Retail
Small business ownership: 7 strategies for success
Ross Cartwright’s path as a small business owner was an unorthodox one, but he credits it with teaching him principles of success that are still elusive for many digital signage providers to this day. Putting people first, doing your homework, having a plan and being organized are key.
December 13, 2022 by Daniel Brown — Editor, Networld Media Group
Small business ownership is a dream for many and a reality for few, but even among this small number, Ross Cartwright's path to signage owner/operator was unorthodox. Still, the uniqueness of that journey helped provide him with seven principles of success, and he made time to join this publication via video link to discuss them in detail.
The road to small business ownership
Cartwright fell in love with graphic design going to Cincinnati sports events as a child, and he avidly collected posters throughout his youth, eventually studying commercial photography and design at the college level before discovering how hard it was to break into that industry. His first taste of small business ownership came when he pivoted into wedding photography — a field that provided Cartwright with steady work, but little joy: "I mean, it was repetitive!"
He rekindled his childhood passion in 2008 when he took a job at Holthaus Signs. "I wanted to work in every department of the place because it was so fascinating to me," Cartwright said. "I fell in love again," he added. "It really opened my eyes to how big this signage world is, and how big it can be."
Even though it meant shelving his dreams of small business ownership for a while, the job gave him deep experience with digital signage and design. Over the years, Cartwright got married and worked a variety of positions at FastSigns. He and his wife were considering moving to a warmer climate to start a family when, by coincidence, a FastSigns store went up for sale in Tampa. The young couple seized the opportunity, relocated, and Cartwright felt that he had finally realized his childhood dream of being a small business owner.
"This was a good move," he said. "I'm home every day," he added. "Plus, I want to make something of my own."
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Cartwright says he got established with analog before branching into digital, which he was able to do because he's put in the time to learn all sides of the industry. Image provided. |
Rule 1: Smart small business owners put in the hours
Flexibility is a perk of being your own boss when you're a small business owner, but the hours and workload can be punishing.
"It's a lot more work," Cartwright explained. "You have to be ready to work all hours, and come in on weekends and do late nights.
"We do everything from a small digital board for a church… (to) retail centers that have multiple units," he added. "We're still small-scale right now, two and a half employees plus myself," Cartwright said, and he wears a lot of hats and works at a fast pace. "But I like it. I'm not a guy that's happy just sitting around doing nothing."
Having support helps when you're starting your journey as a small business owner, according to Cartwright. If he feels overwhelmed by questions about something outside his experience, Cartwright knows he can call the corporate office for insight and resources. "So that's our big advantage," he added. "We don't have to figure it all out on our own."
Plus, there's a payoff. "You really get out of the business what you put into it," Cartwright said. "I mean, just working those extra couple hours every night and getting those extra few quotes out, which the next guy might not do, that just puts me one step ahead," he said, sharing a few of the principles that have brought him success in digital signage.
Rule 2: Smart small business ownership starts with research
It is impossible to overstate the value of doing your research at the beginning — after all, this is the #1 piece of advice for getting started in small business ownership from the U.S. Small Business Administration! It's something Cartwright learned quickly.
"I would do research, really drive around," Cartwright said. "Who has digital signage already, and how can I match that with some of their competitors? You know, you go in and say, 'Hey, you know, your competitor down the road has got this cool, big digital sign. You know, I think we could do something similar to that,'" he added. "It becomes kind of a keeping up with the Joneses thing with different business types." Simply networking and sharing a quote goes a long way in finding a first job, and opportunities include small businesses and houses of worship.
Rule 3: Smart small business owners always put people first
Echoing many guests and events this publication has covered, Cartwright emphasizes the power of relationship as a small business owner.
"It's a very relationship-driven business," Cartwright said. "Everybody that comes in the door, whether they're working with the front sales guy or not, I'll go out and introduce myself." It's vital to ignore the common temptation to hide in the office and rely on phone calls and emails. "You've got to meet people face to face, shake their hands, get to know that person a little bit, and you have to care," Cartwright said. "People want to do work with people that they like."
Customers also like the feeling that they are getting focused, individualized attention from someone who is local to the community and invested in it. This is why so many customers express their approval of seeing "owner" on the business card, Cartwright said. "That helps with sales a lot when I'm talking to customers," he explained. "You feel like you're going to get that special level of support and care and that your project is going to go right."
Related: Gen Z and the power of individual, customized experiences.
