How do you help customers will low budgets out?

[Deaton Design]

It always confuses me how people will start up a business, spend tons of money on everything, and then come to me telling me how they spent so much money and dont have much left for signwork or advertising. I always ask them,"Well then, how will everyone know where you are and what it is you do?"
Then comes the kicker. "We thought maybe you might help us out, as we are a new business, and we will tell everyone how good you are, and we will get you alot more business, if you help us out."
Signs and advertising should be thought of first. Put money back to get the signage and do everything else then.

 

[GypsyGraphics]

clients i've worked with for years, i'll always bend over backwards to help if they are struggling financially. whether it's a discount or letting them pay in installments.

i do this for several reason, a few are... they didn't go looking for a cheapy designer when times got tough, they're appreciative (that's a biggy) and because i know if they don't advertise things will likely get worse for them.

but a potential new client... i'll work within their budget (if it's realistic)... but never adjust my prices to suit it.
i think you can tell fairly quickly if they're just in search of the cheapest deal... and in that case... they can keep searching.

 

[john1]

Haven't heard back from the client on the budget so maybe shes already out of business lol

Thanks for the tips guys! Waiting on about $1400 of deposits on people actually wanting work done

 

[ismoreno]

WOW, Ive been on this site for a few hours now and have already gotten help on my issue and learned new things. I have owned my printer for some time now but had to pause because of some life occurrences. I'm now 100% going and still learning. My strengths are Design, learned through some classes and studying others art I'm an artist so I'm pretty good(I feel) I also have a BA in Marketing. But wow, there is some real knowledge here I have to say.
This industry is very competitive recently I obtained a new client and they showed me their vehicle wrap that was not laminated yet paid a little more than $5,000 they asked me how much i would've charged before they told me what they paid and I told them about $2,600 laminated(rough estimate)!

But, I ask I price out my cost and then add a percentage on top it; may be low. I would like a better method to quote my customers I take time and always deliver quality.What do you guys suggest.

 

[Edserv]

If you're confident on you're pricing, ask for 50% down.
If they're unwilling to make a deposit, then you know they're strapped or not serious. We have a policy of a deposit prior to starting ANY work. We have credit policies but are very tight with granting credit. Our designers' time is real money (and their time) that we don't want to waste.

But if they have something of value to barter, that may also be an option. Just make sure you have a rock-solid agreement.

There's a reason so many "start-up" businesses fail: under cap'd or lack of experience. Don't take chances unless you have time/inventory/money to risk!

 

[Marlene]

So my question is, How do you guys go about helping these types of customers even though their budget is low?

this is a good question. I have had people with a small budget, just starting up a new business and have worked with them. things that I have found that work are coming up with a logo to grow into. an example of that is an ice cream company that I worked with. I kept the colors of their logo to stock reflex blue, yellow on white with the idea that as they grew they could add in elements to the logo but for the time being, they could do lid decals with only two colors, business cards and such at a more reasonable cost then if we went PMS colors and or full process printing. as they did grow, they ended up liking their look so much that when they went to mass container printing, they kept the stock, two colors. they still are able to get packaging and such for less as the cost to print two stock colors is less. the reason I go this route is I have seen so many non-profits with no money come in with a design from a "designer" that has multi PMS colors only to find out the cost is so much higher for anything and everything they have to have made. I converted a designer's logo for a hospital so that the number of colors were cut back and they also were stock colors. this saved them a ton on money. they have been our customer now for over 12 years and have bought a ton of signs of all kinds.
helping a customer with a small budget doesn't mean giving your work away or discounts, it just means looking at the project to get the most bang for the buck.