When Paul Bonilla visited a doctor’s office in 2012, he noticed that the signs directing people to emergency exits were unattractive and flimsy.   “I thought I could do better.” And he did.

At age 14, Bonilla launched Practice Signs, which makes customized emergency evacuation signs of doctors’ offices and other facilities.  In recognition of his entrepreneurial spirit, hard work and innovation, the National Federation of Independent Business named him one of the four Texas winners of the 2016 NFIB Young Entrepreneur Award and the recipient of a $2,000 scholarship

Four years ago, after an online search, Bonilla purchased an architectural app that let him layout floorplans.  After he measures all the interior dimensions of a client’s offices, he overlays emergency direction arrows and information including room numbers, fire alarm and fire extinguisher locations and exterior meeting points in the computer program.  He buys board blanks in sizes appropriate to the location and has the metal signs engraved.  Practice Signs also makes sturdy plastic signs in bright colors for pediatric offices.

“When I went back to the doctor’s office with the first sign, he loved it. He said I should do more.”

Initially, Bonilla displayed only the primary evacuation route, marked in red, and included “You Are Here” points.   He has since added a blue, secondary route to the evacuation signs in case the first exit is blocked. “The signs are OSHA compliant,” he said.  “I oversee each building to make sure that it is in full compliance on signs.”  OSHA requires any business with over 10 employees to have evacuation routes posted.

Every set of signs is unique to the medical practice.  Each is oriented to an exact position in the building and its exit locations.   “I can add whatever they want: the business name or logo or outside meeting points.  Ultimately, displaying these signs show that you really care about their safety,” Bonilla said.

Doctors’ offices are often mazes of exam rooms, procedure rooms, consulting rooms and administrative rooms.  The young entrepreneur keeps a file of previous signs to contrast with his own professional looking sign.  It’s obvious that many of the old signs were confusing, cluttered and too small to be understood rapidly.

“I don’t know any other student who owns a business,” said Bonilla. His father owns the construction company Bonarc, and his mother owns VFP International, a distributor of valves and pipes. “That’s mainly where I got my passion for business.  Their success has driven me.” Of course he has spent hours working with his parents, particularly his mother. “I learned the ins and outs of her company.”

During the school year, it took Bonilla about two weeks to design, deliver and then personally install the finished the plaques. “There’s a huge market in the McAllen area alone, hundreds of clinics.” He typically shows his product to the doctor or a practice manager.  “If they think it is too expensive, I go away and return in a few weeks. Often they decide they should replace their paper signs,” he said.  Some physicians have seen his signs at other practices and called him to say, “These signs are great” and placed their order.

Last summer, in addition to running his business, Bonilla spent time shadowing a surgeon, a family friend.

Bonilla graduated this semester from McAllen ISD’s International Baccalaureate program at Lamar Academy, one of the top-four-ranked high schools in Texas. He won three other scholarships and will attend UTRGV this fall to study business management and continue growing his business.  He expects to meet more physicians, perhaps shadowing some, and use his business acumen, a mixture which he finds exciting.  Bonilla plans to transfer to UT-Austin and then go to medical school. “There are so many paths to ultimately reach an MD. I want to run a successful business as an MD. I still want to pursue business.”

For more information, see practicesigns.com. Bonilla is offering a $100 discount on a sign order to customers mentioning this article.  

This story by Eileen Mattei appears in the July 2016 edition of Valley Business Report