How to Advertise Your Business Using Plastic A-Frames

My partner and I owned and managed a sign business for over 14 years and I am frequently asked questions about signage. The most asked question from small business owners I get is "How do I bring in more customers to my business?" One of the things I always recommend to small business owners are the use of an A-frame sign, also sometimes referred to as "sandwich" board signs.

A-frames are double sided signs that sit in front of your business and can be moved and re-lettered (in most cases) They are wonderful inexpensive ways to bring in new business and to advertise at your location.

Over several years, as the purchaser for our business, I bought and used several different types of A-frame signs. The one that I ended up liking best is called the Plasticade A-frame. Although not the cheapest or lightest A-frame sign on the market, this is a heavy duty sign that enables you to add sand or water to the inside with the provided funnel (the sign frame is hollow)

The added weight makes the sign heavier in case of strong winds. It's a little weighty so I don't recommend using it if you have to haul it a long way - but just to put out in front of your business it works just fine. The best thing with the new Plasticade A-frame sign is that you can also change out the signs on both sides. You do this by just sliding the sign into the pre-made plastic lip on each side of the sign face. This is a wonderful improvement over the older Plasticades.

In this pre-designed slot you can use an aluminum, coroplast, PVC or foam sign up to about a 1/4". My employer (I now work as a children's art teacher) recently purchased one for her art studio after I told her how good they were. She decided to have me paint a foam board sign with some acrylic paint and we would see how it held up (you would normally not use foam board outside)

So far, so good. The A-frame has been out in the elements for probably a couple months now and the foam sign board still looks good. As long as you don't abuse your Plasticade A-frame, it should last you for many many years.

You can take a look at the little sign I whipped up for Green Forest Art Studio to the right here. This sign has already brought in several new students to the studio, so it's not only paid for itself, but also made money for the studio too. Not bad for a $70 investment!

Most businesses have the sign faces lettered with vinyl letters or a digital adhesive backed decal over the sign face, but these are usually done in a sign shop.

You can order Plasticades from your local sign company, and you can also find them online. You can also try a sign supplier in your area, as sometimes they will sell to the general public. Some real estate sign companies also carry the Plasticade.

You can expect to pay anywhere between $70 and $90 per A-frame, depending on where you go (this is just for the A-frame, this doesn't usually include the sign faces) You can letter your own sign faces but I don't recommend this as a poorly executed sign can actually hurt your business instead of help.

I recommend investing the extra money to have a professional sign done unless you have a professional sign artist on staff like me :-)