GET STUCK ON THIS…
Did you know Speedpro Signs prints stickers? Protected from damaging UV
Use stickers in creative ways to get your logo out there.
Rays and the harshest of weathers, our stickers beg to do more than hardhats. Stickers can be applied to any smooth surface, and with a little imagination, can accomplish a great deal of advertising. Companies that offer in-home services such as plumbing, electrical work, or installations, should consider leaving a stick-on business card in their wake. This way, if the service is needed in the future, the number to call is exactly where the customer will be looking.
Stickers can be used in a number of different ways. UV and weather protected, its easy to get STUCK ON STICKERS!
Realtors can also utilize stickers in interesting ways. By pin-pointing family-oriented places like local libraries, book stores, or indoor playgrounds, Realtors can arrange to have fun and colourful stickers with their logo and contact information on them, set out as take-home items for visiting children. These stickers will be seen and appreciated by parents who just may be in search of better nesting ground. Realtors might also ask past clients to apply their small business stickers in a corner of a new home’s front window. Dealerships can utilize stickers in similar ways. When holding a sale, stickers could be handed out with business cards as bumper or vehicle window stickers to be seen by many thereafter.
The funnest type of hardhat never looked so good!
Organizing a hockey tournament for boys and girls ages four through six can be sticky business, but no parent can deny that the excitement children bring to an arena during such an event emanates, and eventually becomes contagious. Team pride beams in every dressing room during a tournament, in coaches, players, and parents, but when a logo can be sported in such as way as seen below, EVERYONE outside the dressing room takes notice, and catches a drift for themselves.
Businesses should use their stickers in the same way. Spread your company spirit by bearing your logo, your name, your brand.
Go Grizzlies!
Thank you Speedpro for sponsoring the super-cool, puck, water-bottle, and helmet stickers for the Grovedale Initiation Team Tournament!
Posted in Cool Stuff, Education - FYI, Local Business, Marketing, Products, Real Estate Signage | 
Tags: advertising, Grande Prairie, Marketing, New business, real estate, Speedpro, stickers | 
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SYNCING YOUR SYSTEM
All any Product-type Business has is a moment, a blink of an eye to say “I’ve got what you need! And I can do it better!”
All his life Charlie dreamed of owning his own new and used book store, and after years of seeking, discovering, trading and buying, he is now ready to become a business owner. Charlie doesn’t want his store to merely exist, but desires his business to excel, to be a haven to those who have long loved books as well as a life-altering discovery to those who’ve yet been motivated to give books attention. Charlie wants his store to inspire upon people the joys of reading.
Here's a Tip...
Because Charlie hopes to ensnare the attentions of both current and potential readers, he has decided to put a fresh look on ‘second hand goods’ by welcoming visitors into a trendy atmosphere. There will be a ‘Hot Reads Lounge’ within the store which will sell gourmet coffees and a bistro style menu, and weekly scheduled book club and writing tutorials will be offered to those with purchased store memberships. His store will be called Pages, and his colors will be brown, to represent that which is old in his store, sky blue, to represent the new, and a touch of white will add freshness and be a blending mechanism for the other colors. The true book lover will be attracted to brown by familiarizing it with leather bound hard covers and libraries, while those entering the store for a breather and a bite will not be deterred by the blue casually incorporated within, but will harmonize, kick back with a coffee, and pick up… a book!
Charlie has put a great deal of effort into his business plan. He has carefully considered the style which will best work for it. But unfortunately, Charlie now believes his work is complete and his doors will surely open to success.
Here's a Tip...
But how can this be done? Really, there are only two ways to advertise; the right way and the wrong way. Let’s find out what Charlie can do wrong to completely reverse the positive employment he has already effected upon Pages:
- After completing the well planned interior design of his New and Used Book store, Pages, Charlie decided the clipart of a bookworm would be the perfect face for Pages since ‘bookworm’ has been his nickname since childhood.
- A green and yellow bookworm was incorporated into the Pages outdoor building sign and on staff business cards.
- Because Charlie wanted his vehicle decals to match the color of his car, he demanded they be printed red. He didn’t, however, want the bookworm clipart on his car so went with only Pages.
- In the Yellow Pages, Charlie pays for an ad that has neither yellow lettering nor a bookworm. Beside the word Pages there stands a book.
So where is Charlie now? He’s tallying his company’s first year progress rates in disappointment. Where did he go wrong he wonders? He realized some time ago that Pages seemed to be drawing a lot of young families. And While Pages did have a fine selection of children’s books, his shop was not intended to host a room full of toddlers. Filled with breakable décor and a menu which didn’t include specialty dishes for kids, those families who did feel compelled to visit, very often never returned.
