By MarrioleFreeman April 15, 2013
Really friendly people. After working with them, it feels like that they are an extension of our company. It almost feels like they are a part of our family. I definitely recommend the people and their company as a whole. ...read more
By VanderRegino March 11, 2013
Get a talented sign spinner and a creative sign, and you will surely get great results. I did when we had our restaurant's soft opening and now, more people know about us. Thank you for a job well done! ...read more
By CarloKhan February 04, 2013
I must say, the digital store sign Signs Now Mill Creek made for me have drawn in many customers. Business has been picking up since my remodeling. Thanks Signs Now! ...read more
How do you measure two years? In custom vehicle wraps and signs sold (thousands). In increased sales (up 70% in the last year alone). In local businesses we've proudly served (more than 700… and counting). In days spent helping customers (over 730; our friendly staff is always available to help). As we celebrate our 2nd year anniversary here at Signs Now Mill Creek, we're proud to measure the last two years by each and every satisfied customer. And we're even prouder to say that we've got thousands of them. We know these last two years have been difficult ones for our local businesses. While the worst of the recession is (hopefully) in our rearview mirror, businesses are still struggling to make a profit. And with the economy slow to recover, small businesses in particular are feeling the pinch, and looking to cut back on expenses. That's why we're proud to have helped hundreds of businesses slash their marketing budgets by delivering quality, customized vehicle wraps and signs. Rather than paying for expensive and ineffective radio, TV and Yellow Page advertisements, we're helping local businesses get the biggest bang for their buck. Signs Now Mill Creek helps businesses take advantage of advertising space they already own, from storefront window to cars, and maximize their revenue while minimizing advertising costs. This cost effective marketing delivers real results for small businesses by generating more impressions, more customers -- and most importantly -- more money. The Signs Now Mill Creek Team doesn't just make marketing tools – we design them. We create and build signs that command attention. Whether they're on your car, your window, your storefront or your business convention, our custom-designed signs will attract attention, get your company noticed and ensure your business is remembered. Our signs translate enthusiasm into sales – helping you spend less time chasing down sales leads and more time serving customers. Whether we're customizing vehicle graphics, window signs, wall logos or tradeshow banners, our signs are made to order. We consult with you to make sure we communicate the right message to the right audience, and that we do so with brand clarity and consistency. Our large design studio and professional staff provide enhanced customer service. We're proud of our talented, dedicated and engaging staff who all genuinely love their jobs. The good folks here at Signs Now Mill Creek are committed to doing whatever it takes to deliver the best signs for your business. And it shows. Despite these challenging economic times, our sales grew over 70% in the last year alone. We received two sales awards recognizing our outstanding customer service and quality signs. And for that we owe a big thanks to you, our loyal customers. As we look forward to the next two years (and more), we proudly renew our commitment to delivering quality, friendly customer service, to keeping our signs fun, energetic and fresh, and to helping your business cut expenses and increase revenue. From our family at Signs Now Mill Creek to yours – we hope your business measures the next two years in increased sales, successful marketing and most importantly, in satisfied customers. ...read more
By Signs Now Washington February 16, 2011
In today's challenging economy, the ability to shop online and cut expenses is typically a huge benefit for small businesses. Whether it's bulk orders for office supplies or comparing costs for phone services, saving a few dollars here and there really adds up. While we love a good deal (and who doesn't?), when it comes to custom banners and signs, however, you should think twice before placing an order through an online discount sign shop. All too often, we talk to customers who have had disappointing, frustrating and expensive online sign ordering disasters. While online sign prices may initially seem like a good deal, your quest to save a quick $20 on a sign order may ultimately cost you hundreds of dollars more. The majority of customers who order signs online end up returning them due to problems with printing, the color, the sign material, or the overall design. Online sign disasters waste your time, create undo stress and aggravation, cost you new business, and may even embarrass you in front of your peers and clients. If you're buying online, then you're using online templates that the online store provides. You're using the very same online templates that other companies are also using. Ask yourself these questions. Isn't your business special and unique? Isn't your business better than your competition? Doesn't your company deserve more than a template that everyone else, including your competition, is using? If you believe in your brand, then make sure it is reflected in all that you do. That's what will separate you from your competition! You care about the details, they don't! When you purchase a banner or business sign, you are buying more than a simple sign. You're making an investment in your company's brand and sending a message to the world that this is your business. Nothing screams unprofessional and damages your brand like a boring, generic sign with bad graphics – and that's what most customers end up receiving when they order online. Sometimes, it's just better to shop and buy in person. You wouldn't purchase a car without test-driving it. And you wouldn't buy a house without inspecting it first. Buying a sign is the same. It's easier to purchase your sign in person from knowledgeable professionals and get it right the