Future of this industry?

[threeputt]

Love to hear some commentary on what others believe is the near future (next 5-10 years) of the industry.

More specifically:

Regarding the public perception of "a sign shop" versus "a copy center".

You know, the notion that a person is coming to see "a professional" versus going to some mall type "do it yourself help center" that happens to have a lot of cool printing equipment, etc.

What do you see? Where is the public's head in all of this? Can we change it? Does it need to be changed? Obviously we need to be ready to adapt to changes, but what will they be?

Just trying to lay out plans, that's all.

 

[threeputt]

Just not the day for it, huh?

 

[Fred Weiss]

One of the main trends I see is the expansion of people into basic signs and graphics as a side line. RTA, mags, coroplast and banners etc., commodity type stuff, will continue to be a declining market in both individual volume per shop and price. The full service shop offering design, professional substrates, professional installation and compliance with zoning/licensing/permitting will have to be more focused on that side of the business.

As to replies to your thread ... Patience Grasshopper. :ROFLMAO:

 

[Circleville Signs]

I have been thinking about this as well and have come to the conclusion that in order to not become a commodities trader I need to become skilled in some niche markets - hence my forays into painting and hand carving.

Design will always have a place in my shop, but only about 1 out of every 10 customers understands the value in good design.

 

[Joe Diaz]

I predict some day you will have vinyl shops complaining about the new technology and how back in the day when signs were made with vinyl, sign makers were true craftsmen and took pride in their work. They will go on to say how nowadays these young punk whippersnappers just press a few buttons and have never learned what it was like to actually design with a mouse.

:ROFLMAO:

 

[SignManiac]

I'm going out on a limb and predict that sign companies will branch out into transportation and manufacture planes, trains, and automobiles from a variety of coroplast products to compete directly with the Chinese.

We are already pioneers in that arena...

 

[cmcerniglia]

I see a push towards digital signage. I've seen more and more digital billboards pop up in the Orlando area in the last 12 months.

 

[SignManiac]

3-D billboards that double as drive in theaters on the interstates and mobile snack vendors to sell you the pop corn and soda right to your car door.

 

[stickermonkey]

Funny!

In my market ...you have to be the "jack of all". Just doing signs & decals and banners is just not enough. Oddly enough..I've branched into printing services, bus cards, flyers, pamphlets etc..and it's done well enough for me that we will be bringing in, some in house copiers & finishing equipment to handle more of this kind of work ourselves rather than use trade printers for all types of orders.

My local competitor sells signs, embroidered apparel, engraving & awards as well as Pools & Spas and all the stuff to go with. Bathing suits and all that jazz.

Me...I prefer to keep it in the same industry at least. lol:ROFLMAO: But who am I to knock 'em ?? right??

 

[Just Another Sign Guy]

the consumable sign market is going to become more saturated as more traditional print companies, photo businesses, office supply/support companies, etc enter the market. as flatbed technology becomes more common you simply will not be able to compete on price without investing heavily in equipment. the price of this technology is nothing in comparison for traditional print, photo companies etc.

we have always had many shops in our our industry who operate with older equipment, afraid or extremely cautious about investing in new technology and that simply is not going to be an option if you are going to compete for this work. if you are not capable of printing direct to substrate you will not be able to compete.

because of the large investment that is going to be needed i think we will see many shops focus more on being a full service agency...we are already seeing many people make this transition and unless they have the skills, knowledge, experience ,etc to generate results for their clients obviously this will be a tough act to maintain. i know one shop who went this direction who now feels they are in a position that they need to fulfill all of their client's marketing needs and are currently adding a production studio and staff for filming television commercials, you need to have boundaries in my opinion or you lose your identity and just as we all laugh at the desperate businesses that are mowing lawns, working on cars, and making signs on the side...it is very easy to cross that line when you become a full service design firm as well.

for the shops that either have no interest in becoming a design type firm, don't want to compete on price in the consumable sign market i think we will see many more shops jump into the dimensional sign industry which in some areas is already as saturated as the non dimensional sign industry.

there are already many shops that want to create the sign hand it to their client and be done with the project and there will be many more as more people from outside of the industry enter the trade. there will be opportunities for the shops that are willing to install or for the people who are willing to do the dirty work for those shops (installs, digging holes, vehicle graphics installation).

10 short years ago i knew electrical sign shops that wouldnt touch a project if it wasnt illuminated. i knew installers / servicemen who COULD NOT install vinyl..and now I see $100,000 service trucks on a job site and after they are done hooking up the pole sign they are installing window lettering, door hours, and anything and everything else they can do for the client. what once was a relatively safe part of the trade is now a very different business than it was just a few short years ago. i think we will see many more smaller electrical sign companies rather than the LARGE electrical sign shops, one man in a small service truck changing lamps, maintenance, change outs, etc.

more than ever it is going to be about marketing your company, educating your client, and creating value.

 

[washingtonsignguy]

I agree with the digital age. Signs and advertising will just become more digital. Cars and trucks will have some sort of LED removable holographic on the doors, stuff like that. I cannot see signs and advertising decreasing at all, it will only become larger as it seems more and more people are finding pieces of white paper to put their mark on these days.

 

[Craig Sjoquist]

I have to agree with Fred and Cmcerniglia
Fred for the basic stuff they will explode all over
Cmcerniglia for the future digital video screens from small to large indoors and out and LED billboards to smaller both outdoors to indoors seems this how it will go
Hate to say it printers will slowly be gone and old news ...bet in less the 20 years
Believe the vinyl cutter will last longer for simple fast stuff
Hand lettering and pinstriping will also out last the new... mainly low tech always survives

 

[Mosh]

Alot easier to make money in this market. I set up the designs and my monkies print them out. SIMPLE!!!!

