If you are run a small or independent store, your shopfront signage is a vital part of promoting your business. You know how important it is to have a sign above the store which looks great and brings customers to your door. It’s your big chance to attract passers-by to pop in and explore your wares.
But over time your shop’s signage is battered by the weather. Sun, rain ice, snow combine to steadily deteriorate your signs. And if you don’t have a plan to look after your signage it will start to pose a risk to the public. Which puts the shopkeeper in danger of breaking the law.
Over the years people have been seriously hurt from signs falling down, some fatally, due to them not being looked after properly. That’s why the law focuses on making sure signs must be maintained.
The Law And Your Signage
You are required under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 to make sure your signs are not a risk to the health and safety of staff and others, including the public. And under the Management of Health and Safety at work Regulations 1999: Regulation 3, you must assess the risks to the health and safety of your staff and people visiting your shop or being nearby.
Then there is a Town & Country Planning Act (1990) which outlaws dangerous signs and mandates they must be maintained. This is backed up with building regulations which require you to inspect and maintain your signage.
It all means that you have a legal responsibility to maintain your signage to ensure it is in a safe condition and doesn’t pose a risk to others.
“There’s little room for any excuse why a retailer would not have your signs inspected and maintained”, said Fraser Burns, Managing Director here at Cygnia. “Quite simply they have a legal duty to do so, but signs are so important to bringing in customers it’s common sense to make sure they are safe and look great too.”
The idea to look after your signage makes perfect commercial sense. But the pandemic has seen most retailers throw even the simplest plans in the bin. Plus, the rise in the cost of living has created more uncertainty for retailers, and the idea of signing up to a long-term contract for signage maintenance simply doesn’t hold any appeal.
The Answer To Keeping Your Signage Safe And Compliant
It’s with this backdrop that you have an alternative way to keep your signage maintained. Cygnia Direct provides signage maintenance to small and independent retailers as a Pay As You Go service. It’s the same sort of deal as you would find with a mobile phone. For you as the shop owner, it gives you away to have your signs inspected and looked after by an expert. But without having to commit to a long-term contract.
For a small retailer Cygnia Direct is very much a win-win for you. With the economic situation being so fluid, being tied to a long-term contract is not ideal for you. In the coming months you may decide to move premises, or change your signage. And then have to go through sorting out the maintenance details all over again. Cygnia Direct takes that time and expense away, helping you stay within the law and keep your signage safe.
The service from Cygnia Direct operates on a reactive basis. Just call us when you want work done. Then you can get on with more pressing matters within your business. And Cygnia Direct is far from being a basic service too. You can ask for any of the usual services you would associate with signage maintenance. This can include cleaning, repairs, upgrades, vinyl replacements and pest protection. And right now Cygnia Direct is even more attractive for you. We’re offering new customers a 10% discount until the end of December. So while costs are rising you can keep your signage safe and working hard. And we’re here to help you bring customers through your doors again.