The Best Open Sign

To get customers coming into your business, you need to make sure that they know you’re open and ready to offer them your products or services. That’s why an open sign is such an important item to place on your storefront or outside on the sidewalk.

The most basic type of open sign is made of plastic and flips to show whether you’re open or closed. Usually hung in the window of your business, this kind of sign is a basic and economical choice, but it’s harder to see at night. Sometimes, there will be a plastic clock you can adjust to show when you expect to be back. You can also find versions that show your business hours using stickers that you can change.

Open signs that light up are widely used since customers can see them any time of day, and they work well both inside and outside your business. These signs often have different modes where you can get a blinking effect or static glow. The most common light colors are blue and red, and these lights are often very bright and use LED technology that offers a cheaper alternative to neon lights.

Some electronic open signs will have a programmable feature so that you can input your business’s operating hours or display some other message to customers. You’ll often have a remote control to conveniently change the information displayed.

If you’re looking to advertise on the sidewalk, you can find open signs that stand up and come in many designs to fit your brand and preferences. These can work well if you need to frequently change a custom message since they often have chalkboards on both sides of the sign.

• If you decide to use an electric open sign, keep in mind that power outages can occur. Therefore, it can be worth getting a sign that has a backup battery that will take over and allow customers to see whether you’ve closed. Depending on the sign, the battery may not last for more than an hour or two, so you may also want a traditional sign as a backup.
• Although electric signs do require electricity, you don’t have to worry much about your business’s electric bill rising significantly due to using one. The invention of LED lights has helped cut the energy needed to power these open signs around the clock. However, it’s still helpful to check the type of lighting being used and see if the manufacturer estimates the power consumption.
• When buying a programmable open sign that displays business hours, keep in mind that manufacturers may only allow you to set hours on a half-hour basis. This can be a problem if you close at a time like 10:15 or 11:50. You could buy a standalone plastic business hours sign that uses stickers if you think this will be an issue.