on display. This is the showcase for your brand, the ticket to attracting footfall and the best place to ensure that your corporate identity is made as attractive and memorable as possible. Dull or badly designed branding turns people off. They may only remember the name, they may only remember the logo or colours, but if some element of your brand sticks in the heads of the people who see it, you’re on your way.

What makes a successful unified brand?

People tend to shy away from the phrase ‘corporate identity’, but ‘corporate’ doesn’t have to be synonymous with ‘dull’. Your corporate identity is simply the way you put your business across to the world, and that’s entirely up to you! Of course, you want to maintain professionalism at all times, but not at the expense of injecting a little personality into your branding.

If you work with a talented graphic design team, you will find that they can almost certainly distil the essence of your company into a branding package which is as simple as it is bold, and as memorable as it is beautiful. Every company has its own unique personality, regardless of the industry they’re in or the goods and services they supply. Capturing that uniqueness within your corporate identity branding is the job of any designer worth their salt, including those who create bespoke corporate identity signage.

Ensuring that the branding you have created translates across all platforms means it’s easier for people to remember you and find you again. A successful unified brand is one which extends its brand image across everything the company does, covering signage, business cards, office stationery, banners on social media platforms, wraps around company cars and vans, menus and price lists, and giveaway gifts handed out to new clients.

Wherever there is a chance to put your branding on display, seize it with both hands.

Signposting success

Never forget the importance of your corporate identity signage. Your signage is the gift which keeps on giving, because it is the most direct route to getting your brand and company noticed, with no other branding tool so prominently and permanently on display. Who, after all, cannot conjure up the colour schemes of the major supermarkets in their mind, or walk down a street and fail to recognise the logos of our biggest High Street names?

Whatever goods you sell or services you provide, investing in strong corporate signage can make a massive impact on brand awareness. At The Sussex Sign Company, we have many years’ experience crafting the most eye-catching and unique signage solutions you’re likely to find. Our expert team of graphic designers can work closely with you, to ensure that your corporate identity is fully captured in not only your external signage, but on a range of other signs, car wraps and products.

If you’re in the South East and would like more information on how we can help you achieve a successful, fully unified brand, simply get in touch with us today on 01273 417057 or contact us using the contact form.

Disastrous rebrands, and how to avoid them

Companies rebrand themselves all the time, for a variety of reasons. Just as the clothing fashions which suited you a decade ago have probably changed, so too trends and fashions in branding can change over time, meaning that what suited your business back then might look a bit outdated now. Whether it’s a simple and straightforward update to your logo or a full-scale rebranding exercise to overhaul your entire company image, it’s important to get it right.

Rebrands can be a valuable exercise, modernising a business and injecting a new lease of life. Sometimes, however, changing too much about your branding can leave your company unrecognisable and lose you customers, who either no longer recognise you or no longer identify with your business. Sometimes, companies tinker with their branding at their peril, as we’re about to discover. If you’re looking to rebrand with a new logo, new font and new signage, here are some cautionary tales and useful advice.

Don’t kill your old brand entirely

There are certain things customers tend to associate with a business, namely their logo, colour scheme and the font they use in their branding. If you do away with all of these in one fell swoop, then you may find your customers no longer recognise you and can no longer find you. Hanging on to something familiar makes it more likely your rebrand will be a success.

Take the example of the Royal Mail. In 2002, executives there took the bizarre decision to do away not only with their iconic red and gold colour scheme and logo, but with their name as well, briefly deciding to call the corporation ‘Consignia’. The new name and less than inspiring branding led to public ridicule and the company was forced to slowly phase out the Consignia brand over the course of two years, quietly re-adopting the old branding it had so casually abandoned.

Keep your logo simple

People have short attention spans, and they need to be able to decipher your logo at first glance. Not only will an over-complicated logo not be easy on the eye, but it’s harder for customers to recognise in the future and if they can’t see its relevance to your business, they will quickly lose interest.

The widely-hated London 2012 logo is a case in point. The garish and over-stylised 2012 date became a costly branding disaster, and finding unusual images in the numbers became a national sport in its own right. While it was too late in the day to backtrack, you can only assume the organisers of the games regretted the reported £400,000 fee they paid for such an unattractive image…

Think about your font

Too preoccupied with the logo, people often overlook just how important a familiar font can be during rebrands. Many businesses have a font which is unique to them and is used across all their promotional materials, from business cards and letterheads to menus, price lists and their shop front signage. When you think of familiar High Street chains such as Debenhams, Marks & Spencer or any of the big supermarket brands, you can conjure up their fonts in your mind’s eye with no problem, so difficult is it to detach the font from the business.

Playing with your font can be a dangerous game, as GAP found to their cost when they tried to rebrand in 2010. Replacing the familiar elongated and capitalised letters of their name with a lower case, stubbier version went down very badly with loyal customers, who took to social media to mock and complain. The company did a U-turn within the week, and the moral of the story is that if you must tinker with the font on your logo, keep it simple, easy on the eye and make sure it extends across your entire brand.