This level of individual focus and care is still relatively uncommon in the larger digital signage industry, and it's one of the special benefits of being a small business owner, one which is simply unavailable to some of the biggest brands due to scale.
On top of the people element, Cartwright recommends that small business owners shed the fear of failure quickly. "One of the things that I always saw is that people are really afraid of digital because they don't want to mess it up," Cartwright said, arguing that "once you do one or two, it just becomes easier, and easier, and easier, just like anything else."
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Establishing relationships and seeing yourself as part of your local community are keys to lasting success, Cartwright has found. Image provided. |
Rule 4: Smart small business owners know how to get organized
Being a small business owner can be demanding on your time and energy, so a well-organized schedule is your best friend, argues Cartwright.
"You have to block your schedule," he said. "I try to make sure at the end of the day, I can turn the lights off and make sure my whole checklist is done. Sometimes it's almost impossible to do, but I try to leave my computer at work every day, and get all my work done here, and then I don't have to be up all night trying to do something at home."
"Every sign that you put up has to have some sort of permit, even if it's a temporary sign," Cartwright said, and rules are often stricter for digital. Residential areas may restrict brightness, while highways may restrict motion or changing images for driver safety. Small towns may impose strict design rules to preserve the "local feel."
"Make sure you talk to the city first," Cartwright said.
Rule 5: Smart small business owners take the time to educate their customers
Another tool for small business owners, related to using the human touch as Cartwright described earlier? You have a special opportunity to educate your customers and help them understand every aspect of the goods and services they seek. This not only provides them with better service and makes them feel invested in — regardless of whether they finalize the contract with your store — educating customers helps them understand pricing dynamics.
"A lot of times, customers are really shocked at the price of these digital signs," Cartwright said. "You really have to educate the customer. 'Hey, this is what you're getting. This is why it is so expensive. This is what you can expect out of this thing. You can run it 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and expect this same exact quality in 2, 3 or 4 years down the road,'" he added.
"Digital signage always attracts a lot more attention," Cartwright said. "And graphics become stale," he added, noting special opportunities like digital menu boards for fast food and QSR.
"The tools and the software components that come with the digital signs now have become so much more user friendly," Cartwright said. "A lot of times, a user can go right in there and change the message right then on their own; they don't need to hire anybody, or call anybody, and that's a big selling point too."
Even so, being flexible and understanding of customer needs is essential.
"You can't go out and offer digital signage to everybody," he added. "You have to know your target audience."
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Cartwright finds that many small businesses are afraid to branch out of their comfort zone, staying with analog; but once you do your first digital sign, he says, each following one gets easier and easier. Image provided. |
Rule 6: Smart small business owners know how to use the 3 P's
There's a lot to remember as a small business owner, so remembering the principle of the "Three P's" can simplify your day dramatically: patience, preparation, planning.
"Anybody can do this. You just have to start at it, become an expert in different areas of this business, and you can go really anywhere," Cartwright said. "If you don't have any experience, maybe you work for a shop that does a lot of digital signage before you get started on your own, and that way you can learn about some of the vendors, you can learn about some of the processes, where the expenses are, a lot of the stuff with permitting," he added.
"I'd be completely screwed if I'd just jumped into this without a background in signage, which is what a lot of people do. So, it really helped me working in this industry before I got here on my own," Cartwright said. "If you've got assistance from a corporate office, like we do, or friends in the business, leverage them as much as you can to get going," he added.
"You really have to have a plan because there's so many working parts in this," he said. "If you don't plan it (a project), start to finish, before you even get started, you could find yourself in a big mess," he added. "If you set those realistic deadlines, under-promise and over-deliver… you're going to be in a much better place."
Rule 7: Smart small business owners lean into their purpose and passion
Despite all the challenges innate to small business ownership, Cartwright keeps coming back to his passion. "There's really nothing like putting a big sign up with somebody's brand new logo, their brand new business or something that they've created, and seeing the smile on their face," he said.
About Daniel Brown
Daniel Brown is the editor of Digital Signage Today, a contributing editor for Automation & Self-Service, and an accomplished writer and multimedia content producer with extensive experience covering technology and business. His work has appeared in a range of business and technology publications, including interviews with eminent business leaders, inventors and technologists. He has written extensively on AI and the integration of technology and business strategy with empathy and the human touch. Brown is the author of two novels and a podcaster. His previous experience includes IT work at an Ivy League research institution, education and business consulting, and retail sales and management.
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