Jeff Wooten

North Carolina

Editor at Sign Builder Illustrated

Featured in: Favicon

signshop.com Favicon

barbizmag.com Favicon

daytondailynews.com Favicon

kirkusreviews.com Favicon

barandrestaurant.com

Articles

Looking Back: An HDU Masterpiece

4 weeks ago | signshop.com | Maura Keller |Jeff Wooten

For more than seventy years and three generations, the Stade family has been creating memorable and impactful signage for companies and businesses dotting the East Coast. Located in the Moosehead Lake area of Maine, Harold Stade established this sign-making legacy after serving in the 82nd Airborne during WWII. He started painting signs and even attended the New York City Trade School for sign painting, fine lettering, and showcard artistry.
Owner's Corner: Combining Culinary Cultures in the Southwest

1 month ago | barandrestaurant.com | Jeff Wooten

It truly is the best of two culinary worlds—with some regional flavor baked into the mix—at the new Tiki Taka restaurant that opened in early January at the remodeled, rebranded Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. “Global influence” plays a tasty role at this 138-seat indoor/outdoor restaurant, as vibrant, bold Japanese and Spanish cuisines featured on the menu are imbued with Southwest ingredients. The overall end-result is a flavorful experience for guests.
How to Build Meaningful Culture at Your Sign Shop

1 month ago | signshop.com | Jason Barger |Jeff Wooten

Nine out of every ten employees say they want to work for a more meaningful culture. People want to feel like they are a part of something bigger than themselves; they want to feel appreciated, valued, and cared for. In the midst of so much angst, division and uncertainty in the world that seems out of our control, people need to be reminded about what is within our control.
How to Deal with Competitors in Signage

Jan 6, 2025 | signshop.com | Jim Hingst |Jeff Wooten

The technology shift from analog to digital, which began more than forty years ago, provided sign makers with many new business opportunities. Innovations in computerized plotter-cutting and digital print technology initiated mass-produced graphics and reduced production costs. These technological advances also lowered the barriers to entry and opened the flood gates to a torrent of new competitors, such as commercial offset printers.
Simple Marketing Automation Solutions for Small Businesses

Nov 26, 2024 | signshop.com | Jeff Wooten

Marketing automation isn’t a thing of the future—it’s very much a part of the here and now for small and mid-size businesses (SMBs) across the world. However there are a variety of marketing automation tools that many are unaware of and have the ability to help SMBs reach customers in a timely and effective way. In order for SMBs to compete with larger firms when it comes to customer reach, they need to approach their marketing plan with a strategic mindset.
Analyzing Roles Sign Shops Have Within The Digital Signage Market

Nov 12, 2024 | signshop.com | Jeff Wooten

When it comes to sign shop roles in digital signage projects, most of the times, this work is going to encompass electrical and installation. However there is also work needed to be done on the part of sign makers to acquire these jobs in the first place—as well as continue their involvement in this field. Deacon Wardlow, continuous improvement manager at Vantage LED in Ontario, California, advises, “Don’t look for vendors. Instead look for partners.
Owner’s Corner: Sunny's Goes from Pop-Up to Permanence

Oct 29, 2024 | barandrestaurant.com | Jeff Wooten

Sunny’s Steakhouse (affectionately known by many as Sunny’s) opened in early October as an indoor/outdoor dining establishment in the up-and-coming Little River neighborhood of Miami, Florida. To say this opening was highly anticipated and eagerly welcomed is an understatement—for a variety of reasons. For starters, Sunny’s Co-Owner Will Thompson has a recent history of setting up accolade-generating ventures in Miami.
A Sign Of Successful Hiring

Oct 11, 2024 | signshop.com | Jeff Wooten |Ashley Bray

We believe that you hire for attitude and you train for success.” That’s the philosophy espoused by Pete Rappoccio, owner and founder of Sign Pro, a full-service sign company based in Plantsville, Connecticut. Sign Pro believes those attributes are the foundation that sign shops should be focusing on when it comes to bringing on the best candidates to their work force (designers, fabricators, installers, support staff, etc.).
Funding Your Business: The Five Cs of Business Credit

Oct 9, 2024 | signshop.com | Jim Hingst |Jeff Wooten

In the approval process for business loans, lenders use the “five Cs of credit” as their standard for credit analysis. If you want to improve your chances of getting a business loan, you need to satisfy the requirements in these five areas: Capacity, Capital, Character, Collateral, and Conditions. Let’s take a closer look at these five Cs.1. CapacityIn rating a business’s capacity to repay a loan, lenders generally evaluate the company’s Cash Flow Statement for at least two years.
Why Employee Recognition is Critical

Oct 9, 2024 | signshop.com | John Tschohl |Jeff Wooten

I recently asked a friend how often, during her career, she had been complimented or recognized for her work. Her response? “Not often enough.”Unfortunately, that is true for most employees. I wonder why that is. I have some ideas that I’ll share with you here. The first is denial. Most managers and supervisors think, “I pay Charlie a lot of money to do what he does for the company.