How to be a Successful Sign Shop

[player]

TapeAnchorFacePunch

 

[HDvinyl]

#2, next week.

This thread will have taken a #2 by then.

 

[Z SIGNS]

Some of my best friends have very successful sign sign shops.

We meet often and share ideas,materials,techniques and people.

None of us feels threatened by the other and we all benefit.

It's the 1+1=3 mentality.

 

[AceSignsOnline]

1) Become friends with your fellow shops in your area.


Take your three closest competitors to lunch once a month.
Talk about stuff.

Become friends.

You can trade jobs and employees to everyone's advantage.

Business is a game.


Cost = $65.00



Tell me I am wrong...

#2, next week.

I won't say that you're wrong, but I don't have time for stuff like this. I'm too busy trying to take over the world, and I don't need the help of competitors that spend way too much time trying to keep up with us as it is. It's all about me, me, and more me. I couldn't care less about working to "everyone's advantage". Maybe that makes me an a-hole, but I'm okay with that, too.

 

[J Hill Designs]

"I'm not as dumb as I look"

I'm calling BS

 

[Marlene]

we have other sign shops that we are friendly with and some that are frenemies. the friendly we do some stuff for as they don't do electrical or have a crane and we don't do hand painting. the frenemies get jobs referred to them that I just don't want any part of

 

[ddarlak]

I won't say that you're wrong, but I don't have time for stuff like this. I'm too busy trying to take over the world, and I don't need the help of competitors that spend way too much time trying to keep up with us as it is. It's all about me, me, and more me. I couldn't care less about working to "everyone's advantage". Maybe that makes me an a-hole, but I'm okay with that, too.

AMEN, you can have the kumbaya chit and keep it...

 

[Gino]

With around 125 sign shops within a 5 mile radius, I'd be spending all my time and all my money on them.

We've groomed the sign shops we wanted to align ourselves with and that's the end of it. We have cook-outs or get-togethers and we all chip in and have fun. Your idea sounds nice, but I don't think you worded it right. Again, not one of your strong suits.

As for names............. My deceased Mother-in-law's favorite word for someone like you was sh!t@ss, but I always translated it to Sh!t for Brains. Seems to fit better. Machs nix.

 

[nikdoobs]

How to Be An Unsuccessful Sign Shop

1) Waste time reading bullsh!t threads like this on signs101.com

Tell me I am wrong...

#2, next week.

 

[BobM]

I'd rather take Jillbeans to lunch ( and some day I will )to thank her for all the nice design work she does for me. That's a much better way to improve my business.

 

[Shadowglen]

So ignoring the point seems to be a strong suit for you.

You do not want to address the fact that you are condescending, so you put on your grammar Nazi boots and spin it as would a politician.

Message Boards and forum are set up for people to visit, exchange ideas, ask questions and yes to have a little fun. Most people do not get all auto correct and punctuation crazy on a message board that is already littered with emoticons and acronyms. Most questions and responses are short and to the point.

You called yourself arrogant. Thank you for doing that as I do not call people names, but I do love it when one self admits to their fault, even if they think it is a good thing.

I will not debate the importance of grammar on signs, because we all know it is important and if you do not think so you will not last.

Most use this message board to learn, to share, and to interact with other professionals in the same types of businesses. You spend your time on this board simply reading through post after post until you find something you disagree with and jump all over it. You are a keyboard ninja! Yes, opinions are important, but so is tact. You lack anything resembling tact. If you do not get the praise from others, you give it to yourself and tell everyone how great you are and bluntly that they are stupid.

I have come across others through the years that are as unpleasant as you. Usually they were people who started out in some business humble, eager to please, and motivated to do well and win over customers. Their business grows the money flows, and suddenly they think they know everything, and they feel superior to everyone else. On the other hand, I also know many people that have taken the same path and done well with their businesses that remained humble and polite. They also share their knowledge in friendly tactful ways. Those seem to be the people I focus on in Life and value as friends.

 

[Biker Scout]

Money is nothing but a tool. It's how you use it that shapes life's experiences. But the one thing that I've learned about what money does to people: It amplifies your traits.

