Hello from Missouri

[Edna]

Hello. I am new to the sign biz. My husband races cars and I have been applying his stickers for three years. Well now we desided to get into the sticker biz. We have already lettered three semi trucks and our car so I think we are off to a good start.

We run the shop out of the race shop, I hope to learn alot and plan to do mostly banners, race cars and trucks. We got a Roland 54" print/cut machine used, but it seems to be working well.

My first question is should I place ad's on the radio or newspaper to get biz, or what do other sticker shops do to drum up biz?

 

[PHILJOHNSON]

Welcome

Hello and a warm welcome from Seattle, WA!

 

[J Hill Designs]

Welcome from cali

should I place ad's on the radio

no.

 

[Gino]

Welcome from PA...................

 

[Sign Up Graphics]

Sign Up Graphics

Welcome from Skokie, IL

 

[SignManiac]

I'd go after the other racers since you know most of them already. See if they'll let you letter their cars for sponsorship and that should get your name out for everyone to see.

Welcome aboard.

 

[Edna]

I was thinking about sponsoring a bunch of cars to get my name out there. Is that what you do to get more biz? Also the plywood signs at the track. I might have my husband paint me some plywood up so I can hang one up there.

 

[HulkSmash]

I was thinking about sponsoring a bunch of cars to get my name out there. Is that what you do to get more biz? Also the plywood signs at the track. I might have my husband paint me some plywood up so I can hang one up there.

be sure to look into insurance issues if you do that.

 

[WestbankKurt]

Welcome

Welcome from New Orleans, LA.

 

[Edna]

be sure to look into insurance issues if you do that.

Insuranse for what? There are a bunch of signs up there, I am sure they would let me put mine up there. Insurance? I don't understand.

 

[tsgstl]

Welcome from St. Louis

Don't expect anything from your name on the back of a car.
I have lettered dozens and never got a thing.
Every once in a while you will get something else from the company the guy you lettered his car works but its no way to make a living. Unless sharing a six pack with Leroy while you letter his rod is your idea of a good living. I love lettering cars and going to the track of almost any type of racing and having a crew to talk to, but that's as far as it goes unfortunately.

Good luck and enjoy what you do, that's priceless

 

[Edna]

I hope I can run the other sticker guys off and do all the cars at our local track. I can draw pretty good so I know I can do some cool designs once I get this Corel Draw figured out better.

 

[SignManiac]

That's what I did Edna, worked like a charm. I always bid lower than anybody else and after a while you wont have any competition. I know a guy in Nebraska who has done very well with the same business model. Just make sure you pay cash for all your stuff so you don't have any payments. Price always wins!

 

[Craig Sjoquist]

Welcome to a outstanding Signs 101 & people.

Sponsoring gets ya no where fast....Do jobs that profit well gets ya everywhere easy.

Good ol plain howdy my name is & I do sign advertising , hand them a post card with samples of your abilities will get the ball rolling, also advertise yourself on everything ya can, like your auto to your pet zebra.

 

[Edna]

Post cards would be a GREAT idea.

 

[ForgeInc]

that's what i did edna, worked like a charm. I always bid lower than anybody else and after a while you wont have any competition. I know a guy in nebraska who has done very well with the same business model. Just make sure you pay cash for all your stuff so you don't have any payments. Price always wins!

lmao

 

[signage]

I don't understand why you guys keep letting the secret out

 

[The Big Squeegee]

Welcome from OK

 

[Jillbeans]

I love doing race car lettering.
Because I am a female, my business plan is to always wear my tightest shortest Daisy Duke coochie cutters and bend over a lot when lettering the cars.
And a white wife-beater with no bra adds to the attention.
Usually it's just me and the race car guy and his buddies.
I letter a late model for a case of beer and them allowing me to put my name on the car, real fancy. Make sure you learn to use as many special effects as you can with your new printer.
Race car guys love that.
Also buy lots of fluorescent vinyl, sure it fades fast but it's flashy.
The race guys' favorite font is usually Brush Script but I get a lot of use from Serpentine and even Comic Sans. Make sure you use all capital letters and spell everything right.
Get a tramp stamp tattoo with your business name on it so folks notice it when you are lettering their cars.
And make sure to charge as little as possible so you get a lot of work in.
As for the plywood sign, why buy that when you can get a sheet of MDF for $8 at Lowe's?
Sure the texture is a little tricky but nobody's gonna notice that from the stands.
You could also cut a lot of Peeing Calvin stickers of him urinating on rival racer's numbers. That will get you some quick sales.

 

[SignManiac]

All of the above except I regret getting the tramp stamp I'm afraid of what it's going to say in another forty years as things begin to settle.

 

[Edna]

What is rong with tats? I plan on sponsoring as many cars blue as I can just to ge my name out. Sorry, but the other sticker shop are doing it and they have been open for 3-4 years so it must be working.