A well-designed commercial building sign for your business is one of the most effective methods to advertise your business and attract more customers. Exterior building signs provide a way for people to identify your business location quickly. They can explain the services you offer, locations, contact information and business hours. The enticing outdoor building sign can incorporate business logos, color schemes, eye-catching graphics, and advertising to promote your brand. Since commercial signs are affordable and the return is extremely large and it is a smart investment for any business that is serious about succeeding.

Choosing the right type of custom sign for your building is crucial. But what kind of commercial building sign do you need for your business?  Your business location may have ‘Sign Criteria’ that has been approved by the Landlord and the City or County.  You will need to abide by the requirements of the Sign Criteria and the local government, and in most cases will require prior written approval by the Landlord.

What Does Effective Signage Involve?

The point of a sign is to inform potential customers about your business. You want to put up a sign for your company that includes its name because then customers would know the basics about your business. Similarly, you should incorporate a word or two that describes your business. A straightforward addition such as “nail salon”, “clothing store” or “restaurant” will tell potential customers what to expect when they step inside.

Legible fonts and colors along with tactile letters make your signs accessible. Choose contrasting colors and tones to make the wording pop. Without high contrast, it will be challenging to read your sign up close, let alone far away. A professional business sign designer will help you create effective signage for your business following these and other guidelines. They may also help you ensure that your sign can go up without violating regulations and building codes.

If you are not sure what that means exactly, some of the factors that come into play include the following:

• Clearly advertises your business and services provided
• Tells potential customers where to find your business
• Is easy to read for anyone

Commercial Sign Locations

 Exterior Commercial Signs

Displaying your commercial sign on the exterior of your building or business location is the first step in advertising your business and portraying yourself as a reputable company. Exterior commercial signs are one of the most effective ways to advertise and create a professional appearance.

Commercial business signs properly mounted to your business location work twenty-four hours, seven days a week for you and your business. Your business is continually being exposed to current and future clientele. All businesses, small and large, are in need of quality commercial signage and offer the best commercial signs on the widest selections of sign materials at the best prices.

Interior Commercial Signs

While signage on the outside of the business is essential, because you need to be seen by potential customers passing by your brick-and-mortar location, interior signage is important, too. Depending on your type of business, interior signage will help your customers navigate your business, decide on what to purchase, and may even present a safety net against legal issues.

Interior signs come with many shapes, sizes, and purposes.

The types of interior signage are:

• Directional/Navigational signs – these help customers and staff find their way around the business by pointing to various departments or sections of your physical location.
• Directory signs – not to be confused with navigational signs, these are used for buildings or developments with multiple tenants like a medical office or law firm.
• Point-of-purchase signs – a marketing tool specifically created to draw attention to specific products. It can also advertise services you offer as well as other special deals on offer at a given time.
• Mall signs – similar to directory signs, these are meant to be used within buildings to identify certain regions or stores. These signs have many advertising spaces available.
• Regulatory signs – meant to reinforce rules, regulations, and laws. Stop signs are regulatory signs. Although not every business type is required to install regulatory signs, you might want to put these up on toilets, places where chemicals and/or heavy and dangerous equipment is stored, or for marking off places like priority seating or handicapped spaces.

Any instructive signage inside your business is a huge plus. Arrows pointing to the bathroom, for instance, can save everyone from a world of confusion. Easy navigation that is concise and highly visible is going to increase customer satisfaction because they can find what they are looking for quickly and will entice them to come back in the future.

6 Common Types of Commercial Signs

While there are many different sizes, styles and uses for commercial signs, not all of them are relevant to property managers. Below are 6 types of commercial signs that are regularly used by commercial properties and facilities. Property managers can learn how each type of sign is constructed, including common materials, typical uses for each, and property types that regularly use each type of commercial sign.

1. Pylon Signs

Pylon signs, also known as pole or freestanding signs, are outdoor signage that is usually mounted on single or double poles. Pylon signs can be one-sided or double-sided, depending on the direction the sign will be facing. You may also see pylon signs that are illuminated or have other elements, like an LED message center.

A single business will often have pylon signs that feature a single lightbox with the company’s name and brand logo on display. Pylon signs that are found at shopping centers or malls will have several lightboxes built into the sign, and the base is often similar to the overall architecture of the plaza. These signs might have brick, stone, or metal elements.

 Where Are Pylon Signs Commonly Used?

