Help The Noobie

[MANNING]

You might want to see how many hours your Clients work based on their pay. The computer people i know make more an hour than we do.

 

[Pat Whatley]

Sure, there's always room for another computer repair/window tinting/sign making/ebay selling/paintball supply/car wash/DJ for hire/lawn care/race car business.

Welcome aboard!

 

[neteffect]

Lol

Geez, you guys seem like bunch of whacked out flamers

Funny you should say all that about having a degree, I have two. And yeah, I did do some graphic design already. Thank you for the concern though.

Anyway, I wasn't really asking you for criticism, I just wanted to know what resources you might point me in.

Don't worry about me, I'll be just fine.

Thank you for the nicer responses you guys.

Jack

 

[WhiskeyDreamer]

Funny you should say all that about having a degree, I have two.

in what?? graphic design?

[quote And yeah, I did do some graphic design already. [/quote] real graphic design? or just fiddling around in photoshop??

Anyway, I wasn't really asking you for criticism, I just wanted to know what resources you might point me in.

we're just trying to prevent the industry from being dragged into the gutters further by informing you that this is not as easy as you may think....

like signage asked...do you know the difference between raster and vector? calendared and cast? cmyk and rgb?

are you interested in a plotter, printer or both??

without full and complete information on your end, there isn't much we can can do on this end if you are TRULY interested in the business....

if you think its just an easy way to make money...try working out a deal with one of your experienced clients to sell their work to your clients through you...maybe they'd be willing to do a wholesale deal....

 

[Billct2]

It's not that complicated, it's just not, and I'd love to give it a try!

I think I'll have much more going on with permits and setting up the business than anything else.

So you belittle the expertise we share and expect to be welcomed with open arms?

There is as much work for good sign makers as there is for good computer techs...
and bad poorly trained sign makers have just as much trouble making a living as crappy computer guys.

 

[surf city]

Has this guy ever heard of "starving artist".............I wanna know where my government bailout is.........oh wait a sign shop isn't a billion dollar car company, sorry guess I'm not gonna get my bailout after all...............

 

[gwdlv]

WOW it seems there are some hatters on this board.
I realize the people on this board are professionals, and if you are really threatened by some competition, then are you really pros?

The entreprenuerial mentality is get an idea "and jump in". Yes that is why us "Newbies" are on this board.

If what you say is true then you should not feel threatened and let your work speak for you.

Every industry has low-ballers. I own a Web Design company and I hate seeing ads for a full website, for $299, but people learn fast that you get what you pay for.

So please help us Newbies, and don't worry. If you are as good as you claim then your work will be bought. Just get out there and sell it.

Also people that are into Graphic Design, are naturally going to gravitate towards the Sign Industry, it is not easy to satify the "Creative Juices". Be it sign making t-shirt printing it is all related.

Get the word out through graphics.

This is just my 2 cents.

 

[ProWraps™]

two noobs, one cup..err i mean thread.

 

[neteffect]

Permits

Hey thank you for the nice response gwdlv I appreciate it. I'm willing to learn and keep at it.

Anyway, back on a more constructive track...

I want to get a small 24" vinyl cutter, is this a good starting piece of equipment?

gwdlv, are you new too, how is it going, how did it start out, etc? Would be interested to hear.

Thank You.

Jack

 

[SignosaurusRex]

New to the biz?
Rule #1. Never, ever, bite the hand that feeds you.
#2. Know your competition.
#3. know your limitations
#4. understand the odds of your success/failure
#5. Hang on tight.

#6 through 10 will come next quarter.

Welcome Aboard. Have a seat and buckle up for the ride.

 

[MANNING]

Here is some advice: 24" Summa Cutter, basic sign software.
A good location, outsource everything you can. Stay away from payments. High Overhead will shut you down.
50% deposit on everything!! Order a price guide.

 

[Pat Whatley]

Here is some advice: 24" Summa Cutter, basic sign software.
A good location, outsource everything you can. Stay away from payments. High Overhead will shut you down.
50% deposit on everything!! Order a price guide.

That's outstanding advice for everyone here, not just the new guy.

 

[Bigdawg]

That's outstanding advice for everyone here, not just the new guy.

+1... very good advice.

 

[GoodPeopleFlags]

I will never, never understand why anyone would want to start a business in a field they know nothing about. I worked in sign shops for 6 years before starting my own and that wasn't long enough. But that allowed me on-the-job training from people who had more experience than me. Once I started my own, I realized I didn't have anyone to learn from anymore. And some things you just can't learn on a message board.

I will also never understand why people who do choose to start a sign business with no experience, don't understand why it's insulting to those who have paid their dues, to come on here and basically ask, "How do I do it? It sure doesn't look that hard!". Well, it is, if you want to be good at it.

It's not about being threatened by competition in the least.

 

[neteffect]

Update

Hi!

Thank you so very much you guys for the positive replies. It truly is appreciated.

I went in with someone and I got some stuff already I got a nice computer 3.2GHz, 2G, etc... And I got Adobe Illustrator; do you guys use that at all, is that a good thing to know, use, etc?

I'm off to look at the Summa printers like Manning+Others said.

