No matter who you are, what your background is, and what you believe in, you deserve to be heard and included.

April is “Celebrate Diversity Month,” and at SpeedPro, we want to take a moment to recognize and celebrate the differences in each of us. We appreciate and value people from all walks of life, whether it be a difference in identity, ethnicity or perspective.

During Celebrate Diversity Month, we’re sharing what our Home Office team members think about the value of this month, as well as our efforts to encourage diversity and inclusion.

Diversity and inclusion, while different, can be beautifully intertwined. While we all bring different backgrounds to the table, accomplishing goals and breaking new boundaries is what we strive to do every day at SpeedPro.

“To me, inclusion is recognizing individuals for who they are and what they can accomplish, independently of demographics,” says Danielle Yuthas, Vice President of Marketing.

Not to mention, inclusion can also be lending a helping hand or just listening to understand where others are coming from.

In September of 2020, the SpeedPro Home Office team met with a Diversity and Inclusion Consultant to redevelop and champion new equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives. Our main goal was to develop a new strategy that appreciates and practices inclusion, while also diversifying our messaging and recruiting efforts. We first began to dive into these topics by defining what our scope was and how inclusive leadership can be brought into these efforts.

SpeedPro prides itself on being transparent and conducive to open communication. With 97% of workers believing that communication impacts the workspace every day, our team makes sure that we foster an open, communicative environment for all team members.

“All employees are encouraged to actively participate and communicate their opinions, ideas and feelings,” says Vice President and Controller Lori Morris. “We foster an open-door policy where anyone can communicate with anyone else in the organization, not just their department or supervisor.  This promotes a collaborative environment for the entire team.”

After working with our Diversity and Inclusion Consultant, the team brainstormed initiatives on how we can be more inclusive and welcoming of diversity. The development of our mission, vision and values transformed the SpeedPro Home Office thought process when it came to opportunity. With the updated diversity and inclusion strategy, the Home Office actively celebrates and encourages the 120+ franchises to embrace diverse holidays, such as Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month and Autism Awareness Month.

Reflection and celebration are just two aspects of the new SpeedPro Diversity and Inclusion policy. We will continue to listen and share these stories in our various storytelling vehicles like the SpeedPro blog, our social channels and even local & nationwide media outlets.

The team is also placing emphasis on welcoming diverse thoughts, backgrounds and experiences to the SpeedPro family. We are partnering with diverse organizations like the Latino Chamber of Commerce of Pueblo,  Mile High Young Professionals and the National Black Chamber of Commerce to increase awareness of SpeedPro and expand opportunities to those interested in minority-owned business. We are also very excited to be a part of the International Sign Association. This will increase opportunities to various talent in the printing industry.

While our organization strives to be inclusive and appreciate diversity during the workday, our team members practice inclusive acts and are a part of different communities outside of the office. Some members attend multicultural festivals, travel & explore different cultures and are active in diverse organizations.

“Last year I completed a 2-year stint on the Board of Directors for a national blindness charity based in Denver called B.I.T., Blind Institute of Technology, where we train and educate the business community on how a diverse workforce, in this case, the blind community, is a huge net positive, and help the visually impaired find employment, largely in the IT space,” said Zack Meade. “I look forward to volunteering my time in various forms again once the pandemic is over.”

After taking time to reflect on our new initiatives at the Home Office, our team offers some advice on acceptance and inclusivity.

“Active listening with an open mind is a great first step to being inclusive,” says Josh Buras, Marketing Manager.

The SpeedPro Home Office values diversity in thought, experiences, talent and backgrounds.  We are excited to make more progress on our diversity and inclusion strategy and are looking forward to spreading the celebration of inclusivity and diversity.

We’ve taken the first of many steps to become a more diverse and accepting company. A trend we can only hope will continue to ripple throughout Corporate America until we can all say that everyone is welcome and are valued members of the corporate world.

Believe it or not, the visual graphics in your office or retail space can have a significant impact on the mood and culture of your organization. And we’re not just talking about giving everyone the warm and fuzzies. Setting a positive tone throughout your environment can have a direct correlation to improving your bottom line. Large-format graphics such as wall murals can do just that!

