Kathy Bardins is a mentor with Tip of the Mitt SCORE. It’s as important an expense as any other marketing that you do. Take care of your signage, whatever form it takes. Some just make you laugh and shake your head.

The moral of this story is that people see signs. All I can say is, remember spell and grammar check and USE IT!

Banners, stick-in-the-ground signs (whose letters are always so small you can’t read them), and of course, the ever popular desktop published signs or handwritten signs. Just buy replacement letters and have them on hand. And never, never, use a Z for an N, or a W for an M or vice versa. Managers and employees should have a ritual of checking signs every day to make sure the rascals haven’t visited. I’m particularly fond of the sign advertising Professional Bowling Classes where some witty vandal stole the CL from Classes – on both sides of the sign! My favorite was the movie theatre, promoting the 'Black Panter'(Panther). I’ve seen Hot Tub Special changed to Hot But special.

This is where those rascally vandals love to spend time. Other signage opportunities include the signs with sliding letters, like in front of hotels, churches, and other businesses. Always pay attention to those signs and fix them immediately. It’s said someone almost drove off the James River Bridge when they saw it. Light bulbs burned out and one night the sign reflected only the first 3 letters of Hotel, and the first 6 letters of Virginian.

On the big-box stores like we have in various strip malls, the signs are lighted. And invariably, at some point in time, light bulbs burn out. So, why oh why do these light bulbs not get replaced? JoAnn's could become “Ann’s.” Marshall’s could be “shall’s.” There was a hotel in Virginia called the Hotel Virginian and its lighted sign on the roof could be seen for miles. So why, I ask, are businesses so careless with their signs? Now there are many types of signs.

Download signs signs everywhere signs