One of the key choices a new business owner can make is in the branding and signage of their establishment. A memorable, eye-catching sign can propel a shop from anonymity to local popularity. When it comes to making the perfect sign, Ben and Cheyenne Lively are there to help.
Ben and Cheyenne met while working at Bramble Berry in 2015 and have been together ever since. Both from creative backgrounds, Ben and Cheyenne search for creative outlets wherever they can. In the past, Ben has dabbled in novel writing, illustration, painting, and ink drawings, while Cheyenne’s latest fascination is Sumi-e, Japanese ink painting.
The couple’s venture into the sign business started out with a simple wager. The two were looking for new hobbies and agreed that if Cheyenne learned to build a bicycle light, then Ben would learn to paint signs. The goal was to challenge themselves and learn something new along the way. While Cheyenne’s practice with bicycle lights didn’t inspire a business idea, Ben’s long-term love of lettering combined with signage sparked something in the two.
Their first gig was creating a simple sandwich board for Cheyenne’s father, who owns Mackie’s Food Truck in Vancouver, WA.
“Looking back on it now, it’s pretty rough,” Cheyenne says. “We want to redo it, but him and his partner insist they still love it!”
Other clients include J Cafe in Portland, OR and Claus Meats, Quicksilver Photo Lab, and Simmering Tava in Bellingham. If you’ve seen the painted Black Lives Matter window signs around downtown Bellingham, you have Lively Signs to thank.
With their portfolio of business signs, sandwich boards, logo designs, murals, and digital and fine art, their services can satisfy almost any business owners’ needs. Outside of creating signs, the two make and sell fine art, stickers, and greeting cards.
The duo has made big strides during their year-and-a-half of operations.
“We still feel brand new,” Cheyenne says. “It’s all so intimidating sometimes, but we have finally found our passion and every single day we are overwhelmed thinking we get to contribute to this incredible community, this beautiful city, to the amazing and kind small business owners!”
Ben and Cheyenne have a huge heart for their community and make that a priority in everything they do. In the next year, they look forward to expanding their reach and their business, but the goal is not more profit for themselves. At the moment, they plan to donate signage to those who need it, and look forward to when they have enough success to donate signs regularly.
“We definitely believe in the power of the local economy,” Cheyenne says. “We can all help our friends and neighbors just by shopping small and local.” 615.653.6847, livelysigns.com
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