Businesses are complex. Regardless of the type of company you run there is always a lot to do. So, the smaller, seemingly less important things have a tendency to go undone.
You Need More Signs Than You Think
That includes updating the signage in and around your business premises. The other day I was looking for a conference room sign on mydoorsign.com and was stunned to see just how many signs they sold. In the end, I realized that my business could do with more than just a new conference room sign. So, I ended up ordering a couple of dozen signs I had not realized we needed.
Clear Signage Improves Productivity
It reminded me of the fact that when you are running a business it is the little things that can make a big difference. Take for example our lack of signage. Not providing clear signage was leading to people not being able to easily find the rooms and cupboards they only used occasionally. We only realized this when we put up signs on the cleaning cupboard and the staff who worked in that corridor stopped getting asked where it was. Clearly, members of staff had been wandering aimlessly looking for it for quite some time.
Signs Help To Keep People Safe
Shockingly, some of the signs we did not have enough of were safety-related. Of course, all of our fire exits were clearly signed. But, we had not adequately signed other exit and entrance doors that could have still been used in an emergency.
Good Signage Helps You To Comply With The Law
The other thing we had not done was provide adequate no smoking signs. Now the law does not state that we should. But, putting them up has helped us to comply with another law. People no longer try to smoke inside our business premises something that is banned in our part of the world.
How To Carry Out A Signage Audit
If you have not done so for a while I suggest that you sit down and carry out a quick audit of your signage. A good starting point is to visit the website of a good business signage firm that delivers to your area.
Go through each section of the site. The chances are you will spot signs that you are missing. Add them to the basket as you go, but make a note of them too.
That way you will not inadvertently end up ordering them twice because they have not been included on your audit list.
Now, make a list of all of the signage you need. This can be done in several ways. But, probably the best approach is to go to this safety website and use their checklist. You will have to add to that list, but, it is a good starting point. It will jog your memory which will help you to identify more of the signage that your business is currently missing.
Once you have your list, go around your business checking off what is already there. If anything is missing add it to your order. Make carrying out a signage audit something that you do at least once per year.
