Good Signage Drives Traffic—So Ensure Yours Is Legal

Speakeasies were well-advised to make their locations hard to spot. Urgent care centers, not so much, especially given that patients are not at their best when they’re looking for you, and the industry’s “brand” is so tied in to convenience. Local zoning boards have rules governing location, size, and general appearance of signage, though, so be sure to stay on the right side of the law when devising yours. My Care Urgent Care in Columbus, GA is wrestling with this challenge as we speak. The signage outside its business district location has been up for over a year, but just a month ago city inspectors said it’s not in compliance with regulation, so the company has to get approval for signage it has already erected. The “problem” is that My Care has two signs and a blue awning; regulations allow for one, and mandate that the awning be an “earth tone.” My Care says two demarcations are necessary because they share the building with a bank, and need to ensure patients go into the correct entrance. The board ultimately approved the signs and the blue awning, with the condition that the words “Occupational Medicine” on the awning be replaced with “Entrance.” The decision could have gone the other way, however, resulting in added inconvenience and expense for My Care. The take-home point is, do your due diligence before erecting or making any changes to signage for your locations, or face the wrath of local officials.