Jason Ditkofsky is the President of McNeill Signs and Channel Letter USA. Best known for their premium technology and equipment, Jason’s companies are always investing in better ways to become more efficient and provide the most superior product. Clients include Ikea, Citrix, Honda, Coffee Butler Amphitheatre, Toyota, UPA, and many other national brands. Inspired to help small businesses during the pandemic, Jason committed to donate up to $100,000 worth of commercial storefront signage to those in need.
Please tell us a little bit about your company.
We are a full-service commercial signage operation, providing custom design, signage manufacturing, permit acquisition, and installation. We can fabricate signage in-house with computer-aided design and state-of-the-art equipment, and then complete the customer journey with a reliable team of experienced and knowledgeable installation and service technicians. I love driving around South Florida and seeing signs that my companies have brought to life. What amazes me is the number of world-renowned brands that have trusted us in representing them — companies like Starbucks, CVS, Ikea, and many more.
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you started your company?
I moved down to South Florida in 2012, and I purchased a National Brand sign franchise. I did quite well with it and bought another. It became quite evident that the franchisor was not interested in me being able to scale the businesses, so I sold them off one at a time. In 2017 I purchased Channel Letter USA, where I actually used to be a customer. What I love about Channel Letter USA is that it is all about relationship building and developing recurring revenues. What was difficult for me to get used to was relying on other companies to sell my product. I also saw that there was a gap in the market when it came to installations. I figured if I was building the signs, I may as well finish the job and control the process from start to finish. I had been looking for trucks when I was presented with an opportunity to partner with McNeill Signs. The fit was seamless, and the rest is history.
What would you say are the top 3 skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur, and why?
A thirst for learning is an essential skill for entrepreneurs and business owners alike. I am an avid reader and believe books not only help with our personal development but can also provide inspiration and expand our minds.
Another skill is to embrace problems. The easy things get handled by your team, leaving only the most complex, difficult decisions to land on your desk. You have to understand this is part of the role and handle each situation as best as possible.
Lastly, you need to be able to inspire everyone around you. They have to fundamentally understand your vision, feel your passion, and want to help you fulfill your purpose.
What are your plans for the future, how do you plan to grow this company?
We always have our eye on expansion and have found a lot of success in doing this through acquisition but are open to all options. The more we expand, the more clients we can help. And when you believe in your product and service like we do, growth is a must.
How do you separate yourself from your competitors?
Our goal is to always have the client feel 1000% satisfied when the job is done. For this very reason we want to control their entire customer journey. From the moment they call we aim to be responsive; our design team works hard to bring their exact vision to life, we facilitate the permitting process which we know can be stressful, we manufacture the signage perfectly, and then install with precision from our talented team. No detail is spared, and we give a white-collar service to a blue-collar industry. This truly helps us stand apart.
What were the top three mistakes you made starting your business, and what did you learn from them?
I don’t believe in mistakes; I believe in moments that teach us valuable lessons. The first lesson I learned when entering the commercial signage industry was not having full clarity that by being a franchise owner, I would not be able to control growth in the way I would want. You don’t get to call the shots if you are not in charge.
The next lesson was after purchasing Channel Letter USA. I learned by only owning part of the process, I lacked a lot of control on my customer’s happiness and journey.
Lastly, I learned a lesson every time I have acquired a business. Everyone runs theirs differently and it takes time to align everything to your liking.
Tell us a little bit about your marketing process, what has been the most successful form of marketing for you?
Our marketing is all based on relationships. The first, is the relationship we create with our clients. We take every care to provide them a premium experience and the best commercial sign on the market. The goal is for them to walk away so satisfied, that they will become advocates of our company.
Next, is the relationship we have with our community. We stay connected with different organizations and always support small businesses when possible. When you care about your community, your community will care about you.
What is the one thing you wish you knew before starting your business?
I wish I knew not to take things personally. If a client does not pay, if an employee steals, or if some other unfortunate incident occurs, I have learned that it has nothing to do with me as a person and would have happened under any other circumstance. I have learned to just do what I have to do in order to deal with the situation and move on without dwelling on it too much.
I read a ton about many different subjects. I try to finish at least 15 books a year minimum. They tend to be business-related, but I will throw in some fiction once in a while to mix things up. I subscribe to Men’s Health, Forbes, and Entrepreneur Magazines. I get blogs sent to my inbox (Daily Brew and No Mercy / No Malice are two that I highly recommend).
A good book I would recommend is Powerhouse: The Untold Story of Hollywood’s Creative Arts Agency by James Andrew Miller. Michael Ovitz was not only at one time the most powerful man in the entertainment industry, but he changed the way the deals were structured and reinvented the art of deal-making.
If you only had $1000 dollars to start a new business, knowing everything you know now, how would you spend it?
If I was to start a commercial sign business from the beginning, I would invest the $1000 in joining local community organizations to meet business owners and leaders who could connect me to my ideal clients. Relationships is the key to any successful business.
What is your favorite quote?
“I love you daddy”
– Andi & Nikki Ditkofsky
What’s your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?
Always be responsive. It is incredible to me how often I win bids just because my competition does not bother to respond to quote requests. There is no secret sauce. Everybody wants to be treated like they matter.
How can we get in touch with you?
You can reach me via my websites mcneillsignsfl.com and channelletterusa.com. You can also connect with me via Facebook and Instagram.
Author Interview: Shane Stanley – What You Don’t Learn In Film School