Here's a Tip...
Charlie takes a good look at Pages and realizes that what his New and Used Book Store is on the inside is very drastically different from what it is on the outside. Using a bookworm to brand Pages had been a poor decision. The bookworm said nothing about the great food, drinks, or specialty programs offered within, it didn’t even minutely represent the quality of book selection Charlie was so proud of. The bookworm is cute and colourful, but has been drawing the wrong audience.
He gazes from his vehicle decals to his business’s plain looking front doors. Above those doors a bright green worm smiles down. Charlie decides its time to start seizing his moment.
After redesigning his logo with Speedpro professionals who took the time to understand Pages
and Charlie’s wishes for it, Charlie then ordered a new sign, front entrance decals, and new business cards. He had his vehicle decals removed and replaced them with a full vehicle wrap that’s a perfectly matched visual of what Pages has to offer. Pages is now a booming hotspot, and Charlie is living his dream.
And syncing doesn’t necessarily mean staying the same forever. Take a look at this successful company, Assurelock (see assurelock.com). If you’ve been in Grande Prairie you’ll certainly recognize this business’s logo. Designed by Speedpro when the company first came into production, its simplicity has never changed, but as the logo was designed to give an idea of shadows and steel (black and silver), Assurelock has been able to play with adding accents.
Once their logo was nicely established, Assurelock came to Speedpro with the idea of change. Greens and oranges announce their growth and stability with pride, yet there now well-known logo remains the same, and so we say “great work Assurelock!”
By maintaining its silver and black approach, Assurelock is able to incorporate alternate colors to brighten its appearance.
Posted in Education - FYI, Local Business, Marketing, The Speedpro Beat | Tags: advertising, educate, Marketing, New business, signage, signs, Speedpro, Startup, stickers, Wraps | No Comments »
COLOR PSYCHOLOGY
Are we still ruled by our senses?
Take a look inside color...
No matter what we, as men and women, would like to believe regarding our evolution and how we’ve progressed, humans continue to be ruled by their natural instincts. Every year, billions of dollars go into, and come out of the business of making men and women alluring through aroma, and billions more go into the research and employment of marketing.
There is a scientific term which describes the phenomenon of an animal’s use of scent or color to either warn predators of danger or attract mates. That term is called Aposematism (apo-away, sematic-sign/meaning).
Like it or not, we’re still animals.
Some Butterflies use bright colors and patterns to defer predators, while flowers use color to attraction attention
We’re careful in our choices toward achieving and maintaining a pleasurable aroma. Nobody would decide to purchase cologne which smells of bog water, because they’d know it would do the opposite of which they desire. Most people can recognize the dos and don’t of fragrances, but the same can’t be said about color psychology.
Take a moment to consider a few marketing campaigns you’ve seen on television recently. It isn’t coincidence that cleaning commercials fill the screen with white when marketing their products. Or that food campaigns often lean toward using oranges rather than blues. Though evolved, certain colors trigger within us responses, and these responses effect our reaction to what those colors represent.
Which is why the color a business chooses to represent their product or service is so important.
With their new, color specified decals, Knotty Needles captures the attention of crafters both young and old
Before ordering decals from Speedpro Signs Grande Prairie, potential customers may have walked past Knotty Needles without realizing it was even there. But since its front entrance has been decorated with large, brightly colored balls of wool and life-sized knitting needles, its now quite obvious what Knotty Needles is all about. Using pink will capture the attentions of a more effeminate audience, while bright green, blue and yellow says ‘fun, creative, vibrant, and fresh’. Great color psychology Knotty Needles!
And take a look at this great use of color. Remote is a company that specializes
Remote uses white, blue, and light grey to offer customers a feeling of comfort
in the design, installation, and operation of portable wastewater treatment systems, and understanding the delicacy in marketing anything with the word ‘waste’ in it, Remote uses coloring that offers comfort. White, light grey, and blue supplies Remote with an image that is clean, crisp, environmentally friendly, and safe. (Find out more about the interesting job Speedpro did for Remote in an upcoming post…)
Before deciding on the colors for your marketing strategy, study the chart below to ensure your ideas will work with, rather than against you.
