Constant Learning Environment

[dlndesign]

Hi out there!

I'm looking to ask some of you a couple of questions about your thoughts on the sign industry and its requirements that are not typically talked about in the day to day of running a business. Specifically how we have to learn or die in our industry.

It may not be that dire, but from my experience if you are not learning, experimenting or asking questions of other professionals... your loosing your edge. I believe that its more important in our industry than most.

So I am looking for your thoughts, am I right? Or is there a model that I am not considering in our business that can run on auto-pilot without consistent learning.

Thanks!

 

[Gino]

The industry as a whole, has changed drastically in the last 20 years or so, but what hasn't ?? I don't think it's so much asking and learning things, as it is keeping up with the ever-changing technology. To me, it seems we are fed things a little bit at a time, so we stay up with the latest stuff. If they gave it to us all at once, they'd be outta job. Kinda like making a tire. They have the technology and knowhow to make a tire for any vehicle that could/would last a lifetime, but then they'd be out a job, because only new vehicles would need them and that's not enough. Built-in job obsolescence.

I still learn things everyday, but it's not about signs all the time. I do find out where to get something faster or better made than before. Also, if you drink alot, its' always new tomorrow.

 

[Solventinkjet]

I think it's a natural progression of the industry. The general trend in the sign and printing industry is that it is getting easier and cheaper to get started. You could buy a $20,000 printer and make the payments off of selling 3 banners a month. This floods the market with untalented and unskilled competitors who undercut the skilled worker's prices. Most of them fail within a year or so but the damage is done regardless. For the skilled sign makers to survive, they increase their offerings and therefore naturally need to keep up with the times in order to stay alive. Also, sign shops tend not to pay employees very well which I think leads to a lot of guys getting a job in a sign shop, learning to weed vinyl and then going out to start their own sign business with a $200 vinyl cutter from Ebay.