With new technology and advances in architectural design, awnings are providing a new source of revenue for sign professionals.
随着新技术和建筑设计的进步，遮阳蓬为标识行业专业人员提供了新的收入来源
We all know that awnings are an economical and efficient way to shade a deck or patio from the hot glaring sun or cold winds and rain. In the old days (meaning if you’re over 40 and somewhere before 1960), awnings were used to keep a building shielded from the sun. These were folded up in the winter time to use the sun’s rays for heat.
我们都知道，遮阳篷可以为底板或露台遮荫，使其免受烈日或风雨的伤害，是一种经济有效的方式。在过去(意思是如果你年纪在40岁以上)，遮阳篷是用来保护建筑物不受阳光照射的。在冬天遮阳篷还能汇集阳光，产生更大的热量。
Today, although awnings still provide protection from the elements, they are used to carry a message. Typically they’ll advertise the building name and/or communicate a name brand to let visitors know what is inside the building.
今天，虽然遮阳篷仍然着遮阳和保护的功能，在这之外他们还能传递信息，通常他们能够宣传建筑物的名字或传达一个品牌，让访问者知道建筑物里面有什么。
The business of awnings
遮阳篷大有可为
Often viewed as a minor segment of the sign industry, the awning segment provides opportunities for the sign professional to meet a customer’s needs on many levels. Awning design and installation of yesteryear is now in need of repair and the business of retrofitting and refurbishing is looking very bright. “The rebuild and repair business is very busy,” notes Chris Reber, Vice President of Illuminated Image. “There are a lot of awning designs out there that were made with aluminum frames. This makes the recover business a little easier because the solid structure is still there.”
遮阳篷通常被视为标识行业的一个部分，它能够更好的满足客户需求。之前遮阳篷的设计和安装现在需要修复。Illuminated Image公司副总裁克里斯•雷伯指出：“重建和修复业务非常多。”“市面上有很多用铝框做的遮阳篷，幸运的是，因为坚实的结构仍然存在，所以修复的过程会简单一些。”
Although many awnings were installed with quality products at their time of manufacture, variables like age, weathering, and new technologies have invigorated the demand for rehabbing existing awnings. Mike Tarak of Awning Partners has found that many of their customers are seeking new styles with improved materials for refurbishing their awnings. “We are finding that one of the reasons for rebuilding is to change to newer materials. We find that some customers prefer getting away from the grommet style and going to the staple-end method of awnings,” says Tarak. “The cost of production is much less, so from a labor standpoint the customer is getting a top-notch product at a bargain price.”
虽然许多遮阳篷在制造时都选择了高质量的材料，但随着年龄、风化和新技术的变化，修复遮阳篷也是一个势在必行的事情。遮阳篷公司的迈克·塔拉克发现，他们的许多客户都在寻找用新的材料来进行遮阳篷翻新。塔拉克说：“我们发现重建的原因之一想使用更新的材料。我们发现，一些客户更喜欢圆环式的风格，因而采用钉头式的遮阳篷，”“这种类型遮阳蓬的生产成本要低得多，所以从劳动力的角度来看，客户以低廉的价格获得了一流的产品。”
In addition to simply recovering older awning designs, many customers are seeking to change the old style to a new architectural design that reflects their business image as well as to flow with the new building designs and the city landscape. Peter Burnett of the Cooley Group, Sign and Awning Products division, has seen a significant amount of retrofit business due to the hurricanes these past couple of years, particularly in Florida. “We see folks buying large quantities of our new Weathertyte material for refurbishing existing structures in Florida. This increase in business is not only for replacing the damaged material, but we are also seeing people using the damage as a reason to redesign their awnings.”
除了简单地翻新旧的遮阳篷之外，许多客户正在寻求风格的改变，更好的展现它的商业形象，并且新建筑的设计还要和城市景观相融合。Cooley公司遮阳篷产品部门的彼得•伯内特在过去几年里见证了大量的翻新业务，尤其是在佛罗里达州。“我们看到商店大量购买我们的新型材料来翻新佛罗里达州现有的遮阳蓬，这一业务的增长不仅是为了更换损坏的材料，更换损坏的材料只是商家重新设计遮阳篷的一个理由。”
Obviously, with all of the existing awnings come opportunities for repairing, refurbishing and redesigning awnings and awning signs.
很明显，所有现有的遮阳篷都提供了修理、翻新和重新设计。
Keeping up with trends
紧跟潮流
A smart player in the awning installation business will learn about all the new architectural styles, designs and innovations that exist today. He or she will seek and find new and better products to offer their customers. “With all of the new inks, printers and top coats that keep coming out, as well as the new creative digitally printed designs, there are more opportunities for the sign professional in this changing market,” says Burnett. “We are seeing a huge response to the new high performance composites because people want a new creative look, but with increased performance.”
