Have you found a certain product/service to be of value to your shop that added to the mix well. With our shop we had laser engraving (Epilog Helix) and did a ton of name plates, tags, but were mostly small jobs, ran a lot thru it, but based on cost of the equipment was not a real money maker. We also tried sublimation, mugs, and other things, fun, but spent more $ on ink for cleaning than we made. And the fact they were all small jobs, fun, but... We also had a Direct to Garment printer (Brother) always broke down on large runs of 50 or more T shirts, (did all the daily maintence but still had lots of issues with it) lost money on it, due to heads getting plugged up frequently, Liked all the above but none were stand alone profit centers. Is there something now that can be a stand alone profit center, that every tom dick and harry retail store do not have? Seeing lots of lasers in craft, and tourist type shops using to personalize stuff. Thanks
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New Profit Center For Your Sign Shop
- Thread starter Hal Smith
- Start date
Sindex Printing
New Member
Digital copy printing.
I actually started with offset printing and digital copy printing. Then went into large format and signs work, then went to laser cutting and engraving, then dye sublimation, then cnc router work, now just signed financing for a smaller uv printer for promotional items.
My biggest profit area is
1. Offset printing (total volume has been shrinking over the last three years). This has a great margin but the digital copy work is taken this over
2. Digital copy printing (higher volume of work)
3. Large format/sign work.
4. Laser cutting and engraving. (Also finishing support for digital copy printing)
5. Cnc router work.
6. Dye sublimation. Very profitable but just have small jobs and smaller invoicing.
I would say for expansion of a company I would consider digital copy work if it isn't part of the services. (Key us getting a competitive click rate and paper prices.)
I actually started with offset printing and digital copy printing. Then went into large format and signs work, then went to laser cutting and engraving, then dye sublimation, then cnc router work, now just signed financing for a smaller uv printer for promotional items.
My biggest profit area is
1. Offset printing (total volume has been shrinking over the last three years). This has a great margin but the digital copy work is taken this over
2. Digital copy printing (higher volume of work)
3. Large format/sign work.
4. Laser cutting and engraving. (Also finishing support for digital copy printing)
5. Cnc router work.
6. Dye sublimation. Very profitable but just have small jobs and smaller invoicing.
I would say for expansion of a company I would consider digital copy work if it isn't part of the services. (Key us getting a competitive click rate and paper prices.)
FatCat
New Member
I was in the offset/digital printing industry for over 14 years prior to starting my company and going wide format and signs back in 2008.
I can still do what I did, and could easily add a few digital presses or copiers, but I won't because it isn't worth it to me. I think it would only work if you're in the right area with lots of businesses that use forms, and still do things old school. My buddy up in Cleveland still stays busy with his digital presses and copiers, but here in Columbus most businesses have brought all that in-house, buying their own machines and printing forms and such themselves.
I can still do what I did, and could easily add a few digital presses or copiers, but I won't because it isn't worth it to me. I think it would only work if you're in the right area with lots of businesses that use forms, and still do things old school. My buddy up in Cleveland still stays busy with his digital presses and copiers, but here in Columbus most businesses have brought all that in-house, buying their own machines and printing forms and such themselves.
I bought a low end label printer a few years ago because a customer promised tons of regular business. It turned out that he made two big runs of 100,000 for initial inventory. After that I didn’t hear from him and we only found a few additional short run jobs that made sense on our equipment. Eventually I sold the equipment because it was costing money to maintain. My lesson - Finding customers is the hard part, I should have bought the labels wholesale while I looked for enough customers to justify buying new equipment.
iPrintStuff
Prints stuff
When we invested in the flexa miura we managed to contain the can of worms that was the COVID pandemic.
In June we beat our previous monthly sales record by 250% and couldn’t have done it without the flexa. Managed to get three or four huge contracts that wouldn’t have been possible if we had to cut down the jobs by hand. This thing can do in 15-30 mins what a couple employees can do in a day.
It meant we could offer higher discounts on bulk runs as it required a lot less user intervention meaning we could compete on those contracts where we’d have been screwed otherwise.
