Category: Operations

If your organization is like most, you employ leaders and rising high achievers. But are you connecting those two groups in a meaningful way? Dr. Sherry Hartnett says many organizations aren’t—or at least they aren’t doing so in a way that maximizes the wealth of knowledge and experience your most experienced people possess.  “Senior employees […]

The post 7 Steps to Build A Mentoring Program appeared first on Sign Builder Illustrated, The How-To Sign Industry Magazine.

Finding the right people to bring your vision to life is a challenge every sign business owner faces. In the signage industry, where creativity and technical skills meet, your team can make or break your success. Hiring and retaining employees is no easy task, but with the right strategy, you can build a dedicated crew […]

The post Hiring For Success appeared first on Sign Builder Illustrated, The How-To Sign Industry Magazine.

When Levi King opened his electric sign installation and repair business as a 20-something entrepreneur, he assumed that a reputation for fast, affordable, high-quality work was the secret to success. Though that was mostly true, he soon learned that less obvious factors–like the strength of his business credit–would play an equally vital role in growing […]

The post Four Ways to Financially Level Up in 2025 appeared first on Sign Builder Illustrated, The How-To Sign Industry Magazine.

There’s been one common theme I’ve been noticing in my recent conversations with shop owners: proactive sign servicing. Shops all over the country have begun to join the movement behind the popular trend. Some sign businesses now have teams that go out on weekly, or sometimes even daily, patrols to check their local installs to […]

The post Editor’s Column: Service Industry appeared first on Sign Builder Illustrated, The How-To Sign Industry Magazine.

Marketing automation isn’t a thing of the future—it’s very much a part of the here and now for small and mid-size businesses (SMBs) across the world. However there are a variety of marketing automation tools that many are unaware of and have the ability to help SMBs reach customers in a timely and effective way. […]

The post Simple Marketing Automation Solutions for Small Businesses appeared first on Sign Builder Illustrated, The How-To Sign Industry Magazine.

Marketing automation isn’t a thing of the future—it’s very much a part of the here and now for small and mid-size businesses (SMBs) across the world. However there are a variety of marketing automation tools that many are unaware of and have the ability to help SMBs reach customers in a timely and effective way. […]

The post Simple Marketing Automation Solutions for Small Businesses appeared first on Sign Builder Illustrated, The How-To Sign Industry Magazine.

One of the first things I hear from shop owners when they hire me to help them turn their companies around is how proud they are of cross-training their work force and how they have sound production scheduling practices. I ask myself, then why are they having production issues leading to lack of profit, poor […]

The post Shop Advice: Employee Multitasking Pluses and Minuses appeared first on Sign Builder Illustrated, The How-To Sign Industry Magazine.

Sign shops may think they understand the sales model in our industry—manufacturers supply their products through distributors who then provide them to sign shops. However there is a role in our industry that is gaining more and more attention—that of manufacturer’s reps.“A manufacturer’s rep is the outsourcing of a function to an independent firm so […]

The post Analyzing The Role of Signage Manufacturer Reps appeared first on Sign Builder Illustrated, The How-To Sign Industry Magazine.

How many times have you wondered how your competitor could afford to sell a job at a ridiculously low price? In many cases, the other guy actually can’t afford it. While these shops may cover their direct material and labor costs, they may not have allocated a reasonable share of the overhead. Eventually many of […]

The post The Subtleties and Dynamics of Job Costing Explained appeared first on Sign Builder Illustrated, The How-To Sign Industry Magazine.

We believe that you hire for attitude and you train for success.” That’s the philosophy espoused by Pete Rappoccio, owner and founder of Sign Pro, a full-service sign company based in Plantsville, Connecticut. Sign Pro believes those attributes are the foundation that sign shops should be focusing on when it comes to bringing on the […]

The post A Sign Of Successful Hiring appeared first on Sign Builder Illustrated, The How-To Sign Industry Magazine.