Sustaining your brand is hard work. Signs adorning your facility are one of the most obvious ways to enhance your presence, providing a crucial first impression that's seen by the world.

Custom signs leverage your brand, but a common misstep can severely hamper the image you’ve worked so hard to procure.

“Whether it’s a rebrand, remodel or a reconstruction, signage is usually thought of as one of the last specialty groups because that’s when it gets installed,” Advanced Signing director of accounts Bill Galligan tells Bisnow.

“We’ve found that many customers do not realize that most signs are custom-made. The approval of the design can often take four weeks,” Bill says. Plus, most towns require permits for external signs and these can take four to eight weeks to acquire.

Advanced Signing communicates directly with the town board on behalf of its clients to obtain clearance for signage.

While providers such as Advanced Signing are equipped to seamlessly deliver results on a tight turnaround, choosing the sign that best suits you is a process that delivers the best results when it isn't rushed.

“Serious thought needs to be put into where a sign will be hung, what colors work best, and what materials are ideal. There are a lot of critical decisions,” Bill says.

Advanced handles both permanent and temporary solutions; VP of sales and client services Mike LaFrance tells Bisnow that temporary signage is often necessary as it allows projects to pass various stages of inspection.

“We do have reposition vinyl, a fabric-based adhesive that mimics what a tactile and Braille sign would look like,” Mike tells us. “It’s a replica of what your real sign is and building inspectors can see exactly what’s going to be there and that it will be in compliance with regulations."

"Our clients have received temporary clearance or certificates of occupancy based on the fact that they’ve had the temporary sign,” Mike says.

Mike's in-house design team often works with customers’ design firms or can develop signage from scratch.

The key is making signage a priority early on in the design and development process, so the face of a property can reach its maximum potential.

To learn more about this Bisnow partner, click here.