Dave Drane
New Member
What a shame... I think you guys frightened the "little guy" off. A valid question was asked.
-
I want to thank all the members that have upgraded your accounts. I truly appreciate your support of the site monetarily. Supporting the site keeps this site up and running as a lot of work daily goes on behind the scenes. Click to Support Signs101 ...
how does the "little guy" compete
- Thread starter ontsigngirl
- Start date
mark galoob
New Member
i think its healthy to be scared of a venture like this...fear does all kinds of things to a venture that you would not get otherwise. starting a business is a big deal and will cause lots of emotions.
it is going to be slow going at first but you can only go up from the bottom so for a while, your business will grow exponentially. its very cool. just have enough capital to last a few yrs and if you have the right location, and the right combination of tools and you treat folks right, with a little luck you will have a decent business.
good luck
mark galoob
it is going to be slow going at first but you can only go up from the bottom so for a while, your business will grow exponentially. its very cool. just have enough capital to last a few yrs and if you have the right location, and the right combination of tools and you treat folks right, with a little luck you will have a decent business.
good luck
mark galoob
ontsigngirl
New Member
WOW! thanks to all that replied - most of your replies were very thoughtful and helpful.
When I started in this business I worked for a small family owned sign business - they did everything - neon, backlit, hand lettered, screen printing, vinyl - they were one of maybe 3 in the whole town - fast forward to today - seem to be very few true crafts people left - everyone seems to be offering vinyl letters, digital prints and vehicle wraps.
signmeup: - I do have some ideas for unique custom signs - I'll pursue this when I have the "meat and potatoes" down - good advise - thanks
Dave Drane: I've been working with "crusty old dogs" for a long time - and have been bitten more than once - it will take a lot to scare this little guy off
Embostek: I like your advise - I know I appreciate it when someone gives me good customer service.
Rick: I'm freaked out because I've always worked for someone else. It's easy to say you're going into business but, a whole other story to actually do it. I've looked at a lot of people's work I can safely say I can do way better than some but can't come even close to others. I'm sure in time I'll become faster and more confident.
mark galoob: thanks I think it's healthy to be sacred too. We all know people who are so
cock sure of themselves when they talk but when push come to shove they can't do the work.
I'm glad I found this forum - it's a relief to have the support and also to be bitten the odd time
When I started in this business I worked for a small family owned sign business - they did everything - neon, backlit, hand lettered, screen printing, vinyl - they were one of maybe 3 in the whole town - fast forward to today - seem to be very few true crafts people left - everyone seems to be offering vinyl letters, digital prints and vehicle wraps.
signmeup: - I do have some ideas for unique custom signs - I'll pursue this when I have the "meat and potatoes" down - good advise - thanks
Dave Drane: I've been working with "crusty old dogs" for a long time - and have been bitten more than once - it will take a lot to scare this little guy off
Embostek: I like your advise - I know I appreciate it when someone gives me good customer service.
Rick: I'm freaked out because I've always worked for someone else. It's easy to say you're going into business but, a whole other story to actually do it. I've looked at a lot of people's work I can safely say I can do way better than some but can't come even close to others. I'm sure in time I'll become faster and more confident.
mark galoob: thanks I think it's healthy to be sacred too. We all know people who are so
cock sure of themselves when they talk but when push come to shove they can't do the work.
I'm glad I found this forum - it's a relief to have the support and also to be bitten the odd time
B-RAD Graphics
New Member
good luck..sounds like you know a good bit about the industry..Just seperate yourself right away from the rest by showing off your work..Be BETTER BETTER than the rest and charge for it and you get the respect..even tho its very hard out there right now..
MARKETING!!! works for everything..
MARKETING!!! works for everything..
Brandon708
New Member
I wish you could mentor me. I really would love to learn to carve signs. I love working with my hands and creating nothing into something. I guess i'm going to have to teach myself. :signs101:
Brandon708
New Member
And Bill Gates gives all his stuff away too! lol
You still have time & materials invested into it.
Mosh
New Member
BEEN DOING IT THIS WAY SINCE 1988!!! Must suck to make payments, I wouldn't know!
Stop being jealous of others that choose to live this way...out of debt! I know people with shops that have
$2,000-$3,000 in rent and payments every month. That IMO is ignorant business practice! I have NO payments of
any kind so I can charge less that typical morons make payments and pay rent!!!!
Sticky Signs
New Member
Make a bunch of coro signs with all you info on them. Than dress up like a ninja. Than sneak up to the competitions shops one by one and super glue your signs to their front doors. Than, when the shop owners call to complain, offer to redo their door graphics at whole sale prices. Voila!
Sorry, I'm bored...
Sorry, I'm bored...
WildWestDesigns
Active Member
I'm the same way as far as what I have. Everything software, computer, machine(press, printer, cutter, embroidery) is all paid for. I don't buy it if I can't get it out right. Now that does have it's drawbacks, it takes me longer to be able to do stuff and it doesn't help that I'm a small shop as well, but I only have to worry about time and materials, I don't have to allocate machine/equipment costs. I'm still not the cheapest out there, but I'm not the most expensive either, plus all my clients deal with me personally. No middle man. Pros and cons in it all, I don't think anyone has a true clear cut advantage over the other. I have seen a lot of good companies go down(not just sign companies) by stretching themselves to thin and they lost that personal touch. That's how one company lost my account.
