Happy New Year! We hope you enjoyed your Christmas and are ready to start the 2017 with a bang! It's time to start those New Year's Resolutions! For most of you, your resolutions might look like this:
Just in case "Start A Sign Company" happens to crack your new years resolution, we put together 3 things to consider before you get started.
1.) Its Hard Work - This probably comes without surprise but is very important to really understand before you get started down this journey. Owning your own business is REALLY, REALLY hard work. It's not for everyone. Though over time it certainly has it's benefits if done correctly, it is not an easy journey. You've heard it said, "Nothing worth fighting for ever comes easy." Starting, growing and maintaining your own business is no exception to this rule. A lot of hard work is certainly an essential ingredient to growing a successful business, but it can absolutely be worth the effort in the end.
"There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure." - Colin Powell
2.) It Has A Steep Learning Curve - The sign industry is a great industry because signs are found everywhere. It's good to sell a product that is in demand. However, the sign industry requires a large amount of learning to understand the "ins and outs". You aren't just selling a sign, you are selling the perfect size, type, and shape of sign. You need to understand the details of sign installation, permits, durability. Not to mention the thousands of combinations of material from substrates, media, ink, profiles, software and more.
All these things are in addition to the standard learning curve required in starting your own business. We're talking about accounting software, point-of-sale systems, cashflow, taxes, payroll, hiring, firing, etc. The level of education and learning is certainly doable but should not be taking without counting the cost.
3.) It's not all about the money - Though financial freedom is certainly one of the primary objectives of starting your own company, it shouldn't be the only reason. You must love serving people. As a sign company you are as much in the service industry as you are in the marketing industry. A quality experience is one of the best ways to set your company apart from others. If you do not enjoy serving and helping other businesses accomplish their goals you wont enjoy the grind of owning your own company.
We fully recognize that "starting a sign company" was not at the top of the new years resolution list for very many people. However, it can certainly be a great industry to get into. These 3 things are most definitely not an exhaustive list but are three starting points. Make sure to do your homework and count your cost before making the great decision of starting your own sign company.
Are you ready to take the step and start your own sign company? Here are a few values you might want to adopt as core values in your new organization.
Looking for more resources? We recommend this ebook on the benefits a vehicle wrap can have on your companies marketing exposure.