| RED | Insects, reptiles and amphibians use red to warn predators of danger, whether it is of poison or of having a bad taste. Many birds use red to attract mates. Likewise, humans associate the color red with blood, which can be registered as war or sex.Red is so intense it can actually have a physical effect on people. It increases the rate of respiration and blood pressure, which is why red is often used as a means of enticing immediate action. Stop signs are red, most fire trucks are red, bargain signs are red, and so on. For the same reason, red is often used to stimulate the sensual side of thinking.Use red to represent or market: passion, courage, strength, love, energy, speed, resolution |
| ORANGE | Though not as intense as red, orange is still highly visible and is also used in the animal kingdom to warn predators of danger. Nature also uses orange as a means of announcing the time to harvest food.Orange increases oxygen supply to the brain, which results in the stimulation of mental activity. It motivates the appetite.Studies have shown young children feel comfortable around orange, it’s bright but not startling, and therefore is trusted.Use orange to represent or market: Food, children’s products, the tropics, enthusiasm, success, encouragement, trust |
| BLUE | Blue, being the color of the sky (oxygen), and water (sustenance), often signifies life. It relaxes people, therefore slows the metabolism and quells the appetite.When people see blue they associate it with clarity, truth, tranquility, and intellect.Use blue to represent or market: cleanliness, honesty, wisdom, stability, travel, the environment, confidence |
| GREEN | Nature portrays life through the color green. Its vibrancy invigorates people and has a healing power. Green improves vision.Use green to represent: New or natural products, the environment, growth, fertility, safety, trust, peace |
For details on other colors not mentioned here, visit color-wheel-pro.com/color-meaning.html
Posted in Cool Stuff, Education - FYI, Marketing, The Speedpro Beat, Uncategorized | Tags: advertising, choosing color, color, color psychology, colors, company color, Marketing, meaning, small business, symbolism | No Comments »
WIELDING BANNER POWER
Use your banner like a weapon
CHARITY WALKS OR SPECIAL EVENTS
Many companies participate in fundraisers for local charities, and having a great banner announce who they are while doing so is wise. Some fundraisers can be lengthy and formal, and in such cases ulterior signage options might be in order, but if a company is running a 24 hr marathon, or is washing cars in a school parking lot, a banner hung somewhere in the sidelines or near a refreshment area works better than having an awkward 4×8’ coroplast sign to worry about.
A charity affair isn’t the place for a business to promote all the details of its services, but goodwill is important to people, and those participating in an event want to know which businesses are stepping up to the plate for their cause. And they’ll remember the names they see.
Being a sponsor to certain events, groups, or organizations is another great way for businesses to give back to their communities, and utilizing a banner where signs would be cumbersome makes a winner out of everyone. Sponsoring a hockey or soccer team means a company name could be spread all over the place just by unrolling a banner. And, let’s not forget, most teams hold their own tournament.
Pictures taken during charity or sponsored events with a company banner in the background can later be turned into great promotional material too. Uploading these pictures on a webpage, blog, or newsletter, or framing them to be hung in the office is a nice way for employers and employees to showcase their pride in having participated in something important. And a company that takes pride in its achievements is a company people will be eager to do business with.
EMPTY SPACE
For businesses that have a lot of space on their hands, be it high ceilings or vast shop circumferences, hanging interesting banners that promote services is an ideal solution to turning an ‘ow’ impression into a ‘wow’ impression. Check out this link which will take you to our Dealerships Page, and to some great photos of banners designed to fill empty space.
http://speedprogp.com/industries/dealerships
SALES, NEW LOCATIONS, NOW OPEN
There’s a sort of traditional significance about banners announcing new information for businesses. When we visualize a company that’s just opening its doors, it’s easy to imagine a banner stretched beneath its outdoor sign which reads ‘Grand Opening!’
When something short needs to be said, on something that looks good, for a short period of time, a banner does it best. And banners can easily be reused. Once the ‘Grand Opening’ ends, a banner can be returned to a sign shop where its vinyl will be peeled and replaced with new. Turning that ‘our doors are now opened’ message into one that says ‘this is who we are’.
DOUBLE SIDED BANNERS
For businesses that participate or sponsor annually, and hold a lot of sales, a double sided banner is a great investment. The business then always has its company banner on hand, and doesn’t have to scramble when the sale of the month approaches.
Make sure to keep an eye open for Speedpro Grande Prairie’s banner sales. We’ll keep you posted…
Posted in Local Business, Marketing, Products | Tags: advertising, Banners, empty space fillers, Grande Prairie, Marketing, message, New business, office, signage, signs, Speedpro | No Comments »
Better Resolution For Your Business
A ‘Group Business New Year’s Resolution’ could be the perfect way to iron out those minor irritations in the office, while focusing on enhancing the quality of your business.
