Shop Minimums??? Do you have one??

[DIGITAL DESIGNS]

Looking to see where everyone else is at with shop minimums & really small jobs. I have a small sign shop & been in business about 4 years now. I have a 48" mutoh, laminator & plotter, as well as a heat press for t-shirts & we contract out screen printed t's.

We are getting an enormous amount of people coming in and wanting 1 t-shirt or 1 small sticker. We have went to $20 for one shirt with single color front & back print. But really it is not worth my time at this price. Obviously we all need to make money becuase that is the ultimate goal, but I also son't want to make potential customers mad????

Where is everyone else at with this?

 

[Letterbox Mike]

Looking to see where everyone else is at with shop minimums & really small jobs. I have a small sign shop & been in business about 4 years now. I have a 48" mutoh, laminator & plotter, as well as a heat press for t-shirts & we contract out screen printed t's.

We are getting an enormous amount of people coming in and wanting 1 t-shirt or 1 small sticker. We have went to $20 for one shirt with single color front & back print. But really it is not worth my time at this price. Obviously we all need to make money becuase that is the ultimate goal, but I also son't want to make potential customers mad????

Where is everyone else at with this?

Ours is $45 for wholesale work, $125 for retail. When you really stop and add up how much time is involved in even the simplest order a minimum charge is of critical importance.

 

[DIGITAL DESIGNS]

Ours is $45 for wholesale work, $125 for retail. When you really stop and add up how much time is involved in even the simplest order a minimum charge is of critical importance.

I can understand that & it sounds as if you are a pretty large operation. I am just stuck at where to set mine at. In all honestly with art, printing & cutting included, even the simplest 1 color shirt or sticker I feel I am not making anything unless it is around $50.

As I said, I also wonder how many people I will **** off if I do this as well.

 

[legacyborn]

I have always had a shop minimum and recommended them at places I have worked that didn't have one. Usually $50. Just not worth turning on the machines for anything less. You will make some people upset but for your good customers you can always make an exception (although be careful when doing so)

In the past, have played with the idea of offering an option for people who want small jobs. Taking all the small jobs, once a month, and printing them all. So I would take orders for these small jobs all month and produce them by the 15th of the following month. That way I have up at minimum 2 weeks to work out the bugs, gang colors, create the files, print, and produce the jobs. Lots of work that can be done during down time. I have proposed the idea to a few clients but most of them want/need the job much faster (birthday this weekend, event tomorrow, etc) so I don't know if it would be worth the effort.

 

[DIGITAL DESIGNS]

I have always had a shop minimum and recommended them at places I have worked that didn't have one. Usually $50. Just not worth turning on the machines for anything less. You will make some people upset but for your good customers you can always make an exception (although be careful when doing so)

In the past, have played with the idea of offering an option for people who want small jobs. Taking all the small jobs, once a month, and printing them all. So I would take orders for these small jobs all month and produce them by the 15th of the following month. That way I have up at minimum 2 weeks to work out the bugs, gang colors, create the files, print, and produce the jobs. Lots of work that can be done during down time. I have proposed the idea to a few clients but most of them want/need the job much faster (birthday this weekend, event tomorrow, etc) so I don't know if it would be worth the effort.

Makes sense... Most of our small stuff is the 1 or 2 single color t-shirts for a mom & pop lawn care or powerwashing business. Most do not seem to be in a hurry. That may be a viable option, and I am thinking about posting a $50 minimum.

Thanks for the thought

 

[Z SIGNS]

Our shop minimum on really small jobs is $1000.
Hope this helps

 

[Bigcat_hunter]

$30.00 here. If you do small stuff and let the customer know that you appreciate their business you would be surprised how much it benefits you. I have had lots of word of mouth biz because of that.

 

[tsgstl]

$30.00 here. If you do small stuff and let the customer know that you appreciate their business you would be surprised how much it benefits you. I have had lots of word of mouth biz because of that.

Exactly!

Put a small sign with a high amount and only point to it when needed

 

[JgS]

$45 for printing, no min on cut vinyl, 6 shirts min. I'll break my own rules sometimes for a repeat costumer.

 

[2B]

Exactly!

Put a small sign with a high amount and only point to it when needed

This, we have a sign posted and you can usually tell the type of customer they will be fairly quick. If needed the sign is there and you don't look like you are pulling it out of your A$$ just to get rid of them.

 

[Pat Whatley]

I've got a $25 minimum order sign posted and enforce it only when I need to. Usually it's reserved for the car window sticker type people.

 

[Jillbeans]

Raised it to $50 last year (It was $25 for the past 15)
Like Pat, it's usually for the car window sticker people whom I don't really want.
Love....Jill

 

[DizzyMarkus]

Same here $25 min.....
5 shirt min in house -- 12 shirt outhouse (hehe)

The racers come in and I flip the sign, which then reads $50 min on all :0)

Markus

 

[Pixels Are Bad Mmmkay?]

As I said, I also wonder how many people I will **** off if I do this as well.

It doesn't really matter though. You truly can live and thrive without those customers. Most people will understand I'm sure. We've only been in business less than two years and we have already seen the need to have minimums, although we have yet to implement them. That day is fast approaching.

 

[Esdale]

$ 25.00 minimum loosely in forced. Good customers always get there job!!
But I seldom get requests for jobs under $25.00

 

[Mosh]

When I did shirts 24 was the min...on signs $20, except good customers.

You realize 12 shirts @ $8 is under $100, you know you are going to have at least
two hours in art and making screens, printing them will only take 3 minutes.
That is why we went to 24 min. still two hours setup but, 6 minutes printing time.

I still get "you make shirts?" I always love to reply "no I print shirts I don't make them"

 

[HulkSmash]

any job under $50.00 you get no money from it. Don't waste your time.

 

[SIGNTIME]

$50 minimum but if we are slow that goes down a bit

 

[petepaz]

our minimum is $75 but if a regular customer needs something we will adjust it to do them a favor. i think like mentioned earlier it's hard to go less than $40 or $50 because even the smallest job will take you 30-45min from start to finish (art,set up, print, lam and cut)

 

[J Hill Designs]

$65 minimum