first time. Below is a list of comments we've heard from customers who used online banner or sign printing services and regretted the results. (Yes, the comments are real… we can't make this stuff up!) But don't worry – the friendly folks at Signs Now Mill Creek are here to help! "My banner ended up costing me more when I ordered it online!" Using banner signs is a great way to advertise your business for not a lot of cash when compared to traditional print advertising. However, not all banner signs are created equal -- beware of extra costs! Some online companies charge additional fees for graphic design assistance or image processing that can really add up. Want a custom size? That will cost extra too. Big online companies print cheaply by using four or five basic sizes. If you need a custom fit, you'll either pay extra (be prepared to wait at least an extra week for delivery, as well) or won't be able to get the size at all. Need your sign this week? A quick turn around means overnight shipping, so you'll have to pay extra (anywhere from $29 to $45 and up) for rush shipping and delivery. "I just don't like my sign – it doesn't look how I imagined it would." There's nothing worse than seeing your new business signs for the first time… and being completely disappointed in the results. From flimsy fabrics that look cheap to poor print jobs and incorrect color matches, the sign may "look" similar to the proof you saw online, but be totally different than how you imagined it. How could the sign company you trusted let you down like this? Were they even paying attention? Answer: they probably weren't. And now, unfortunately, you're stuck with a bad sign. Depending on the company's ‘customer satisfaction guarantee' you may be able to return the sign for a partial refund and an exchange. However, unless there's a serious workmanship flaw (such as the sign arriving broken or otherwise damaged) chances are that you're now stuck with a sign you can't use. Not only is your money gone, you've also lost valuable time and energy. Even worse, you may be unprepared for a major conference or exhibition, and your storefront window will continue to sit vacant. The opportunity cost for poor signs is huge. Avoid buyer's remorse by working with our in-house graphic design team. They've helped hundreds of businesses design creative, eye-catching graphics, signs, vehicle wraps and more. These professionals are experienced, easy-to-work-with, and know how to take your ideas from conception to completion. By working with an in-house design team, you can go back and forth with a designer until the sign looks just right – and you can even see mock-ups and sample prints. We'll help you tailor your message for maximum impact. That's the kind of personal service you just don't get from a computer or call center. "My banner broke!" This one always breaks our heart. But the old adage really is true; you get what you pay for. Whether it's a flimsy vinyl material, improper hemming or grommet attachment, or poor quality ink, sloppy craftsmanship catches up with you. We've heard horror stories from customers who ordered signs online, displayed them in their store window or at a major exhibition, and had the vinyl stitching unravel, the grommets break or the flimsy fabric crumple. Here at Signs Now Mill Creek, we only use high quality vinyl and ink. The finest materials and the finest professional craftsmanship produce the finest end product. Guaranteed. "The colors on my sign are wrong – they don't match my business logo and look terrible against the background; the green shade looks like someone threw up on my sign!" Any graphic designer will tell you that color matching is a tricky business. Colors look different from computer monitor to computer monitor, depending on the natural calibration of your screen. A soft blue on one computer may have an eerie, other-worldly glow on another computer, and shades of green can morph from a calming summer day to an unfortunate color resembling throw-up. (Definitely not what you had in mind for the big product expo!) The blue in your company logo may look great printed on your business cards, but terrible against your sign background. And if you don't know the exact color (a Pantone number or hexadecimal code your printer used to produce the blue), matching the blue in your sign to the business card using a computer monitor is nearly impossible. Matching colors in person, however, is easy! Bring your printed color sample into our shop and we'll make sure your sign gets printed with the right blue. During pre-press, we can even print a sample to ensure the blue not only matches your logo, but also looks great against your background sign color. And if you don't like something, we can quickly switch colors on the spot for you – you won't have to wait 7 to 10 days for a new sign to arrive in the mail. "My banner sign arrived damaged – one side was completely torn." After waiting 10 days, the box containing your sign finally arrives! You tear open the box, carefully pull out your new banner and… find that your sign is damaged. It happens. We've had customers tell us that their signs arrived torn, partially ripped, with broken grommets, uneven stitching, or otherwise damaged. Sure, some online companies may offer ‘workmanship guarantee' where if there's a problem, you can send it back for a full refund and replacement. But retuning a sign takes time. You've already waited at least a week for the first sign… and now you'll need to wait another week for a replacement? Not to mention if your sign arrives Friday and you don't realize there's a problem until later in the day, you'll have to wait three days until the next business day (Monday) to call or email customer service. And what if Monday's a holiday? Or what if you needed your sign for that weekend? The good folks at Signs Now Mill Creek take pride in their work, and have a personal relationship with each and every customer. In the world of online banner stores, you're just another order fulfillment number. At Signs Now Mill Creek, we know your name, your business, and the name of your dog, too. We'll never give you a damaged sign, and if you ever feel there's a problem with our product, we'll have you a replacement for