Issue link: https://nbm.uberflip.com/i/1451379
G R A P H I C S - P R O. C O M 2 0 2 2 A U G U S T G R A P H I C S P R O 6 9 G R A P H I C S - P R O. C O M 2 0 2 2 A U G U S T G R A P H I C S P R O 6 9 letters the landlord refuses to approve, or that the city says is too large for the square footage allowance. Follow these rules like your life depends on it, because your profit certainly does: Rule #1. Do not start fabrication until the permit from the city is in your hand. Rule #2. Do not start fabrication until the landlord's approval is in your hand. Rule #3. Do not start fabrication until you have a signed, approved drawing and deposit from your client. STEP 9: WHO IS YOUR PM? at stands for project manager. If you have never managed an electric sign project before, then that means you are not the PM. is is a role best managed by someone who fully under- stands every step of the process, the clients' expectations, and your desires to make the customer happy, hopefully make a profit, and provide a sign that your client can be proud of. You will not accomplish this if you try to manage the first few jobs yourself. Bury that ego now and pass that baton to the sign com- pany helping you. Learn from them, watch what they do, study, observe and memorize. You will know when you are ready to project manage your own projects, but until then, accept the fact that the sign company helping you is making a nice profit, and you may not be making much at all. at is OK for now. You are exchanging the little bit of profit for wisdom. And with wisdom, you can make all the profits you wish. STEP 10: INSTALL DAY, FINAL INSPECTIONS, ELECTRICAL HOOKUPS And on that final day, when the sign arrives at your client's store- front, and the bucket truck lifts the letter set into place, remem- ber one thing: You were able to sleep well knowing someone else managed all the details and they took all the risk. e final inspection and electrical hookup will take place at the request of the install company, or the salesperson for the fabrica- tor. If something is not right, they get to deal with it, not you. Once the sign is up and running and approved by the city inspector, and the client has paid, it's time to sit back, relax, and enjoy the fruits of a satisfied customer, a smooth process, your upfront efforts to arrange the team, and lots of smiling faces all around. GP Matt Charboneau started his career in the sign industry in 1985 as Charboneau Signs, later changing it to Storm Mountain Signs. In 2017, he published the "Pre-Sale Sign Survey Field Guide," and provides sign design training at his site: LearnSignDesign.com. Contact him at Matt@stormmountainsigns.com; www.learnsigndesign.com; and 970-481-4151. " The temptation is always there to move forward with the production of a set of channel letters before the city permit is in hand, or before the landlord signs off on it. Don't do it. Avoid the nightmare by memorizing this mantra: "Production starts ONLY AFTER all of the approvals are in hand." The pre-sale sign survey is critical to obtaining a plethora of data. Taking time to capture straight-on photos is important for providing a clear, focused image for the sign designer to use on the drawing.