how is business?

[Desert_Signs]

Booming. Hired a new guy. Need another. Shopping for a new space, I literally have jobs piled on people's desks just so we can get to the production table. We're completely booked through the end of the month. Only about $10k behind last years total sales, and we're only in May....

 

[cajun312]

Not super busy here, the low oil prices are killing the oilfield service companies, orders from steady customers have totally stopped. I used do a lot of work for a university, but the state has no money and the colleges are cutting back on everything.
One good thing is that my extended family owns 110 acres of woodland which runs alongside a bayou, and it's looking like we can get approval to designate about 20 to 25 acres of it as federal wetlands. Then we can sell remediation permits to state agencies or businesses that need to develop on existing wetlands, those permits go for around $50,000 per acre!

 

[TimToad]

I have a very personal question. First off we are blowing all the previous years in sales this year. It has been great. The question I have is. I have been in business for 10 years. Full time 3-4 years doing this. It is myself and my fiance. We do it out of our house/garage. I know there are a ton of variables. But what would you say my sales should be for the year.
Thanks
Also not trying to steal the thread.

You are absolutely right, there a many variables to consider. Are you both skilled at or near journeyman level?

You're obviously beyond a start up, but still working out of the garage unless its huge and you have lots of capabilities will limit your revenue potential. Face it, some bigger companies just won't deal with home based businesses.

Not knowing what types of work you do the most of makes it impossible to arrive at a revenue stream you should be at. The figures another poster suggested seem really high for a home based business with two people working in a small to medium sized midwestern town. That is, unless you have lots of great equipment and are doing mostly higher end, high skill jobs and/or some electrical signs. You know your overhead and work load better than any of us, so only you can tell us what types of signs make up the majority of your days.

If you're doing mostly banners, dibond, coroplast, MDO, dimensional letters or HDU signs, etc.. I'd think a reasonable volume for two experienced and fully capable people in your type of scenario might be between $75k-$100k per person.

$2,500 per week for 50 weeks per year is a $125,000 gross.

How hard do you feel you have to work on a week when you do at least $2,500? Are you doing that much every week? Does a $5,000 week require some really long days? I'm just trying to gauge where you're at before I spout off some figure that you should be doing or consider yourself a failure.

 

[joshGN]

I have a very personal question. First off we are blowing all the previous years in sales this year. It has been great. The question I have is. I have been in business for 10 years. Full time 3-4 years doing this. It is myself and my fiance. We do it out of our house/garage. I know there are a ton of variables. But what would you say my sales should be for the year.
Thanks
Also not trying to steal the thread.

I been doing my own thing since 2006. 1 man band as I like to call it. I work from home. I just built a shop to where I can letter vehicles inside. Most stuff wont fit in a standard garage. I generally do 135k to 150k gross sales a year.

My bread and butter is coroplast yard signs, 100+ pcs and more. I dont do wraps, but I do do vehicle lettering. Banners, alum/signabond and mags would be next.

I'm pretty much a vinyl hack, but it makes me a good living.

 

[reQ]

10:15 pm... getting wrap design ready to print for a fire truck. Business is good, can't complain. As for sales, doing on average 200-250k/year. Can't complain, considering i am 1 man army here lol

 

[klingsdesigns]

10:15 pm... getting wrap design ready to print for a fire truck. Business is good, can't complain. As for sales, doing on average 200-250k/year. Can't complain, considering i am 1 man army here lol

How long have you been doing it full time?

 

[artofacks1]

Wow! Got to seriously consider getting into the wrap game.

I been doing my own thing since 2006. 1 man band as I like to call it. I work from home. I just built a shop to where I can letter vehicles inside. Most stuff wont fit in a standard garage. I generally do 135k to 150k gross sales a year.

My bread and butter is coroplast yard signs, 100+ pcs and more. I dont do wraps, but I do do vehicle lettering. Banners, alum/signabond and mags would be next.

I'm pretty much a vinyl hack, but it makes me a good living.

10:15 pm... getting wrap design ready to print for a fire truck. Business is good, can't complain. As for sales, doing on average 200-250k/year. Can't complain, considering i am 1 man army here lol

 

[klingsdesigns]

You are absolutely right, there a many variables to consider. Are you both skilled at or near journeyman level?

You're obviously beyond a start up, but still working out of the garage unless its huge and you have lots of capabilities will limit your revenue potential. Face it, some bigger companies just won't deal with home based businesses.

Not knowing what types of work you do the most of makes it impossible to arrive at a revenue stream you should be at. The figures another poster suggested seem really high for a home based business with two people working in a small to medium sized midwestern town. That is, unless you have lots of great equipment and are doing mostly higher end, high skill jobs and/or some electrical signs. You know your overhead and work load better than any of us, so only you can tell us what types of signs make up the majority of your days.

If you're doing mostly banners, dibond, coroplast, MDO, dimensional letters or HDU signs, etc.. I'd think a reasonable volume for two experienced and fully capable people in your type of scenario might be between $75k-$100k per person.

$2,500 per week for 50 weeks per year is a $125,000 gross.

How hard do you feel you have to work on a week when you do at least $2,500? Are you doing that much every week? Does a $5,000 week require some really long days? I'm just trying to gauge where you're at before I spout off some figure that you should be doing or consider yourself a failure.

We deal with 90% business owners. Never had anyone complain that we do it out of the house. The garage is a 7ft door which hurts us. I have to use other shops at times. We do banners, canvas prints, cut vinyl, lots of vehicle lettering, dibond signs, not really wraps not enough man hours for us two being so busy. We do a lot of heat transferred shirts which I think we need to stop. I feel like we are wasting time and not making a lot of profit on it. Last year at this time we would be at 16 grand this year we are over 25. We are growing. I picked up a vp 540 3-4 years ago which helped a ton. Looking at a shop with a 52x52 garage and 3 12 ft doors. Also has 2600 sq feet of office and half apartment. I just dont want to take to big of a leap and go under. I feel like i should be doing 125,000 or more in sales a year. Especially for how many hours we put in.

This is our fb site to see more of what we do.

https://www.facebook.com/klingsdesigns

 

[reQ]

How long have you been doing it full time?

will be 5 years in september

 

[reQ]

Wow! Got to seriously consider getting into the wrap game.

Its not only wraps. I do screen printing (mostly wholesale for 2 big sports stores in our city), all kinds of sign and other things that go with sign part. Plus doing engraving/awards etc. 3 years ago picked up window tinting & PPF. That way i always have something to do and right now i have work for all these categories, its why i am working 14-20 hour days, 7 days a week. Making money while i can i guess.

 

[Billct2]

It's not how much you make, it's how much you get to keep.

 

[ddarlak]

It's not how much you make, it's how much you get to keep.

right on brother....

sales are deceiving, how much profit is the real question...

 

[chrisphilipps]

We were slow in January and February but things started to pick up in March, we have been going crazy ever since. We are going to be doing our annual open house this June and will be hosting the Mutoh/Avery wrap class so I don't think it is going to slow down anytime soon. Hopefully it keeps going for all of us.

 

[HulkSmash]

Somewhere between $290,000 and $350,000. for the business.

edit : under a basic 40 hour week for 2 people​

that's a little high in my opinion Gino.

 

[eahicks]

Slammed, since Jan 1. Looking for additional help. Shop of 4, needing a 5th. We were halfway to our sales yearly goal at the end of April. Should hit 1 million this year.