In June we beat our previous monthly sales record by 250% and couldn’t have done it without the flexa. Managed to get three or four huge contracts that wouldn’t have been possible if we had to cut down the jobs by hand. This thing can do in 15-30 mins what a couple employees can do in a day.
It meant we could offer higher discounts on bulk runs as it required a lot less user intervention meaning we could compete on those contracts where we’d have been screwed otherwise.
Volume of production - cost of equipment - offer large discounts on price. Does that mean I have the same amount of profit in my pocket at the end if the month ? Oh yeah dont forget ths rainy days that always come . I like to learn to do more work without spending 00,000.00 on the new magic machine.
iPrintStuff
Prints stuff
I like less work and more money. We got ROI in a week on the flexa so I’d say that’s pretty magic.
Gotta spend money to make money..
Gotta spend money to make money..
Vinyl slayer
New Member
Before we had our flatbed printer, it was all vinyl - mounted to substrates.
The capabilities of printing direct to the substrate has been wonderful. Super game changer for us. not a recent change for us... but if your doing a lot of coro/foamcore/ultraboard/acm... etc. a direct print flat bed printer is, well now that I'm used to it - necessary! way less time spent in production = less time = less cost. Plus, it's now just the cost of the substrate vs printed & laminated vinyl mounted to substrate (and of course the other expenses factored in, which is not my know how). just the valued minions perspective
I cannot chime in on the actual costs and profit part... but I get regular annual raises, and business is good so...
I'm the production manager that has to make it all happen. That said, getting a UV flat bed printer has completely changed our game. We've had it for about 4 years, (getting sick of the HP Scitex issues, and now looking into an Agfa.)
It is true though, printers are only making money when they are printing... gotta have the need for it, as you have learned
The capabilities of printing direct to the substrate has been wonderful. Super game changer for us. not a recent change for us... but if your doing a lot of coro/foamcore/ultraboard/acm... etc. a direct print flat bed printer is, well now that I'm used to it - necessary! way less time spent in production = less time = less cost. Plus, it's now just the cost of the substrate vs printed & laminated vinyl mounted to substrate (and of course the other expenses factored in, which is not my know how). just the valued minions perspective
I cannot chime in on the actual costs and profit part... but I get regular annual raises, and business is good so...
I'm the production manager that has to make it all happen. That said, getting a UV flat bed printer has completely changed our game. We've had it for about 4 years, (getting sick of the HP Scitex issues, and now looking into an Agfa.)
It is true though, printers are only making money when they are printing... gotta have the need for it, as you have learned
Notarealsignguy
Arial - it's almost helvetica
True but you don't have to borrow money to make money
James Burke
Being a grandpa is more fun than working
Hmmmmmm......well, by the way they're lined up a good stretch down the sidewalk at our local (MJ) dispensary, I'd have to say the idea has crossed my mind.
While doing research one day, I surmised the average sale is somewhere in the neighborhood of $50. Given the fact that they allow six patrons in at a time, that equates to roughly $300 per ten-minute time slot....which makes for $1,800 per hour flowing into the till. They're open 9 a.m to 9 p.m...which brings the daily haul to $21,600.
But in my neck of the woods, it appears many of the connoisseurs gravitate toward the concentrates...and that pushes up the average to well over $75 per sale....bringing the daily grand total to a paltry $32,400. Oh, by the way....they're open every day. So that makes makes for a whoppin' total of $226,800 a week (on the high side). Yep...really high.
Now, I'm not too keen on their wholesale prices, but given the average 40% markup on retail inventory, they're clearing approximately $90,000 a week before overhead, payroll and taxes. And since it's a 100% cash business, there'd probably be some extra expense in keeping hand sanitizer close by while handling all that dirty money.
So heck yeah...I'd say that'd make for one helluva new profit center...without ever having to turn on a machine...or go out on an install.
(Did I mention that there are two dispensaries within three doors of each other? And two doors down...in the other direction...a guy set up a "glass shop"). And if I were a betting man, I'd guess that the Little Debbie and Lays potato chip drivers now have to make three or four deliveries per week to the local gas station, instead of just one.
