There are a million different things that you have to worry about as a business owner. Balancing the books, hiring and training new employees, and paying off rent and other regular expenses are just a few of them. Even though it’s often overlooked, maintaining your business’ signage can actually be a surprisingly important task if you have a physical location– and here’s why.

1. People won’t be able to Locate your Business if your Sign is Missing or Destroyed

The name of a business is usually proudly fixed on its exterior somewhere. Whether handwritten with paint on a plank of wood, printed out in modern characters on a banner, or flashing brightly in the form of neon lights, the sign is essential to the design of a storefront. If it happens to be damaged, missing, or nonexistent, customers and potential customers will have a very hard time finding your place. Fewer customers means less profit, and that isn’t good. An expert in outdoor lighting in Houston suggested that it was surprising how many people neglected their expensive lighted signs and missed out on nighttime business or advertising.

 

2. Shoddy-looking Signs will turn People Off

You might already have an exterior sign for the name of your business, but it won’t do you much good if it looks like it barely survived a tornado. Old, worn, chipped, broken, and incomprehensible signs–unless they’re supposed to look that way for artistic value–give off the impression that you don’t really care about your business. If customers feel that you’re not committed to maintaining your business, they won’t be convinced that you’re committed to your products or serving them either.

3. Remembering a Business’ Name Means Repeat Customers

Displaying your business name is crucial for marketing reasons. If customers remember it, they will spread word to their friends and family, and that will bring you more customers. Try to keep the name short and sweet for the best effect. Catchy phrases and pop culture references are also good ideas for business names.

4. Burnt Out Sign Lights can Spell Out Embarrassing Stuff!

Signage that isn’t properly maintained can spell out something that isn’t your business name–and that could damage your reputation or image. This is especially true of signs created from lighting. When lights burn out, your storefront could be displaying swear words, inappropriate phrases, or random names and objects to all who pass by. The supermarket Trader Joe’s, for example, might display “rader Joe’s” if the “T” is out. Raider is probably not an ideal image to plant in peoples’ minds for grocery shopping. People looking for Dollar Tree might wonder what they sell at “Doll Tree” when the “ar” is missing. To avoid any further damage, contact lighting pros like those at Brothers Lighting Repair to fix any broken lights that you might have.

5. Seeing your Business Sign gives you Pride and Motivation to Work Harder

Going to work each morning and seeing the business name appear in large font on the front window is sure to make any owner proud of his or her achievements. Pride in the fruit of your efforts can boost your confidence and give you the motivation to push even harder. In turn, you’ll become even more successful and profitable.

When it comes to running a business, having a quality product or service is number one. Knowing how to spread word about it is number two. Having well-maintained signs might not be number three, necessarily, but it will definitely help get your company on its way to success.