Advice and Help Starting Sign Shop?

[Graphic Destruction]

Go for it Solitary. I'm doing the same thing right now. I've been the designer/fabricator/manager of other people's shops for 15 years. My last shop was a franchise that recently sold. I won't even get into the rat's nest of issues with most franchise shops....

Anyway, I left and started my own studio. I'm doing it on a shoestring, literally, to keep overhead low, but I have years of past clients that are supporting me with their work, which really helps. 1200 sf of workshop space in my home, a heated garage, built myself a nice work table, installed some good lighting, monthly subscription to Flexi, Adobe, already own Corel X5. Bought myself a real piece of crap off brand plotter for now, sub my prints out to the awesome wholesalers we have here, routing work is done by a local retired cabinet maker at amazing prices when I need it. I do all the finish work, painting, sculpting and installing. Like you, I already have the tools, table saw, hand held routers, lathe, sanders, etc needed to build most anything.

Keep the overhead low and the profits are really, really good. Once things get busier and busier, I will get my own router, and a good plotter (God I already miss a good plotter), a latex printer if I feel the need to stop wholesaling prints out. I have years worth of contacts for subs to hire for major installs when needed.

I will say, without having all the client base already built up to rely on, I would have to hold another job down while starting.

Good luck man, it's a wild ride, but when you've already put your time in this business for others and know it fairly well, it's not that hard.

 

[OldPaint]

OldPaint: First off, I love your name. Second, as I told Craig Sjoquist, I do plan on incorporating paint and hand-lettering into my business plan. You saying I should just do that to start with? It's a great idea, low overhead, but I'd have to do more. This market is too small to rely on just that as a niche. Still, I like where your head is, and I appreciate the note.
point was.....THEN MONEY & EQUIPMENT WAS NOT THE DRIVING FORCE....... to make money in this business.........
I started out in 1986......with a wooden box, and a brush kit that fit in the trunk of my 1974 VOLVO!!!!!
8-10 cans of 1-SHOT, KILZ, and turps.....rags and bottles to dump dirty turps into. i did a lot of stock cars, storefront windows, car windshields.........RIGHT FROM MY TRUNK))))))) and i was FAST.... with paint and brush. less then 8 hours i did 3 different stock cars in one guys garage @$300 each.......and the materials cost on that was maybe 20 bucks))))))) thats making money!!!!!

 

[SolitaryT]

OldPaint: First off, I love your name. Second, as I told Craig Sjoquist, I do plan on incorporating paint and hand-lettering into my business plan. You saying I should just do that to start with? It's a great idea, low overhead, but I'd have to do more. This market is too small to rely on just that as a niche. Still, I like where your head is, and I appreciate the note.
point was.....THEN MONEY & EQUIPMENT WAS NOT THE DRIVING FORCE....... to make money in this business.........
I started out in 1986......with a wooden box, and a brush kit that fit in the trunk of my 1974 VOLVO!!!!!
8-10 cans of 1-SHOT, KILZ, and turps.....rags and bottles to dump dirty turps into. i did a lot of stock cars, storefront windows, car windshields.........RIGHT FROM MY TRUNK))))))) and i was FAST.... with paint and brush. less then 8 hours i did 3 different stock cars in one guys garage @$300 each.......and the materials cost on that was maybe 20 bucks))))))) thats making money!!!!!

You, my friend, are my new hero. ;-) Sometimes I wish I was born in 1945 instead of 1982.

 

[Jillbeans]

I didn't realize that you had painting skills.
The overhead for something of this nature is do-able.
I'd produce high-end house signs on these:
http://www.carvagiousa.com/guild.htm
Uninstalled, so no insurance is involved only for shipping.
Make a few samples.
Set up an online store.

 

[TimToad]

No feelings. No cheerleading. No discouragement. No judgements. Plenty of relating to my own experiences.

Here goes:

1. Never say the words: "It'll pass", or "It's good enough"
2. Go the extra mile. Don't pass a customer's location for any reason with a job of theirs still sitting in the shop waiting for "pick-up"
3. Even if you're lettering in a barn out in the sticks, dress professionally and act appropriately.
4. Be PUNCTUAL!
5. Say what you mean and do what you say.
6. Smile. Your customers are NOT the enemy and this craft can be tons of fun to do.
7. Work your *** off during whatever you deem as your "work day" but learn how to leave it at the shop and relax on your free time.
8. Respect and acknowledge your peers. That doesn't mean kiss anyone's rear, but you don't have to treat potential allies like they are the enemy.
9. Pay your bills on time.
10. Give back to your community in even the smallest ways. It will get paid back in volumes.

