A business sign in front of your office, store or studio is expected; how else will clients and customers find you? But many businesses today don't take full advantage of the wide variety of business signs available that could really increase their income as well as their advertising exposure for a relatively small price. Investing in a few more relatively inexpensive and small signs can reap big dividends.



1. Car Signs. You can have hand-lettering applied to the side of your car, order vinyl lettering to apply yourself, or have custom-designed magnetic placards to stick on the side of the car. Vinyl car lettering is one of the best options because it lasts for years and looks like a custom paint job but costs much less.

Car signs serve several purposes, including lots of free advertising. They are basically mobile billboards for your company, so be sure you include not only your name but your phone number as well. You would be surprised how many people call a business after they see a company truck or van serving a current customer. It also adds to the professional, up-and-coming look of your business; a business with a ‘fleet' of vehicles looks prosperous.

2. Window lettering. It pays to invest in professionally designed vinyl window lettering, especially if you have a large storefront with plate-glass windows. Don't just stop at your name and phone number – list a few of your main services or products. Walk-in business will increase once people take notice of what you're all about.

A variation of the vinyl lettering is to invest in some of the thicker vinyl window clings that can easily be removed and repositioned frequently. Use these to advertise specials and put up holiday messages. It catches people's attention when you change the message periodically. Having a sale? These clings look so much better than scrawling it in grease pencil on the glass!

3. Banners and Pennants. Does your company have yearly promotions and special sales? Instead of a more traditional sandwich-board sign out front, try handing some banners or pennants for a festive look that will really draw in customers. You can have these custom printed with wonderful clip-art graphics and special boarders to compliment whatever theme you have and use them year after year.

The key to using these types of signs effectively is making sure you have the right information on them in the right style. A good sign company will give you a wide range of options to choose from, including different colors for both background and lettering, lots of fonts, graphics and borders. Vinyl car lettering and magnetic auto signs are especially tricky because you need to make sure they will fit the size of the particular make and model of the car you'll be using it on, so check with the sign company to make sure this is taken into consideration.

Many of the online companies have templates you can use as a starting point, and then tailor them to your business. Start with a color scheme that is similar to that of your business letterhead, then add some additional touches for flair but don't clutter it too much. Remember, you want people to be able to read it quickly! Any auto lettering or sign should include your company name and telephone number at the very least. If you have a short catch phrase, include it as well. Soon you should hear from people saying, “Hey, I saw your sign!”