Buying Choices: The Bitterness of Poor Quality

August 20, 2015

“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten” – Benjamin Franklin

As consumers, we live in an age where an abundance of options are available for just about everything we buy. Most people would assume that quality and durability are a given no matter their choice; after all, why would anyone invest in the infrastructure to manufacture a product for a short term gain? It is probably a safe assumption that quality and durability exist for regulated products such as automobiles, or home appliances. But when it comes to a product that is custom manufactured, unless there is a very detailed specification provided from a reliable third party, you are at the mercy of the manufacturer’s integrity.

Summer 2012 Winnipeg, MB.

Electra Sign was involved in tendering a large Winnipeg project that was very light on third party specifications. There were a number of important points for us to consider while estimating the cost of this project.

1. There was a great degree of potential public liability so as always we took a very responsible approach to the product design.

2. The project was at such an extreme height that the design and the components used needed to not only minimize the need for service but also economically accommodate service should the need arise.

Unfortunately, we lost the tender to another Manitoba manufacturer by what the General Contractor deemed to be a significant price spread. The origin of this spread would soon become apparent. The installed sign did manage to weather the duration of the specified warranty period (despite some very obvious shortcomings on the lighting design). However, just over the two-year mark the signs were removed, presumably as a consequence of structural failure.

What is the cost?

Putting aside the missing sign’s effect on branding, if the purchasers of the sign had saved $100k two years ago on their overall purchase price, the question is, would they have made enough of a return on their initial saving in those two years to pay for a $400K replacement?

Ken Devine

President
Electra Sign Ltd.
Prairie Sign

The difference in quality starts with employees that love what they do. Electra Sign Ltd. Winnipeg Manitoba shows this in every project we create.

4 Reasons to Switch to an LED Sign

January 25, 2017

Since the invention of the neon sign, most small and mid-sized businesses that rely on foot traffic have believed that the neon option is the best option. They’ve been using neon for so long that they haven’t had as much exposure to LED signs, and they might not realize just how beneficial they can be to their business.

Small businesses might not believe that they would be able to afford high quality LED signs, but that’s not the case. Even though they might have a more expensive cost at the outset, you have to look into all of the other advantages and cost-saving benefits they can offer. These signs are very easy to install and maintain, and you can customize them easily.

When you consider a neon sign is only going to give you one option and that you are going to have to replace the gas in the sign occasionally, you can start to see why LED signs make sense. The following are some of the most important reasons for small and mid-sized businesses to switch to LED signs.

1. Energy Efficiency
The custom LED signs available are very energy efficient, and they will last for up to four times as long as other signs. The LED signs won’t need replacing until after about 100,000 hours of use. They also have less energy consumption than the other signs, and this means you will be able to save on your energy bills each month.

2. Visually Attractive and Changeable
The LED signs are also quite attractive, and you have more options when it comes to changing the messages on the signs. You won’t have to deal with climbing and changing small plastic lettering, and you won’t have to fret about adding yet another neon sign to your store. You will be able to change the messages on your LED sign in a fraction of the time it would normally take with other types of signs. The LED signs are also smaller than the neon signs are in most cases. Since you will be able to change your messages as often as you need, you will be able to get far more advertising exposure in less space.

3. Easy to Maintain
The signs are also very easy to maintain. Once you install the sign, it should run without any issues. As long as you learn how to change the messages on the sign – which is easy – you aren’t going to have any trouble with it. The neon signs on the other hand often have far more maintenance issues. If you have signs that you change by hand or signs written with window paint in your storefront, you know how much time this takes. Those days are gone when you start using LED signs.

4. A Friend to the Environment
Your LED signs are also environmentally friendly, which is extremely important today. With more and more people choosing to go green, having an environmentally friendly business is able to help you win more customers.

It’s easy to see just how beneficial these signs are for businesses of all sizes. Start investigating how to get these signs for your own store and start taking advantage of those benefits.

Call Electra Sign Ltd. Winnipeg Manitoba today for your custom manufactured LED creation.

What Are You Willing to Spend to Reach 100 Customers?

January 19, 2017

If your business or organization is visible from the highway or a busy street — whether it’s vehicular traffic, pedestrian traffic or both — you ought to consider advertising with one of our on-premise LED electronic message center signs. Even if you are already investing in more expensive advertising to reach potential customers, you can reach an even wider audience for just a few dollars more, as shown in our helpful breakdown chart below.

.Contact one of our friendly salespeople today to get started!

Serving Western Canada with the brightest solutions, call the professionals at Electra Sign Ltd. Winnipeg today.