Though it may not be Year End for your small business, this January 1st, why not get your staff together and decide on an Our Business New Year’s Resolution rather than reverting to the same old ‘I promise to sweat my butt off and eat like a rodent until I’m miserable’ bit. Group goals are often more successful than personal ones, and in working to achieve them, the relationships of those involved are likely to strengthen. A Business New Year’s Resolution could be the perfect way to iron out those minor irritations in the office, while focusing on enhancing the quality of your business.
The first step in choosing a healthy and productive resolution is to talk with those who will be involved in enforcing it. Ask your employees what they see when you’re not around, and what they believe the advantages and disadvantages of being a customer of your company are. Find out what your clients are complaining about, as well as what they’re asking for. And don’t forget to agree on which areas have already been perfected. There’s no need in wasting energy where it isn’t required.
In deciding on a group goal, zeroing in on a sector of importance and then rationing actions toward reaching it may in the end offer up the best results. Each participant then is working toward the same end, while perfecting their personal facility.
If for instance, your team agrees that the business could use a boost in Customer Service, here are a few ways to attain that vigour in more than just one area.
OUR BUSINESS NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION:
To improve upon the realm of Customer Service
- Presentation
- Create a welcoming front office by ensuring it is tidy, offers comfort (places to sit, coffee, magazines etc.), and effectively promotes what the business offers (through signs, business cards, awards, etc.).
- Adopt positive, energetic, and helpful attitudes.
- Response Times
- Decide on realistic Response Time Deadlines by categorizing the types of inquiries you encounter (ex: simple queries = 4 hours, information gathering = 24 hours, etc.). Make these public so you are more likely to utilize them.
- Schedule permanent slots for call-backs and email checks by examining office quiet times and duration expectancy. Let both co-workers and clients know of this schedule.
- Communication
- Read back information given to you by a customer to eliminate misunderstandings.
- Share new information or job changes with co-workers by utilizing email or specialized work orders.
Working as a team (perhaps while supplying employees with a little incentive) to tighten those loose ends in the business, is a sure-fire way of tying them up quickly and efficiently. And when your group feels the Our Business New Year’s Resolution has been met, why not find out? Advertise to customers what changes were made to make their experiences with you more satisfying, and ask their opinions.
So go ahead and eat a chocolate bar…
Oh Yeah!
Posted in Local Business, The Speedpro Beat | Tags: Business Goals, Customer Service, educate, Goals, Group Goals, New Years, Resolutions | No Comments »
Guaranteed Delivery Times
When Time is of the Essence… Ask for the PROMISE
We’ve covered SpeedPro’s having hired new staff, now let’s talk new ideas, ones currently under experimentation. Introducing our Guaranteed Delivery Time Promise.
When time is of the essence, ask for our Promise
In five days your business will be throwing its annual ‘Shop like a Millionaire Without the Millions’ Sale’, only, you’ve just decided your promo signs from the previous year no longer compliment your shop’s current colour and style. You need new, fashionable signs, but because it’s short notice you’re not sure it’s possible to go new and have the signs in time for your big sale. You understand sign shops are busy, and proofing can be a long process, but you don’t want to spend money on advertising that won’t be available when you most need it. Ask us about our Guaranteed Delivery Time Promise.
Did we produce your old signs? Do we have your logo on file? Are you merely changing colour scheme but sticking with your sign’s original layout? Do you use standard sign materials like corrruplast or styrene, ones the shop is sure to have on hand? Perhaps your existing signs are in good condition and can be reused. Each of these issues can decide whether or not we can deliver our services quickly. Talk to one of our knowledgeable staff and let them know your situation. If we can ensure the proofing process will be a smooth one, and if your date hasn’t already been calendared by other Guaranteed Delivery Time clients, we’ll offer you our promise, and commit to having your signs available for use when you need it.
Or you get your signs FREE OF CHARGE.
Using our Guaranteed Delivery Time promise, you can stick to your marketing plan and not worry about its budget, because those super-awesome new signs will capture your business’ flair, its quality. Those super-awesome new signs will capture the attention of potential costumers, both existing and new.
While Speedpro is still ironing out a few kinks as they implement the Promise’s game plan, its purpose still stands.
So, ‘Shop like a Millionaire Without the Millions’
Posted in Local Business, Marketing, Off Topic, Our Customers, Promos, Real Estate Signage | Tags: delivery, free, Grande Prairie, guaranteed, office, real estate, signage, signs, Speedpro, stickers | No Comments »
Thanks For Visiting!
