I need help!

[Newatthis123]

Hi, I want to open a Small home business, I'm a stay at home mom to 4 children and I need to make a little extra to pay for the kids hockey, it's costing me a lot and next year I will have 4 in hockey.

Anyhoo I was set on getting a Roland GX-24 but I came across a print company selling there Roland CJ-60 model for $1000.00, here it might be helpful if I copy and paste the email she sent me

"Thanks for your inquiry. We still have the Cammjet (factory picture attached). I think it's the CJ-60 model (see: www.rolanddga.com/rnet30/files/support/cj70-60user.pdf ). We've been keeping it as a backup for one of our other cutters but we're running out of space. I'm not sure if the printing part still works (probably just need to clear the lines and printheads as it's been sitting idle for a while) but the cutter works well.
We'd be looking to get around $1,000 for it."

I guess what I am asking is what is a better deal? I'm wanting to make home decor, maybe some signs, possibly banners the odd t-shirt for the kids at hockey.

Thanks guys :U Rock:

 

[DOGraphics]

:Welcome: 2 :signs101:

 

[Jillbeans]

CriCut is only $49.99
http://www.4cricut.com/?cid=453591

 

[TheSnowman]

Bingo Jill!

 

[Newatthis123]

Thanks I am aware of what a Cricut is, although very cool for crafts, it's not what I'm looking for. I looking to have a small home business like this
http://www.signsandwondersdecor.com/
So please if someome can take me seriously, (yes I am just a mom, that can't afford daycare but I need help just like everyone else) I don't have a lot of money and have been saving our money for this. So can someone tell me what plotter is better, thanks so much.

 

[RebeckaR]

Sounds like the person selling the printer isn't really sure what they have.
My reaction to that is to tell you to run, run away.
You do not need the printer and having all the extra stuff that comes with the printer just brings along more things that can go wrong with it.

Do some more research if you're not sure what to buy. Roland is good, so is Graphtec, so is Summa. Good equipment is not cheap. Buy the best you can afford.

 

[coyote]

Graphtec makes a 15" plotter (CE5000/Craft Robo pro) that sells for under $1000. It will only cut vinyl, not print, but if you want to start simple and work your way up, it's a great way to go. You can do your wall words, banners etc without getting into all the design/color/printing issues that come with full color printing. It comes with its own software, which will allow you to do simple lettering and you can graduate to a more complicated program like Illustrator or Corel.

You just plain can't compete with full service sign shops,franchises and Internet stores-try to make your own market with craft fairs, house parties-the kind of stuff sign shops won't bother with. In fact, see if the hockey teams would like for you to do their signs and banners for them-that could expand out to other teams at the schools-PTA, etc. You can have a market that fits your life and experience.

Or, you could run for vice President....
C

 

[TheSnowman]

Or, you could run for vice President....

Boooooooo!

 

[anotherdog]

Or, you could run for vice President....
C

Yaaaaaaaay!

 

[MariaMartini]

:Welcome:

I too am a mom trying to avoid daycare costs and stay home with my son.

I did however learn a lot from working at a sign shop before my son was born.

As I was told here when I joined the forum, there is a lot to learn when it comes to the sign business as well as being a business owner. I am still having trouble learning all the tax laws and whatnot.

I've put at least $3000 into my business so far and I'm doing everything relatively low cost. Though, I am going more the sign route vs. home decorations.

I purchased a Graphtec CE5000-60 from Specialty-Graphics.com (I got 5% off for being a member of t-shirtforums.com). Before the discount it is $1,395.00.

Good luck!

 

[Newatthis123]

Thanks so much guys, I agree with starting out small and not complicating things with a printer/cutter. It just seemed like a great deal. I was leaning towards getting a Roland but I like how Graphtec has software. I just want to get a quality machine for a decent price, if this doesn't work out I can just walk a way from it or become vice president except I live in Canada not Alaska

 

[OneUpTenn]

Good Luck to you...got kids in sports myself (softball) and it gets very very very expensive just watch your bottom line and make sure you are not giving the stuff away just to pay for your equipment...that makes a hobby and not a business...so says the IRS.

 

[Checkers]

I'm a stay at home mom to 4 children and I need to make a little extra

with 4 kids in sports, when will you have time to make money?!?!

Seriously though, and don't take it personally, it really sounds like you have no idea of what you're getting into.
Before you even entertain a plotter, do you have a good computer and software to run it?
Do you know how to use either the plotter and/or software to make a sellable product?
Do you have the space and the additional tools needed to make signs and heat transfers?
Do you have enough capital to invest into inventory so you can make some products to show and sell?
How do you plan to market this stuff?
Who are you going to market this stuff to?
Do you know what you're going to charge?
Do you know what you need to charge to make money, or more importantly, profit?
Do you know what your competition is charging for similar products and services?
Do you have vendors that will sell you materials at the wholeale level?

Anyway, you should get the idea. I'm by no means trying to discourage you. However, if I only had a $1,000 to spend, I would not attempt to go into the sign and/or graphics business. To do what you want to do, I would estimate that you would need at least $3k to $5k to acquire what you need to become what could remotely be considered a profitable hobby.

Checkers

 

[jiarby]

Why not get a skillet and a spoon and start a catering business making muffins or something.

 

[Cadmn]

buy a lawn mower & put the kids to work

 

[Newatthis123]

K, this is kind of a bad time for me and I will come back to humour you and answer your questions later but I couldn't read and leave without saying anything.

"with 4 kids in sports, when will you have time to make money?!?!"

As a Woman and mother of 4 children, 2 of them being 3 year old twin boy's, I have been multi tasking there whole life. I am housekeeper, cook, nurse,teacher, taxi driver, fundraiser and I still find time to volunteer, heck I have done all this stuff while my son was on life support for three months,
I also attended college when I had just the two. (found out I was pregnant the day of my grad!) Nothing scares me after having twin boy's! I am up to any challenge and I'll do it with a baby on my hip lol
oh btw I only have 2 children at home, the other 2 are in school and they also sleep (thank gosh) and I have a husband, so I'm not doing this alone.

 

[Newatthis123]

oh and I never once said I only had 1000k to spend but I'll be back later to answer your crazy questions ( I kinda like them, very valid questions)

 

[Newatthis123]

"Why not get a skillet and a spoon and start a catering business making muffins or something."
I'm not your average muffin kind of gal lol

"buy a lawn mower & put the kids to work"
K, you seriously have me thinking about it,
pay for your own hockey dammit, and buy me a new truck while your at it!

 

[Mainframe]

I recommend the Roland, I bought one 10 years ago & I still use it once in a while. I also recommend 2 programs to design with they are Adobe illustrator & Adobe Photoshop, If you can get your hands on someone who knows how to design in illustrator & get them to show you the basics (& also use them to get you out of a jam) it would be a great bonus. You can view sign making videos on youtube & post in here for help. i also recommend a gadget called a speed press, but that all depends on how big your start-up budget is. I am sure you have the spunk it takes to get into this business with your track record & background, the key is to get some books on basic type setting & designing with text, then learn a little about designing with vectors, the hands on of making signs comes with trial & error. My brother has twins & if you can do twins you can do this! good luck & hope I see you in the postings I will help if I can!
ps you may also want to look into a program called flexi- it comes in various levels & is primarily for creating & cuttting & ripping signs you could probably skip the adobe programs if you had flexi

 

[ndemond]

"Why not get a skillet and a spoon and start a catering business making muffins or something."
I'm not your average muffin kind of gal lol

"buy a lawn mower & put the kids to work"
K, you seriously have me thinking about it,
pay for your own hockey dammit, and buy me a new truck while your at it!

Welcome and good luck!