It’s common sense that happiness is a critical component to the well-being and success of a team, but being happy isn’t only good for company morale. A study by Oxford University’s Business School found that workers are 13% more productive when happy, and a Gallup poll of 25 million American workers concluded that unhappy workers cost up to $550 billion in lost productivity, annually. Now, it may be difficult to provide unbridled joy at every turn to your colleagues and employees, but by fostering a welcoming, captivating work setting, you can create the conditions in which people can experience greater happiness.

In a survey by Management Today Magazine, “97% of respondents said they regard their workplace as a symbol of whether or not they are valued by their employer,” and a study by Steelcase/IPSOS showed that “only 11% of workers are highly satisfied with their work environment.” Show your employees that you value their happiness and experience at work enough to put some liveliness into the space where they spend almost a third of their lives making you money.

According to a workplace design study by Longwoods.com, “people whose office views were more attractive, regardless of content, reported reduced discomfort at work and better sleep quality at home.” Someone who works a 9 to 5 in a cold, drab concrete box every day is going to have a vastly different opinion of their job versus an individual who is surrounded by huge colorful graphics, inspirational visuals and positive messaging. Also, nearly half of people said their workplace design and decor had no personality. When was the last time that an environment with no personality or vibrancy made you think “Gee, is this place motivating or what?!”

This entire conversation is especially relevant in today’s remote environment. It’s going to be a hard transition for some to leave the comforts of home, which means you have to put even more thought and effort into developing a space that feels just as welcoming as your family room. Enticing employees back to the office is going to be a real concern in the coming months as the pandemic hopefully subsides.

On the retail front, these large-format affirmational graphics are immensely powerful sales tools. They create a welcoming setting where people will want to stay, and the longer they stay the more inclined they are to purchase something. What about a reception area? Do you want to give off the impression of a sterile dentist’s office or a spot that people look forward to spending time in? The “Instagrammable moment” is very important when someone has the choice of ordering on Amazon or spending their precious time physically going to a storefront.

The installation of wall graphics with positive messaging is the culmination of your company’s culture, creating an atmosphere which affects the emotions and mental wellbeing of your most valuable asset — your people. By creating a multifaceted environment with inviting, inspiring visuals and messaging, you too can foster an area in which people are excited to visit everyday.

SPEEDPRO FRANCHISEES ARE POSITIVITY PROVIDERS

SpeedPro franchisees specialize in helping businesses put their best foot forward, whether that’s a wall mural, signage or banners, vehicle wraps or any type of large-format graphic. Positivity is just one important piece of daily operations within our Studios and with our clients. To learn more about becoming a SpeedPro franchisee, fill out a form on our website to be connected with our Development Team. We’re positive you’ll like what you hear!

Business owners and event planners use wall murals to increase the appeal of their stores, offices or event locations. Custom wall murals carry several long-lasting benefits that you can harness for many years. Those who want to upgrade their business environment and improve their brand awareness via social media need to know all about what wall murals can do for them.

Find out more about the many advantages of using wall murals and how you can increase their long-term value.

TOP ADVANTAGES OF USING WALL MURALS

There are several long-lasting advantages of using wall murals, as they can build your brand awareness and make environments more attractive. Since wall murals can last a long time, they can provide you with immense value for many years. To help you decide if wall murals are a worthwhile investment, check out the top three benefits of wall murals:

1. CREATE MORE MEMORABLE EVENTS

While an event is temporary, the impression you make on your attendees lasts forever. If you’re hosting a fundraiser or premiering a new service or product, you want people to trust you and have a great time. Wall murals help you accomplish both of these goals by serving as excellent decorations to upgrade the event’s ambiance and make your event more professional in appearance.

Wall murals at events are also the perfect backdrop for pictures. By setting murals up near an event’s locations, you can create a red carpet opportunity for attendees, letting them get their picture taken by a professional photographer before entering the building. When you use wall murals for decorations and photo opportunities, you’re sure to make a great impression on guests.

2. BUILD YOUR BRAND ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Whether you’re hosting an event or trying to attract more customers to your store, wall murals can be an excellent option for building your brand on social media. Many companies use them to encourage customers or event attendees to take pictures inside or outside their store and share them with a special branded hashtag. People love showing off where they are or what they’re doing, and a beautiful backdrop gives them a perfect photo opportunity they can share on social media.

