Signarama Silver Spring

The Signarama Silver Spring Story

If someone had bet me a million dollars that I’d one day own a signing company, I’d have lost a million dollars. 

My degree is in marketing, and I went back to the University of Maryland for an MBA. After a stint in consulting, where I got into IT and programming, I found myself at Mars, Inc., – the candy company – and I would spend the next 17 years at the company IT headquarters in New Jersey. 

I liked everything about the Mars company; but I always knew I would eventually move back to this area. I had long wanted our children to be closer to family. But it was another pressing family matter that brought me back to the area: my father got sick with Alzheimers and I needed to be closer. 

Mars let me maintain a “remote” job for about three years, working out of my home office and commuting to a Westchester, Pa. office a couple of days a week. Then the financial meltdown of 2008 happened, and the economy was in freefall. Mars, like most companies, was restructuring to survive. Suddenly they wanted everybody back in New Jersey. With my father sick, I made the hard decision to leave for good. 

I had a hard time finding a new job in IT, though. I was overqualified for what was being offered. I needed a way to go from having a job to having a business

A Franchise? Really?

My husband and I went to the 2009 franchise show in D.C. We’d been approached a number of times by the sign business, but it hadn’t seemed like a fit. I hadn’t really looked at signage as a marketing tool. Until then.

But once I had the vision, all my love of marketing flowed back. Signage, I realized, was window graphics, vehicle graphics, external signs, ADA signs – and much, much more. That’s when I started to think about it seriously. The sign business is really about helping people market their businesses.

And, as I’ve discovered, it is a hugely creative enterprise. 

Because Signarama Silver Spring is a custom sign shop, with each client the need for a custom solution presents a new challenge. You have to figure out how to get it done: you draft a design, then have to go source all the materials you will need to turn it into reality. The whole process also resonated with my project management background. I could see myself being highly effective in this business. 

And that turned out to be my competitive advantage: I run my business more like a marketing business that sells signs – than like a sign company. 

I’m consulting with clients about their businesses, what else they want to accomplish, with the signage and with their marketing campaigns as a whole. I also want to know what other ways they are promoting their business – and figure out what we at Signarama Silver Spring can contribute to help them reach those goals.

Building Brands, One Sign at a Time

My job title is aspirational: “Chief Image Builder.” 

I’m not “the sign lady.” I’m about building their business image. 

There is satisfaction in that I found a place to be in an industry that doesn’t look like me. And it works. We work on interesting projects, for people who really understand marketing and business.

It was tough opening in the middle of a recession. I did look at county resources. I plugged into SBDC, Maryland’s Small Business Development Center, and learned everything I could. I went and met with the County, and found that with the type of business I have, I’m usually a subcontractor to a prime contractor, often doing construction projects. 

One way the County really helped me was that they introduced me to Capital Bikeshare as that company brought their business into Montgomery County. It was clear the County was actively working with Capital Bikeshare to make sure they were considering diverse contractors in MoCo. It was a great relationship. CBS was a valued Signarama Silver Spring customer for years – in fact until Lyft bought them in 2018.

As far as small business and minority business certifications, Signarama Silver Spring does have the MDOT, MBE (Maryland Department of Transportation), CRMSDC Capital Region Minority Supplier Development Council, and WBE (with WEBENC) certifications. That’s sometimes how people find us. The certifications make us more visible to buyers who are looking to increase their diversity. 

Today I have 4 employees. It’s a 6-employee business, including my husband and me.

The Signarama Silver Spring Client

We work with all kinds of companies and organizations, whether they’re big or small. Our ideal client is someone who values the marketing strategy consulting that comes along with our service. 

We are not the cheapest solution around. My clients are people who want or need sales and design support, and the expertise of someone who can help them envision something great. They are open to information and discussions. They want to collaborate with us on the project.

Our client is typically a B2B client. We work with a lot of residential property management companies as well as construction companies. We have multiple clients in higher education: we have worked with area universities. We have made signage systems for medical and corporate offices.

Relationships are extremely important as a lot of business comes to us from referrals. Our clients also tend to keep their relationship with us as they move from company to company, especially in real estate. We stay connected to regional managers and they bring us along.

Advice for Early-Stage Businesses in MoCo

Get to know how things work in the County. Get to know the environment you live in. 

Things are happening all the time; decisions are being made (like the Purple Line). I’ve been engaged in some things from Day One. I’ve had to advocate with the County for things that impact the health of my business. I’m not afraid to go in front of the County Council and be heard. You can affect regulations – and, conversely, you can find yourself stuck by your failure to pay attention.      

I would also say try to build a network sooner rather than later. Early on, I did a lot more networking. In the beginning, if there was something going on, I was there…learning the landscape. Networking will help you figure out how you fit. It’s a way to protect your interests and your business. Get engaged. 

Finally, I would say: use your business as a platform to live your values. Make an authentic statement about what you care about, as people. I’ve been involved with Cornerstone Montgomery since 2012 – working with people with disabilities. That’s always been important to me: including people who other people overlook. I’ve put women in my production jobs, and other categories of people who might not get the opportunity at other companies. It is one way I can make a difference. And any way that I can make a difference, I do. 

Signarama Silver Spring

Manufacturing

Signarama Silver Spring is a full-service signage solution company. We deliver powerful marketing tools that help our clients build their brand, attract more customers and ultimately increase sales. We consult with our clients on the most effective way to promote their business or organization, while maintaining consistency with current marketing and advertising efforts. We have delivered thousands of signage solutions on time with the highest level of quality, consistently exceeding our customer’s expectations. From concept design to installation, we do it all. Specialties: Branding, indoor and outdoor signage solutions, trade show displays, event signage, vehicle graphics & wraps, window/wall graphics, logo design, marketing collateral, and more.