Don’t rebrand just because you can

Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you always should. Rebranding can be an expensive exercise, and while change can be good, the upheaval of shaking things up every few years can be draining. Sometimes, all that is needed is a spruce up of what you already have, so if you still think your colour scheme and font look good, perhaps all you need is a simple new logo, some new signage outside your business premises or a quick update to the promotional giveaway goods you hand out.

Getting advice from a professional designer can be a good move if you’re considering a rebrand, as they will be able to point out the strengths and weaknesses of your current branding and suggest creative ways you might want to update or modernise your colour scheme, font and logo. You’re the expert in what your business does, but experts in the design industry probably know what works best in terms of rebrands.

Whether you’re going for a complete brand overhaul or simply adding a slight tweak to the branding you already have, new signage to promote your new look is a must. At The Sussex Sign Company, we have a dedicated team of highly skilled designers and sign installers who have worked extensively on rebranding projects for businesses right across London and the South East.

We can work closely with you to ensure your image makeover is a success, crafting bespoke branding packages which ensure you get the most from your rebranding exercise. For more information on the services offered by The Sussex Sign Company, simply get in touch with our expert team today.

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.

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.

How good signage could boost Christmas sales for businesses in the Capital

Great signage in London

Christmas is always the busiest time of year for retailers, and with only a handful of shopping days left until the big day, clinching those all-important Christmas sales is crucial. Retail analysts are predicting that spending on Christmas this year will be at the highest it has been since the financial crash of 2007, which means retailers everywhere will be hoping for a major boost to profits during the festive period. Restaurants and hotels, too, see bookings spike around the middle of December, thanks to office Christmas parties and people travelling to visit relatives for family get-togethers.

While bargain hunters might have snapped up some deals during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, when it comes to Christmas shopping, the vast majority of us still like to do things the old-fashioned way. Online sales might have increased and the Amazon effect might have made things harder for smaller independent shops, but at this time of year most people still like to brave the crowds and see and feel the goods they are buying. The same holds true for restaurants. People naturally look to online reviews to gauge how good an establishment is, but just as often, you’ll find people have paused to study a menu and make a booking on impulse, having walked past a restaurant whilst out and about.

At this time of year, it’s hardly a surprise that London is the number one destination for Christmas shoppers, drawing in the crowds not only from across the rest of the country but from overseas. The capital boasts some of the best shopping destinations in the world, not only in the inner city areas but across all the outer boroughs and in the many outlying towns which surround the capital. The bright lights of Oxford Street have a major pull factor, and big brand names or the likes of Harrods and Hamleys are never going to struggle. For smaller businesses in the capital, however, standing out from the crowd can be hard. Shoppers on the lookout for something a bit out of the ordinary might have more luck outside of the department stores, so competition between independent retailers can be fierce.

Capturing the Capital’s crowds

So how can you make sure your business stands out and catches its fair share of the capital’s crowds this Christmas? The most obvious answer is through better signage, and in London signs really need to stand out.

It’s no longer enough to simply spruce up your window displays and crank up the Christmas songs, and shop owners today have to go that extra mile if they are to compete with the bigger players. Your shop front is the first impression a potential customer has of you, and since there are no second chances, you need to make sure it’s a good one. A bold, bright and memorable sign will help you stand out from the competition and catch the eye of the casual passer-by or the impulse buyer, and that means more chance of them returning.

A high quality sign speaks volumes about you and your business. We’ve all seen unappealing shop or restaurant fronts with missing letters or wonky logos, and when we do, we naturally expect that what they have to offer beyond the double doors is not going to be of a very high standard. A high quality sign tells the rest of the world that you care, that you take pride in what you do and that you want the public to take an interest in your goods or services.

The best time of year for a new shop sign

There are lots of competing pressures on retailers or businesses in the hospitality trade at this time of year, but it’s also the best time to give your shop front a revamp. People notice when things change, and seeing a new sign as they’re out and about doing their Christmas shopping will certainly turn a few shoppers’ heads.

The colder and darker weather at this time of year can, in fact, be an advantage when it comes to luring Christmas shoppers in. A well illuminated and well maintained sign is an invitation that’s hard to refuse, so whether you are the owner of a small toy shop or the manager of a restaurant, investing in a high quality sign will attract attention. People are far more likely to stop and examine your goods or read your menu if the sign above the door jumps out at them.

The feel-good boost we receive in the run-up to Christmas can quickly descend into post-festive gloom throughout January and the long winter months, so acting now to give your shop front some TLC could help counter the winter blues. If a change really is as good as a rest, then sprucing up your shop front as part of a pre-spring clean could not only lift business but lift the spirits too.

With many years of experience in this field, the Sussex Sign Company are the go-to people when it comes to signage and our London signs team work right across the capital, in every London borough. That means wherever you are, we can be on hand to design and install your new sign or help you maintain the signage you already have. For more information contact us on 01273 417057 or contact us using the contact form.