you as soon as possible. Here, you get to talk to an actual human being, not an automated answering service, so your work is done right the first time and your problems get fixed fast. The bottom line: It's your brand, so why trust it to an online vendor? When your sign looks cheap, so does your business. From color disasters to font fiascos, don't gamble your business's brand away on sub-par design and inferior products. In a world of sprawling big box stores and giant corporations, small businesses need to build a strong brand so customers know who your business is and where it's located. A strong brand translates into a strong relationship with your customer base, and allows you to cultivate a strong culture around your product, service, or organization. Our custom-designed signs will help you build a strong brand by attracting attention, getting your company noticed and ensuring your business is remembered. Our signs translate enthusiasm into sales – helping you spend less time chasing down sales leads and more time serving customers. Even better, our friendly sales staff ensures your sign gets printed the right way the first time, no time consuming returns or expensive changes required. And just in case the real-world experiences of some very frustrated online sign buyers is not enough to convince you of the dangers in online sign shopping… think about shopping locally. Shopping from a local sign company (whether its us or a competitor down the street) is an investment in your community. Local tax revenue supports important parts of our community such as buses, schools, roadways and infrastructure. Employees who live locally spend their money locally. If you buy online, chances are the sign company is located out of state, and your money is not being invested in our community. So stop settling for less when you order online (an inferior product, poor customer service, sloppy graphics, incorrect colors) and get more with a custom sign job from Signs Now Mill Creek. ...read more
By Signs Now Washington February 16, 2011
An advertisement for food that takes away your appetite. A commercial that leaves you wondering what the product actually is, and how you can avoid it. Whether it's a billboard, a television commercial or a magazine advertisement, we've all seen bad ads and wondered, ‘What was that company thinking?!' Yep, a graphic design disaster strikes again! It's true; nothing leads to bad advertising or wastes your marketing dollars faster than a graphic design disaster. From big corporations to small businesses, everyone has made a graphic design mistake. Big corporations, however, have big bucks to spend on advertising, so the huge chunk of change Coca-Cola just blew on an ineffective Super Bowl ad doesn't hurt their bottom line the way an advertising mistake can hurt a small business. If you've never worked with a graphic design team before, or had a bad experience in the past (we've heard horror stories of small businesses being ignored or mistreated by large design firms), the world of graphic design may seem mysterious, complex and even a bit confusing. The good folks at Signs Now Mill Creek are experienced turning your ideas into reality, and understand every step in the graphic design process. We're here to debunk the mysteries, answer some common questions, and ensure your small business gets the biggest bang for your advertising buck! Read on for the ‘seven deadly sins' of graphic design, and learn how to avoid these common pitfalls. Sin #1: Graphic design doesn't matter.We beg to differ. The goal of every marketing initiative is to clearly communicate your message. Good design is at the root of this communication. A good design visually implements your marketing strategy; poor design does not. Good design establishes your brand's legitimacy; bad design undermines it. Even the most creative and innovative marketing idea will fall short if you fail to properly execute the design. Whether it's driving sales, promoting a product or defining a brand, graphic design has a clear business purpose and a specific goal to accomplish. Fundamentally, good graphic design should: (1) improve your image and strengthen your brand, (2) make your business stand out from your competitors' and (3) convincingly sell your messages to customers with a strong emotional appeal. The best designs stimulate an emotional, subconscious reaction in the viewer. And this all adds up to one thing: a better small business. Sin #2: Cheap designers are just as good as expensive designers.You get what you pay for. This old adage is especially true in graphic design. Think of graphic design not as an expense, but as an investment in your company's future. Would you hire your next-door neighbor to do your business taxes? Unless he's a certified accountant, the answer is probably no. The same goes for graphic design. If you aren't a graphic designer, don't try to create your own logo – and don't hire a friend without design experience to do it either. Leave the logo and marketing materials to a professional design team. There is a fine line between getting the biggest bang for you buck and looking cheap. When you choose to advertise your small business, whether it's with vehicle wraps or window perforations, your goal is to cut costs, not quality. From color disasters to font fiascos, don't gamble your business's brand away on sub-par design. Whatever your graphic needs, avoid a branding catastrophe and go with the professionals. Sin #3: Learning the lingo is a waste of time.In reality, learning some basic design lingo can go a long way to helping you understand the process and getting you the biggest bang for your buck. From vector images to pre-flight approval, graphic design terminology is unique, and we know it can be a bit confusing to someone not familiar with it. When we first started in the design business, we didn't know all the right terms either! Below we've listed some common terms that will help you better understand the design process – and ensure you get the best end product. Vector images – A vector image is one made from basic geometric shapes, such as rectangles, lines, circles, ellipses and polygons. Since a vector image is created from shapes, it does not use pixels, thus when