Our OPEN HOUSE was a HOT STOP…
Thanks to everyone who dropped by the Speedpro shop for Tim Tams, hot drinks, and more, yesterday! It was fantastic seeing you all. We hope our Open House helped to ring in the holiday cheer. While some embraced Santa’s advice and dove into the art of Slamming Tim Tams, others shied away from gobbling and took to nibbles instead. It’s okay, Santa forgives the bashful and promises not to deliver How To clips for Christmas morning.
Please Take Note:
December 23 and 26 – Everyone needs time off, folks, even people who ‘knit friendships’. Friday, December 23 and Monday, December 26 the shop doors are closed for business, and though they are reopened on the 27th and 28th, we ask that you be gentle with the partial staff which will be manning the office until the 29th.
Best Wishes to you and yours,
Sincerely, the Speedpro Staff
Posted in Promos, Uncategorized | Tags: holiday, hours, Speedpro, speedpro hours, thank you, tim tam slam, tim tams | No Comments »
December 22, Tim Tam Slam Open House!
Santa Demonstrates
How to Slam a Tim Tam !
Don’t forget to pop by the Speedpro shop and slam your own Tim Tam! December 22, Tim Tam Slam Open House… it means everyone’s invited!
What’s a Tim Tam, you might ask? Well, a Tim Tam is an awesome chocolate covered wafer cookie that has a creamy chocolate centre. Manufactured by Arnott’s in Austrailia, the cookie actually gives you an Aussi accent!
(Okay, so that’s a fib)…
But moving on, HOW do you SLAM a Tim Tam?
Let’s have Santa demonstrate… shall we?
DECEMBER 22, TIM TAM SLAM OPEN HOUSE, SPEEDPRO GRANDE PRAIRIE
Posted in Demonstrations, Local Business, Off Topic, Promos | Tags: december 22, Grande Prairie, office, santa, santa claus, signage, signs, Speedpro, speedpro hours, tim tam, tim tam slam | No Comments »
Welcome!
New Staff, New Ideas, Same Knock Your Socks Off Enthusiasm:
Since first coming into the hands of Jennifer and Dave Metituk back in 2002, Grande Prairie’s Speedpro has been celebrated for its high-energy work ethic and enthusiasm. Along with its ever-growing clientele, Speedpro itself has grown, having graduated from outmoded equipment and processes to today’s top production systems. Over the years, Speedpro has been the needle that knit many ornamented friendships, and though employees have come and gone since that first year in ’02, owners Jennifer and Dave Metituk possess bragging rights to the fact that “those who leave eventually return!” Indeed, out of the five new faces now accenting the company’s shop floor and sidelines, two of these, Production Manager Andrea, and myself, blog and newsletter writer Jessica, have worked with the company in the past. Previously employed by SpeedPro for three years before taking maternity leave, I am now delighted to once again be a part of SpeedPro’s unstoppable core, the heartbeat that pumps business through advertising. But what can the services of this company do for you? How can the imaginations of its employees apply an addictive appeal to the services your business offers? As the lovely Laura will welcome you into our shop, let me welcome you to the ‘SpeedPro Beat’, an insider’s peek on what’s hot in marketing, on the importance of presentation and knowing your direction, and on where and when your name should shine.
Check out the SpeedPro Beat twice a week, and if you haven’t already, make sure to sign up for our monthly newsletter to get into the rhythm of marketing know-how. Discover what it is we have to offer and take advantage of us… guilt free!
You have ambitions for your company’s future. Read the Beat and we’ll get you there faster.
Stay tuned… Santa has been invited to educate those oblivious of the ‘Tim Tam Slam’ while impressing upon us the importance of signage! Surely a lesson that can’t be missed!
Posted in Local Business, The Speedpro Beat, Uncategorized | Tags: Grande Prairie, holiday, message, New business, office, signage, signs, Speedpro | No Comments »
Introducing the Speedpro Staff 2.0
Let us introduce our staff …. some you may know and some you may not.
Left to Right
Dave and Jen Owners, Andrea Production Manager, Dave Installer & signmaker, Laura Front Counter Sales, Lawrence Account Manager
Over the next week we will be releasing our individual staff pictures. Taken by the talented Al Gervais we want to help you get to know us so we have the normal boring shots and we have the “alter ego” shots. WE would love your feedback.
Don’t forget our Annual Christmas Cheer open house is Dec 22, 2011 10 am -3pm…. special coffee, eggnog, Tim Tam Slam’s and more. #4 10530 117 ave, Grande Prairie.
