The power of signage! Make a good impression.

[Mama3A]

I had to create a rule at my market - no hand written signs. They make the place look sloppy and emits a "flea market" attitude instead of the quality products we want to represent.

You don't have to spend a lot of money - but even using stencils or having a talented person design your signs will do alot to improve your image and add to the perception potential customers have fof you - they will take you seriousely.

Use your computer for:
signs
price tags
brochures and business cards to hand out (make sure you have business cards!)
sale signs
etc.

You may also want to mount your signs you use every day on foam board or another sturdy surface - or consider laminateing them. It will save you from having to print more every market!

If you must hand write a sign make sure it is neat, easy to read and that the words are written on straight lines and your spelling is correct!

Just think to yourself: Do you think quality or garage sale when you see signs written on loose leaf in black marker? What do you want your customers to think of you?

Do you agree? Tell me - do you put more value on products with a professional presentation or do you think it makes no difference?

[GrannyLew]

I'm sorry.  I guess I disagree.  I'm old-fashioned.  I miss the way things used to be.  I like a hand printed sign as long as it's readable.  My mother and I cannot pass a roadside market.  The more out of the way it is, the more interesting to us.  Produce off the tailgate of a pickup?  We love it.  A vendor that has set up something looking like it's back in the 60's?  That's us.  When I'm out marketing, I want to step back in time  a little.  We raised strawberries commercially for years.  Tomatoes for a few years.  We love the old strawberry quarts they used to use and the wooden crates for tomatoes.  If I see a bushel basket at a market, I'm going to go and see what's in it!! 

[sugarcookies]

I've seen some great handwritten signs, but unfortunately, it's all too rare -- so I can see why you needed to make a rule about it. There doesn't seem to be any way to let someone artistic or someone conscientious make a handmade sign without ending up with someone else putting out something ugly or sloppy -- then not understanding why you might not feel that it's professional enough. Signage IS image and it communicates a lot about your business and how you are perceived. It isn't always true, but it often seems to be the case that a person who has slipshod signage also has slipshod business practices or isn't really serious about their business (although you will usually see other telltale indications of unprofessional business attitudes besides poor signage) -- at least, it makes me wonder. I, too have found some great stuff being sold at roadside stands or from the backs of trucks, but I have very different expectations of those kinds of businesses, including bargain prices. I was able to attend a craft show this weekend -- one I know is quite juried -- there was very little handwritten and anything written was very tasteful and attractive. I guess I'm going to put it this way: if a product is worth making/growing (and worth buying), it's worth marketing in a professional manner, which includes decent signage.

[Mama3A]

It's nice to hear well spoken opinions, thank you. I too have fun at flea markets and roadside stands but I agree that my expectations of qulaity are different from these purchase locations. At our market I want people to feel they are buying quality, to be assured that we will be here next week to address any concerns if there are some etc. I think signage is a small part of that, but an important one. Just like requireing table cloths on tables ... it adds to people's impression of us. What else can convey a good impression?