Your signage should be presentable and functioning to its highest capacity. As we spring clean around the office or home, business owners should also be thinking about spring cleaning their signage. This could increase traffic by boosting visibility to your customers.
5 Checklist Items for you to Spring Clean your Signage:
1) Clean it up. Winters are usually rough on the PNW, so be sure to clean up any debris that might have landed on or stuck to your signage. Critters may have created their temporary homes on your signage also! Some signs are built to drain water, however some things can clog up the drainage holes and cause shortage issues.
2) Change the timer! Don't forget to change your timers if you have your signage or parking lot lights set for an earlier time. Spring will be bringing brighter, sunnier and longer days so you should plan accordingly to make sure your sign is visible during the darker hours. Also if you are on a photo cell, be sure to check for shade and that it is functioning properly.
3) Bird Issues? Having problems with bird droppings? We can install bird spikes to your signage or parking lot lights which will help deter them from leaving unsightly marks. In addition to the unpleasant sight their droppings also contain acidic substances that can stain or even corrode certain building materials if left unattended. Contact us today to have some of our technicians install bird spikes on your current signage or parking lot lights.
4) Outages? With the Daylight Saving Time bringing us shorter dark hours, you should make sure your parking lot lights and signage are fully operational. If you notice any outages, we can help service either your lot lights or signage with our experienced service technicians.
5) Keep caution when cleaning. When cleaning your gutters or pressure washing the face of your business, you should be cautious around your signs. Pressure washing can knock mounting loose and cause damage to signs. If possible, leave extra room between the area you are pressure washing and the sign to avoid damage.
With another “spring forward” on March 8th, 2015 may have some of us questioning why we observe Daylight Saving Time. The biggest known reason is to conserve energy in the household. During DST there is more sunlight in the evenings for us to go out and do things, rather than sitting inside. The benefit to business owners is the potential upsurge in consumer visits. With more people running errands the likelihood of these people visiting your store or restaurant is higher than during the winter months.
In addition to saving energy, the US Department of Transportation conducted an experiment in 1975 which concluded that Daylight Saving Time also saves lives and prevents traffic injuries. It can also deter crime and reducing exposure to various crimes that are more common in darkness. A follow up study was published in 2007 which states that the reduction in automobile crashes in the long run falls to 8-11% in crashes involving pedestrians and 6-10% decrease in crashes for vehicular occupants in the weeks after the spring shift to DST.
Change is good for everyone. Without change, we would not be able to adapt and exceed current possibilities. Spring is an annual reminder that as the weather changes, so must our clutter left behind from those long dreary winter months. This includes your business signage! Keeping your signage fresh and orderly can show customers that your attention to detail and presence is as important as their business. Remember to upkeep your signage throughout the year to avoid a costly overhaul of a new sign.
If you reside in Tacoma, the city provides a great resource for a Community Cleanup program where the city provides several dumpsters to a local neighborhood where residents can dump their trash for free (with some restrictions, see the link for more information). Also households and small business owners keep in mind there are free resources at the landfill you can take advantage of for recycling vegetation or hazardous waste items.
(1) Saving Time, Saving Energy. By Bob Aldrich, California Energy Commission. Retrieved 3/4/2015.
(2) Community Cleanup Program. City of Tacoma. Retrieved 3/4/2015.