For a long time, leaving your sign on after closing just didn’t make sense.
Electricity was expensive, lighting wasn’t great and it felt like money going out the door.
That’s changed.
With today’s LED signs, the power usage is much lower than it used to be. For many businesses, keeping a sign lit after hours doesn’t carry the same cost it once did - and it can still quietly do some work for you.
Visibility is a big part of it. Early sunsets, cloudy days and darker winter evenings can make it harder for people to notice businesses they pass every day. A lit sign helps you stay visible even when you’re closed and reinforces that you’re active and established in the area.
This is where a lot of businesses get smart about it.
Many of our clients use simple timers or photocells so their signs turn on automatically - no one has to remember and nothing gets left on longer than it needs to be. One common setup is having the sign come on in the late afternoon, usually around 5:00 PM and stay lit into the evening - often until 10:00 PM, or later if the business is open later. It lines up naturally with earlier sunsets, heavier traffic and lower light conditions.
Some businesses also turn their signs on again in the early morning, around 6:00–9:00 AM, to catch commuters heading out for the day. It’s a small window, but one where visibility really matters.
When a sign is dark, people may pass by without thinking twice. In some cases, it can even give the impression that a space is closed or unused - especially during darker hours.
Your sign doesn’t have to stop working just because your doors are closed. With the right setup, it can keep doing its job quietly in the background.