Why do I need a sign for my business?

• Signs are the most effective, yet least expensive, form of advertising for the small business.
• A sign is your introduction and handshake with those passing by, identifying your business to existing and potential customers.
• Signs are always on the job for you, advertising 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
• People often judge a business by how it looks on the sign.
• Many merchants increase their business measurably just by adding a good sign. Conversely, many have gone out of business because they simply were not identified well, so not enough potential customers knew of their existence. As one sign industry professional put it, "A business without a sign is a sign of no business."
• We live in a mobile society. According to the United States Census Bureau, 18% of households relocate each year. As your customers move, you need to replace them by attracting new customers

What exactly is specialty advertising? Specialty advertising basically consists of giveaways - the pencils, pens, buttons, calendars, and refrigerator magnets you see everyday - are called specialty advertising in the trade. Chances are, you have some specialty advertising items right at your desk. Businesses imprint their name on items and give them away (or sometimes sell them at very low cost) in order that:

You notice their name enough times on the item to build top of the mind awareness, so when you need a restaurant, for instance, you think of their name first. You appreciate the goodwill of the company giving you the item and eventually return the favor by giving them some business.

Outdoor Advertising - When people think of outdoor advertising, they usually think of the colorful billboards along our streets and highways. Included in the outdoor classification, however, are benches, posters, signs, and transit advertising (the advertising on buses, subways, taxicabs, and trains). They all share similar advertising rules and methods. Outdoor advertising reaches its audience as an element of the environment. Unlike newspaper, radio, or TV, it doesn't need to be invited into the home, and it doesn't provide entertainment to sustain its audience.
 
Here are some reasons why businesses use outdoor advertising:

• Since it is in the public domain, outdoor advertising assuredly reaches its audience. People can't switch it off or throw it out. People are exposed to it whether they like it or not. In this sense, outdoor advertising truly has a captured audience.
• Its messages work on the advertising principle of frequency. Since most messages stay in the same place for a period of a month or more, people who drive by or walk past see the same message a number of times.
• Particular locations can be acquired for certain purposes. A billboard located a block in front of your business can direct people to your showroom, or you can reach rural areas efficiently by placing it billboard in each small town.
• Outdoor advertising is an excellent adjunct to other types of advertising you are doing. In fact, it is most effective when coupled with other media.

What is CO-OP Advertising - A relatively unknown form of advertising, co-op is a cost-sharing arrangement in which manufacturers and suppliers provide financial assistance for customers' advertising programs. It can often make the difference in whether or not a small business can afford to advertise at all. Co-op advertising works in a number of ways. For example, a retailer can buy goods from a manufacturer and accrue co-op funds based on the amount of purchase. Those funds can be returned in the form of a cash rebate, a credit to the retailer's account, or in products. In case you're thinking your firm is too specialized to take advantage of co-op advertising, you may want to reconsider.