Pylon signs are commonly used at properties to increase visibility. They are an extremely common type of commercial sign and often food along major roads and highways. Properties that regularly use pylon signs include:

• Retail strip centers
• Car dealerships
• Hotels and motels
• Shopping malls
• Restaurant chains

2. Monument Signs

A monument sign is a ground-level sign that a driver notices or a person passing by can easily see the business information. It is typically made from brick and mortar construction, stone, stainless steel, plastic, or other durable materials. Building monument signs are typically at the entrance to a parking lot or close to the main entrance. Apartment monument signs create an excellent first impression of the complex. Commercial monument signs can also have LED displays or lighting to capture attention.

Where Are Monument Signs Commonly Used?

Since monument signs come in all shapes and sizes, they can work for almost any property. In fact, they are one of the most common types of commercial signs at both multi-tenant and single tenant properties. Properties that regularly use monument signs include:

• Office buildings
• Apartment communities
• Condominium complexes
• Industrial parks
• Corporate campuses

3. Channel Letters

A channel letter sign is a three-dimensional graphic element with an individual structure and separate illumination. In simpler terms, a channel letter can be any letter, number, or other character that, when combined with other like characters, makes up a sign presentation. Each letter is made using aluminum sheeting, and acrylic. Channel letter signs are highly flexible, and can be made using a wide variety of fonts, colors, and sizes.

Where Are Channel Letters Commonly Used?

Channel letters are another extremely common type of commercial sign. They are used heavily in retail spaces and by corporate brands. Properties that regularly use channel letters include:

• Retail centers
• Freestanding retail stores
• Hotels and motels
• Shopping malls
• Office buildings
• Restaurant chains
• Corporate headquarters

4. Post and Panel Signs

Post and panel signs are considered monument signs and are always freestanding. Post and panel signs are defined by their two main components — the post and the panel. The panel is the face of the sign itself, and the posts are what houses it or holds it up. In most cases, these signs consist of two posts with a single flat panel in between them. Typically, they are very economically designed and use materials like wood, vinyl, aluminum, or metal.

Where Are Post and Panel Signs Commonly Used?

Post and panel signs are one of the most commonly used types of commercial signs. They are extremely versatile and can be found at almost any type of property or facility. Properties that regularly use post and panel signs include:

• Distribution centers
• Apartment communities
• Condominium complexes
• Industrial parks
• Corporate campuses

5. Blade Signs

A blade sign attached to a building’s facade is a great way to attract more customers. The blade sign projects from the building and is mounted perpendicular to the building’s wall. Because the signage is highly visible on a sidewalk, it can result in more foot traffic for your business.

Where Are Blade Signs Commonly Used?

Blade signs are frequently used in urban areas and indoor shopping malls because they are an excellent way to attract attention and foot traffic to a property or business. Other properties that regularly use blade signs include:

• Retail centers
• Urban retail storefronts
• Hotels and motels
• Shopping malls
• Outlet malls
• Restaurant chains

6. Electronic Message Center Signs

An electronic message center (EMC) is a sign that displays words, symbols, figures, or images using LED lights that are electronically changed by remote or automatic means. They allow you to capture the attention of the audience passing by your location on a daily basis and dispense information with messages that are easily changed. These signs are well-known for being flexible, adaptable, dynamic, and most importantly, effective in advertising your business.

Where Are Electronic Message Center Signs Commonly Used?

Electronic message center signs are regularly used at properties that want to convey frequently changing information. This is because electronic message center signs can be regularly updated and changed, unlike signs using dimensional letters or graphics. Properties that regularly use electronic message center signs include:

• Shopping centers
• Schools, colleges and universities
• Conference centers
• Retail centers
• Freestanding retail stores
• Bank branches

Why Choose IPA Commercial Real Estate?

Before installing signs, you are responsible to be sure you are following local guidelines—applicable codes or rules for the area you are in. Your sign specialist may be able to help here. And we recommend selecting a company that is knowledgeable about local rules and regulations. That way, it could ease up some of your job.

Choosing the right commercial property management company can make real estate ownership a breeze. For people who own commercial and industrial properties, working with a respected property management company can be a great resource. With 30+ years of experience in the Inland Empire, the experience of the IPA Commercial Real Estate team provides a depth of knowledge regarding maintenance and project costs.

Just like management in any other business, a respected management company can monitor the care and financial requirements of any property. We can also help evaluate your rent structure. IPA Commercial Real Estate very focused on client properties and tenants and we have the skills and knowledge to make your ownership experience easy and pain-free.

We offer 24/7 Service from our team day or night! Call IPA COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE at (951) 686-1462 to discuss how we can help you. Let us show you how to add value to your property.