Wall murals and advertising go hand-in-hand. You can outfit an attractive backdrop with your company’s logo, name, contact information and branded imagery. When someone takes a picture in front of the backdrop and uploads it to social media, their followers will see your backdrop and company information. These customer pictures can help your brand grow and make more people familiar with your company. As a result, you can see an increase in customer traffic without putting any money into a marketing campaign.

3. IMPROVE THE APPEARANCE OF YOUR STORE OR OFFICE

Custom wall murals for businesses can help improve the appearance of an office or store for a long time. They can display images and graphics that complement the look of your building. When you want to transform a boring, plain wall in your office or store, a wall mural is a perfect choice. Many companies love to use murals to display on-brand colors, showcase inspiring imagery or tell a story about their product or business.

By making your walls more attractive, you create an environment where customers, clients and employees will want to be. These attractive graphics can entice customers to purchase a product or make an excellent first impression on new clients. In an office space, the visual appeal of wall murals can help keep your employees’ moods higher throughout the day.

HOW TO GET THE MOST LIFE OUT OF YOUR WALL MURALS

Another great advantage of wall murals is their ability to last a long time when cared for properly. When you take care of your wall murals, you preserve their stunning colors, crisp text and enticing imagery. By keeping your wall mural’s looking their best, you can harness other essential benefits, like their ability to increase social media appeal or improve a building’s appearance, for many years to come.

If your wall mural is laminated, you can use this cleaning routine every few months to maintain your mural’s lifetime value and maintain its pristine condition:

• Use the right soap: Before you clean your wall mural, ensure you use the right soap. All you need is a mixture of mild soap and water. Once you’ve prepared your mix, you’ll dampen your cloth or sponge with it. Note that you shouldn’t use any harsher chemicals for cleanings, like petroleum- or bleach-based products. Additionally, never use a scouring or scrubbing pad on your mural.
• Wipe off the mural correctly: With the cloth or sponge dampened with the appropriate soap, you can start gently wiping the mural at the mural’s top edges. As you progress down the mural, use smooth, even and smooth cleaning strokes to remove any contaminants from the surface. Also, ensure you don’t allow any water or soap to get into the panel seams since this could cause peeling or fading.
• Dry the mural: Once you’re done wiping the mural’s surface, dry it with a clean sponge or cloth. Make sure you don’t leave any water on the surface, as it could cause fading or do greater damage to the murals.

Keep in mind that any unlaminated wall murals shouldn’t have any direct contact with water.

Dust and debris can also form on your mural. To remove these materials, you won’t need to clean the whole wall mural. Every couple of months, you’ll simply need to wipe the mural with a dry, lint-free cloth to remove them. Stay on a two-month schedule to ensure contaminants don’t stay on your wall mural for a long time.

If you have stains on your wall murals, you can use most of the cleaning methods described previously. For more stubborn stains, try a citrus-based cleaner in place of the soap and water mixture. Use firm and even strokes on the area of the stain. After removing the stain, use a different sponge or cloth to clean the area with water and soap. Finally, dry the wall mural.

SPEEDPRO OWNERS EXCEL AT WALL MURALS

It’s easy to see Wall Murals are a tremendous opportunity to serve clients with Great. Big. Graphics. SpeedPro owners excel at providing gorgeous, long-lasting murals that make a statement, promote an event, and add impact to any space. If the idea of helping customers with Wall Murals and other large-format printing needs appeals to you, fill out the form on our website today to be connected with our Franchise Development team to learn more about becoming a SpeedPro owner in your community.

It takes a village of hardworking people to make the SpeedPro dream a reality. But behind that dream, you can find strong, courageous, curious, adventurous, intelligent, creative women. Women’s History Month, or shall we say, Women’s “Herstory” Month is a time to celebrate the incredible accomplishments and contributions of women.

Beginning in 1987, Women’s History Month allows us to reflect, acknowledge and thank women for their trailblazing efforts in culture, STEM, politics, legal, medical, aviation, the arts, business and other industries and opportunities that led to change.

Today, around 40% of U.S. businesses are woman-owned, and at SpeedPro we proudly beat the national average. Our 125+ studios each have a different story, and we’re excited to celebrate the amazing women who make up the SpeedPro family. Learn more about our leadership team and some of our women owners here.