Most businesses are now tapping into the power of signage or sign boards in order to grab attention and increase business. The typical process involves either hiring a design expert to get the design done and then later hire a design company to manufacture the signage, or hire a company that both designs and manufactures the signs.
A lot of customers do not understand the importance of choosing the latter, choosing a sign company that not only manufactures the signage, but also designs it.
The First Approach
Sometimes what the client does is hire a designer to design the concept. Now this person can be someone who has no idea of how signs are manufactured or installed which is an art in itself. The next thing the client does is to put the project for auction and invite bids. This is also known as RFP (request for proposal).
There are several drawbacks to this particular approach. You see, a designer can only design the signage, but he can never engineer it. The project is not completed as long as the signage has not been manufactured and installed at the said property at the said position.
This leaves room for interpretation open to the bidding company, which from an entirely business point of view, is trying to minimize the cost in order to bid the lowest. Now this low bidding can mean a lot of problems for you as a client. This can mean lower quality materials, cost cutting, and boards that are ultimately not so durable.
Several other different parts of the project are also here open for interpretation, apart from what we saw earlier leading to a conflict of interest. This is done in an attempt to give the best price. As a business person, you will understand this.
The Second Approach
Let us take the example of an automobile. When you are buying a new car, you are essentially buying a finished product that has been designed and manufactured from start to end. This takes guesswork out of the play. Even if you visit different automobile dealers across the country, you can be rest assured that the car is going to be of the same quality although prices may fluctuate a little here and there.
The cost will be lower because the company is creating finished products in bulk, identical copies of the same stuff which helps them not only reduce cost and offer better prices, but also increases productivity and efficiency leading to better quality products. You can test drive the car, feel the interior, work the system, drive the car down the road, and determine whether the automobile is suitable for you or not.
In case of signage, you cannot bid shop as this is not the right approach. You are simply buying a design but there is no finished product for you to see. You are only shown a concept but the finished product is out of reach which makes it difficult for you to conceptualize. This is why it is okay to bid shop for cars and other finished products but not in case of signage.
It is always better to hire an expert who can deliver a finished product. There is no one in a better position to understand your needs than a company that can have a look at your business, your site the signage is to be installed at, discuss with you the design concept and later design the signs, and then finally manufacture the finished product for you. But the job is not done until it is installed at the site which requires some work too.
You can call this one stop shopping as well.
So there you have it, now you know how to choose the right signage company for your business.
