Why Not Us? Red Star’s Journey to Master Sign Maker
Are we actually Master Sign Makers???
This was the question I struggled with internally over 6 years ago, as a small three-person Sign Shop owner in Hamilton. I second guessed myself, consistently dealing with that nagging feeling in the back of my mind that we weren’t big enough, or good enough to be called a Master Sign Maker, and be held in the same company as the signees I looked up to.
We had been a member of the NZSDA for many years – 13 years at that point, and I knew we produced high-quality work in a wide variety of fields. I knew that our standards were top tier. I knew myself and the team were consistently being trained in the newest techniques, so we were always ahead of the curve in that regard. I knew our ethics were aligned with the NZSDA and other signees across New Zealand in good conscience. Plus, we had been lucky enough to win a couple of medals at the sign awards, and we had all our Health and Safety in check.
So WHY put ourselves out there to try to be recognized as a master sign maker? Why bother???
Call it misplaced confidence, but eventually I pulled the trigger, thought “Bugger it, WHY NOT US!” and began the process.
When we initially applied, the criteria was pretty daunting. I looked through the application thinking to myself, “this is pretty full on, what have I gotten myself into here”. But the flip side of that coin was “but, if we can achieve the standard, the accreditation not only would it elevate Red Star Signs as a business internally, but it’s also an awesome platform to showcase to our clients, potential clients, and to the industry, that even as a small sign shop in the Tron, we were worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as the “Top Guys” in the industry in terms of our products, standards, trust, and our professionalism.”
I trusted the process, put my head down and went for it……
After being independently assessed by the industry, including a visit on site by the harshest of assessors (Thanks again taskmaster Ross!), the NZSDA Board, and a few nervous calls to Melissa, Red Star Signs was proud to achieve Master Sign Maker status in 2020!
As a workplace, we popped champagne and celebrated! We had made it!!! We were receiving our sign making doctorate (or at least that is how it felt), ushering in the next chapter of Red Star Signs, and we were over the moon!
I think of the MSM accreditation as a visible and tangible promise to myself, my team and my clients that we will always strive to be the best we can be in all facets, and I use it as motivation each week to just be better!
We have been privileged and proud to display the mark for the last 6 years and couldn’t be happier! I was lucky enough to receive my updated MSM plaque two years ago at the sign awards in Nelson, and as a signee there was no bigger buzz, and nothing I was more proud of, than looking around and being on stage (or at least sitting on the stage) with sign makers from around the country that I admire, respect, and still look up to! I felt like a rock star. Being recognized alongside these stalwarts of the signage industry as a fellow Master Sign Maker meant that much to me! I also enjoy being able to celebrate with the new recipients of their accreditations, as I can see the pride and joy that I felt when I received my accreditation as a Master Sign Maker in them.
With the pathway for Master Sign Maker being updated recently to be more concise, streamlined, and tidily outlined, it still represents all the pillars of the original platform (the platform and standards that I strived to achieve 6 years ago), that we stand on now, and strive to uphold. The ability to produce top tier products (in a multitude of different areas), be at the sharp end of training and techniques, be honest and reliable, have the ability to back your products up if there are any issues (which we all know can sometimes arise) and to ultimately provide the highest quality experience for our clients.
With more and more businesses coming on board with the new MSM accreditation, it is only going to strengthen what the mark represents, how MSM is perceived by the public, how other industries perceive it, and to solidify MSM ultimately as a mark of trust and professionalism across the board. You think Signage, you think Master Sign Makers!
"We have had clients contact us based purely on the fact that we are Master Sign Makers!"
From the inside looking out, I see the new framework not as a softening of the brand, but more as a massive opportunity for other sign shops to look at it the same way we did – as something to work towards to elevate their business, and overall, the standard of signage in New Zealand as a whole.
Even as a small sign shop in Hamilton, we have had clients contact us based purely on the fact that we are Master Sign Makers! We have had our current clients refer us further (with the added value of being Master Sign Makers), pushing us to the front of the line for potential work in the future. It also doesn’t hurt when new potential clients see Master Sign Makers on business cards, emails and on our vehicles when we pull up to site!
With the momentum that the new MSM is gathering, and the clear vision for where it can go in the future, MSM will eventually become the premier mark for sign making in New Zealand, something clients and potential clients will automatically see as the go-to and the industry standard, but it will require power in numbers. Being lucky enough to be on the NZSDA Board while the new framework of the MSM was being laid out, the future looks bright and the direction it is heading in is super positive and dynamic, so I hope that people sitting on the fence about applying for MSM give themselves the opportunity to actually achieve it!
I suppose what I am really trying to portray is that the time to start your MSM journey is NOW! Take it from me, you don’t need to be the biggest sign shop with 80 staff, a multi-site franchise, or have to win Gold medals by the tonne at the sign awards to be able to achieve Master Sign Maker accreditation, and to be held to the highest standard in the industry.
All it takes is a bit of paperwork (Nathan…..), being active in the industry (and if you love the people and the industry like I do, believe me, that’s not a hard thing to do!), holding yourself to a very high standard, priding yourself on being at the front of the queue when it comes to training and other educational opportunities (regardless of what they might be), and conducting yourself in a professional and safe manner, and you are well on the way!
So, what next for us here at Red Star? Moving forward, I am fully committed to holding up my end of being a Master Sign Maker, to help strengthen the brand, help potential signees where needed and hopefully encourage a lot more sign shops to jump on the pathway!
I am immensely proud of being MSM accredited. I am also proud of each business that takes that next step to achieve their MSM and is not content with the same old same old, as it shows they are committed to holding themselves to a higher standard, and ultimately this will help lift signage standards in this country.
If a broken signee from a small shop in the Tron can achieve it, you can too!!!
Take up that challenge and jump on board!
Clinton Potter,
Director Red Star Signs
NZSDA Board Memebr
