Personal Value

[Ghost Prophet]

So I've done a lot more reading than posting on Signs101 in the past couple years, primarily because a lot of you people whom I respect with every last inkling of my being, have years more experience in just about every subject than I do. I've even read a few "this is what I'm making and this is what I'd like to make" posts in the past, which is why I'm not going to be shy about this one for curiosity sake.

I'm currently employed, happy with my workplace and my hourly wages, so I'm not going to discuss any of that. What I'd like to know is what you all think I might be worth if I were working for you or alongside you. This is a personal assessment and I'm happy to feed myself to the wolves for some interesting feedback.

My current job responsibilities:

Signs, Banners, and Decals

• Sign design in Flexi & Illustrator.
• Plotting/weeding/applying transfer paper.
• Foil & ink printing/applying cold lam with BS and laminator.
• Measuring & cutting various metals/acrylics with a vertical panel saw and some kind of old iron floor cutter.
• Maintaining all sign related equipment.
• Applying vinyl to all types of surfaces imaginable with no dust, bubbles, wrinkles, or other user error.

Customer Service

• Helping customers in the lobby or on the phone and taking orders for commercial printing and general sign making.
• Delivering & picking up boxes of commercial printed product and/or sign related content from/to businesses within a 30 mile radius.

Web & Graphic Design

• Managing artwork on the business website as well as a website that my bosses volunteered me to create & manage.
• Creating and managing a web forum on the same website as above.
• Designing artwork for business cards, forms, and flyers for the printing business.
• Training old & new co-workers on Microsoft suite 2010, Illustrator, Photoshop, GIMP, and InDesign on a regular basis.

IT Tech

• Servicing and repairing Mutoh Falcon Outdoor on a regular basis, has never been touched by an outside tech in the 2 years that I've been here and I've replaced just about everything there is to be replaced, not exaggerating.
• Repairing Xante Platemaker 4 as needed for commercial printing end of the business.
• Building custom computers for all aspects of the business.
• Repairing computers for all aspects of the business on a regular basis.
• Setting up and managing a secure small business network spanning across 7 computers and 6 different types of IP connected printers in 4 different rooms.

I'm sure I'm forgetting a thing or two but that should do for now.



Have 2 years full time signage experience, 6 years tech related experience, 14 years web and graphic design experience.


Okay wolves, nibble with love.

 

[wildside]

not going to throw out dollar amounts, but the only part that would interest me is the sign experience itself, all the other stuff you know how to do is maybe just a bonus

valuing yourself is hard to do, as you will always think your more important and valuable than you really are, at least too some

to me, you sound like a valuable employee that i would tend to want to hold on too if at all possible

have you looked more into learning the sales side, business management part? i spent 10 years learning as much as i can about the industry before setting out on my own, and the least of that was spent on business management

 

[Ghost Prophet]

Thanks for the compliments, much appreciated. And I try not to put myself on a pedestal, I'm just happy to make ends meet while doing things that I enjoy.

have you looked more into learning the sales side, business management part? i spent 10 years learning as much as i can about the industry before setting out on my own, and the least of that was spent on business management

Yes, I try to learn as much about business management as possible as it peaks my interests. I have set out on my own computer repair venture on the side, as well as a web design and hosting business that is slowly getting off the ground with 5 other people working under me part-time.

I will admit that learning about business management at my current place of employment can be difficult at times because they are not always eager to share that type of information. However I have been happily learning by example whether intended or not.

 

[Rick]

What kind of sign designer?

Simple vinyl and dimensional? or can you also do monuments, architectural, large pylon and electrical?

I have actually done this type of breakdown for my own exercise. It was fun but surprised how many skills were not being used.

 

[Ghost Prophet]

Yes simple vinyl and dimensional, and I've started to learn hand lettering for my own benefit but have never needed to use it. I have no experience in making monument, architectural, large pylon, or electrical signs.

Edit: I have however designed billboards for sub-let, dunno if that counts as anything big and cool?

 

[Gino]

For most sign companies... you'd probably be a very worthwhile person having around.

We have someone like that and he can also take the various printers apart, fix them and make wonders happen when we're in a jam. He has the skills to do virtually anything with or on a computer and he's fun to talk to/with on just about any subject to boot.

A person like him or you...... are far and few between.

If you're happy with your job, wages and everything else.... what 'worth' is it you want to know about ??

You need to keep work and friendship separate, so if you're getting everything you want... what are you asking ??

 

[Ghost Prophet]

Thanks for the compliment Gino, means a lot coming from you.

If you're happy with your job, wages and everything else.... what 'worth' is it you want to know about ??

Well I am getting married this month. So future decisions in life won't be based purely on what I think. Moving to a new city or state might be involved in some years to come, as she hasn't finished with school yet (getting her BA & MA) and I think it'd be nice to know where I stand in the sign world should that ever happen.

 

[Gino]

Ah.... do you mean, will she accept you working in the sign industry for a living once you're both married ??

We had a guy some years ago who was fantastic in every detail. He could layout masterpieces, had extreme computer knowledge. Taught the profs at his college how to get around better in Adobe and Corel programs. In fact, he tutored people on learning these programs. He had an insight with sales and had great marketing ideas and skills. He was personable and polite to the customers. Nothing was ever too much for him. He got along great with everyone in and out of the shop. Met his future bride and she was a sweet little thing. [I mean that in a nice way]. Suddenly, he lost her..... and we had many heart to heart talks. He talked with the rest of the guys at the shop and his friends. He still functioned, but was miserable to be around. He tried all kinds of things to lift his spirits. Nothing worked. However, he remained a very good employee.

