Love thy neighbour

Before considering any sort of expansion in products or services, sign-makers should understand that there is a significant market for them in the geographical area they cover. This may mean taking a look at the sort of work they are asked for regularly but cannot deliver, or identifying a requirement by other means that they believe they can fill. To meet these needs most profitably means ensuring additional costs are kept to a minimum, so fully understanding the capabilities of the equipment they already have is vital.

For print providers who already own a wide-format inkjet printer, there are many more applications that they could deliver. In recent years there has been massive growth in the quality and variety of digital media—textiles being a good example—and sign-makers should encourage their suppliers to provide the resources to test more creative media for their printers. As they find new media and can see the opportunities, they need to spend time learning how to use them and how to apply them for commercial gain. Again, discussing requirements with existing customers should allow them to pair up the available media with what they can actually sell.


In addition to existing printer capabilities, the addition of low cost supporting hardware can have a dramatic impact on the potential for diversification. A low cost cutter can add label, sticker production, and vehicle graphics to the portfolio. A starter laminator can turn indoor poster provision into an outdoor banner service for instance.

For relatively little additional expenditure, sign-makers can add a broad range of new applications to their portfolios. By heavily focusing on existing customers, they can establish credentials in these new areas and then broaden them out to bring in new customers.

Slow and steady













The simple fact is that a growing business does not have to put an enormous investment in to offer a particular product. Using a trade supplier such as YorKut it is a good way of building a business up steadily until the number of customers you have can warrant the investment that would need to be made to do it yourself.

And that is only if people even want to go in that direction. Many businesses will not necessarily want to make the investment in machinery and skills. The technical skills required for built up lettering, for example, need to be practiced regularly. Someone just providing the service occasionally is unlikely to be able to do it quickly enough or to the right quality standards to be able to compete in the market.


When we started 14 years ago as a Signarama franchise, we developed not only our in-house capability of making cut letters but also saw the opportunity to become a trade supplier to other sign companies who did not have routers at that time. Even today only 10 percent of sign companies have their own router. So we bought the machine and then needed to expand the market to fill the capacity on it.

As a supplier, we want ready-to-cut files in a vector format. We can offer samples of different colours and different materials from the wide range we have. Acrylic is probably the most popular material, then stainless steel is a step up in terms of value.

For those nervous about the reliability of trade suppliers, at Yorkut we treat out trade customers the way we treat our commercial customers. We want them to keep buying from us and if we let them down, they will go somewhere else. That is not something they need to concern themselves with, because we recognise it as a significant part of our business and we want those customers to come back again.

Explore new markets













Today, every sign-maker should diversify in order to not only survive during difficult trading conditions such as those witnessed during the past few years, but also to benefit from the additional revenue streams that are accessible through entry into new markets. These markets include the potentially lucrative print wear and promotional products sector to which sign-makers are now rapidly migrating in the quest for new business. Using much of the equipment already installed and with the addition only of a relatively low-cost heat press, sign-makers are able to maximise the huge business potential that exists beyond traditional sign-making.


Plotter/cutters are a prime example of how this can be achieved, since they allow sign-makers to produce a vast range of additional products that can add significantly to the revenue they receive from mainstream sign making. A good example of this technology that has enabled this to be achieved is the CE6000 series manufactured by Graphtec Corporation in Japan and available in the UK from Graphtec GB.

The CE6000 has been designed to handle not only standard vinyl and laminates but also those harder-to-cut materials such as flock and flex textiles used in print wear applications. This enables customisation of a wide range of  sports and leisure wear and fashion accessories with a choice of images and/or corporate branding to open up new market opportunities for sign-makers.

A company that can testify to the value of investment in such a device is Graphtec GB reseller The Magic Touch. The company can supply assorted media to produce some fabulous products that allow decoration of virtually anything from leather shoes, to mugs and cups, and iPhones—all of which represent extra business for sign-makers and with only minimal new investment.

Balancing the scales













A great starting point for sign-makers is to take advantage of your suppliers’ knowledge and expertise. At Sign Pro Systems (SPS) we pride ourselves on offering customers inside knowledge on products, finding out exactly what their needs are and offering the best solutions, ensuring that we support them every step of the way.

Choosing a company that offers a broad range of products and services, from outdoor flags and banners, to everyday signage systems is imperative as customers will be looking for choice when it comes to purchasing display solutions. Updating your portfolio regularly will also ensure that you remain on trend, which is what SPS excels at by continuously evolving our product range. But it is not all about hardware; graphics also play a big part and being able to offer the best quality at good prices is key. If our trade partners are unable to offer every graphic solution, they can take advantage of our in-house graphic capabilities, which include dye-sublimation printing and finishing.


A customer is more likely to buy if they can view a product before purchasing. A great advantage to working with us is that we offer demo products at discounted rates. We also offer the opportunity for trade partners to accompany their customers to our head office showroom, which is stocked with our full product range.

Also, don’t forget to stand out from the crowd and give clients the chance to be unique. Services including 3D design—offering bespoke display units and stands—have continued to grow in popularity, with our very own in-house CAD team receiving enquiries daily.

Lastly, it’s important to market your products and services well, both online and in print. We understand that winning business is challenging, and customers may not have resources and time to market products. This is why we offer an unbranded marketing support system to every trade partner, including brochures, online catalogues, image libraries, and sales tool kits.

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