How to succeed in the sign business for 47 years (or longer)

By signcraft

Posted on Monday, August 21st, 2023

Fifty years ago, David Showalter was a young housepainter. While painting a house next door to a sign shop, he mentioned to the homeowner that he would like to paint signs instead of houses. That homeowner turned out to be a retired sign painter, and he offered to help David get started.

In the years that followed, David painted signs in and around his hometown of Bryan, Ohio, which has a population of about 9,000. It’s about an hour west of Toledo in an area of many other small towns. His work first appeared in the May/June 1985 issue of SignCraft and has many times since.

As computers moved into the sign business, David added cut vinyl and digital printing to his list of services. He’s watched the sign business change over the years, and his business evolved with it. At the same time, he believes that some things haven’t changed. He believes creative sign people can still develop a market for their work in the business he has enjoyed for nearly five decades.

“I think there is still a market for a quality commercial sign shop in a small town like mine,” he says. “Local businesses still like to do business with a local business. And many people appreciate quality and good design. Not everyone, of course, but enough to support a sign maker who does good-looking, effective signs.

“I’ve seen a lot of sign companies come and go in my area, and I’ve been fortunate to be successful all these years. There are things that I believe you have to do to make that happen, and really anyone can do them.”

That list of things is not all that long, David says, but it can determine whether your business will last. Using his approach has led to having many of his clients for 40-plus years.

Understand your market: David says you have to look at your market and see what people need. Maybe you can specialize in a certain type of work, but more likely you may also need to offer a variety of services.

Improve your design skills: David has always worked to develop his design skills and to keep learning. His work has been shaped by the late Mike Stevens (author of Mastering Layout) and countless other sign designers whose work he has studied. “You want to make signs that are obviously more appealing and effective than most of the other signs on the street,” he says. “That’s what you’re selling. Make sure you know how to do that.”

Build a solid reputation: “Your reputation is very important, especially in a small town. In business, everything you do, good and bad, counts towards your reputation. Be professional, polite, on time and keep your promises. Give your customers great service.”

Keep your name out there: “Keeping your name in front of people is important. Today, social media is the primary way to do that so take advantage of it. That way when people do a search for your company name or even just for ‘signs’ and your town, you’re likely to show up.

“I sign most all of my work, too. It seems like a small thing, but you’d be surprised how many people notice that. I also just bumped up my radio advertising—a little 30-second spot right before the weather. Several customers have mentioned that they heard it. I’ve used radio for years and it’s worked well for me.”

Deliver the goods: Answer people’s calls, do a nice job and don’t put them off on delivery. Do what you say you’re going to do. Being dependable goes a long way.

Know your limitations: “If you can’t help someone with what they need,” David says, “tell them so—and be ready with the number of someone who can. I’ve sent a lot of business to larger companies in Toledo who do the larger electrical work that I don’t do. People appreciate it when you help solve their problem. They’ll remember you for other signs they may need.”

Pay attention to your own image: “I believe in the power of the first impression. It sends people a message. I keep my shop, inside and out, and my truck all looking good. It’s professional. A great-looking vehicle works 24/7. It’s the most cost-effective advertising there is. When you say that to customers, you can’t expect them to believe you if your own vehicle doesn’t look good.”

Work at it: “You need a good work ethic. It takes discipline. You have to come to work Monday through Friday. When I was starting out I worked a lot of evenings and weekends just to get the work out and meet deadlines. It paid off but I eventually wanted my weekends back, so I quit scheduling work for the weekend.”

Be polite and professional: If you treat your customers the way you like to be treated, they will notice. If you want people to see you as a professional, you have to behave and look like one. With all the technology today, there’s less personal contact. Take a little time to connect personally with your customers.

Price your work accurately: To succeed in any business, you have to charge enough for your time and your work. Invest some time in learning which jobs are profitable and which are not. You can usually do a sign for less—but not the same design or level of complexity. If they feel a wrap is too expensive, offer to move down to a partial wrap or cut vinyl graphics. If they don’t want to spend what you quote for a custom sign, have a more basic version that you can offer for less.

Be prepared to change: “The sign business is always changing. Shops that did a lot of banners and digital prints may be finding their customers are buying those online now. But you can add another product to complement your sign work, which is what I did. I added screen printing and did a lot of garments in house. I started marketing logo design and hand-lettered signs as a custom product.

“In the ’90s, I changed the company name from Signs by David to David Design. We were doing a lot of screen printing and design work, and we wanted a name that was broader than just signs. It changed how people saw my business.

“I’ve been doing signs here for 47 years, and the business has changed a lot. People still need signs, though, and want their trucks lettered. Signs are an essential, and if you can create signs that are a little more appealing and effective than the average, people will keep you busy.”

“I quit putting a phone number on my truck years ago,” says David. “As Russ Mowry said, ‘When they see your great-looking truck, they’ll find you.’ Few people ever take time in traffic to write down a phone number, anyway. I know I never have.”