If you could start over what would you buy and why

Before answering, a couple of questions for you.

What is your current skill set?

Do you want to/not want to add to this skill set?

Are you already in the industry or thinking about entering?

I ask the above questions because the answers you get to yours will vary greatly depending on the answers you give.

 

instead of a sp300v a vp540

not a cheap POS ebay heat press

 

2 words. Silver Eagles. LOTS of em.

 

Stock in apple

 

Something other than my daige laminator. Love my mimaki.

 

Gold and lots of it!

 

May get better responses by asking what people WOULD NOT buy again if they started over.

Bad Purchases:
Speed Press Kit (in the dustbin)
Excel 5000 Photo Plate Epoxy kit (now in 2nd life as decal doming UV open)
Mug Wraps & Oven - wasn't alot of money, but mugs have not been a big seller. We use mugs as gifts/givaways now. Buy $1000 worth of stuff? We'll suprise you with your art on a mug for free.


Best Buy Ever:
Big Squeegee - pound for pound the most productive money we ever spent.

Other good purchases:
Mutoh 1604 - Been a workhourse
Graphtec Plotter - Wish it was bigger
Ricoh GX7000 Sublimation printer - Wish I could dump sawgrass ink & use bulk system
PhoenixPhire 16x20 Auto Clamshell heat press - Great Craigslist buy
Juki sewing machine

On the fence...
Universal 50w Laser Engraver. We use it alot, but it does not attract big high margin jobs like the Mutoh does. 5 years ago we were 90% laser stuff, and 10% signs & misc. Now it is the other way around. I would make more money selling the laser and buying something else that makes a more profitable product.

Things i want that we can't buy yet:
CNC router
Panel Saw
Metal Shear
Paint Booth
Graphics Screen Press (like a Cameo/Saturn) <---waiting to pounce on a closeout sale

 

banners and signs is the lions share lately...

What kind of signs... anything you can stick a print to.
Sometimes mags, coro, aluminum, steel... MDO, A-Frames... all the regular stuff.

We also do trophies & awards, so after banners and signs we do those the most. I do want to expand that side of the business, because it is less custom work. That business can move online easily.

 

Without even getting out of bed.

 

no.. you definitely have to get out of bed.

I think he can do $80-100k in gross sales pretty easy, but more work to make that the profit number.

It is a bad thing to be a home based business but base your sales goals and profit decision by using bad numbers when calculating profitablity.

Even though he is working out of his house, and working by himself, the business needs to pay it's overhead (rent, electric, phone, insurance, gas, vehicle expenses) and his labor costs. If he makes $100k in net business profit (after taxes) after all that then I think he will have to do at least $300k in gross sales. Gross a grand a day.. without getting out of bed?? Please show me how! If he does not do this then he will find it difficult to grow when he exceeds his work capacity. He will not be able to afford to rent a place to expand, or hire an employee

Be careful with your business plan calculations.

We sublimate some plates, usually black text on gold dynasub. I am going to buy a laser printer and use subtoner.com toner for just doing black plates. lots cheaper than the gx7000 sawgrass ink... and no clogs! We also engrave plates with the laser... just depends on what the job calls for. Last week I did a 800+ piece medal job and we printed the 2" inserts on 3165 Oracal, Laminated and contour cut them. For short run medals we would have used a dynasub 2" disk.


DO not get me wrong... Awards is an inventory intensive business. There are thousands of parts/figures/bases/components for hundreds of different sports. Large trophy dealers get bulk pricing and discounted shipping. You have to make smart purchasing decisions.

 

yeah but just for coffee and then back to bed with all the hotties from the easy money. That's my business plan and I'm sticking with it.

 

A degree in something other than graphic arts

 

Degree?

Here's your stinkin degree.