the image is enlarged, the same high quality resolution is maintained. Vector images are important because they allow for easy manipulation during the design process. If you have a logo or an image, be sure to give us the file in vector format. We can also convert some graphic files to vector format, although this is a chargeable service. Color matching – If you have already printed a logo or other advertising collateral, you will likely want to match the color of your existing material to your vehicle wrap or window lettering. In order to ensure an accurate color match, bring us a sample in person. Because color can vary from computer to computer based on a monitor, the only way to ensure an accurate color match is to view a sample in person. We understand how important color matching is for your brand, and we want to get it right the first time. Pre-flight – When a design is in its final stages prior to printing, it is in ‘pre-flight.' This means our production team does a final check to confirm colors and dimensions are correct before printing. Once an image goes to pre-flight check, no major design edits can be made (otherwise, we'll need to start over from the drafting process). But don't worry – we won't go to pre-flight without your final approval! Sin #4: I never plan ahead.The key to a successful design job is planning. If you have a great idea, we want to hear about it! Our job is to help you take your idea from concept to completion. The best way to do this is to come into our shop, view our samples, and talk to us in person. If you want a custom vehicle wrap job, be sure to bring in your car. This way we can get accurate measurements and get a feel for what you want. We use computer templates as a starting point for every vehicle wrap, but specific measurements allow us to customize the templates and ensure the design will fit just right. We've done hundreds of vehicle wrap jobs, and know the best wrap styles for each car. Our creative team is here to help, and loves discussing ideas with customers in person. So feel free to drop by and talk to us! Once a job is in progress, you may be anxious to find out when it will be finished. We understand – it's hard to wait for that first design to see your ideas come to life! We ALWAYS call once a job is complete or a proof is ready. If you're wondering when something will be ready, give us a call and we can let you know what the timeline is. While we love talking about ideas with you in person, we always feel awful when a customer stops by the store to see if a proof or product is ready. In all likelihood, it is not ready yet (otherwise we would have called you). We know you're busy and your time is valuable, and the last thing we want is for you to waste your time – so give us a call first. Sin #5: I need my rush job ASAP.Custom work takes time. Every design team will do their best to accommodate your schedule, especially in the event of a last minute rush job. Deadlines change and ‘I need it next week' suddenly becomes ‘I needed it yesterday.' We've all been there, and we get it. However, keep in mind that a design shop can (unfortunately) only do so much. Your rush job still needs to be squeezed in to the regular production schedule. Quality work takes time, and rushed jobs tend to look like they were rushed. Sin #6: I proof my work when I feel like it – whether that's today or next week.Prompt proofing speeds up the design process. We always do our best to get it right the first time, but we know that needs and preferences change. We're happy to work with you on edits and revisions as many times as you need, but keep in mind that proofing and changes take time. We always tell customers to allow 2-5 days for proofing and review. This may seem like a long time, but we've learned from experience that the change process can move slowly. So how what can be done to speed this up? The design proofing process will go much faster if the customer gets back to us in a timely fashion. We know you're busy, but when you get a proof, take a few minutes to review it and let us know your thoughts. Try not to wait a day or two to get back to us – by the time you send us changes and we get them back to you, a few days will have already passed. We understand that edits can be frustrating, and we always do our best to accommodate your changes in a timely fashion. Unfortunately, we still can't read minds (we're working on it!) so if you don't tell us what you need for a few days, we can't get your changes made as quickly as we'd like. Sin #7: There's no need to pay for quality materials.Cut costs, not quality. Vehicle advertising and window graphics are two cost-effective marketing techniques that generate thousands of impressions and are a great return on your investment. However, poorly designed, printed and applied graphics look cheap – and reflect poorly on your brand. Use professional lamination for outdoor signage to protect and seal your graphics from sun, dirt and the elements. This will keep your colors fresh and preserve the ink, ensuring your graphics remain vibrant. Finally, make sure the lamination is done by a machine that presses a clear layer of vinyl on top of the graphic. The alternative process, using liquid lamination that is painted on by hand, may cost less, but it is an inferior process that looks cheap and easily fades and peels. And when you're ready to take off the graphics or change out your look, don't remove them yourself. Improper removal can damage your car. Bring your vehicle into the shop and we'll take care of everything. We have the right tools to make removal easy and safe. ...read more
By Signs Now Washington February 16, 2011
If you're thinking about participating in a trade show, you'll want to learn how to find trade show exhibit booth ideas. Just check out a few suggestions to learn how to call attention to your exhibit and create a buzz about your product or service. ...read more
International trade fairs are a fantastic way to familiarize with international trade financing, export and import laws and regulations, job availability and general information. While considering a business or employment in the fields of international trade, a trade fair is an excellent opportunity t... ...read more