Last week, we took off for sunny Orlando to visit the International Sign Association (ISA) Trade Show. We spent Wednesday, Thursday and Friday visiting people who represented many different businesses in the sign industry (and enjoying great food and entertainment). The weather was fabulous, the new products were innovative and exciting, and the information we […]
Dealing with Difficult Clients: Time to Say Goodbye
Everyone has to deal with a difficult client now and then. But sometimes it seems as though you’re spending all your time fixing issues for the same few people. And you might be. Vilfredo Pareto, an Italian economist, came up with a theory that, “a small number of causes is responsible for a large […]
Hiring a Designer: When and Why
So you are a ________ (insert business, non-profit, mommy blogger, little league coach, OK, you get the idea.) No matter what you do in life, at some point you will be faced with the question of design. Whether it’s creating a logo, website or sign for your business, an email newsletter for your non-profit […]
New ADA Signage Regulations Start Today
The Americans with Disabilities (ADA) Act of 1990 was designed to make public buildings and businesses accessible for individuals with physical disabilities and prevent discrimination against the physically challenged. Although the guidelines were comprehensive, the law created many confusions when it came to ADA signage. In 2010, the Department of Justice, along with the U.S. Access […]
Employee Retention: Flexibility Matters
As a business owner, you probably don’t have a set schedule. You work until the work gets done (or you drop from exhaustion). But you also have some flexibility. If your kid gets sick or needs a last-minute ride to soccer practice, you can usually walk out the door and deal with your personal […]
5 Functions of a Sign
Think all signs are the same? Think again. In many cases, the effectiveness of a sign is determined by its use. Is it going outside on your storefront or hanging in window? Is it leading your customers to an event or simply helping them navigate to your store? When starting the design process, think […]
Small Business Success Stories: The Toaster Oven
Recently I had the pleasure of speaking to Mitch Monson, co-founder of The Toaster Oven, a small chain of sandwich shops in San Francisco and Berkeley, California, for our small business success stories series. He gave me some insights about how the company got started, what they do and how they have become one of our […]
Happy Leap Year Day: 24 Ways to Improve Your Business with the Extra 24 Hours
Happy Leap Year Day! Every four years we add an extra day to the month of February. Why? Because it actually takes Earth a tiny bit longer than 365 days to orbit the sun. Five hours, 48 minutes and 47 seconds longer, to be exact. In order to even things out, Pope Gregory XIII […]
