You've seen them before: a new restaurant is moving in or a new store will open in a few weeks, and the owner lets everyone know with one or two bright "Coming soon!" vinyl banners. It builds up the excitement, starts the buzz early, and gets everyone interested in the business that will throw open its doors to the public in just a few short weeks or months.

This is exactly what vinyl banners should be used for: temporary signs that have a definite end date.

Where we see real problems is when vinyl banners are hanging for several months after the store opened, and it's serving as the only sign to let customers know where they are. The message this sends to customers is "we're not doing well. We can't even afford a proper sign."

We understand completely. People who own and operate businesses have difficult decisions to make. All Signarama franchisees are independent business owners, so we can completely relate. When it comes to budgeting, there are just things you can and can't do, because the money is or isn't there.

But we would encourage you to put a new sign at or near the top of your priority list, because this is what's going to 1) make you look like a successful business, and 2) show your customers that you're going to be around for a while.

Don't get us wrong! We think vinyl banners are great, and they serve an important purpose. Signarama has produced miles and miles of vinyl banners in the past, and we'll continue to do so. But we also recognize there are times that a business isn't doing itself any favors by continuing to promote itself with vinyl banners, months after they opened.

Your sign is one of the first things customers will see in your business. Before they even get in the door, they've already started interacting with you via your sign. You want to make the best impression that you can, as soon as you can.

So whether it's a couple "Coming Soon" vinyl banners, or even a lighted pylon sign for channel letters, Signarama has the products to help businesses make the best impression and still meet your budget goals. Just visit our website to see the different signage products we offer. You can also use our online store locator to find the Signarama nearest you.