One man shop growing pains

[James Burke]

Thank you Stacy, you described my scenario to a T. Most of my customers are understanding, but that doesn't help with the workload and associated stress. Feels like there is no light at the end of the tunnel, and while that's great for business it's hard on me psychologically, and it's hard for me to be a dick but it's going in that direction. The following quote was posted on the forum almost exactly a year ago. Back then I made a sign out of it and have it on my office wall, and I'm still coming to grips with the realities of running my own business. Welcome to "Ugly Tattoo" Signs and Decals

Oh my. It looks like I said that. PLEASE post a photo of your sign.


JB

 

[Notarealsignguy]

You are going to initially take a hit when you first hire someone, there's no 2 ways about it. What usually happens is you end up going after more work to keep them busy and then you are in the same boat again with you working 60 hours a week. It's a never ending cycle, you have to decide where you want to be. Then that person leaves and you are stuck with the work of 2 people until you back fill their position. The old adage is work on your business, not in your business. In order to make that a reality, you have to hire someone and give them all of the work while you take up the slack as needed and start working on things to improve efficiency. Job sheets, faster quoting methods, sales etc.

 

[Stacey K]

If it makes you feel better, my boyfriend often takes my phone away after 4pm. He once chucked it in the grass.

He's told a few guys at taverns or dinner to call Monday because he's trying to get lucky or some stupid funny thing like that. They get the point even though it's a bit embarrassing.

As stated above those are too picky about price and the such end up last on the list. He who trusts my pricing and gives me some creative freedom are top of my list!

 

[gnubler]

Oh my. It looks like I said that. PLEASE post a photo of your sign.


JB

No can do, it's on the "wall of pain and shame" in my office where no customers can see it. I also have a quote by Gino hanging there to remind me of a customer I fired.

 

[Zendavor Signs]

Don't give up! I would suggest you take a good look at where you are making the most money. I'm going to say it's making signs and doing vehicle installs.

IMO You have to cut back on the small stuff. I know exactly where you are coming from. The small stuff bogs you down really fast - and they always want a detailed estimate - that needs to stop also.. I hate to encourage you to be an Ahole but sometimes you just have to be stern and tell them that you have several very large jobs that need to get out the door and the best you can do is give them a range...$ and time. Another thing I did last summer was have a minimum and I tell them the minimum is only during busy times and once I slow up then I have time to work on the smaller stuff. It's OK to be honest with people and tell them that you have many large jobs and you are struggling to find help so at this time you are unable to take on anything under $100 or whatever, please check back in Fall - or whatever.

No matter what, these days are stressful with all the supply chain issues. What used to take you and I 5 minutes to order from Fellers can now take a couple hours to try to find things. Everyone is in the same boat so if they don't understand then they aren't worth working with. I still get overwhelmed you need to cut yourself a little slack. Signs are not emergencies.

This is spot on. It is really important to charge appropriately for smaller jobs, they can drain you quickly. Get a minimum order amount in your head and stay firm to it. Years ago, I did lots of small orders and was crazy busy….and not making very much money. Once you peel off a handful of these smaller orders, you will have some time to think and hone your business where you want it to go. I would recommend you do this before hiring someone.

 

[Goatshaver]

I've been doing 60hrs+ , 7 days a week for the last 2.5yrs. I take a half a day off every few months. Rest and time off is overrated imo.

 

[Boudica]

Rest and time off is overrated imo.

Work burnout

I'm going on my second year in the vinyl printing business with things only getting busier. Which is great, however I'm finding myself getting completely burnt out mentally and somewhat physically. I find I can't say no to a job, I've been working 7 days a week 10-11hr days average for the last...

www.signs101.com

Did you get over your burnout?

 

[Goatshaver]

Work burnout

I'm going on my second year in the vinyl printing business with things only getting busier. Which is great, however I'm finding myself getting completely burnt out mentally and somewhat physically. I find I can't say no to a job, I've been working 7 days a week 10-11hr days average for the last...

www.signs101.com

Did you get over your burnout?

Nope. Caught a second wind.

 

[gnubler]

That's completely unhealthy, in my opinion. All work and no play makes gnubler a dull boy.

I'm closing after lunch tomorrow and taking a road trip. Between the tyranny of Washington and Canada there just hasn't been anywhere to go for quite some time.

 

[Johnny Best]

Worked years doing 60 hour work weeks, "make hay while the sun shines". Saved my money and bought a warehouse.
If someone stopped by and wanted to go fishing, I would drop what I was doing and go. Stopped working at 68 and sold everything. I do not miss the runaround sign business one bit. Still do signs and art but on a when I want to do it timeline. Don't need the money but still like to do certain things. When you work long hours, time passes quickly and one day you pass a mirror and wonder who that person was you just saw. Also had a great wife who took care of the home, me and the children. Little league baseball season was even more time added to the work.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

If you are getting overwhelmed and raising prices won't quell all the work, try extending out deadlines. When I plan out my weeks, I don't schedule stuff every single day. I'll only schedule 3-4 days worth of work. That way if everything is going smooth, I might have say a Wednesday to sleep in, get "back office" stuff done, mess around on S101 and take it easy. Those easy days get me ready to get back at it on Thursday or Friday.

You can only go so hard for so long. People say to take vacation but that is more stressful and just puts work further behind. Schedule some downtime during the week so you can get a breather.. I know it gives me a better attitude towards customers when I'm not so overwhelmed. Only downside is you might disappoint some people with long lead times... but better to make them slightly inconvenienced than ruin your own life.

 

[ProSignTN]

Thanks for the tips. I outsource a lot, all printing goes to S365 or Firesprint, I don't print in-house. Yes, I like making signs, but am spending way too much time on admin duties (estimating, ordering materials, permits, bookkeeping) and graphic design. It's just too much for one person and I need to streamline.

