Old Shop with New Future in the Works

[signguypgh]

Hi there everybody!

I've read this forum on and off the last few months. I'm currently working with my father, attempting an upgrade on our sign shop located in a small suburb outside of Pittsburgh, PA.

The project is quite the challenge, and I look forward to reading more about the biz here. The shop started out years ago as a hand painted shop. Paper signs, office door lettering, ect. I have fond memories of the 4b that was in our old location years ago. I was probably 7 at the time. The noises! beep a doodle bee doo doodle beep beep, every curve, every time.

So now the challenges. We never had any major upgrades to the shop, no digital printing, no equipment. Mainly my dad doing install work with a pickup truck, ladders and a vinyl cutter (24"!). I seriously think its amazing he's made it this far with so little, but mainly these days he's more electrician than sign guy. Still making stuff, but most of the money is on service and install of channel letters, sign faces, that kind of stuff.

I'm trying to figure out new ways to expand. We remodeled our shop, which was more like a dingy garage before. We'll be able to bring in vehicles now. I was able to score a gerber 408, lightly used, at a steep discount. I plan to expand into displays, carvings, dimensional, and highly creative stuff. On the opposite end, I'm building up a strategy to expand the outdoor installations that we already are doing, with the hopes we can eventually streamline and sell off that more "construction" end of the business when my dad is ready to retire.

I also used to make my own retail apparel, and have lots of consumer related businesses (signs and apparel both) that I want to get going, so the shop is also getting more setup as a prototyping studio for those things as well (we have the space, so why not!).

Anyway, I'm interested to learn more about what other shops are doing. Our market isn't the best, and there are lots of low ballers out there driving down prices. Any tips on breaking out into the install biz with more customers is surly welcome

Thanks for listening!

 

[James Burke]

...which was more like a dingy garage before.

Awesome story, rich in history with very deep roots. I only wish I could have had a similar experience with my dad. I started my monument and stone engraving shop ten years ago, and I'm still running some of his auto body shop equipment (air compressor and air tools) from almost fifty years ago.

He will have been gone three years next month, and whenever I hear that compressor kick on I always think of him.

Please...don't ever apologize for humble beginnings...ever!


JB

 

[decalman]

Very interesting story.
Don't feel bad about small equipment. If you know how to tweak what you have, you can successfully be more creative than someone whos got the top notch printer. I have heard it once said" it's not the camera, it's the photographer".

Your in a small suburb, there is hopefully some demand for certain signage. Vehicles , trucks, or whatever. I've learned that you got to find a market, or some sort of demand. A niche, and then go after it

 

[OldPaint]

best way to keep on keepin on......go find more jobs.....build a business then buy equipment. for now that 24" cutter can do most of your vinyl work. depending on your work coming in you can look for a 30-48" cutter but dont jump deep in debt watch craiglist/ebay. as for printing stuff SIGNS 365 does all of mine. i cant build banners for the price i get them from 365.
iam from the other side of the burgh....burgettstown/avella/weirton w.va
left there 1981..............moved to sarasota fl then to here in pensacola.

 

[visual800]

I wouldnt worry about buying anymore stuff right now. You can use signs365 for all prints, signs2trade for banners....there is so many sources out there, I really see no need for the small guy to go in debt for this equipment....YES! Im a small guy too

 

[signguypgh]

Thanks for all the comments.

Signs365 is exactly what I am looking for. After watching the business for a while it quickly set in that digital really couldn't be our thing. Unless it is a few standard products, I really don't see us cranking out tons of little stuff. The wholesalers are definitely the way to go.

Since we already do mostly franchise installs, the goal is to grow that side of things. We luckily are within striking distance of some of the bigger growth areas. We have a few quality subs that do the lifting, so we should be able to get by a while with just our trucks. My assumption is that once our service and install work hits a certain threshold we might pull the trigger on a bucket trailer, channel letters and pylon faces in strip malls and are a pretty regular occurrence.

 

[skyhigh]

I seriously think its amazing he's made it this far with so little, but mainly these days he's more electrician than sign guy. Still making stuff, but most of the money is on service and install of channel letters, sign faces, that kind of stuff.

Don't be amazed that he's made it as far as he has.......rather be amazed that he can do stuff that MOST people can not.

Congrats on the router purchase. Now buy the ole man a bucket truck. He's already shown you where the money can be made.

 

[skyhigh]

wow, we posted within a couple minutes of each other.

We must have read each others mind.

 

[The Big Squeegee]

Welcome from OK

:Welcome: 2 :signs101:

 

[SignBurst PCs]

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