Some moths later..... she gave him an ultimatum and he accepted it 100%on the spot. He continued to work here and they set the date and we gave them a very nice wedding gift, plus a week's paid vacation extra for their honeymoon and a week's pay for spending on whatever they like. The day he returned for work, he gave his two week notice.

I asked him why and he simply said... Betsy wants me not to work for someone, but to do better on my own. So, he bought into a company which promised him $60,000 to start with it going up considerably every couple months until he hits $150,000. That was back in 2004 he left. He hasn't seen anything near that $60,000 yet. I just talked to him this past fall and asked him point blank about his income and he said he was making more while working for us, then HIS new job. He's alright, but his heart isn't in selling tools out the back of a big truck. Yep, he drives a truck for another franchise owner who gave him some territory while expanding his own business. Snap-On must be fun.... if you're the actual owner.

 

[Ghost Prophet]

Interesting perspective. Good thing my woman knows better than to give me any ultimatums.

 

[Rick]

Big and cool have nothing to do with anything, it's what the shops capacity to produce, and your ability to design to that capacity.

I have not seen your portfolio, and don't know your design capacity so this is still a shot in the dark.

A vinyl/dimensional sign designer "usually" has to design 5 times more than an architectural/electrical/monument/pylon sign designer to bring in the same gross. I say "usually" because a vehicle graphics shop I worked at did fleets and one design would go on 20-30 trucks or maybe you (and the shop) have a system in place to get work out fast. A vinyl/dimensional sign designer are a dime a dozen in these parts, finding a good may be a little harder. What you describe as your skills are pretty much what most shops require.

In my tumbleweed town, not too different from your town, they might get paid 9-12 an hour, in LA/Orange county I have seen 12-15 average... not enough to make a living. If you are getting paid 15-20 you are either very fast, good and have a boss who appreciates your skills, that may be hard to find at another shop.

 

[Ghost Prophet]

Geez Rick, when you put it like that, I'll be lucky to be making what I make now anywhere else in good ol US of A. -_-

P.S. How did you know Madera was a tumbleweed town?

 

[Rick]

I lived in Fresno when I was a kid, and I did some work near there a few years ago. When I got there it was like I never left home.

 

[Ghost Prophet]

I lived in Fresno when I was a kid, and I did some work near there a few years ago. When I got there it was like I never left home.

Yep, that'd do it. I lived in Fresno as well for a while doing repairs on gov't security cameras and digital video recorders. Originally from Santa Cruz though.

 

[EGI]

Ah.... do you mean, will she accept you working in the sign industry for a living once you're both married ??

We had a guy some years ago who was fantastic in every detail. He could layout masterpieces, had extreme computer knowledge. Taught the profs at his college how to get around better in Adobe and Corel programs. In fact, he tutored people on learning these programs. He had an insight with sales and had great marketing ideas and skills. He was personable and polite to the customers. Nothing was ever too much for him. He got along great with everyone in and out of the shop. Met his future bride and she was a sweet little thing. [I mean that in a nice way]. Suddenly, he lost her..... and we had many heart to heart talks. He talked with the rest of the guys at the shop and his friends. He still functioned, but was miserable to be around. He tried all kinds of things to lift his spirits. Nothing worked. However, he remained a very good employee.

Some moths later..... she gave him an ultimatum and he accepted it 100%on the spot. He continued to work here and they set the date and we gave them a very nice wedding gift, plus a week's paid vacation extra for their honeymoon and a week's pay for spending on whatever they like. The day he returned for work, he gave his two week notice.

I asked him why and he simply said... Betsy wants me not to work for someone, but to do better on my own. So, he bought into a company which promised him $60,000 to start with it going up considerably every couple months until he hits $150,000. That was back in 2004 he left. He hasn't seen anything near that $60,000 yet. I just talked to him this past fall and asked him point blank about his income and he said he was making more while working for us, then HIS new job. He's alright, but his heart isn't in selling tools out the back of a big truck. Yep, he drives a truck for another franchise owner who gave him some territory while expanding his own business. Snap-On must be fun.... if you're the actual owner.

I have to say, that is pretty awesome. Way to take care of valued employees! I think my initial impression of you may be changing...

 

[ddarlak]

i think my initial impression of you may be changing...

l o l

 

[Gino]

I have to say, that is pretty awesome. Way to take care of valued employees! I think my initial impression of you may be changing...

l o l

Yeah, me too............ l o l

 

[signage]

l o l

didn't you mean I0I

 

[signswi]

Geez Rick, when you put it like that, I'll be lucky to be making what I make now anywhere else in good ol US of A. -_-

P.S. How did you know Madera was a tumbleweed town?

Sign wages are typically abysmal, most graphic designers end up leaving the industry because of it or starting their own shops (...or finding one that will give you equity...). It's not really an industry you can make a great living at doing what you're doing now.

I'd recommend specializing. Generalists are great (I come from that school, my first years in the sign industry looked a lot like your list) but specialists command more respect and money in typical situations. If you can find that atypical shop that gives you a good wage to be a generalist...you're lucky and have fun, I always enjoyed the multiplicity of challenge in those situations. Specializing though will give you greater wage potential and your personal brand will be more marketable.

 

[Ghost Prophet]

That's really great advice. Thank you signswi.

 

[EGI]

Yeah, me too............ l o l

Well, when you attack someone for no reason, yeah I might not have much respect for you...