Customers doing it themselves.

[jscarl]

Once a profession hits the flea marketers, the profit is gone. It will not be long.

 

[Dan Antonelli]

and so the commoditizing continues.... try selling a service no one else has and you'll have work for life.

 

[SignManiac]

Luckilly there isn't an easy button for genuine artistic ability. Until then, I'm safe.

 

[Mainframe]

I have a wall up at my shop with a sliding door that shuts automatically with a spring, I have signs up that say "employees only". NOBODY goes behind the doors, they can't see what I have, what I do or how I do it. I have a Mac out front I sit people in front of when I need to do quick "job sign, or quick banner, or tough picky customer layouts" Drives them all nuts! So NO, your Rep can't tour our shop, sorry. & I don't discuss equipment with any of my customers, I just tell them I have wide format in house capability. I get at least 2 job shadow calls a month, no thanks, I get 2 local Colleges trying to give me free interns all the time, no thanks. guess I am just cranky. But hey, I am busy for now.

 

[sjm]

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.

Dude if that was true, all of us would have visited the moon, some 40 years later.

 

[royster13]

Everyone on this board can keep their shops locked up tight but it will do no good.....Between Google, Youtube and manufacturer's sites, everything one needs to learn is out there...

 

[copythat]

MOSH It Sucks!

I have mentioned here before about using 4 OVer. Yet so many on this list were so excited about using them to send some of their wide format work. I for one have brought down outsourcing to around 10% from 30%. I only use neighborhood vendors (10 miles or better away from me). I also have a beer distributor competing with me. But I am always doing some type of advertising to draw new & old business. I recently hired two more helpers. I can honestly say that I will not jeopardize my business to just large accounts. Mosh this is your best tim,e to go out there and get that new business.

Good luck Buddy.

Sign Up.

 

[OldPaint]

Everyone on this board can keep their shops locked up tight but it will do no good.....Between Google, Youtube and manufacturer's sites, everything one needs to learn is out there...

iam on this same page!!!!!!!!!!
you aint got nothing in your shop that cant be found AND LEARNED ABOUT on the net or from THE SAME GUY WHO SOLD YOU YOURS!!!!!
thats what SALESMEN DO))))))))))))))))))))))))
of all the posts here, 2 really hit the nail on the head!!!!
SIGNMANIAC:
Luckilly there isn't an easy button for genuine artistic ability. Until then, I'm safe.
DAN A:
try selling a service no one else has and you'll have work for life.
IF..........key word here folks, IF YOU ARE REALLY INTERESTED in this line of work, other then lookin for the "fast buck", take the time to actually LEARN ART, DESIGN, PAINTING, CARVING, GOLD LEAF!!!!!! this funy thing happens when you EXPEND YOUR ENERGY ON EXPANDING YOUR ABILITIES, rather then just crankin out printed material.
THEN.......when the rest are "just producing printed stuff" YOU can really shine.

 

[cartoad]

Mosh, sorry to hear that,hope you can find some other work for the printers soon. I wonder when our number one client will decide to do the same thing. We have seen a number of companies set up their own sign shops, and it is not just private companies.

 

[scarface]

Mosh, Sorry to hear man.

I have fallen off alot in this economy it seems too. I would like to buy a house but sign making isn't steady at all and hell, this time last year i was busy as hell. It seems more like winter which WAS my slow time.

 

[Fatboy]

I still think everything is not lost.This is still a very good business.People won't buy wide format printers like they buy normal deskjet printers.This is still a relatively high entry level business. But I must say that I will rather have 1000 customers paying me 10 bucks each than 10 customers paying me a 100 bucks each.

Sorry to hear Mosh!

 

[Tommy_]

and so the commoditizing continues.... try selling a service no one else has and you'll have work for life.

And what service would that be that no one has?

 

[Dave Drane]

Mosh, sorry to hear that,hope you can find some other work for the printers soon. I wonder when our number one client will decide to do the same thing. We have seen a number of companies set up their own sign shops, and it is not just private companies.

Your'e not wrong. I did rely on a lot of the government work I had. The hospital bought a computer and when their painter is quiet they get him to make signs. They are crap but all the do is espouse the money they save!... bugger the quality.
The local council opened their own sign shop, so that work has all but gone down the tube as well

 

[Dan Antonelli]

And what service would that be that no one has?

Good design. Advertising. Strategy. Sound marketing principles, coupled with sound design theory.

Take a look around at what's on the street, and tell me there isn't opportunity amidst the trash.

Vinyl by the pound is a no-win strategy that drags those engaged in it to the lowest common denominator, which of course, is price.

 

[soundhound]

Gotta stop supporting certain manufacturers!

This goes way, way back!
I was considering my first (Gerber) vinyl cutter (musta been around 1979) when a local university called me in for a consult on their sign system. I spent quite a bit of time with them, when the main guy finally admitted that they were going to cut all their own lettering because GERBER was going to GIVE them a plotter and vinyl on a trial basis (?) ... that would be long enough to do all their signs... but they wanted me as a resource after they gave the plotter back to Gerber.

I called GERBER and mentioned this to their salespeople, requesting a 4B on a "Trial Basis" for my shop. I was told that this free plotter deal was something that was offered to MY CUSTOMERS... not to my sign shop.

I have never purchased a Gerber product, but I know many sign shops do.

 

[Steve C.]

It's quite satisfying to see the bad work turned out by my old customers who
decided to do it themselves... the drawback is, they don't know it's crap.

 

[signmeup]

It's quite satisfying to see the bad work turned out by my old customers who
decided to do it themselves... the drawback is, they don't know it's crap.

This is a key problem. It's all well and good to offer great design but most of my customers don't know the difference between great design and crap. They do know the difference between cheap and expensive though. I could move I suppose.....

 

[Steve C.]

This is a key problem. It's all well and good to offer great design but most of my customers don't know the difference between great design and crap. They do know the difference between cheap and expensive though. I could move I suppose.....

Yep, I know there are people out there who have an eye for design, but
sometime I think the only ones who appreciate good signs... are good sign
makers.

 

[300mphGraphics]

There used to be a lot of in-plant offset print shops too. I've purchased a lot of equipment from them as companies finally figure out they should concentrate on what their mission statement says they do.

 

[Dice]

Mosh are their any other large companies around that you work some magic on and fill that production hole.