Markdown On Signs For Reselling?

[Sven]

I've been getting a few business who need large format printing ask me to give them a break on banners, posters, vinyl-on-foam-core, etc so they can re-sell and make a bit of a profit. What is a typical or reasonable markdown for pricing such things?

 

[StarSign]

We base the discount on how much work we are doing. Is the file print ready, do I have to trim and grommet.

 

[SIGNTIME]

We base the discount on how much work we are doing. Is the file print ready, do I have to trim and grommet.

+1 you gotta also consider the time saved for not having to do any proofing and going back and forth with the customer

 

[OldPaint]

ARE THEY .........in the trade???? sign shop or broker? broker........charge em double.....pain in the arses.... it the trade, but not competing with you? or are they competition?
i got a guy here will do printing for me @$3.50 sq ft.....so i can make a little

 

[Techman]

wow, we can't have that joe.. He charging you way to much,, Let me do the printing for 2 a ft.

 

[OldPaint]

I got another offer of $1.98 sq ft.........wana match it????????? hahahahahahahahaha
]

 

[neil_se]

I give a 20% trade/reseller discount (and no artwork charges).

 

[GoodPeopleFlags]

I'd say 10% - 15%. You're not a wholesaler and the discount you give to someone else means less money in your pocket. There is slightly less involved, but it's still your time, your equipment, your overhead, your experience... don't feel obligated to earn less because someone else wants to make more.

 

[TheSnowman]

I give all the people who want me to wholesale for them a smokin deal. Normally when someone offers me 10% or even 20%, it's rarely worth my time for that much dealing with the customer, and if I do use them, it's very minimal. I normally always find someone that does it for less that's more set up for wholesale. It's not always amazing money, but I just prioritize those customers, give them great service, and over time, it's been good for me. I have great relationships with about 5 or 6 different photography studios and designers in town, and lots of times I'm getting big orders and never dealing with the customers, and wasting my time with designs. I enjoy the production end of stuff, so that helps too.

 

[CanuckSigns]

It all depends on how well they set everything up on their end, if they send you a print ready file that you can just load the machine and print, I would offer a decent discount, say 30% off retail.

but if our experiences are anything to go by, you will get a bunch of crappy files that they will expect you to tinker with so it looks like a million bucks, and if it doesn't come out perfect, it's your fault, and guess who gets to pay to reprint it.

offer to print their first job for 20% off retail and see how they are to work with, if they are good! go with it, if they are anything like I described above! let them go quick!

 

[Gene@mpls]

No wholesale.

 

[Jester1167]

That's a tough one. I have worked with companies that are more trouble than your typical retail clients and others that were a pleasure to work with, you just never know. You might start them off with by telling them that your wholesale prices are 30% but there's an education process in the beginning and you'll give them 15% on the first order. Future discounts will be determined by the amount of file prep and color tweaking required. If they give you files ready to rip and print then they will get the 30% discount. If not, charge them accordingly. If they are a PITA, let them know you've determined that wholesale doesn't fit with your current business plan.

Also keep in mind that you don't want them to be able to compete with you on the same products in your market so realistically you're giving them high retail with a 30% discount.

 

[FatCat]

I give all the people who want me to wholesale for them a smokin deal. Normally when someone offers me 10% or even 20%, it's rarely worth my time for that much dealing with the customer, and if I do use them, it's very minimal. I normally always find someone that does it for less that's more set up for wholesale. It's not always amazing money, but I just prioritize those customers, give them great service, and over time, it's been good for me. I have great relationships with about 5 or 6 different photography studios and designers in town, and lots of times I'm getting big orders and never dealing with the customers, and wasting my time with designs. I enjoy the production end of stuff, so that helps too.

I agree 100%, who is going to worry about sending you print files if they are only going to make 10-20% on a $100.00 (retail) banner? For banners, adhesive vinyl, decals and other common vinyl goods my wholesale customers usually can make about 30-40%. Some of them do $10k+/year with us, so while we're not making great money, we're still making money and sometimes things they can't or don't want to do (installs, vehicles) are automatically referred to us to handle. Also, it helps when things are slow and to keep the printers going even when we're not super busy.

However, I wills stress that you take the good with the bad. One of our big wholesale accounts can send us 1-2 2x3 posters one week, and then 20 banners the next week. So often, it's hit or miss as far as always getting work that is worth doing. However, every little bit helps and I'd rather have a small piece of something than all of nothing.