一个聪明的工作人员在遮阳篷安装业务上运用了新的风格和设计，他将寻找新的更好的产品来提供给他们的客户。伯内特说:“随着各种新型墨水、打印机的不断推出，以及新颖的创意数字印刷技术，标识行业专业人士在这个不断变化的市场中有更多的机会。”“我们看到人们对这种新型高性能复合材料有巨大的兴趣，因为人们不仅想要一种全新的外观，还要有更好的性能。”
Along with the traditional backlit awnings, many awning companies are now offering front-lit designs. Changing it up a bit is the key to being able to get in on the increasing demand for sign awnings. Some municipalities are not as strict regarding permitting for awnings and often only require that the designs keep in line with the parameters of the city architecture.
除了传统的背光遮阳篷外，许多遮阳篷公司现在还提供正面的设计。一些市政当局对遮阳篷的许可没有那么严格，往往只要求设计符合城市建筑的参数，因而能够根据自身情况作出相对应的改变。
Chris Reber is finding that more customers are leaning toward more creative architectural designs than before. “The trend is more of a flip-flop effect. It used to be that most of the business was with illuminated awnings and that is where the priority was. Now, we are finding more customers desiring more architectural designs that will set them apart.” With this knowledge, a company can get ahead of the game by either hiring some creative designers or simply going out and finding cool designs that might appeal to customers.
克里斯·雷柏发现，越来越多的顾客倾向有创意的设计。“这种趋势更像是一种效应。过去，大部分的业务的重点是带照明的遮阳篷，现在，我们发现越来越多的客户想要更多的设计让他们与众不同。公司可以通过雇佣一些有创意的设计师，找到可能会吸引客户的创意设计，从而在竞争中领先。
Mike Tarak agrees, “We’ve had success with our architectural designs. It is simply just a matter of giving the customer what they want. Sometimes that requires educating them and having examples of previous jobs to show them.”
麦克·塔拉克对此表示赞同:“我们的设计取得了成功。这仅仅是一个给予客户他们想要的东西，同时也展示了我们的实力。”
Getting on board
行动起来
For the sign professional new to the awning business, getting started is not as hard as you might think. Businesses like Awning Partners offer a turnkey solution. “Once the sign professional has the dimensions, they can just send us the specs and we’ll either provide just the materials or provide the materials and take care of the installation. We can act as a revenue center for them.”
对于刚接触遮阳篷行业的标识专业人士来说，起步并不像你想象的那么难。像Awning Partners这样的公司就提供了一个整体方案。“一旦标识专家有了尺寸，把规格发给我们，我们要么只提供材料，要么提供材料并负责安装。我们可以成为他们的中介机构。”
Burnett of Cooley suggests that you really do your homework before getting started. “It takes some time and knowledge, but someone already in the sign profession can offer sign awnings as part of their overall package, but they shouldn’t underestimate what is involved. Taking time to learn this end of the trade can produce some attractive profits in the future.”
Cooley公司的伯内特建议一定要做好功课。“这需要一些时间和知识，一些已经在标识行业的人把标识遮阳篷作为他们整体方案的一部分，但他们不应该低估遮阳蓬涉及的内容。花点时间学习一下这方面的知识，将来可能会产生更大的利润。”
To break into the sign awning business, make sure that you understand your market. Some cities might not even allow new awnings, while others may have restrictions on the design as well as the size of the lettering for the sign. Survey your own market to determine where you can expand into the awning business.
要进入遮阳篷行业，一定要了解你的市场。一些城市甚至可能不允许建造新的遮阳篷，而另一些城市可能会对设计和标识的字体大小有限制。调查你自己的市场，以确定你可以扩展遮阳篷业务。
Companies like Illuminated Awnings will actually assist you in getting set up with your new venture. “We provide an information sheet to sign companies to use as a check-off list. This serves to educate them and helps them to sell the product,” says Reber. Using the tools and resources of the awning manufacturers will help you to learn about the industry while establishing a relationship with reliable, established companies.
像遮阳篷这样的标识公司实际上会帮助你扩展你的企业。雷伯说：“我们提供了一份信息表，供签约公司用作核对清单。这有助他们进行产品销售。”遮阳篷制造商将帮助您了解行业，同时能够建立一个可靠的关系。
While looking for new avenues to diversify your sales, don’t overlook the sign awning segment of the industry. With a little homework and partnering with good supply companies, you could be on your way to providing more variety for your customers.
当你在寻找新的销售渠道时，不要忽视了这个行业的遮阳篷。只要做一点功课，并且与优秀的供应公司合作，你就可以为你的客户提供更多的信息。
