Opening a new business means coordinating everything from renovations and equipment to staffing and your launch date. Business signage deserves a place on that list early. Customers need to recognise your location, find the entrance and understand where to go once they arrive.
Whether you are opening a storefront in Mississauga, an office in Toronto or a commercial space elsewhere in the GTA, this signage checklist will help you plan before production begins.
1. Walk Through Your Customer’s Arrival
Start outside your property and approach it as a first-time visitor. Look at the building from the street, parking area and nearby sidewalk.
Ask yourself:
- Can customers identify your business before reaching the entrance?
- Is your unit easy to distinguish from neighbouring businesses?
- Is the entrance visible from the parking area?
- Will customers visit after dark?
- Are deliveries and customer arrivals directed to different doors?
Your answers will help determine where signs belong and what each one needs to communicate. A street-facing shop and an office inside a shared building may need very different signage.
2. Plan Your Main Exterior Sign
Your exterior sign introduces your business to people approaching the property. Choose its format around the building, viewing distance and available mounting area.
Options to discuss include channel letters, illuminated sign cabinets, dimensional lettering and flat sign panels. Focus on a clear business name, readable lettering and colours that stand out against the building.
Avoid placing every service, phone number and promotional message on your main sign. Supporting details can go on windows or other signs closer to the entrance.
Explore storefront signs to start comparing options for your location.
3. Check Property Approvals Before Production
Before finalising the design, ask your landlord or property manager for the building’s signage criteria. Confirm the permitted sign area, attachment requirements, illumination restrictions and any shared tenant sign arrangements.
Also confirm with the relevant municipality which sign requirements and approvals apply to your project. Establish who will handle applications, drawings and approvals before setting a production date.
Keep written approvals with your final artwork so everyone works from the same agreed design.
4. Make Your Entrance Easy to Recognise
Customers who have found your building should be able to identify the correct door without guessing.
Depending on the location, entrance signage may include:
- Business name or logo
- Unit number
- Business hours
- Appointment or visitor instructions
- Reception or delivery directions
Check how the information looks with the door open and closed. Handles, frames, tinted glass and reflections can affect where lettering is readable.
If your hours or contact details are likely to change, discuss a layout that allows those elements to be updated separately.
5. Give Window Graphics a Clear Purpose
Window graphics can introduce your services, announce your opening or provide privacy. Decide what each window needs to accomplish before filling it with artwork.
For example, a retail business might keep product displays visible while using a smaller area for branding and hours. An appointment-based business might prioritise privacy alongside clear entrance identification.
Choose one main message for each viewing area. Check it from the sidewalk as well as from inside the space.
6. Include Reception and Interior Signs
Once visitors enter, signage should help them feel confident that they are in the right place.
A reception logo can establish your brand, while room names, department signs and directional signs help people navigate independently. Larger spaces may also need directories or signs at corridor intersections.
Walk the route from the entrance to reception, meeting rooms and other visitor destinations. Place directions where people need to make a decision.
Use consistent names throughout the building. A room called “Consultation Room” on a directory should carry the same name at its door.
7. Prepare Your Brand Files and Sign Information
Providing complete artwork and accurate wording helps keep the project moving.
Gather the following before requesting production:
- Your logo, preferably in a vector format such as AI, EPS or a suitable PDF
- Brand colours and font guidelines
- Final business name and spelling
- Confirmed hours and contact information
- Site photographs and approximate dimensions
- Your target opening date
- Property signage criteria and available approvals
A logo copied from a website may need additional preparation for a large sign. Share your original artwork where possible and ask your sign provider to review it.
8. Set Priorities and Request an Itemised Quote
Separate the signs needed for opening day from items that can follow later.
Your first priorities might be exterior identification, entrance information and directions to reception. Decorative wall graphics or additional promotional displays could form a later phase.
Ask for a quote that identifies the included design, materials, fabrication and installation work. Clarify whether removal of old signs, electrical work, access equipment or application-related work is included.
When comparing proposals, check the specifications and scope alongside the total price.
9. Coordinate Installation With Your Renovation
Sign installation needs to fit around the condition of the site.
Share your renovation schedule and identify any work that could affect installation, including painting, glazing, facade repairs or electrical preparation. Confirm when mounting surfaces will be ready and whether installers will need access equipment or coordination with other trades.
Discuss sign and graphic installation while planning the project so the installation requirements inform the design and schedule.
Before opening, review the installed signs from normal customer viewing positions. Check spelling, placement, visibility and lighting where applicable.
Your New Business Signage Checklist for Opening Day
Use this final review before welcoming customers:
- The business is easy to identify from the main approach.
- The correct entrance and unit are clearly marked.
- Hours and visitor information are accurate.
- Interior directions use consistent names.
- Relevant property and municipal approvals have been confirmed.
- Final artwork and installation details have been approved.
- Installed signs have been checked for readability and finish.
- Care instructions and project records have been saved.
Frequently Asked Questions
What signs does a new business need first?
Start with signs that help customers find and enter the business. These may include a main exterior sign, door identification, business hours and directions to reception. The exact combination depends on the property and how visitors use it.
When should I start planning business signage?
Begin once you have a location and access to its signage criteria. Planning early gives you time to review the site, prepare artwork, confirm approvals and coordinate installation with other work.
Can I reuse the previous tenant’s sign?
Have the existing sign assessed before planning around it. Its condition, dimensions, mounting and electrical components may affect whether an update is suitable. Confirm property approval for any proposed changes.
What should I send when requesting a signage quote?
Send your logo, site address, photographs, approximate dimensions, required wording and target opening date. Include landlord signage criteria and details about any existing signs you want removed or updated.
Plan Your New Business Signage With MYC Graphics
MYC Graphics helps businesses in Mississauga, Toronto and across the GTA plan and produce commercial signage, with installation support available. From exterior identification to window graphics and interior signs, we can help you bring the pieces together for your new location.
Send us your logo, photographs of the space and opening timeline to discuss your project.
Contact MYC Graphics or call 416-907-9491.
