Salute to the past means savings for new business

MEDIA RELEASE: Napier City Council
8 March 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Salute to the past means savings for new travel business

A new Napier business is launching its future with a salute to the past.

Josephine DeMuth and Pauline Watson are launching their travel broking business this month with sparkling new black and white Art Deco signage, in keeping with Napier’s Art Deco heritage.

“We’re in an Art Deco building in Dickens Street, and we both love Art Deco, so it wasn’t a difficult decision,” says Josephine.

“We loved the idea of the classic aeroplane and an Art Deco font. Black and white is just such a crisp and clean look and, of course, they’re iconic Hawke’s Bay colours.”

The two women have more than 40 years’ experience in the travel business between them, and have worked together for the past 12 years in the building that their new business occupies.

DeMuth & Watson Travel has been able to take advantage of Napier City Council’s signage incentive scheme, which gives businesses a 20 percent rebate on new signage costs, up to a maximum of $500 plus GST.

“The incentive was a real bonus – every bit helps when you’re establishing a new business,” says Josephine.

She says it was easy to meet the Council’s signage guidelines to qualify for the rebate. “The Council have been fantastic to deal with. Our sign writers, Doug Potts Signs, are very clued-up about the guidelines. The Council was delighted with our design and we received immediate sign-off.”

Businesses must agree not to have a moveable footpath sign to qualify for the rebate, which Josephine says wasn’t a problem, even though they have had one in the past.

“We agree with the Council that they clutter up the pavement. Some of them are shocking, and it’s so much better to have a crisp, clean look.”

It’s been a difficult few months for Josephine. As well as setting up the new business with Pauline, she has been undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer, and has more treatment and reconstructive surgery ahead of her.

But she says setting up the business, and particularly the look of it, has given her something else to think about.

“It took my mind off other things – I needed a reason to get out of bed in the morning. It was just another challenge and I wanted to get on with it.”

She says having a welcoming shop front is very important to their clients and it’s great to have their new signage in place.

“We’ve both been in the travel business a long time and we know that lot of our clients still like to come in, sit down, have a cup of coffee with us and talk through their travel plans. Our new look is an important part of that.

“We think it’s really important that businesses do their bit to protect and preserve Napier’s Art Deco heritage. We decided to go all out with our Art Deco signage, but not everyone has to do that. The guidelines allow businesses to maintain their own branding and still contribute to an overall unified look.”

Many Napier businesses have so far taken advantage of the incentive scheme, with more in the pipeline. The Napier City Council recently announced the scheme will continue indefinitely, in line with its long-term goal to obtain World Heritage Status for Napier.

ENDS

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