One man shop growing pains

[Boudica]

It almost looks like there's outlets 4' high about every 8' - a little hard for me to see though...

Those do look kind of like outlets... but they also look like patches in the wall. There's some conduit running along the wall that looks like it goes to an outlet. So I wonder if there are a lot of them, or just that one?

 

[gnubler]

That fan might hafta go, or at least be put somewhere else. It looks lower than the garage door. Door looks to be a 12' or 14'. That's nice. Also, you're gonna need to run more electric lines. Does the place have another door ?? It's tough having people come in through the garage entrance area til they get to your office area. Some insurance policies won't allow customers in those areas at all for your safety as well as their own. See if your landlord will allow you to put a door down at the other end, since you're an end unit.

Good observations, thank you. I submitted a handful of questions to the landlord and am waiting to hear back, and will check the height of the fan. There are plenty of power outlets, around every 8ft running down both walls. I asked the landlord about building out a small office in there, hope they say yes.

 

[Boudica]

Getting ahead here but don't forget to clear the codes on the garage door opener. Don't want to find out the previous tenant kept his clicker or anything of the sort. Are you looking for more vehicle business primarily, or all sorts?If it's all sorts, an overhead crane does wonders, but 2 on a trolley would be ideal. If it's vehicles, then forget it.

Well said Eddie.

 

[ikarasu]

I work in a huge shop, were talking 40,000 sqft just for the warehouse portion. But I have my own setup at home as well.


At home I mainly do online, rarely sell to anyone local - 3000 sqft townhouse, printers in my garage, graphtec / laminator and everything else in my basement.

I'm currently looking to move my home shop elsewhere - the cheapest I can find a shop that's equivalent to my current setup is 6k a month, just in rent. Anything with a bay door for wraps / graphics is 7-8k.

Dropping an extra 1k, if you can afford it is a no brainer!

At home everytime I switch a roll of laminate out, I hit the ceiling. Everytime I want to relax... I feel obligated to rush an order. I hate bringing people here to see samples, or pickup product. I want to grow with more equipment... But no space. It's a side hustle, so dropping so much on it won't happen until Im ready to quit my full time print job, or I absolutely need the space.

But I can say I'm happier to work at a real shop then I am at my place - work where your comfortable... If you're miserable where you are, soon you'll be miserable with your company and want to give up.

And the opposite stands true too - One of the biggest advantages a salesman can have is confidence. So moving into a new place that makes you more comfortable and confident in bringing clients around will likely get you more work, and more sales.

I say if you can afford it, and have a little bit of a rainy day fund to keep you afloat incase the worst happens... pull the trigger.

 

[gnubler]

All excellent points, thanks for posting. Environment and appearance is important to any business, and I've grown to dread it when customers actually show up at my shop. I toyed with the idea of moving production to my home and renting a small office in town to have a public location, but it just won't work for me. I want to be a real sign shop.

 

[2B]

assuming this is a 1 roll up door location, solid back?
is the space a rectangle shape?
What are the internal dimensions?
is there water and a restroom?

build the "office" so that is how customers enter the location. you do NOT want people randomly wandering around your shop and ensure the office doesn't impede the roll-up door.
Make the office roof robust enough that you can use the roof as a 2nd-floor mezzanine / storage area.

I would make 3 rooms, Office, clean / print room, cutting / fab / paint room
* 1st is the "office", 2 doors from the office, 1 into the "bay" and 1 into the clean / print room
* 2nd is the print room again 2 entrances, into teh bay and into teh othece
* 3rd is the cutting / fab / paint room, only 1 entrance, double doors. make sure this room is SEALED. you want to keep the dust and debris as isolated as possible

 

[Gino]

I agree with everything ya said, but ya can't put an office down by that door aside of the garage door. You'd never have room to letter both sides of a van, let alone a box or bigger vehicle which would need ladders. The office needs to be at the other end and punch a door in up there. I thought she mentioned it had a bathroom. If not, it really wouldn't be legal.

How many parking spaces do you have outside ??

 

[gnubler]

Baby steps, guys. I still haven't heard back from the landlord so don't have any answers about building an office. At the far end of the unit is a bathroom, and a kitchenette area with sink/counters. My initial thought was to wall off the entire "kitchenette" area and make it an enclosed office to give me a clean/quiet space away from production. It's pretty echo-y as it is. Doubt they're going to allow a second man door punched in, these are new buildings and aren't set up for customer/reception use. All the other tenants I know of are either trades, production work, or warehousing inventory - not open to the public. I can set up a counter near the entrance to make a customer waiting area so people don't stroll right into the shop.

Two parking spaces in front of the unit in a decent size parking lot. There's a backlit directory sign out on the main road with multiple empty slots. Nobody is using them, they must not want to advertise for whatever reason.

