Guide to Making the Most of a Bad Location

Create excellent signage

Hang out your shingle and let it reflect your personal style and the business’ style. If you want to say “discount”, you can do it with not only what the sign says, but also with how it’s designed. Want to say homey and luxurious – the sign can do the same thing if you add a luxurious design. As any sign-maker will tell you, “A business with no sign is a sign of no business.”

I recommend: FastSigns is a national franchise that’s printed a few signs, to say the least. They have two great pages you should check out. The first is there guide to the types of sign you might want, and the second is a page with links to signage ideas other business have used. Score.org has 5 great tips on business signage that are worth your time. While you’re thinking about signage, keep in mind that the Americans with Disabilities Act has requirements about proper signage. I also really like this chart about how letter height affects the maximum readable distance for a sign.

Redesign and light it up

Not only is your signage your 24x7, well-positioned advertising, but so is the business itself. Not only should your signage be well-lit, but so should your product. Consider adding lights that show what you are. Maybe a dim light on at night rather than darkening the entire space lets people know you’re selling leather couches and pool tables. On top of lighting, make sure that the place feels right. A tax office should feel frugal, a boutique should feel friendly.

I recommend: Hire a design consultant specializing in commercial spaces. Look for one who is a member of the American Society of Interior Design, or use that group’s search page.  Check out lighting manufacturer Sylvania’s business lighting ideas webpage – which shows great examples of good business lighting.

Come up with a promotion

An advertiser with a new tennis shop once complained to my former publisher, “I don’t know if my ad is working.” The publisher told the owner he should give away a free can of balls to everyone who brought in that ad. Two months later, the shop was short on cans of tennis balls, but it had brought in a huge array of potential customers. Help break someone’s routine of getting your services elsewhere by enticing them in.

I recommend: Flip through the ideas and entries from the 2006 Reggie awards from the Promotion Marketing Association. Admittedly, most of these are from national accounts with deep pockets, but they can inspire your own promotion idea. Or take a cue from your competitors in the area. Did they give away a free Coke and bag of chips? Did they sponsor the local 5K?

Invest in advertising

Yes, you may get annoyed when advertisements pop up during your favorite TV program or carpet a web page, but the fact is that advertising can work. The first thing you need to think about is not where you spend your ad money, but who are you really trying to reach -- the person driving through the area or the local? The local 20 and 30-somethings or the married-with-kids and the Boomers?

I recommend: Some people go to school for years just to learn about marketing, but you can use more easily available resources (like this book by Luc Dupont) to fast track your advertising  plan. You may need a copywrighter or a graphic designer to help you out, and places like Elance.com can help you get bids for your project.

Watch where you park

Tailor your parking lot to what your customers want. If they are concerned about security, give them security. If you need more spaces, redesign the layout to allow people to get in and get out faster, thereby creating more traffic for your business.

I recommend: Metal halide flood lights can really brighten up a dark lot and add security. You may also want to redesign  your parking lot so that traffic moves through it better. Barco Products sells all the products you would need to redo your parking lots markers if you choose to do it yourself.