Customers doing it themselves.

[Mosh]

Our two biggest customers, about 65% of or business have both started doing their own printing. One acually sent a rep to our shop to see what materials we use and the equipment we had. At the time we thought she was just curious on how we printed their banners. Now It seems see was checking us out to see what we used. The other (local beer dist) was setup by their home company to make posters and banners in-house, we did loads of stuff weekly for c-stores, bars, supermarkets anywhere beer is sold.

Might have a couple printers for sale soon, we did run 3 rolands, now think one is going to cover the amount of work we have.

 

[SignManiac]

Yep, pretty soon wide format printer manufacturers will start giving the printer away for free and all you do is buy the ink. Every household will have a disposable wide format printer in their dens and printing murals for the kids rooms.

The future is near.

 

[CheapVehicleWrap]

Mosh, can you lower your prices even more and make it not worth their while? Or just plant more beans I guess?

 

[signmeup]

Better start learning to carve.

 

[signcrafters london]

One acually sent a rep to our shop to see what materials we use and the equipment we had. At the time we thought she was just curious on how we printed their banners. Now It seems see was checking us out to see what we used.

Can you believe the nerve of some people? A number of years ago, the owner of a local sign supply where I bought my vinyl, tape, substrates, etc., called asking questions about my boom truck. I thought he wanted to hire me to do something for him. After about 20 minutes of Q&A, he cut to the chase and told me he was buying his own bucket truck and needed advice.

Over the next few years he transitioned to where he no longer sells supplies but is instead in competition with all the shops that used to be his customers.

 

[Si Allen]

And ... you didn't see this coming?

 

[royster13]

In our area Walmart has plotters.......lol......Just kidding!....But they do have Cricut and Yudu, etc....

 

[Just Another Sign Guy]

well there are already situations where printers are given away with agreements that the media that goes through them is bought from either the manufacturer or the company that is making the deal.

at one time about 70% of my sales were to one national company at VERY high dollars per year. it was a very uncomfortable frightening feeling...eventually they did open their own 'visual merchandising' department and offered me a nice salary to run it for them...i saw this coming for a few years because it was more than obvious for what they were paying us per year they could have a dedicated in house shop of their own ... more than ever we worked to diversify and build a larger client base before it happened.

in the end we actually made more profit the first 3 years after they opened their own facility from doing last minute work, fixing all of their errors, etc. we did MUCH less work for them but the work that we did do was very high profit work. so not all was lost.

 

[btropical.com]

Mosh start making your own moonshine and put them out of business . Maybe time to buy your own beer store and sell cigs . Vices never go out of style . You could rent out some space for classic car storage
?

 

[Techman]

At the time we thought she was just curious on how we printed their banners.

GEEESES!

No one ever gets to see the machinery. No one. And absolutely no customers in the production area... EVER!!!!

Even I know these rules...

 

[CheapVehicleWrap]

Yeah, Moshshine. I like it!

 

[Steve C.]

Have to be careful of having all eggs in one basket... has happened to me
a couple of times. One company wanted me to give them my files and askes
questions about opperating their plotter, etc...yeah, OK, right! Good luck with
that!

 

[OldPaint]

gee mosh, just goes to show printing is so easy, if a soybean farmer can do it............then the people you sell to...............sees that.........and figures they can print too)))))))))))))
i seen this happening while i still lived in sarasota, fl. pre 1998!!!!! good freind of mine WHO WAS A SIGN PAINTER, did all the trucks, ad signs for the BUDWIESER BEER DIST. they called him one day, wanted him to come to their place, and INSTRUCT a $4.00 an hour employee of theirs.......... on operating their new PRINTER & HOW TO MAKE SIGNS!!!!!!!!!!
my freind told them, not nicely............what they could do with that offer.
i seen the PEPSI dist here, do the same thing. only differance was, the dispatcher, guy who tells all the loaded trucks where to deliver, and then checks them in at the end of the shift...............WAS CHOOSEN to run the and learn how to cut vinyl!!!!!!!!

 

[Salmoneye]

Sorry you lost a big percentage of your business Mosh. No matter what the circumstances that always hurts and makes you feel uneasy as you regroup and try to gain business elsewhere.

 

[Dice]

Man that sucks.

When people ask what printers we use we always say "Big ones"

 

[Pro Signs & Graphix]

pretty soon wide format printer manufacturers will start giving the printer away for free and all you do is buy the ink.

Soon is now. One of the large office supply chains did just that a few years ago. It turned out to be so profitable that many more similar deals have followed suit.

Mosh - Sorry to hear someone got into the chicken coup. Just remember - all the art is yours.

 

[threeputt]

If a former client is determined to make their own signs and wants expertise on how to do it, about the only way you can make any money with this guy is inform him of your consulting fees.

Say, $125.00 per hour?

 

[John Butto]

prima donna

That is what thought I was when I was a sign painter years ago until the Gerber vinyl cutter made its appearance and "everyone and his brother" became sign people. First they were stealing your copper and now your signwork, next the garbage cans will be tipped over and your dog will be pregnant.

 

[TheSnowman]

When people ask what printers we use we always say "Big ones"

We had a guy come in a few weeks ago trying to get us to use them for printing. They were trying to sell us on "wide format" prints up to 24" WIDE! I kindly informed them that I had "wider format".

 

[Dave Drane]

It is a sign of the times.. Sometimes I hate computers and modern machinery.. It has happened to me too. I think anyone who says they have not been bit or tried on in this way has their pants on fire.