International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) Las Vegas 2023 brings together mall managements, specialty leasing managers, international retailers, entrepreneurs seeking new opportunities, retailers operating in unique venues, airport & online retailers and store owners.

IPA’s retail team will be at the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) annual deal making conference to be held in Las Vegas May 21-24, along with an expected 34,000 attendees and 1,000 exhibitors. IPA will be meeting with area City Development leaders, lenders, equity partners, retail tenants and developers. We look forward to sharing our collective insights with our clients.

Starting May 30^th, we will be setting up appointments with clients to discuss industry outlooks and other “on the street” feedback from ICSC.

What Is the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)?

The International Council of Shopping Centers, is the global trade association of what it calls the “Marketplaces Industry” (i.e., shopping centers, shopping malls, and all other retail real estate). Founded in 1957, it features more than 70,000 members in over 100 countries, including shopping center owners, developers, managers, marketing specialists, investors, retailers and brokers, as well as academics and public officials. As the global industry trade association, ICSC links with more than 25 national and regional shopping center councils throughout the world.

The International Council of Shopping Centers 2023 will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada. This industry conference is dedicated to the retail real estate community, showcasing innovation, evolution and opportunities in marketplaces for shopping, dining, working and playing.

The International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) Las Vegas 2023 will be held in Las Vegas on 21-23 May 2023.

Purpose
The member organization for industry advancement, ICSC promotes and elevates the marketplaces and spaces where people shop, dine, work, play, and gather as foundational and vital ingredients of communities and economies.

Value Proposition
ICSC produces experiences that create connections and catalyze deals; aggressively advocates to shape public policy; develops high impact marketing and public relations that influence opinions; provides an enduring platform for professional success; and creates forward-thinking content with actionable insights — all of which drive industry innovation and growth.

About the Marketplace Industry Association

The Marketplace Industry Association is a trade association bringing together the marketplace industry to share ideas, learn, meet new partners, evolve, inspire – and most of all, be part of something game-changing.

The Marketplace Industry Association aims to connect the marketplace industry. Their goal is to bring together those in this fast-moving, rapidly changing industry and make it a better, more innovative place to do business for marketplaces, workers and consumers.

Marketplaces are shaking up the way that the world does business and how people live their day-to-day lives. Marketplaces come with a whole new set of benefits – and challenges. By collaborating, we can help the industry flourish and grow.

Why Choose IPA Commercial Real Estate?

Choosing the right commercial property management company can make real estate ownership a breeze. For people who own commercial and industrial properties, working with a respected property management company can be a great resource. With 30+ years of experience in the Inland Empire, the experience of the IPA Commercial Real Estate team provides a depth of knowledge regarding maintenance and project costs.

Just like management in any other business, a respected management company can monitor the care and financial requirements of any property. We can also help evaluate your rent structure. IPA Commercial Real Estate very focused on client properties and tenants and we have the skills and knowledge to make your ownership experience easy and pain-free.

We offer 24/7 Service from our team day or night! Call IPA COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE at (951) 686-1462 to discuss how we can help you. Let us show you how to add value to your property.

 

Loitering and vandalism pose a huge concern for commercial businesses. Not only is vandalism and loitering a safety concern for your products, equipment and employees, but it is also an annoyance and a bottom line expense you need to account for. Vandalism expenses cost, on average, about $3,370 per instance, which ends up being a significant amount of money if your property is targeted multiple times throughout the year.

As a business owner, the last thing that you want to deal with is vandalism. Whether it is a broken window, torn-up turf, graffiti, or any other form of property damage, vandalism creates nothing but hassles.

You might already have security measures in place, such as locked gates, security cameras, alarms, and such. But do you know how to prevent vandalism or deal with it when it occurs?

What Is Vandalism?

While the definition of vandalism varies from state to state, the term generally means the intentional damage, destruction or defacement of someone’s property without the owner’s permission. Vandalism is a criminal act and is prohibited by state laws. It may qualify as a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on the amount of financial damage that’s involved. Some states refer to vandalism as criminal mischief or malicious mischief.

In California, vandalism is a crime established in Penal Code 594 CP. It is typified as one of the crimes against property, public or private, and consists of:

• Painting graffiti, stain or write on walls, cars or any other surface.
• Damage or destroy property.
• This crime includes not only damage in public places, but also inside a house or office. Vandalism is punishable by imprisonment and heavy fines.

Difference Between Theft and Vandalism

Commercial Theft refers to someone taking something from your business without the intent of giving it back. This could include your inventory, fixtures, materials, and so on.