I do have some time before I begin. Here in FL, some of the sign businesses even close for July, I'm not totally sure why, etc, maybe someone could explain that.

Take care

Jack

 

[Pat Whatley]

Here in FL, some of the sign businesses even close for July.

To get away from the tourists?

 

[mark galoob]

no, i think you haters are honestly afraid of us newbies coming in a competing with you...it sure seems to piss you off...deal with it...competition makes us all strong...
i did not get mad or afraid when the sign shops in my area started to sell business cards and brochures and postcards, i got in the sign business and divirsified. in my custemrs eye, printing is printing, wheather you are printing on a banner, or a business card, you are still printing in the public's eye...
so i say go for it, do your research, and your due dilligence, and learn learn learn everything there is to know, make mistakes along the way, and those buttheads that dont want you competiting with them and try to scare you away, i look to my dad's law '
# 1, ie Harry's first law....F*** em if they cant take a joke...

mark galoob

 

[Jim Doggett]

Thanx guys for all the responses, I appreciate it.

Yeah, I wanna go into business for myself. The computer business is tight here in FL.

No, I do not want signs from my clients. Not really sure why you'd think I want signs from my clients, when this is a board on how to make signs. Not sure at all actually.

So yeah, thank you for recommending this board, I like it. And I'll be sure to find all the videos I can, I like learning that way.

Jump in and learn sounds like great advice! It's not that complicated, it's just not, and I'd love to give it a try!

I think I'll have much more going on with permits and setting up the business than anything else.

Please respond, I like it.

Jack

Hi Jack,

The sign business shows signs of being much like computers and software, only about 10 years behind the curve since vinyl cutting came about after the PC. There's better margin, but tightening due to competition is a given. You might have noticed some resistance here :^)

But so-called free markets (we're regulated, not a true free market) are free in one sense for sure: you have as much right to enter it as anyone else.

Permits and such are not a big issue for you starting out. You won't plot a pole-sign with your vinyl cutter. You will letter a bunch of cars and make tons of banners. (No premits needed)

The equipment, software, weeding and applying you'll learn pretty quickly ... probably sooner than you'll have a giant customer base.

Design principles you might want to research online. At the start, KISS (less is more) is best. Then once you're really good you'll learn that KISS is still best.

Marketing principles are also good to research. If you can help your customer be more successful, you'll empower them to buy more of your signs.

Best,

Jim

 

[Jim Doggett]

Poostscript:

SignWarehouse.com is the king of equipment for new users. They have training stuff; lots of it. They're the giants at getting lots of people into the market. Then Feller's swoops in and gets the supply business. Very symbiotic :^)

 

[iSign]

no, i think you haters are honestly afraid of us newbies coming in a competing with you...it sure seems to piss you off...deal with it...competition makes us all strong...
i did not get mad or afraid when the sign shops in my area started to sell business cards and brochures and postcards, i got in the sign business and divirsified. in my custemrs eye, printing is printing, wheather you are printing on a banner, or a business card, you are still printing in the public's eye...
so i say go for it, do your research, and your due dilligence, and learn learn learn everything there is to know, make mistakes along the way, and those buttheads that dont want you competiting with them and try to scare you away, i look to my dad's law '
# 1, ie Harry's first law....F*** em if they cant take a joke...

mark galoob

only a fool would oversimplify the attitudes here in this thread. Clueless n00bs come in here every day.... but it's only one every few months who sticks his foot so far in his mouth that a malicious comedian couldn't do a better job inciting a flamefest. Everything said by the OP is a perfect setup for the people here with the most valuable information to offer, ending up offended & alienated, instead of inspired to help. Those who think the veterans of this trade are 'haters" or "afraid' or "threatened"... well take a look people... it is always someone new to these boards who has such a weak minded, uninformed, self-serving impression of the veterans.

To think one more clueless n00b is a personal threat is laughable... but when we mention that the overall cumulative effect of thousands of uneducated thrillseekers (& their poorly planned entrance into sign making, through buying cheap equipment, & offering cheap crap to unwitting sign customers) is responsible for making this business less profitable...

...don't flatter yourself thinking it is because of a true competitive marketplace that our work doesn't hold up to... it is because us veterans see fools come in, & go out of business every year, and all these fools have done is sell ugly, ineffective crap, below their own required prices to stay in business... and when the suckers they sold to realize that the poor design isn't effective, or the cheap materials, and shoddy workmanship has resulted in failed products... they realize the clueless n00b is out of business & come to us veterans thinking that the prices we offer are too high, because they already know how cheap prices should be from some of you fools!

So, that is where WE are coming from... by the way, as I mentioned, there are n00bs here every day... 99% of them have shown up with respect and courtesy & have been shown the same in return. It's the 1% who start by making insulting remarks, and don't even see the error of their ways within the first few posts... those are they guys that I really do think are malicious comedians... having a laugh at the expense of anyone who doesn't recognize that their post is just a little too perfect of an invitation for battle, & a recipe for disaster... me?, I think this is just another troll & not a n00b that is actually so dense as to not put in practice the old "better to catch flies with honey, than vinegar" theory... so my post is not to the fake fool who started this thread... it was written for the real fools who are defending him!