Business banner ideas: 9 practical uses and the right size for each

The best business banner ideas are the simple ones: a banner in the right place, saying one thing, at a size people can read from where they stand. Below are nine uses we see from trades, shops, clubs and small firms, with a sensible size and material for each so you can go straight from idea to order.

Sizes are given feet first with millimetres, the way banners are usually sold in the UK.

1. Opening day or new owners #

A “Now open” or “Under new management” banner across the shop front tells passers-by something has changed, which a permanent sign cannot. Keep it to the message, your name and what you sell.

Size: 8 ft × 3 ft (2438 × 914 mm) or 10 ft × 3 ft (3048 × 914 mm) to span a typical shop front. Material: PVC. Our we are open banners have templates ready to edit.

2. Your name on the site fence #

If you are a builder, roofer, landscaper or any trade working on a visible job, a banner on the site fence or scaffold is advertising at the exact spot where the neighbours are watching the work. Name, trade, phone number. Nothing else.

Size: 6 ft × 3 ft (1829 × 914 mm) for a front garden fence, or a full panel size for site fencing. Material: mesh if the spot is exposed. See our fence banners for panel sizes.

3. We are hiring #

One of the most overlooked business banner ideas. A “We’re hiring” or “Apprentices wanted” banner on your unit, van yard or shop front reaches people who live and travel locally, which is exactly who you want to employ. Add the role and how to apply.

Size: 6 ft × 3 ft (1829 × 914 mm). Material: PVC.

4. Sales and seasonal offers #

Sale banners work because they are temporary. Put one up for the sale, take it down afterwards, and the next time it goes up it still gets noticed. Leave dates off if you want to reuse it, and use a separate small sign for the dates.

Size: 8 ft × 3 ft (2438 × 914 mm) for a shop front, 4 ft × 2 ft (1219 × 610 mm) for a window or inside. Our sale banners have templates.

5. Market stalls and trade days #

A banner along the front of a stall or table tells people what you sell before they reach you. At markets and trade days you are competing with every other stall, so a clear name and one line about what you do matters more than a long list.

Size: 6 ft × 2 ft or thereabouts to hang from a table front, or a 4 ft × 2 ft (1219 × 610 mm) banner tied to the gazebo frame. Material: PVC with plastic eyelets is fine for occasional use.

6. Reception and showroom walls #

Inside, a banner can do the job of a wall sign for much less effort: your logo, a line about what you do, and perhaps a photo of your best work. It is also easy to change when you rebrand or move.

Size: to suit the wall. Material: PVC or PVC-free, hung from hooks or a rail. If you want something free-standing, a roller banner does the same job and moves with you.

7. Directions and car parks #

If customers struggle to find your unit on an industrial estate, a banner at the entrance with your name and an arrow saves a lot of phone calls. Keep it very short and very large.

Size: 6 ft × 3 ft (1829 × 914 mm) on the estate fence. Material: PVC or mesh depending on how exposed the fence is.

8. Sponsoring a local club #

Many grassroots football, rugby and cricket clubs offer pitch-side banner space to local businesses. It is a practical way to support the club and put your name in front of local families every weekend. Ask the club for the size they use, because the space is usually fixed.

Size: commonly 8 ft × 3 ft (2438 × 914 mm) or 10 ft × 3 ft (3048 × 914 mm). Material: mesh for open pitches.

9. Events and open days #

Open days, launch evenings and customer events need a banner that works for photos as well as for directions. A banner behind the main table or stage appears in every picture that gets shared afterwards.

Size: wider than it is tall, and big enough to fill the background, such as 8 ft × 4 ft (2438 × 1219 mm).

Turning business banner ideas into a banner that works #

Whichever of these business banner ideas you use, the same rules apply: one message, big lettering, strong contrast and one contact detail. Our event signage checklist is useful if you are planning several banners and signs at once.

Check whether you need permission for a banner on the outside of a building. Many temporary banners are fine, but the government guide to outdoor advertisements and signs explains what counts, and the landlord may have their own rules.

Business banner ideas that rarely work #

Some ideas look good on paper and disappoint on the fence. The most common:

• The full services list. Twelve bullet points in small type cannot be read from the road. Pick your main service and put the rest on your website.
• A banner as a permanent sign. A banner can stay up for a long time, but if it is meant to be your main sign for years, a rigid board or a proper fascia will look better and last longer.
• Clever wording. A pun or a slogan that needs a second read loses people who only get one glance. Plain words win.
• Tiny contact details. The phone number is often the only thing someone needs to remember. Make it big.

Planning several banners at once #

If a few of these business banner ideas suit you, order them together. They can share one design style, which makes your name more recognisable, and putting several banners in one order can bring the goods total over the free delivery threshold. Keep a simple list of where each one will go, the size and the fixing, and check the list against the space before you order.

A mix that works for many small firms: one generic banner with name, trade and phone number that can go anywhere, one opening or offer banner that changes with the season, and one for events. Of all the business banner ideas above, that generic banner is the one that gets the most use.

Where to start #

All of these can be designed in our free online designer, which opens at the right size with the safe area marked, or you can upload your own artwork for a free file check. Browse the full banners range for templates by job, or start with our general business banners.

UK mainland delivery is £7.95 per order and free when your goods total is £99 or more after discount codes. Banners over 3 m on any side add £15 once per order.