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Help The Noobie

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neteffect

New Member
Hi you guys. Cool forum you got here, wow.

Anyway, I'm a computer guy and a couple of my clients are sign businesses, they seem to do pretty good.

Tell me where to get some beginning material, I'd like to watch some videos, don't mind books, etc... Thank you if you can help.

I was wondering if this is a good vinyl cutter to make signs with?
http://www.signwarehouse.com/specials/creat_packg.htm

Thanx you guys,

Jack
 
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briderx

New Member
Net, I would start here.. There are thousands of posts about people starting out. Lots of tutorials and pictures to help you get an idea of what the business is all about. I understand you aren't looking at getting signs from clients, so I won't even mention what the other two said.. Other than that, it's really just "jump in and try". See if your clients will let you do a couple "stand ins" in their shops so you can see how things run and see what it takes to create a profitable sign.
 
WhiskeyDreamer

WhiskeyDreamer

Professional Snow Ninja
i'd never call this a "jump in and try" trade.....it's more of a "start out at a sign shop and learn what you're doing before thinking its and easy money maker".....you need to learn how to make signs...the profit will come after that....if you don't understand the basic fundamentals of sign making all you're doing is making it worse for the rest of us.....
 
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briderx

New Member
Actually, making signs is not that hard. I didn't mean "jump in and start selling crap". I meant "jump in and start learning". Start creating designs that you feel are sellable. Then, like fenris said, make profit after that. Sorry, will be more clear next time.
 
Gino

Gino

Premium Subscriber
Welcome from PA.............


I must add this to your first post...... you are entering this industry in a most peculiar fashion. You're gonna go into business in direct competition of your own clients.....

WHY ??​
 
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neteffect

New Member
Yes my own business. Misunderstanding signs from clients.

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
 
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synergy_jim

New Member
first I would go get a graphic design degree. This will involve around 4 years of your life and at least $30,000.00

you could also skip the schooling thing and make crappy signs with no skill whatsoever like 50% of the shops around here....

Next, be prepared to buy all of the software and equipment required for running a sign shop. I estimate this will cost you a minimum of $30,000.00 unless you want to be joe blow cutting vinyl in the closet down the street.

Last, be prepared to spend 6 months learning the hard way. Screwing stuff up and doing it again will be the norm.

See, opening a sign shop is easy.... anyone can do it!!!
 
Gino

Gino

Premium Subscriber
We'll see........... :rolleyes:




This one is just as tight, if not tighter. Why don't you get a job working for one of your clients and learn the ropes from one of them if they're doing so well. Hands on learning is fa-a-a-a-r better then taking a correspondence course via the internet.

You're only kidding yourself if you have absolutely no talent or knowledge of any given field and just want to jump in and get going. Someone's going to have to pinch you and wake you up to some facts shortly.

:thumb:
​
 
jiarby

jiarby

New Member
Greetings Mr. N0ob...

Well, unlike your situation, we find that the sign business is rather tight. There are lots of folks that quit whatever they did for a living last month and buy a plotter from SW (Great Job, Jerry) and think they are in the sign business.

Because of this influx of cheap, untrained sticker cutters the market has become saturated by lowballers working out of their 3rd bedroom or grandma's basement and it has become unprofitable to work in this industry.

Since we have a few PC guys as clients I can see that it is cheap and easy to get in the computer business. Just hang out a sign, and fix the machines. No overhead at all (right Casey?). Everything you need to know is on Google anyway.

To get started we were thinking of replacing our graphics PC with this Dell... is it a good one? For $350 it sounds like a pretty powerful machine.

http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=dncwza1&c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19

It will do everything we need right?
 
Gino

Gino

Premium Subscriber
I don’t think we have to tar and feather him and ride his butt outa town…. he’ll do that himself if he isn’t up to the task, but I’d like to know why he thinks it’s so easy because his clients do it…. and yet he can’t go to them ??

We might need this guy someday and making him not feel welcomed is just wrong. Give him a chance. :peace!: Everyone is always complaining about starting somewhere… and our job is to help this poor sole and point him in the right direction so he can do what he does best, regardless of which door he chose to come in.
 
SignManiac

SignManiac

New Member
Sorry if I'm wrong but this sounds like a setup. Noob you need to do some serious research because you are truly misinformed about the ease of this business. You have no idea how hard a road you are about to embark on.

It's not at all about peel and stick letters. There are thousands of more aspects to this business if you are going to be successful.
 
Bigdawg

Bigdawg

Just Me
Hi and welcome neteffect.

I am in your neck of the woods... actually real darn close to your neck of the woods. And the market IS very tight... but quality work will still shine through. So I guess the question (as asked above too) is why exactly you think this is so easy? What graphic programs do you currently use? What knowledge of substrates and vinyl do you have? Do you even have enough knowledge to know what questions to ask?

What about permitting? and licensing? Do you know which licenses you'll need for what types of signs? Do you have any engineering background that would help in larger sign construction? Are you sure that what you install will be structurally sound and safe?

It IS complicated... if you are doing it right. It gets a WHOLE LOT MORE complicated when you do it wrong and stay in business long enough to get busted on it...
 
Raulrdz

Raulrdz

New Member
Bigdawg said:
Hi and welcome neteffect.

What about permitting? and licensing? Do you know which licenses you'll need for what types of signs? Do you have any engineering background that would help in larger sign construction? Are you sure that what you install will be structurally sound and safe?

Sounds to me like maybe he just wants to sell stickers.....
you know...the easy stuff
Click to expand...
 
signage

signage

New Member
Hi and welcome neteffect to the forums! Now do you know the difference between vector and raster? what about calendar and cast?
 
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