Do you want to sit on an island and collect money? We all do all of those things. You are in the sign business. Do sign business.

 

[Boudica]

GREAT input on this thread. I can only offer an employee input, From a 2.5 person operation. Myself being the production manager. The owner acknowledges that I'm the "heart" of the operation, and compensates me well. I make things, and hold down the fort when he's gone. I hate seeing boss burning the candle at both ends... But it's his business, and I get that too. So,as long as I'm valued, I'll keep trying to be as valuable as I can be.
I also know in the back of my mind that he can't afford to have me burned out. So it's a balance, but I'm responsible for knowing when I'm getting burned out. He needs worker bee working.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

If boudica lived in Florida Id be relentless in recruiting her to work for me. Burton, don't beat around the bush, screw the money aspect and keep after her. Anyone can give a few extra bucks, drive home the other reasons why she should work for you instead of them and make it about something they can not offer. You've been playing the long game now turn up the heat.
I don't know how to quote here but in response to jburrito on asking the customer how much they want to pay, it's surprising sometimes how the customer has a bigger number in their head than you do. It makes life easy, just agree, yeah I could probably work with that. We had a customer that wanted to rent storage space from us to park his trucks, I had $1k a month in my head but told him that I have no idea, you tell me. He said 2500/mo. Done deal plus we can use his equipment that's parked there.

 

[binki]

A few ways around this are to raise prices, limit what you do to the most profitable jobs, hire people or give long lead times and take the jobs in order.

Really, getting more people on the ship seems like the best option because you can't grow unless you do that. It is a leap of faith in a way because nobody cares like you do. I would pick that option and possibly raise prices. A little less work, a little more profit and someone to help do the work. Build on that and soon you will be running it rather that run by it.

 

[visual800]

Been doing this alone for 34 years. Worked long hours when first starting out. Drop the small BS jobs and tirekickers. Friend others in the business and pay them per install help or sub it out. Raise prices do NOT promise anything for those that are in a panic situation. Always remember people dont NEED stuff now they WANT stuff now and the more urgency and stress they cause you the more likely they wont even come in and pick up whats done for them.

Make your hours 40 per week do not work on weekends. Set YOUR work by your rules not theirs

 

[caribmike]

I'm a one man shop, I know there's a few more of you on the forum. Just over one year in business and there is more work than I can handle. Small rural resort town undergoing a rapid population boom post-Covid. I'm running 60 hours a week minimum, reality is kicking in and I need to make changes or abandon ship. General labor and installs is a growing challenge, subs and anyone in the trades are immersed in building houses, no interest in contract labor sign installs. Have gotten by hiring a retired friend for one-off installs, does good work but I need a more reliable and professional solution. Would love to have a wide list of subs to seek out for different jobs, but it just doesn't exist. I have outgrown my shop space-wise and there are no commercial spaces available. I recently replied to a 3-day old ad for two commercial spaces with a drive in bay and they were already snapped up. Guys around here are doing shop work out of their storage rental units, I've seen it. I feel like I cannot compete with other employers and am pretty much exhausted. The other sign shops here don't return calls, and one keeps the front door locked.

The funds are there to grow the business, but I can't do it alone anymore. I think of options daily: Hire a manager. Bring in a business partner. Downsize services. Try to sell the business. Close the business outright and move on. How are other small shops coping? Have you cut out certain services? If you have been in my position, what was the breakthrough?

We had much the same problem with installations. No labor available to do them. So, I just stopped doing installations. I tell customers upfront that they'll have to pick up the sign and put it up themselves. This hasn't really affected the business much as everyone has the same issues. Good luck!

 

[Stacey K]

I could and probably should work more but I still have a son home and it's important to me that I spend time with him. I typically get up early and check emails, do a little bookwork, prep or make supper so I'm not messing around after work. We eat breakfast together each day and head out to work/school by 7:30. He lift weights until 4:30-5 so he calls me on his way home and I leave work. If he plays basketball after weights then I stay at work until 6 or 7 waiting for his phone call. Of course there are exceptions but I try very hard to stick with it. I make sure to work every other Saturday. He's only home one more year then I can work 200 hours a week if I want.

Set a schedule and stick to it.

 

[TopFliteGraphics]

I've been doing 60hrs+ , 7 days a week for the last 2.5yrs. I take a half a day off every few months. Rest and time off is overrated imo.

Until you have a massive heart attack at age 51...That's what happened to me. Now, my customers all know that I don't work weekends, nor do I answer the phone past 6pm or reply to emails that arrive after work hours until the next morning. When I first started taking weekends off it was tough because I had spoiled my clients. After the heart attack, I told them sorry, I am going fishing this weekend. They got used to it. I have had one of my customers since 1999 (before I was really in the sign business). Most of my (good) clients have been with me at least 8-10 years. They have adapted just like I have. I went from having 3-4 guys working for me down to 1 now. At the end of the day, I am making the same money with less hassles. Best advice I was given by a friend(and people here as well), raise your prices. Make the same money with less work and less stress. Then, get a hobby to relieve the stress of daily life. My last full check up, the cardiologist was surprised to see that I have Zero scaring on my heart, my BP is perfect, my blood work exceptional, and my refraction rate is that of an athlete. Yeah, I dont have a big fancy shop, big fancy house, or a big fancy bank account but I enjoy my life more now than I have in years.

 

[Gino]

Don't think I ever worked 200 hours all in the same week in my whole life. Ya gotta show me that one.

It's great when y'all can juggle home life, working and just some downtime and come out on top. Cripes, I'm getting to a point, eating things after 70 years is starting to grow old, let alone be my chipper/cheery self at work and in public.