For more than 30 years, Tami Napolitano, the founder and owner of Awesome Graphics, has grown her business’s name in the signage industry with a dedication to simplified ordering, deep product knowledge, and providing customers with a one-stop-shop experience.
Since beginning as a home-based business, Awesome Graphics has branched out and evolved, now having three locations in Florida, Vermont, and Colorado.
Along the way, Tami says she needed tools to manage multiple locations, meet customer demand, and streamline operations. She eventually turned to SignTracker and, more recently, InkSoft as innovative solutions to manage orders and get back more time to focus on growing the business.
Getting Started and Branching Out
In 1994, signage technology was still relatively new. Awesome Graphics initially focused on interior printing, enlargements, and courtroom graphics as it grew its name in the greater Rutland, Vermont, area.
“We started in the attic, and it grew over time, year after year,” added Tami. “We kept moving the business around town to add space, and around 2010, we pivoted.”
By that point, signage technology had evolved, and there were new opportunities. The business began exploring other markets, such as outdoor signage, vehicle wraps, and large-format printing.
As Awesome Graphics moved into 2017, the business was booming, but keeping up with volume became challenging.
“I needed to get everything related to customer orders out of my head,” Tami recalls. “I couldn’t keep track of it all.”
She was also interested in finding solutions that let her run the business remotely. With a new grandchild in Colorado, she wanted to free up more time to travel and not always be onsite to manage operations.
That same year, Tami signed up with SignTracker, and she says she saw results in short order.
“SignTracker helped us be more automated and run operations remotely, so I didn’t have to be there every second,” she says. “I put my head down for about a month straight and started setting up many quote templates.”
Freedom to Grow
By implementing innovative solutions, Tami was able to continue growing the business. Currently, there are three locations: the original in Vermont, the Western Slope of Colorado, and Northeast Florida, where Tami relocated and lives.
“Since adding SignTracker, we grew our gross revenue 240 percent and doubled our employee count to 15 full-time staff to date,” adds Tami.
By adding SignTracker, she was also able to improve several areas:
- Reduce lost customers: Before adding SignTracker, Tami says some prospects were getting lost in the shuffle. By centralizing and organizing customer information with SignTracker, she could better track leads and customers in a unified setup.
- Refine standard operating procedures: Tami and her team have clear task lists and know exactly what needs to be done daily because they have a shop management platform.
- Enable remote management: With remote access, Tami could operate the business from Florida while her Vermont and Colorado teams executed projects seamlessly.
The transformation was so impactful that Tami started consulting for other sign shops through a side business, helping them implement SignTracker and improve their operations.
Tapping New Markets with InkSoft
While SignTracker tackled operational efficiency, InkSoft opened new doors for e-commerce and internal ordering solutions. Awesome Graphics is still in the early stages of using InkSoft, but Tami has already seen impressive potential in how it can grow her business.
The business’s first InkSoft store was a fundraiser for a local humane society. The store provided financial support for the organization and helped Tami get acquainted with the platform’s capabilities. She also plans to launch an internal ordering store for a client with a large staff.
“InkSoft simplifies ordering and saves clients time and hassle,” Tami adds. “Once I introduce it to more customers, I know it will be a game changer.”
Combining Industry Expertise with Technology
Looking back on over three decades in the sign industry, Tami says she credits Awesome Graphics’ longevity and success to her focus on evolving with the shifting landscape in the signage industry, both with the types of materials available and the new types of signage technology that have popped up in the last few decades. She also says that listening to customers has benefitted the company since it keeps all services in-house.
“We’ve added new services as people have asked us, and that’s why we got into promotional products,” she states. Similarly, the business added decorated apparel and product bundles, reinforcing the one-stop-shop model.
Tami says getting the right systems in place makes all the difference for any sign shop owner looking to scale.
“If you feel overwhelmed, SignTracker is the solution that will help you get organized and free up your time to work on growing your business,” she states.
With a passion for signage and a commitment to smart business solutions, Tami continues to grow Awesome Graphics while helping other sign shop owners do the same.
Interested in sign shop management? Sign up for a free trial of SignTracker today!
For more information about Awesome Graphics, visit awesomegraphics.com.
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