And one more thing...the 2019 population of this sleepy little village was only 998 people! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading,_Michigan
Reading is a quasi "border town" It's roughly 15 minutes from both Ohio and Indiana, essentially making it a hotbed for canni-toruism. One well-seasoned (and barely post-pubescent) stoner I queried said that he and his comrade had traveled 2-1/2 hours.
JB
While doing research one day, I surmised the average sale is somewhere in the neighborhood of $50. Given the fact that they allow six patrons in at a time, that equates to roughly $300 per ten-minute time slot....which makes for $1,800 per hour flowing into the till. They're open 9 a.m to 9 p.m...which brings the daily haul to $21,600.
But in my neck of the woods, it appears many of the connoisseurs gravitate toward the concentrates...and that pushes up the average to well over $75 per sale....bringing the daily grand total to a paltry $32,400. Oh, by the way....they're open every day. So that makes makes for a whoppin' total of $226,800 a week (on the high side). Yep...really high.
Now, I'm not too keen on their wholesale prices, but given the average 40% markup on retail inventory, they're clearing approximately $90,000 a week before overhead, payroll and taxes. And since it's a 100% cash business, there'd probably be some extra expense in keeping hand sanitizer close by while handling all that dirty money.
So heck yeah...I'd say that'd make for one helluva new profit center...without ever having to turn on a machine...or go out on an install.
(Did I mention that there are two dispensaries within three doors of each other? And two doors down...in the other direction...a guy set up a "glass shop"). And if I were a betting man, I'd guess that the Little Debbie and Lays potato chip drivers now have to make three or four deliveries per week to the local gas station, instead of just one.
And one more thing...the 2019 population of this sleepy little village was only 998 people! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading,_Michigan
Reading is a quasi "border town" It's roughly 15 minutes from both Ohio and Indiana, essentially making it a hotbed for canni-toruism. One well-seasoned (and barely post-pubescent) stoner I queried said that he and his comrade had traveled 2-1/2 hours.
JB
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Precision
New Member
I would say "Brokering" work I am not capable of doing, or can do cheaper partnering with a sign wholesale/installer. Nothing too small when we go in this direction.
Channel letters, monuments, pole signs etc. We try to partner with a reputable company and at least make a piece of something off these larger projects.
Channel letters, monuments, pole signs etc. We try to partner with a reputable company and at least make a piece of something off these larger projects.
MelloImagingTechnologies
Many years in the Production Business
Agfa is a good printer- just a little pricey.Before we had our flatbed printer, it was all vinyl - mounted to substrates.
The capabilities of printing direct to the substrate has been wonderful. Super game changer for us. not a recent change for us... but if your doing a lot of coro/foamcore/ultraboard/acm... etc. a direct print flat bed printer is, well now that I'm used to it - necessary! way less time spent in production = less time = less cost. Plus, it's now just the cost of the substrate vs printed & laminated vinyl mounted to substrate (and of course the other expenses factored in, which is not my know how). just the valued minions perspective
I cannot chime in on the actual costs and profit part... but I get regular annual raises, and business is good so...
I'm the production manager that has to make it all happen. That said, getting a UV flat bed printer has completely changed our game. We've had it for about 4 years, (getting sick of the HP Scitex issues, and now looking into an Agfa.)
It is true though, printers are only making money when they are printing... gotta have the need for it, as you have learned
Look at Vanguard.
DaveD
New Member
what was your method before the DTG printer? Did you just do cut vinyl heat transfers for printed heat transfers? I have a heat press but the time it takes to print to a heat transfer vinyl, cut, weed and mask seems to cumbersome.
Stacey K
I like making signs
For quantities under 15 I did mostly HTV but I ordered out a ton of screen print transfers and just press them myself. The problem comes in when you have 3+ colors vs. quantity was a losing deal for me because of the transfer costs.
If you have one or two color and like 24-100+ to make, just order a screen printed transfer, they apply in 5-7 seconds and are just as good and as fast as screen printing. Transfer Express or 613 Originals is where I usually go. I still order a good deal of transfers out but 1-2 color only. 3+ color I make them in-house now.