SANDY — Some businesses make the same stuff, do the same tasks, day after day after day.
Sign-a-Rama is not one of those businesses.
The business-to-business maker of signs is one of those companies facing a daily challenge in which every item it produces is a custom job.
"It makes it interesting," said Steve Schaetz, co-owner along with Steve Roberts. "No job is identical. Each is different. That requires a lot of follow-up to ensure all the details are covered. There are a lot of opportunities to make mistakes, so there are a lot of second and third checks on things to make sure the finished product is accurate.
"It's important to give the customer what they want. We can advise them and counsel them, but we'll give them what they want."
The business, at 8942 S. 700 East, can produce magnetic signs, banners, light boxes, channel letters, custom graphics, custom logos, directory signs, engraved signs, posters and more.
It's one of more than 700 Sign-a-Rama franchise stores in 35 countries. It's been around since Feb. 1, 1997, not long after Schaetz and his wife visited a franchise show at the Salt Palace.
"There weren't a lot of offerings there, and of the only two I thought that made any sense, Sign-a-Rama was one of them," he said.
Both he and Roberts, and both of their wives, were store managers for a big-box retailer.
"From that point, I did some research on the Internet and through the library system and chose to proceed with Sign-a-Rama. We toured existing stores and talked to existing franchise owners in the Western area, mainly the Bay Area of California. That was August 1996. By February 1997, we had the doors open," he said.
Schaetz said that despite having no background in the sign industry, "we found the industry fascinating and thought there was an opportunity there." The operation was financed through a U.S. Small Business Administration loan that was paid off in seven years.
"It's been very similar to what we expected it to be," he said. "It's been a profitable business. We're in our ninth year of operation."
And along with dealing with custom jobs and the challenges associated with that, theirs is a business with another rewarding element.
"You get to see your work," he said. "Whether it's a sign on a building or a banner, it doesn't matter, but you get to physically see your product."
E-mail: bwallace@desnews.com