CheapVehicleWrap
New Member
Not for nuthin Mosh, some of us don't want to live in the woods and are perfectly fine going to a local store for our food rather than shooting it. It's also nice to drive 1/4 mile for fuel rather than 40 miles...oops, you have your own pumps don't you? Some of us are happy paying a mere 5k a month for "the use" of professional multi million dollar facilities with landlords that allow us to do ANYTHING we want on the property, including moving out before another 5 year lease expires if so desired. Some of us enjoy the opportunity to randomly pick up the phone and close jobs worth quite a bit of money simply because there's ALLOT of it around. And the garbage man takes out plastics and cans etc. so we don't have to burn them and breathe the stuff.
Sometimes you should get off your high horse and realize that ALLOT of food comes from China and your cash cow won't last forever.
You may be happy you gave away all that profit your whole life but I doubt you're going to convince anyone else here that's a recipe for success.
Ohh yeah. You happen to be talking to "the other guy" whose never been in debt either.
Have a great TG now get out and shoot something.
signmeup
New Member
You didn't post the entire quote....
" I have in fact ran several shops out with my low pricing, then when they are gone I raise the prices back up to normal." Mosh has the power to crush his enemies by being debt free. Mwa ha haa (diabolical laugh,.... wring hands while doing) Glad I don't live near him.....
Last edited:
What? I thought you were a Soya farmer with a government subsidy?
Must be very hard to run a sign business when you've got farming to cover the overheads... or do you actually own a proper factory building for your sign business rather than a shack in the farmyard?
R08
New Member
Get serious Jiarby,
The percentage of successful, competitive businesses that have even 75 percent of these items is probably very very low.
I sub things out that I can't do so I can focus on what I do well.
inthesignbiz
New Member
Debt Free?
Maybe, if I ever get to heaven.
Likely not.
Although, if you're debt free, are we comparing apples to green beans?
Anyway, we started off out of my house doing jobs the bigger quys wouldn't mess with.
Smaller signs, banners, window lettering (hours) and even soccer stickers (holy yuck!)
By giving better customer service and better pricing, we started building our customer base.
Word of mouth is the best form of advertising.
Within a year, we had moved out of the house and into a 900 sq ft building. Before the next year was up we moved again into a 5650 sq ft building. We ran out of room two years ago in this location and are looking at a location three times this size.
It takes time, integrity, honesty and the willingness to go above and beyond what the competition is willing to.
We still do the jobs that the competition is not willing to do.
But, NOT SOCCER STICKERS - gotta draw the line somewhere.
Good luck!
Maybe, if I ever get to heaven.
Likely not.
Although, if you're debt free, are we comparing apples to green beans?
Anyway, we started off out of my house doing jobs the bigger quys wouldn't mess with.
Smaller signs, banners, window lettering (hours) and even soccer stickers (holy yuck!)
By giving better customer service and better pricing, we started building our customer base.
Word of mouth is the best form of advertising.
Within a year, we had moved out of the house and into a 900 sq ft building. Before the next year was up we moved again into a 5650 sq ft building. We ran out of room two years ago in this location and are looking at a location three times this size.
It takes time, integrity, honesty and the willingness to go above and beyond what the competition is willing to.
We still do the jobs that the competition is not willing to do.
But, NOT SOCCER STICKERS - gotta draw the line somewhere.
Good luck!
James Burke
Being a grandpa is more fun than working
I personally advocate the debt free route, but it does take a little longer, as other's have already said. But I keep hearing how that kind of purchasing doesn't help build my business "credit report". Why would I want to spend a lifetime building a business credit score that a disgruntled supplier could screw up at any time? Running on one's own cash does have its advantages.
Deaton Design
New Member
Im a little guy, and Ive been in business a long time. I started out hand lettering, then moved into vinyl back about ten or so years ago. Since Ive been doing it so long, Im established enough that I do okay, in a small area with a struggling economy. The things I have always pushed is good customer service, good design, and making sure I use all the right materials on my jobs. I am overly nice to my customers. I enjoy cutting up with people and have a good sense of humor and I use that to make the customer feel at ease, and develop a good relationship from the start. I dont always accomplish these things, but I try hard to. I listen to them, and try to work with them on projects to make sure they get what they want. Like the others said so well, you have to be different in some way than the other shops. Owning a computer and plotter and a few rolls of vinyl does not make anyone a signshop. Anyone can own those things, and they do, but they end up selling out eventually because they approached signmaking as a get rich quick thing, and it aint that way. You have to develop your design skills, and your people skills to make money in this business or you will end up with a bad taste in your mouth. Educate yourself on your competition, see what it is they do, then try to offer your products differently, either with better design, higher quality materials,or better communication with the customer.