RE:cheap Jobsite Signs And A Couple More Thoughts

Any Season

I was replying to the original post but then thought of this guy up here in NH that I absolutely had to get some reaction on.
Check out this website, http://www.signbanditnh.org . This guy goes around sticking neon colored stickers that say 'litter' on business signs, mostly contractors, who post their signs everywhere. I actually used to put signs on telephone poles and pretty much all over and I began to notice that at first it was well recieved, then as more and more people started doing it, and putting up a ton more at that, I found that I almost agree with this guy. Not with how he goes about it, but with the general philosophy behind it.
Soon after I switched to nicer hanging signs more like the ones realtors use and only put them up at homes I'm working at and the difference in how they are recieved as well as calls recieved from people who have seen them is unbelievable. Not to mention way more professional. So if you are going the route of cheap signs, that is fine, I used to use a good company... http://www.bigdaddyssigns.com/, but think about it this way, your signs are a reflection of your professionalism, and for some, the only form of marketing. What I did was go to www.deesigncompany.com , and get some ideas I liked, then go to local sign makers and see who could do what I wanted for the cheapest. It cost a little money but in the end, like I said, the sign on the outside reflects the work on the inside. Is your work $1.50-2.00 work or is it $10, 20, or 30?

Grumpy

Last company I worked for we had signs that were metal with a metal frame. Nice beefy suckers. They were 2'high and 3' wide. They were professionally printed and looked good.

Problem. They got scuffed, damaged, stolen, you name it... they did not last long. At over $100 a pop it really hurt at the end of the year.

I thought about a similair strategy when i started my company but opted for the cheapo corrugated plastic signs with cheap wire frames. Why? For all the reasons listed above.

I'm not the kind of guy spamming the neighborhood's public property with my signs. I only put them at jobs we work on. I would like to put them there the day we do the re-measure and remove them the day we collect final payment. Having said that I can have 10 signs out at any given time. I ordered 15 signs about 2 months ago and am already down to 10.

I'm also thinking of getting large foldable signs to match our logo, the same kind the street construction workers use, and having my crews bring them to the site with them and remove them when they are done. These large bright orange signs will grab attention.

Any Season

Grumpy, I thought about the scuffing, etc, and what I did was have my sign guy make me currogated signs w/ metal hanging frames. Then they just put grommets around the holes so the sign doesn't tear off as easily in the wind and weather. That was all waaaay cheaper than the metal signs you had, and when they get damaged I just put a new one on there. Plus I have been very very pleased and surprised with the durability of the currogated. Until you are standing next to them, you cannot tell that it is not a metal hanging sign. In fact most of the times they have to be replaced, its when they have been in the back of one of my trucks for a week or so, not from being out side. Plus people dont mind you leaving them up for a while if they look nice. Noone wants a crooked, sh___y looking sign in their front yard.