Well, those are just a few.

 

[OldPaint]

thats funny tim...CAUSE....
i was in south florida, to dress appropriately for there............IS NOT like the rest of the world))))))
i wore sandals, no socks, shorts and tank tops... LONG HAIR FULL BEARD.....hehehehehehehhe
PUNCTUAL??? SIGN PAINTER??? when i would have to make any time to be some where...it was between 12-2 pm)))) i slept tin 10 am most days)))))
the rest i can agree with)))))))))))))))))))

 

[GAC05]

To add to TimToad's list
Think carefully before taking advice from dirty blonds with green skin........


wayne k
guam usa

 

[grafixemporium]

It's been a while since I've checked in on S101. We've just been so busy. This is the first post that caught my eye, so I thought I'd chime in.

Tomorrow, it will be exactly 7 years since I registered my business entity and officially started my own sign shop / printing business. Looking back, I had a lot of great ideas and a ton of passion when I was putting together my business plan, but not a clue what I was doing or where I would end up. Today we are a successful, thriving vehicle wrap and fleet graphics provider with a solid reputation in our local market for quality. I have seen countless shops come and go over the last 7 years. My philosophy of taking baby step, offering the highest quality customer service, designs, prints and installations has carried us to this point.

#1: GRAPHIC DESIGN, GRAPHIC DESIGN, GRAPHIC DESIGN
My #1 most important piece of advice to anyone thinking about starting a sign shop, wrap shop or printing business... can you guess... wait for it... quality graphic design. Our businesses are grounded in design. You can't make a sign and sell it with the expectation of growing your client base if you don't have the fundamental design skills to produce high quality, commercial graphics. Even if you hire someone to do the design work, you still need a basic understanding of aesthetics and stay in touch with what makes a design effective and timeless.

#2: FIND YOUR NICHE
If you try to be everything to everyone, you will likely only do a half *** job of it. Figure out what you do best and do it. Outsource everything else.

About 75% of our revenue is from fleet graphics and vehicle wraps. The other 25% mostly comes from residual work from those same clients. They hire us to design their fleet graphics... we knock it out of the park... then they want business cards, brochures, signs, trade show graphics, etc to match their new look. Some of that we do in house. Some of it we outsource.

The reality is, you don't need a 10,000 sq ft warehouse full of printers, plotters, laminators, routers, etc to start a sign shop. Of course, it helps. The more you do in house, the more you are likely to net. But there is a significant risk to that as well. All of that stuff can be outsourced. You cannot outsource creativity. You do have to have the ability to produce effective designs. That is what will set you apart from any competition who comes along.

#3: HAVE UNDERSTANDING SPOUSE
Be prepared to work. I have put in an extraordinary number of hours over the years... particularly the first 3 years. It's not easy to start any business from scratch and it is definitely not a get rich quick business we are in. You have to love what you do and your family has to support what you do.

That's it. The rest of the stuff you need to know can be found in any entrepreneur book or seminar. How to raise capital, write a business plan, find sales leads, etc. That's all textbook. Yes, you need to know it. Managing a sign shop and owning a business are two completely different things. Take the time and do your due diligence before you commit to taking the leap.

Good luck!

 

[ol'phart]

Sign Shop?

A couple of ideas come to mind. Demographically, there isn't enough population in your new town to support a sign shop. Ideally you need at least 10,000-12,000 people to support a sign shop. You said you just had a child. If you are opening a shop on your own you can expect to work 60-70 hours a week for several years before you gain any security at all. Your going to wake up one day and your new baby is going to be graduating high school. My advise would be to find a regular job, get your credit problems taken care of, do some sign work on the side and see where it takes you.

Good Luck

 

[Rick]

You cannot outsource creativity.

I agree with everything you said but this...
Most sign shop designers still lack design finesse. Though he
needs to be a good designer to be profitable, outsourcing
design - if thats his weakness - is not a bad idea till you
get better at design.

To the OP

I know the OP said he's been in the business for 10 years,
but... is was it a good 10 years? Are you a promotional sign guy
(banners, vehicle wraps, window graphics) or can you make dimensional,
electrical, monument, wall signs? I see sign designers portfolios
all the time and I have to say, some guys are great after 1 year...
some old farts doing this for 30+ years are really REALLY... R E A L L Y bad.
I would have someone evaluate your skills/design and make some positive criticism.

You said that you would make metal, coro, vinyl signs... and it's
low overhead and a good place to start... but... any clown with a
computer can make one. I would assume that once you supply those,
then the competition would... you will need a wider range of sign options...
so I would look for subcontractors for any type of work possible.

