New to Everything...All Advice Welcome

[Gary G]

Hello Everyone. As the title suggests, I know very little about this business, but find it very interesting and look forward to making new friends in the weeks and months ahead. I am in the process of starting a web based business selling skins/covers for PEDs(personal electronic devices). I know what I need for equipment, software, materials needed, and where I can get them. I plan on employing someone that has some knowledge of the equipment and software;maybe part time in the beginning.

I know there are several good sites out there doing this, but I feel there is room for one more as this type of selling is pretty much world wide. Most of these sites can do several hundred different PEDs and I just can't figure out how they get all the different models/sizes of the PEDs so they can make the skin fit. I have read how some people have measured their PEDs and made their skin from those measurments and I understand how that can be done, but how do you get several hundred?? In order for my site to be competative I feel I would have to be able to do at least 150 different PEDs right from the start and build from there.

I plan on using SignLab Print and Cut, so once the information is in the data base it shouldn't be too hard to edit from there and make the skin...so I'm told.

If anyone has any ideas as to how these other sites do this I would be happy to hear from you...actually I would be happy to hear from you if you know or not. All comments are welcome.

 

[BobM]

Welcome to :signs101: from Cape of Cod. Search hard, it's all here somewhere.

 

[Pat Whatley]

Welcome. I would see accurate templates as your biggest hurdle.

Just out of curiosity how many $10 cell phone skins do you have to sell to pay for Sign Lab, a plotter, a printer, a laminator, a website, licensing on stock designs, and an employee to run it all?

 

[Stealth Ryder]

Welcome

 

[JR's]

welcome to signs101

 

[Craig Sjoquist]

Welcome to a outstanding forum and people.

 

[tomence]

:Welcome: to :signs101:

 

[Gino]

Welcome from PA.....................................

 

[anotherdog]

Welcome. I would see accurate templates as your biggest hurdle.

Just out of curiosity how many $10 cell phone skins do you have to sell to pay for Sign Lab, a plotter, a printer, a laminator, a website, licensing on stock designs, and an employee to run it all?

Ditto. I looked at this market myself. It's pretty saturated, plus given shipping costs aren't an issue (small packages) you have a lot of Chinese sites blowing them out on eBay.

Can you sell them by the hundreds?

 

[Big House Signs]

Pat,
The guy who has been doing production for me is moving to Rehoboth and trying to get a job with a company that only does those skins....they have eight employees..thats alot of dam skins! this is her website http://www.decalgirl.com/

 

[signmeup]

So what are these things printed on. The decalgirl site mentions air egress vinyl but it can't be that 3m 180 stuff is it? That stuff's OK for a van but a cell phone? the grid would look hideous.

 

[Baz]

So what are these things printed on. The decalgirl site mentions air egress vinyl but it can't be that 3m 180 stuff is it? That stuff's OK for a van but a cell phone? the grid would look hideous.

@ Signmeup: The grid appeared on the first version of 180. It does not have it anymore.

Personaly i would use a product with a more agressive adhesive than 3M's wrapping material.

Oh and ... Welcome from Québec.

 

[signmeup]

@ Signmeup: The grid appeared on the first version of 180. It does not have it anymore.

Personaly i would use a product with a more agressive adhesive than 3M's wrapping material.

Thanks Baz. What would you use for this?

 

[fmg]

Welcome from CT.....................................

 

[Gary G]

Thank you all for the greetings and comments/questions. Thanks for the site Pat; I'll check it out and yup...gonna take a lot of sales; without question. The skins are just a start as I intend to do more than just skins in the near future. Hello anotherdog. I actually had some samples sent to me from a Chinese company that I was considering doing business with. The material just didn't compare, but I do know what you are saying. I know the material that I was told that was being used...just can't think of the name right now. Have more meetings coming up with the supplier. I know it is 3M material. Yes, Big House Signs I hear that decalgirl is quiet successful. Hay Baz, we're not that far apart. I bought a skin from your neighbour in Toronto...GelaSkins.com they have a good site and I hear they are doing quiet well. The skin fit to a T. Good job. Just wish I knew how they got their information on the PEDs.

 

[Red Ball]

Welcome from the Kingdom of Texas!

Where is your estimated / planned break even point? 12 months? 36 months? Sooner? How many skins would be required per day to reach that target?

I don't mean to p** on your parade but how to compete with companies who have equipment paid for that are already saturating the market.

If your designs are completely original and compelling you may have a chance.

 

[Gary G]

Hi Red Ball. How are things in Texas? Thanks for your questions and comments. The business won't be just skins. They are the start. There's going to be a learning curve and I don't expect to make much for a couple years. Also this will; at first be a home based business. This should keep the costs down a bit. I have 500 to 600 sq. ft. in my basement that the business will be run out of until it shows what it can do. I will be selling in the same range as everyone else and I do plan on having a lot of original product so I feel I stand as much chance as the rest when it comes to people buying. Hope this answers some of your questions.

 

[Pat Whatley]

Well more power to you then. You sound like you've looked at the competition factor, and all the other challenges associated with it and you're ready to take that on. That's pretty damn ambitious....and admirable. Good luck to you, hope you do extremely well with it.

 

[davidcarr87]

Gary, first off...another welcome from texas on the east side...
and...i dont know how the skins are gonna sell..i started out cutting stickers for cars and stuff..i had a retail direc tv business and i would sub out all of the vinyl stuff...
so i advertised to all of my direc tv customers...
and when i did get a vinyl job..i would just call up the guy and tell him what i needed..
i did that with a few people..they cut me discounts..and then i started selling stickers so much i had to use them all(4-7 suppliers) and they were still not able to do everything i needed plus keep up with their business...

so here i am...i have thought about cell phone skins and laptop skins and stuff...
but haven really looked into it much..but i personally wouldnt depend on just this to keep the business running..i would go ahead and branch out..def do it if you have the equipment..its gotta pay for itself..ya know??

may not be the best advice..but there it is

 

[slappy]

welcome from pa! As someone that inherited a sign shop from a building we purchased to sell truck accessories and not knowing a thing about signmaking, 6 years later i'm still learning. best of luck!

 

[Gary G]

Thank you very much Pat. I know it won't be easy, but that's life. If I can't get the information I need on the PEDs I may have to rethink my plan of attack. I do know that I have to be able to offer 100 to 200 devices that I can put skins on and to do this I have to figure out what the other guys did. A lot of the other sites can do many many PEDs so the information is out there; just have to figure out how they got it.

Good to hear from you a2z. Thanks for joining in. I totally agree with you. The equipment should be working if at all possible, no matter what it is doing. It all adds up at the end of the day. That is the secret...keep things moving.