“It’s always a struggle doing business when you have a family,” says Warren Burrows (Ngai Tahu), father of three and owner of Power Signs in Nelson. “But that’s something you get through.”
Warren’s children are all grown up now, so times have become easier. But this signwriter says he wouldn’t have changed anything for the world.
“I bought a sign writing business from a guy 19 years ago. I was 25 years old. I knew nothing about the business side of things but I loved the job. My wife and I had no assistance, we just did it. And look at us now. We have successful company with many happy clients.”
Warren left school at 17 and worked in sales at a menswear store. When the store needed some sale signage in the shop displays, Warren was landed with the job. He had a great uncle who was a window dresser. Under his guidance, Warren learnt the basics of signwriting.
“I started doing more and more signs for people. I made it up as I went. I wanted to do it well, so I started taking photos of my work and send them to companies asking for an apprenticeship. The second place I contacted was keen so I got straight on a plane to Wellington. I started a month later.”
He was 18 and in his element. He loved tech drawing and learnt quickly from the company’s big team. In 1989 Warren won a national apprentice of the year award.
Seven years later an opportunity arose for Warren to run his own signwriting business.
“We decided to move back to Nelson. This business was for sale, the brand name was already established and there was good clientele.”
His belief was that to succeed, he just needed passion. And passion he had.
“Our business has won 14 national awards to date, so we must be doing something right,” he laughs.
With this tradesman mindset, Warren has been able to tackle any business issue that he has crossed. But he has to work on time management and organisation skills, now that he has a team of four. He’s also left the financial side of things to his wife Debbie.
“I wouldn’t be able to do it on my own,” he admits. One important aspect to his business is his alignment with the 3M Company and his membership to the New Zealand Sign and Display Association. As the only 3M applicator in Nelson, Power Signs can give their customers a written guarantee on all 3M products they use, giving them a clear advantage over competitors.
In 2009 this advantage was recognised and they were finalists in the National Business Awards.
“Pretty good for a little business like ours,” says Warren. Te Puni Kokiri’s Mäori Business Facilitation Service provided a business mentor to assist Power Signs with creating the required paperwork for the awards, and,
says Warren; they have also helped with a business plan to give
him an opportunity to seek further financial assistance with future
business initiatives.
With the company’s success, there are opportunities for expansion.
Warren now also runs Power Design, a design business creating logos for company stationary and branding, creating a complete solution for people’s signage and promotional material needs.
“We saw a gap in the market and jumped at it straight away.
“Computers have been great in that we can produce better work than when it was all done by hand. The technology these days is amazing. We can turn business around so much quicker.”
Although the company’s merits speak for themselves, marketing to gain and maintain clientele is vital in today’s competitive environment. To evaluate the success of different marketing mediums, Warren uses feedback from clients. As a result he upgraded his website, and advertises on the radio.
Power Signs is also out in the community as a sponsor of the first division rugby team the Tasman Makos, the Rainbow Ski Area at Nelson Lakes and the Motueka Community Hospital.
“We get work all from all over Nelson, and in Blenheim and on the coast,” he says. “Much of the work is vehicle signage but we’ve created logos for radio stations, worked on buildings, airplanes, buses, rugby fields, glass and fridges. It’s interesting and I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else.”
www.powersigns.co.nz