• Jerk while Poor = A-hole when Rich
• Humble while Poor = Gracious when Rich

I've never seen money turn angry, bitter crotchety know-it-alls into pleasant, helpful kindhearted souls. NEVER.

(Oh, btw... self deprecating humor isn't a form of humility. It's a lackadaisical way to say to the world that you are selfish and proud of it, because you recognize your faults but completely unwilling to change)

 

[FS-Keith]

but the one thing that i've learned about what money does to people: It amplifies your traits.

• jerk while poor = a-hole when rich
• humble while poor = gracious when rich

so true

 

[p3]

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

 

[Joe Diaz]

Maybe I'm taking this post the wrong way, maybe it was worded the wrong way. I don't know. If I am or if it is, then I apologize in advance. I'm friends with some sign makers close-by (or anyone for that mater) because they are good people, we share a lot in common and I enjoy their company, not because I hope our business will profit from that relationship. That to me doesn't seem like a friendship. A business partnership maybe. Grabbing a bite to eat with a fellow sign maker just to get to know them better is great. Having a business relationship turn into a friendship is great too. But remember, we are talking about people here not some tool we can use because "business is a game". I'm sure we all know people that are only friendly to others because they want something... Is that what you want to become? That is not a friendship and it's not the way to be a successful sign shop.

I'm not sure if I can claim our business is successful compared to what others define is a successful business, I just know that working hard, learning from your mistakes and trying to improve every day has managed to keep our doors open and has led to a pretty good life for me and the whole family. If you want friends just be a friend.

 

[Rick]

Finally figured out who this is....

How to be a successful sign shop?
Inherit a successful family business.

How to screw up a successful business?
The few designers and SEGD members here
on this forum, that are in your area, and have
design work on your site, remove your business
from their preferred vendor list... Why? Because
here are plenty of other sign shops who's
owners/former owners are actually nice people.

I can't imagine being stuck working with you...
I will relieve myself of that burden by adjusting
all my clients preferred vendor list.

 

[DigiPrinter]

So ignoring the point seems to be a strong suit for you.

You do not want to address the fact that you are condescending, so you put on your grammar Nazi boots and spin it as would a politician.

Message Boards and forum are set up for people to visit, exchange ideas, ask questions and yes to have a little fun. Most people do not get all auto correct and punctuation crazy on a message board that is already littered with emoticons and acronyms. Most questions and responses are short and to the point.

You called yourself arrogant. Thank you for doing that as I do not call people names, but I do love it when one self admits to their fault, even if they think it is a good thing.

I will not debate the importance of grammar on signs, because we all know it is important and if you do not think so you will not last.

Most use this message board to learn, to share, and to interact with other professionals in the same types of businesses. You spend your time on this board simply reading through post after post until you find something you disagree with and jump all over it. You are a keyboard ninja! Yes, opinions are important, but so is tact. You lack anything resembling tact. If you do not get the praise from others, you give it to yourself and tell everyone how great you are and bluntly that they are stupid.

I have come across others through the years that are as unpleasant as you. Usually they were people who started out in some business humble, eager to please, and motivated to do well and win over customers. Their business grows the money flows, and suddenly they think they know everything, and they feel superior to everyone else. On the other hand, I also know many people that have taken the same path and done well with their businesses that remained humble and polite. They also share their knowledge in friendly tactful ways. Those seem to be the people I focus on in Life and value as friends.

+1

 

[TyrantDesigner]

I'll go hang out with just about any of my 'competitors' mainly because there really isn't such a thing as competition if you only compete with yourself to produce the best product you can. That and you aren't trying to be the cheapest in town. They can do things I can't, I can do a whole lot that they can't.

 

[ColoPrinthead]

The fish are biting today. Stanton seems like a slightly more intelligent yet equally stooopid Addie. I miss Buto's contributions and those of other >175s.

 

[thesignexpert]

Perhaps we are fortunate here in Ohio but I swear that every single shop owner I have met over the years is professional, kind and courteous. I honestly cannot remember ever having a bad experience with anyone. We all have something in common, we all seem to want to do good work, we all want to treat our clients well and we all want to be decent people. I wonder how much of a individual's experience with other shops is colored by personal expectations. I assume that we all are basically good people and try to treat everyone else accordingly. You have to prove to me that you are a jerk and folks rarely do.