Opening a New Space? Start with the Right Bendigo Sign

Why Your First Sign Matters So Much

A good Bendigo sign does three things fast:

It tells people who you are.

It tells them what you do.

It makes them feel confident walking through the door.

If your sign misses on any of those, you’re paying rent for a space that is doing half the job.

Start With the Basics

Before we talk materials and fancy finishes, get the foundations right. For new business signage, clarity beats clever every time.

You want:

• Your business name, easy to read from the street.

• A simple description of what you do. “Hair & Beauty”, “Coffee & Toasties”, “Print & Design”, “Tattoo Studio”.

• A way to find you online if it makes sense: a short web address or social handle, not every link you own.

If someone can’t answer “What is this place?” in two seconds from the opposite footpath, the sign needs work, not more decoration.

Know How People Actually See Your Shop

Stand across the road from your new space and look back at it like a stranger.

Are people mostly driving past at 50km/h on a busy Bendigo street?

Are they walking past slowly in a shopping strip or arcade?

Are you tucked down a laneway where people only notice you once they’re close?

For a shop opening sign, viewing distance changes everything:

• If cars are your main traffic, you need big, bold letters and a simple message. Tiny script fonts disappear at speed.

• If most people are on foot, you can afford slightly smaller type and a bit more detail, but it still needs to be quick to read.

• If you’re hidden, you may need extra wayfinding signs: a projecting sign that sticks out at 90 degrees, a window sign at eye level, or even a simple “This way →” panel.

Good signage doesn’t assume people are standing still, lined up perfectly in front of your shop, with all the time in the world.

Choose the Right Type of Bendigo Sign for Your Space

There isn’t one “best” sign. There’s a best sign for your building, your street, and your budget. A few common options:

Fascia sign (above the shopfront)

The classic. Sits above your windows or doors and usually carries your main logo and business description. Great for most retail and service businesses in Bendigo’s main streets.

Under-awning and projecting signs

These hang under or off the awning so people can see you while walking along the footpath. Perfect if neighbouring shops crowd the view of your fascia, or if people only see you once they’re close.

Window signage

Vinyl lettering or frosting on the glass. Good for opening hours, key services, and a bit of privacy without blocking all the light. Also handy if your landlord limits what you can do on the building itself.

Temporary “shop opening” signs

Corflute, pull-up banners, A-frame footpath signs. These are useful in your first weeks when you want to shout “Now Open” or promote an opening offer without committing to permanent messaging.

If you are not sure which mix you need, start with:

One main fascia sign for your name and what you do.

One secondary sign that helps people spot you from the footpath or car (under-awning, projecting, or an A-frame).

Window signs for hours and simple service info.

You can always layer in more once you see how people naturally approach your door.

Make It Easy to Read

Beautiful design is great. Readable design pays the bills.

For new business signage, think in terms of contrast and simplicity.

• Dark text on a light background or light text on a dark background will always be easier to read than pale pastel on pale pastel.

• Stick to one main font and maybe one backup for accents. Not five. Not “whatever was already installed on the computer”.

• Avoid super-thin or curly script fonts for the main information. They look nice in a logo, but they fall apart when you’re trying to read them from across Pall Mall.

If you already have brand colours, we can work them into the sign in a way that still keeps your message clear. If you do not have brand colours yet, pick a simple, strong combination that works in print: for example, a deep blue or green with white type. These still look sharp on real-world materials, not just on a phone screen.

What Should Your Opening Sign Actually Say?

The temptation is to put everything on there: services, phone, web, social icons, tagline, specials, parking tips, inspirational quote.

Resist it.

For a shop opening sign, you usually need a short stack of information that works hard:

Business name

What you do

Optional: one clear benefit or style line

Hours or “Now Open” message (on a separate temporary sign if needed)

Web or social, if simple

For example:

“Lyttleton Street Coffee

Espresso, toasties, and good tunes

Now open · 7am–2pm”

or

“Bendigo Dog Wash

Hydrobath, grooming, tidy-up clips

book online at bendigodogwash.com”

Short, honest, specific. No fake hype. Just a clear promise about what someone will find when they come in.

What Lasts in Bendigo Weather

Bendigo doesn’t treat signage gently. You get full sun, cold mornings, and the occasional “sideways rain” situation. When you’re choosing new business signage, materials matter as much as design.

Common options we help with:

• Aluminium composite panels for fascias: flat, strong, and good for full-colour prints or clean cut vinyl.

• 3D acrylic or metal letters: more premium, great if you want depth and shadow on a brick or rendered wall.

• Quality vinyls and laminates: help your colours stay crisp instead of fading to mystery-pink after one summer.

• Corflute and PVC for temporary “Now Open” signs: affordable and quick to replace once your permanent sign is in.

You do not have to know all the technical names. You just need to be clear about how long you want the sign to last, how it will be fixed to the building, and how much maintenance you are prepared to do. We can match the material to the job.

Working With Landlords and Council

One of the least fun parts of getting a Bendigo sign up is… asking permission.

• Your lease may have rules about what you can attach to the building, what size the sign can be, and what areas are off-limits.

• Certain areas and building types may need council approval, especially if you are changing an existing sign structure or adding something new.

If you bring us a quick photo of the shopfront and any landlord notes, we can usually tell you:

What is straightforward and allowed.

What might need a bit more checking.

What ideas are not going to fly and are better skipped before you spend money on artwork.

It is much easier to tweak a design at this stage than to redesign the whole thing after a “Sorry, you can’t actually put that there” email.

How to Brief Your Sign Designer

You do not need to write a novel to get a good sign. A simple, clear brief goes a long way.

When you talk to us about new business signage, it helps to share:

• Your business name and what you do in one sentence.

• The address of the space and a few photos from across the road and at the doorway.

• Any existing logo or colours you want to keep using.

• Who you want to attract most: tradies, parents, students, office workers, locals, visitors.

• Any non-negotiables from your landlord or franchise.

From there, we can sketch options that feel like you, suit the building, and still read clearly from the street.

If you are feeling lost, it is completely fine to say “I just want a clean, readable sign that makes it obvious what we do.” That alone is a perfectly valid brief.

Opening Week: Temporary Signs That Do the Heavy Lifting

Your main Bendigo sign sets the scene. In opening week, your temporary signs do the talking.

Think about what people need to know in those first days:

• “Now Open”

• “Soft Opening: Limited Hours”

• “Come in and say hi”

• “Coffee from 7am”

• “Walk-ins welcome”

These messages often work best on A-frame signs, window posters, or a small banner. They are flexible, easy to update, and low pressure. Once the dust settles, you can retire them and let your permanent signage carry the long-term message.

When to Upgrade or Add More Signage

Your first sign does not have to be your forever sign. You will learn a lot in the first months.

Watch for these clues:

• People keep walking past, then doubling back because they did not realise what you were.

• New customers say “I’ve driven past a hundred times and only just noticed you.”

• You are answering the same basic “What do you do here?” question over and over.

These are gentle hints that your main sign is not doing enough of the talking for you. Sometimes a small change — stronger contrast, an extra under-awning sign, clearer wording on the window — can make a big difference.

Ready to Plan Your Bendigo Sign?

If you are opening a new space in Bendigo and your head is full of a million jobs, think of your sign as the quiet worker that never clocks off. It sells for you, reassures for you, and helps people find you long after opening week.

Bring us your ideas, a couple of photos of the shopfront, and any rough sketches or logos you already have. We will help you turn that into new business signage that looks good in the real world, not just on a mood board.

Crisp print, clear message, no headaches. Your sign should feel like that too.