 

[threeputt]

Striker, that was a thoughtful reply. Other's comment's too.

Craig, can you elaborate a bit on your comment about how the low tech always seems to survive?

 

[Gino]

Dan, I couldn't agree more with you. Some of the points you hit on, I did in a thread a few days ago and got lotsa grief about it, but it's true. The big guys are no longer what they used to be. Every large shop in our area is hurting.... big time. They have more trucks and cranes on their parking lots sitting idle..... than they have employees.

What we used to call 'Novelty' shops or 'Trinket Salesmen' are now becoming the design studios that offer all kinds of printing, brochures, rulers, key chains and all kinds of other nickel and dime jobs. They have enough savvy to start adding banners and other small sign jobs to their repertoire. Nothing wrong with it, but it still happens. I remember at a round table back around 1982 or so in Ephrata ,PA, during a huge sign mixer where we talked for three days about the changing of the sign industry and how it was effecting the larger shops almost 30 years ago... and for the most part.... it all has happened as discussed. Some big guys were there including Mike Stevens and some others. The Red Rose chapter was there in full force. I think it was their meet. Anyway..... they saw the writing on the wall [no pun] and tried to keep the old school thinking alive, but you either roll with the punches.... or roll over and get out of the way.

 

[Just Another Sign Guy]

Gino as you know (better than most) because you have just made the transition...the new technology is frightening. What you can do today versus just a few months ago is amazing with direct to substrate technology.

You are in a great window of opportunity that not very many people are in. Where you can get paid a great price for the work you are doing but you can do it much more efficiently than those without the equipment...when this technology becomes common it will be a different scenario.

There are many people in the trade who have not even witnessed a flatbed in operation, there simply is no way you will be able to compete with antiquated equipment...and that is with the current generation of flatbed printers, the printers on the horizon are faster, inks are more durable, there are print and cut models (a few already on the market..but we will see more improvements where you can print direct to substrate and then custom cut to shape). Unless you are doing large quantities we are quickly reaching a point where screenprinting will not be able to compete when you factor in screen preparation, clean up, etc.

There are people making fortunes don't get me wrong, but as I said more than ever it is going to be the savvy business people that are making those fortunes. Those who implement well thought out marketing plans, those that can create value for their clients...buying the equipment isn't enough you have to be able to sell the work. Being a great designer is not enough you have to be able to sell the work.

 

[James Burke]

In addition to the products you make, you're also going to have to be a marketing "evangelist", and your very first (and foremost) customer will be your own company.

Your job, ultimately, will require you to prove to your prospective customers why they should spend more money with a professional, than with a DIY or a big box franchise.

There are many ways to do this, but visibility of your company should be the first item on the list. Next, incorporate the success stories of your customers who have purchased signage, etc. from you.

Anything you can do to dangle your name and image in front of the customer will help.

Have you done a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats) analysis?

Even if you never create a formal business plan, you had better have a SWOT down pat or else you'll struggle every step of the way.

Jim

 

[BALLPARK]

Sign companies will lose the vast majority of static prints for franchise clients...

Would you rather update the marketing plans and advertisements for 1,000 stores using high cost medias or just hit a button and broadcast it to every location within 30 seconds?

The digital market will kill off most small market print companies, once the digital market is more affordable for small companies. Just a few years ago TV's were very expensive for flat panel HD TV's. Now you can pick them up for just about nothing compared to 5 years ago.

All you need for a digital marketing campaign for your store is some nice TV's, a good video software employee and be able to upload a file. Wait till the marketing companies start to team up with the TV manufactures for bulk buying power. Gonna be hard to keep some of your franchise clients... Goodyear already has a good system in place to broadcast their Ads to any location in the world that has the system.

lol... Gives new meaning to going "green" for your company. Think about all the waste from static prints once the promotion is done...lol.

 

[OldPaint]

i see a couple new technological things coming. 3-D displays, are going to be the big thing.
with the price of flat screen type TV/MONITOR/DISPLAY board prices dropping, you can get these things now 3 ft x 5 ft!!!! larger, less expensive one aint far off. so you spend $2000, for one of these, put it in your window...........you are now in charge of your everyday advertisement. the stuff it diplays....will be where the money is. DESIGNING, CREATING THE ADD, and puting it on a dvd that is looped for continuous play.
these will become thinner and more flexable also. so a set of 12"x 24" can be attached to each door of your vehicle. i see these digital LED boards, as just the beginning.
as prices drop, for these and the 3-D becomes more of the everyday thing, then i belive the HOLOGRAM technology will get so advanced, that it will become the way to advertise.
can you imagine a billboard, well in the same place as now existing billboards, with no background, only the sky, and your seeing cars speeding along or people running along a beach(ad being shown in mich in the middle of winter)or people skiing down a snow covered mountain(add showing in Arizona in july)and these will be commonplace.
the printer sign shops will begin to become like the print shops of the past, with the gutenburgs. vinyl will be more for the CRI-CUT crowd. soon the CRI-CUT will become the 24" cutters most of spent big money to buy, and you will buy them in WALMART))))))
now air brush, carving, routed signs, hand lettering......will be the BIG MONEY MAKERS!!!!
and will finally be labeled as ARTISTS..........which they always have been but not classified as FINE ART.
reason for this, is most dont see it as worth the time to learn and perfect these skills, so as always, the less people doing this work, the MORE MONEY WE CAN GET FOR IT.