Commercial Vandalism is a crime that occurs when someone damages or destroys your property – without permission to do so. This could include damage to your physical structure, inventory, machinery, and more.

Each of these crimes can go hand-in-hand. When a business is vandalized, such as with a broken window, it leaves it open and exposed to theft. And vice versa. The smallest of details can impact whether or not a claim is paid or denied.

Seven Types of Vandalism

1. Acquisitive: Looting to obtain money or property
2. Peer pressure: Peers encourage an individual to vandalize
3. Ideological: Further a cause or deliver a message
4. Vindictive: Revenge such as a disgruntled employee
5. Tactical: Damage is a conscious tactic, a means to achieve some other end, such as breaking a window to be arrested and get a bed in prison
6. Play: Damage resulting from a game such as who can break the most windows
7. Malicious: Outcome of rage or frustration

Effects of Vandalism

Vandalism can impact your business in a number of ways. First, it can damage your property. Damaged or defaced property requires time, effort, and money to repair. Secondly, vandalism may cause your business to lose income if the vandalized property cannot be used and is essential to your operations.
Thirdly, graffiti, trash, and other types of defacement can have a negative effect on your company’s image. Such damage can deter potential customers from entering your premises. Fourthly, vandalism can lower the value of your property. Property that has been damaged or defaced may be unattractive to potential buyers or tenants. Finally, some types of vandalism, such as broken windows, can cause bodily injury to employees or visitors.

What to Do if Vandalism Has Already Occurred

Sometimes things happen, even if you have taken steps to be cautious. Here is what you should do if you are the victim of vandalism.

Report the Crime to Local Law Enforcement

Do not touch anything until the police have documented the scene and remember to ask for a copy of the police report.

Take Photographs of the Damage

Do this before cleaning up or repairing anything. Even if you’re tempted to get your premises back in order for your customers, keep in mind that you’ll need the photos for your insurance claim.

Clean It Up

Although it can be tempting to ignore small graffiti tags or minor vandalism, leaving it signals to the perpetrators that the building is not cared for and that there are no repercussions for doing it again. Instead, be proactive and clean up every bit of vandalism as soon as it occurs. Making sure that your business property is always in top condition will also signal that vandalism will not be tolerated. As an added benefit, your business will look more inviting to customers and there will not be overgrown landscaping for vandals to hide in.

Install Security Lights

Security lights can illuminate otherwise dark areas around your property after hours. This alone can be discouraging to vandals, who usually want to operate anonymously under cover of darkness. If you are worried about the cost of leaving the lights on all night, you can also invest in motion controlled security lights.

Consider Video Surveillance

Security cameras, like any part of a security system, function to discourage would-be perpetrators from committing their crime on your property. Visible security cameras are easily recognized, and statistics show criminals tend to avoid properties protected with surveillance equipment.
A large percentage of vandalism is committed by teens or those in their early 20s, and in many cases isn’t targeted. In these instances, security cameras create an environment where vandalism, or any crimes, is likely to be noticed immediately and the perpetrators identified.

Lock and Secure Everything After Hours

Common areas for exterior vandalism at businesses include alleyways and the sides of the buildings – areas that cannot be seen easily by passers-by. One way to minimize vandalism in these areas is to gate them off and to lock the gates when you close for business

Make Sure All Your Legal Bases are Covered

Of course, you should make sure that everything is legally taken care of including filing police reports and letting them take their necessary steps. Also, find out whether your insurance company needs photographs (or what else they may require) before you make any repairs.

You just want to be as fast as you can, without causing yourself more hassles or headaches. We believe the longer a property sits with vandalism, the more susceptible it may be to future crimes.

Discuss Future Changes

As you get everything fixed up, take the opportunity to discuss preventive action that may be able to be taken in the future. You may have been looking into does landscaping reduce crime because you’ve already been the victim of vandalism. By making some positive changes in your landscaping, you can hopefully deter future problems.

Why Choose IPA Commercial Real Estate?

Choosing the right commercial property management company can make real estate ownership a breeze. For people who own commercial and industrial properties, working with a respected property management company can be a great resource. With 30+ years of experience in the Inland Empire, the experience of the IPA Commercial Real Estate team provides a depth of knowledge regarding maintenance and project costs.
Just like management in any other business, a respected management company can monitor the care and financial requirements of any property. We can also help evaluate your rent structure. IPA Commercial Real Estate very focused on client properties and tenants and we have the skills and knowledge to make your ownership experience easy and pain-free.
We offer 24/7 Service from our team day or night! Call IPA COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE at (951) 686-1462 to discuss how we can help you. Let us show you how to add value to your property.