Could Your Business Benefit From A Blackboard?

Blackboards might not seem like the most obvious marketing tools and it’s true that it won’t work for everyone, but blackboards can actually be incredibly useful for a range of industries.

Pubs, Cafes & Restaurants

You don’t often see a traditional British pub without a blackboard, but cafes and restaurants can look great with a blackboard. There are so many types of blackboards that are perfect for the hospitality industry – from simple wall blackboards to table top boards and boards on easels.

Retail

Some shops could use a blackboard to market themselves to great effect. Having an A-frame or wall blackboard on the outside of your premises means that you can written daily messages to passers-by to encourage them to come in off the streets. In these times where more and more people are buying online rather than going into stores, something as simple as this to get customer into your store must be worth a try. Remember to employ a good sign writer though as a poorly drawn blackboard won’t represent your business well.

Offices

Businesses with offices could benefit from having a blackboard. When brainstorming, reams and reams of paper can be wasted with spider diagrams and ideas. A blackboard can be used over and over again and simply subbed away should you want to scrap the ideas. Some businesses like to install an entire wall blackboard that can be a central feature in a meeting room.

Food & Drink

If you run a food or drink manufacturing business and not using promotional blackboards, then you’re missing a trick! This is especially true for independent or local manufacturers. If your products are being sold in pubs, restaurants, delis and cafes nearby, then make sure to get some branded blackboards in there! You want people to be eating your products and know where they’ve come from.

The History Of The Blackboard

Blackboards are common place in schools, colleges, pubs and homes throughout the UK and have been for many years now. But have you ever wondered about the history of the blackboard?

Originally blackboards were made from a smooth sheet of black slate which were then frame with wood to stop them from breaking when used. Nowadays there are made from board or more upmarket versions are made from porcelain-enamelled black steel which lasts far longer. They are also know slightly green which is accepted to be better for the eyes.

The earliest recorded use of a blackboard was in 1801 in the USA where they were often used by instructors in military academies for lessons, tactics and drills.

The biggest leap forward in the blackboard world was in 1820 in scotland where a Geography teacher is said to have taken his student's work slates from them and attached them to the wall to make one large slate. This meant that teachers could save a huge amount of time as they no longer needed to write out individual problems for each pupil - all the problems could be displayed at the front of the class and taught to all the pupils at once. This is when the term 'blackboard' was first coined.

Since then blackboards have evolved to become more user-friendly and in many schools and colleges, they have been replaced with whiteboards. However, in recent years with the rise of country-chic styles being implemented into home decor, blackboards often appear in many homes and kitchens.