Any other thoughts?

 

[Boudica]

as far as receiving customers, you could make it by appointment only, keep the door locked and get a door bell to ring for assistance. Set that up so you can hear it in your back kitchenette/office.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

I'd just move in and go from there. We get people wandering around our shop, can't do much about it. When your insurance inspection comes around, throw. Chain across the shop 5' I'm front of the door with a no customers allowed in work area sign. Make money first, then worry about what you do as you move forward.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

Baby steps, guys. I still haven't heard back from the landlord so don't have any answers about building an office. At the far end of the unit is a bathroom, and a kitchenette area with sink/counters. My initial thought was to wall off the entire "kitchenette" area and make it an enclosed office to give me a clean/quiet space away from production. It's pretty echo-y as it is. Doubt they're going to allow a second man door punched in, these are new buildings and aren't set up for customer/reception use. All the other tenants I know of are either trades, production work, or warehousing inventory - not open to the public. I can set up a counter near the entrance to make a customer waiting area so people don't stroll right into the shop.

Two parking spaces in front of the unit in a decent size parking lot. There's a backlit directory sign out on the main road with multiple empty slots. Nobody is using them, they must not want to advertise for whatever reason.

Any other thoughts?

Don't ask what you can/can't do. Move in and get situated. As they say, it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.

 

[gnubler]

Doubt if I'm going to start drilling holes in their walls and floor without written approval, sounds like it could end up very expensive. Insurance inspections? They don't do that around these parts. There's not even code enforcement in the county I'm in.

 

[gnubler]

I got some answers from the landlord about the commercial unit I posted about. It's a Modified Gross lease, landlord pays water/trash/landscaping, tenant pays electric/gas. Are there any questions I should ask regarding this type of lease? Property taxes? Rent is reduced $300/month if I sign a 3 yr lease.

There's one ceiling mounted gas heater, I'm going to call the utility company to see if they can estimate average utility costs. The building is new, built in 2021. They are fine with an office or shelving built within the unit, if they can see plans first.

I asked about the neighboring tenants, none of them are sign/printing related businesses. Mostly production or warehouse/storage. There's a backlit directory out on the main road with several empty slots. A slot can be rented for $250/month, which is probably why they're all empty. Seems a bit pricey, in my opinion. Is that typical? Maybe they could give me a break since I'd be making and installing my signs.

They can hold the unit for me until December 1 and give me access to move in earlier.

Thanks for all the input and encouragement, I appreciate it. I'm going to think about it over the weekend and give them an answer on Monday.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

I've never heard of someone charging a monthly price for a tenant panel... That sounds ridiculous.

 

[gnubler]

One of my customers was paying for a position on a directory, she said it was costing them a "pretty penny". I made a new sign for them and then the owner of the directory kicked them off it and put a different business sign in their place. Maybe these go to the highest bidder?

 

[Boudica]

We make a lot of panels for those signs, I had no idea people have to pay the landlord to have signage for their business. That seems ridiculous. Is that common?

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

One of my customers was paying for a position on a directory, she said it was costing them a "pretty penny". I made a new sign for them and then the owner of the directory kicked them off it and put a different business sign in their place. Maybe these go to the highest bidder?

Same landlord?

 

[2B]

we have several multi-tenant / mini-strip malls around us.
all are different landlords
* charges a monthly rental, seems like it is $300+ (high traffic, 7,k + cars a day) to have a tenant sign up, the tenant pays for the sign / maintenance
this pylon sign has ZERO tenants listed and 40% of the rental spots are vacant
* charge a monthly fee, whatever the electricity usage is the tenant pays for the sign / maintenance
same high-traffic road, full of tenants
* does not charge a monthly fee, the tenant pays for the sign / maintenance
Full of tenants
* does not charge a monthly fee, free sign if you sign a 3+ year lease, tenant pays for the maintenance
Full of tenants and a waiting list to get in

Sounds like an opportunity, approach the landloard and offer to do the tenant signs for "free" if you get X months / years free to have your sign on the pylon
what about exterior signs on the BLDG? above your door, under your windows, etc...

 

[2B]

what about AC?
What type of electricity? 110 / 220 single phase or 3 phase?
if you build, you will need to drill into the wall / flooring
early termination?
if you build / improve, does that stay when you move?
what maintenance / repairs are covered?
internet
phone
are there any "rules" like an HOA? can you cut lumber outside, use paint, etc...?

 

[Notarealsignguy]

You're asking too many questions. Get the bottom line and sign the papers. 3 year minimum with renewal options. You don't want short term. You'll get yourself all situated and get the boot or the landlord will sense you are making money and raise your rate through the roof. 3 year plus 3 year escalation or something. Quit over thinking it.