Action Signs
250 Fieldpoint Road
Heath, OH 43056
740-522-1678
877-66-SIGNS

Owned and operated by Robert and Quinea Rickard.

Action Signs is a full service sign company that was started June 1, 1998. Currently operating as a home-based business, we design, fabricate, install and maintain all types of signs.

We have been successful by setting goals and sticking to a plan. Starting out with a computer and an idea, we have been fortunate to reinvest our profits into other purchases for the business. This was a slow process but we now have two printers, a vinyl plotter, inventory sign specific software, a fax machine, scanner, and a zip drive. Our most recent purchase was a 50' crane truck. We were limited in our installation and maintenance capabilities because we could only work off of ladders, but now with a crane, we hope to open new doors and another aspect to our business. We will soon market ourselves as Installation/Maintenance Contractors to other sign companies in Central Ohio.

The most valuable resource in our business has been our relationship with the Small Business Development Center and Randy Morgan. Randy has provided us with business to business contacts, marketing ideas, avenues for financing, business plan assistance and most importantly moral support. We have taken advantage of many of their programs such as seminars on writing a business plan and the INforum Hotline. The SBDC has been a strong link amongst several small businesses in this area.

With Randy's encouragement, we've been successful in establishing our own cash flow programs. We have progressed into printing business cards, letterhead, and envelopes from the time we have in the development and layout of logos. This way we can tie all the needs of a customer into one-stop shopping. We are currently looking into doing screen printing. To generate some hands-off revenue, we put money towards the purchase of four phone card machines. They require very little and create extra capital to be placed back into the sign business.

With an average workday ranging from 12-16 hours, business has really grown. We plan to find a store front to move into soon. Our workload is still manageable though with Bob employed full time in the Air Force. The purchase of the crane may change all of that. We hope for a dramatic increase in business and Bob will be needed full time at Action Signs