OldPaint PhD
"ive dealt with a "broker" and "installers." in both cases, its never been a good profit making arrangement for ME. BROKERS GO OUT AND SELL JOBS...set a price with that client ..........then come to me and TELL ME, what he will pay for my labor/talent!!!! bull hockey!!! i dont play well with others who have no idea of what is a decent price and WHO should make most of the PROFIT. i told 1 broker who approached me in a paint store, after he ran his sales pitch on me, " YOU CANT AFFORD ME." he never bothered me again. installers, same thing. told one i would sell him RTA vinyl, for XXXX dollars. he liked the price. 1st couple jobs he came by gave me dimensions, i cut, weeded and taped his stuff. all was good. THEN....he started bringing me the material the sign went on, for me to ALSO APPLY THE VINYL. I DID A COUPLE, to be nice then it became a constant. and i was only getting the RTA price i quoted him. he brings me a job, i cant reproduce in vinyl, so i had to project it, and paint it. i gave him a bill for TOTAL TIME & TALENT............AND 1ST THING HE SAYS, i cant make any money on this!!!!! i asked him what he had done to complete the work other then SELL THE JOB!!!!!! and he wanted to make ALL THE PROFIT!!!!! last time i seen him)))))))))
this is why i use the term parasites!!!"
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"Gino"
"There are brokers in any business and for me, I don't particularity like them because of what every one of them eventually became within weeks to months. They will tend to dictate to their vendor what they are going to pay and if you don't bow down to them and give in... they move on. They ultimately ruin things for many of the regulars and leave a bad taste in most consumers mouths and then the rest of us have to clean up their mess[es]."
Two good examples of what happens when a broker doesn't have a clue what he is doing and doesn't build relationships with his suppliers based on trust & mutual profitability.
I have never priced out a job till I knew what I could expect to pay for it before handing over a quote to the client. To do otherwise is just plain STUPID.
When your brokering your profit margins are never as good as a full time shop. You also don't have the overhead so you have to take that into account. I have learned never to tell any of my suppliers what I will pay them. I may negotiate with them based on what I need to make and making sure there is enough profit in it for them to continue working with me. If you demand of your suppliers they will tell you to pound sand or worse go out of business themselves if their not making money. Leaving you both screwed.
#1 rule to being a broker Printing or Signs. Know what the hell your talking about. Know the product your trying to sell as good as your supplier. If not your just a PITA to everyone. Clients, Suppliers, and other Brokers.
and the printers actual cost. I appreciate the advice from everyone and I will take this into consideration. I have a small screenprinting business and I am going to try some brokering on the side. Does anyone have any suggestions on wholesale printing companies that I might want to look into.
