The Signs of Business

Continuing our interviews of successful small business owners, let me introduce to you Brian and Maggie Harlow. Together they own and operate Sign-A-Rama Downtown in Louisville, KY.

Maggie and Brian, can you give our readers a brief current bio?
[Maggie Harlow]: Brian and I have been married 15 years and before we opened our SAR 6 years ago, he owned a small remodeling/building business and I ran a car dealership. I serve as CEO and Sales Manager and Brian serves at GM and Production Manager. We have 2 boys, who we look forward to seeing every day when we leave work!

What kind of background did each of you have before you got into the sign business?
[Maggie Harlow]: Brian’s construction business was all he ever knew – family business. Everything from remodeling to new construction with focus on framing. My degree was in painting (!?) but I ended up in our family business, a car dealership, for 12 years. I learned everything from how to run a service department and body shop to negotiating sales!

Was there anything that prepared you specifically for the sign industry?
[Maggie Harlow]: I learned that business is business. There’s no difference in how it works, just in the products. The car business gave me a lot of sales confidence and negotiating skills. I also had to learn how to resolve conflict and relate between different types of people with different motivations. It was a great training. Brian’s construction background has been GREAT for production and installation issues and his skill with administrative management and accounting has been HUGE for us. The sign business has been fun for both of us – we love the change it’s made in our lives.

Since you’ve been in business, how has the industry changed?
[Maggie Harlow]: The digital revolution was just starting when we opened 6 years ago. We can now produce more and more work with few people. We enjoy learning new products and trying new ways of making signs.

How has the business climate changed?
[Maggie Harlow]: Of course, this economy has been a huge challenge. The car business was a great training ground for that, however – we were so much at the whim of the industry, product and economy. Signs are the same – I learned back then that you have to adjust to what each day brings. Plan as best you can, work your plan as hard as you can, and adjust to the result. It’s hard to let go of staff and downsize our operation the way we have had to, but if you don’t adjust to reality, reality will get you in the end.

Brian, I think it would be safe to say that Maggie is the far more visible and known of you two (at least in the Sign-A-Rama world). Tell us about your involvement in Sign-A-Rama Downtown, what your day-to-day tasks are, and how Maggie would be no where without you.
[Brian Harlow]: It’s true that Maggie is out front, the visible face of our business, but I don’t mind. She loves it, thrives on it, and I don’t care one bit since she’s so good at it. We have lots of laughs about how we would both be lost without one another in this business. I can’t begin to do sales and marketing the way she does, but she would be useless in handling payroll and accounting. We balance each other out so that there’s a great combination of our talents at the end of the day. My day is made up of ensuring production processes are running smoothly, stepping in to assist production when they are over-busy, and managing the production staff. The other half of my job is made up of closing invoices, reviewing financials and cash flow management. There are lots of small tasks here and there, and some days are “all production” and some are “all business”.

What has been the most unexpected benefit of working with the love of your life (that’s Brian, Maggie, not signs)?
[Maggie Harlow]: Ha! I do love signs, but Brian is the reason that I can work with them! It’s tough some days to work together, but we’ve really come to appreciate each others’ skills even more than before we worked together. We get to see each other in action, solving problems and doing what we do best. At the end of the day we try to turn it off as best we can by taking 20 minutes or so alone – away from the kids – to download the day’s events and seek each others’ counsel. It’s a time to get anything off our minds, make a plan for action on what we need to, and then put it away and have our time with our kids. Also, we hired a business coach a couple years back and worked with her for a couple years to help us determine our future course and growth plans, as well as sort out any lasting conflicts that we had. It was a huge benefit, and our sign business has improved, along with our marriage!

Are your children interested in being involved in the business… do they help out?
[Maggie Harlow]: Our 11 year old does help out now and then. We see how their personalities will really serve us in the future – they have very different gifts that will translate in different ways. WE hope that having them work in the business will give us a chance to teach them our work ethic and the value of a dollar! Our older son, I can see, will be great to handle our website and social networking once he’s a little older! He’s a better blogger than I am!

What has been your proudest accomplishments both personally and professionally?
[Maggie Harlow]: My personal goal to own a business that allowed me to be a Mom and Wife was a huge accomplishment. I set out to find “balance” and I think I got about as close as someone can get. I love both sides of my life, even when they smudge together!! Professionally to have happy employees and to be seen as a “success” is more than I can even ask for – I love it. (The awards the home office gives are also a HUGE bonus for me! I love them!) Check out some of Sign-A-Rama Downtown’s awards.

Has there been any crossover business for Sign-A-Rama Downtown as a result of adding a FranchiseMart to your services?
[Maggie Harlow]: Yes, we’ve seen some business come from our franchise clients, but there are so many opportunities there that I haven’t even tapped into yet – something on my wish list!

In what direction do you see the sign industry going?
[Maggie Harlow]: Obviously the digital signage is the future. No denying it. I’m eager to learn more about it – we are currently targeting clients we think would be a great match for it and figuring out how to get in front of them. I love so much the hand-made aspects of our business, so I hope I can find a way to keep those relevant and fun in this city.

What advice would you give to a new business owner just starting out in today’s economy?javascript:void(0)
[Maggie Harlow]: Work your tail off, take care of your clients, do what is right every time, and be sure you’re enjoying what you do!
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Thank you, again, to Brian and Maggie Harlow – owners of Sign-A-Rama Downtown in Louisville, Kentucky. For more information, check out their website:
www.signaramadowntown.com – Sign-A-Rama Downtown