I can't imagine dealing with an area only 10k in a 60mile radius... I don't think
vacationers buy signs... I live in an area where we have 20,000,000 in a hundred
mile radius and it can still be hard to get new work. Thats why we deal with
national companies and we only design (at least for now)

Anyway, lots of good advice. The only thing I would add is what requirements
you may need to pull permits. Colorado is a little more laid-back than other states.
You might have more opportunities than some of us in restrictive states.
I would make sure you know how that works before taking on installs.

 

[grafixemporium]

You're right Rick... I was thinking one thing and typed something else. What I really meant to get across in that over-simplified sentence "you can't outsource creativity" was that you can't outsource "YOU". It's the personality, creativity, flexibility, ingenuity, passion and motivation of the entrepreneur than cannot be outsourced. 100% of everything else involved in owning a sign shop can be outsourced.

 

[julionovoa]

Hello everyone,

I recently moved to a small, artsy town in Colorado, and I've worked for sign companies for over a decade. We moved here because we just had a baby girl and all of my family lives here. As pretty as Alaska and Montana are, it's really hard to have a little one and no family around. I've been back for just about two weeks, and already I've had several people who I've known for a long time ask me if I'm planning to set up a sign shop. I hadn't really considered it, but it seems like, without even looking and by reputation alone (small town, 5,000 people, so word of mouth travels pretty fast). It seems like a logical thing to pursue, but I have no idea how to go about making it happen. I'm organized, and I've done management for small sign shops elsewhere, but I've never had to start it up myself, and I'm not sure how to go about doing it. Hit me back with tips, info, all that jazz... Thanks in advance, and I love you all.

Hi,

I only can say Take the risk, no matter what.
Try visiting sign shops around your area, maybe you will find some body with good advise.
Do not worry if you or someone think that you are going to fail.
Successful people have failed in business before, when you fail you get strong.

Good luck.

 

[signed off]

I would stop in at your local chamber of commerce and see if any business courses are being offered, In Canada we use to have a program that was called the BAC ( runs by a different name now) it stood for the Business Advisory Board and it mentored people in how to start a business, it was run by the government and was free as long as you where on EI, there may be programs in your area that you can invest some time in and check out if this is what you really want to do. You won't know till you do the research and ask the questions like you are doing.

 

[DSC]

Local Chamber of Commerce

Hello everyone,

I recently moved to a small, artsy town in Colorado, and I've worked for sign companies for over a decade. We moved here because we just had a baby girl and all of my family lives here. As pretty as Alaska and Montana are, it's really hard to have a little one and no family around. I've been back for just about two weeks, and already I've had several people who I've known for a long time ask me if I'm planning to set up a sign shop. I hadn't really considered it, but it seems like, without even looking and by reputation alone (small town, 5,000 people, so word of mouth travels pretty fast). It seems like a logical thing to pursue, but I have no idea how to go about making it happen. I'm organized, and I've done management for small sign shops elsewhere, but I've never had to start it up myself, and I'm not sure how to go about doing it. Hit me back with tips, info, all that jazz... Thanks in advance, and I love you all.

A good place to start is to go to the Local Chamber of Commerce .. They have great resources and can even have a mentor help you with some direction, and most likely have a resource that can point you in the right direction for your business plan writing..

I can't say enough about writing a business plan..

They may even be willing to help you even if your not a member, but have the intention of becoming one eventually..

Good Luck! Gotta start somewhere ..

 

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[Z SIGNS]

Edward J Duvall said this about that

This is an excerpt from an old sign painting book

IN THE STUDY of every craft, profession or art, you must start
at the very beginning. There are certain basic fundamentals
that you must understand thoroughly before you can progress
in any line of endeavor.


To understand music well enough to play it you must
know the various notes and keys that produce the harmoni-
ous melodies.

So it is with the art of lettering and creating
attractive sign advertising. This is a skilled craft that de-
mands a great store of technical knowledge of the top-flight
craftsman.


We have certain elementary rules to learn and we progress
by studying only ONE thing at a time, proceeding slowly un-
til we absorb all the informative material necessary.

We hasten to tell you that this is a craft which just not
everyone can enter and become an expert. It is very essential
that the student be gifted with natural ability and an honest
desire to master the art. Otherwise it will be a sheer waste of
time.

There are misfits in most all trades and professions,
people who perhaps would have done much better at some-
thing else.
It remains for you to make up your mind NOW
to fortify yourself with unshakable patience and the fortitude,
to reach the top, in this, your chosen craft.


You do not learn this business overnight, furthermore you
do not become good until you have had extended sessions of
practice and a most generous portion of actual experience.