sign shop from home

[Gino]

I think many of you are getting caught up in words and definitions. Also, there's always gonna be exceptions, like Dan's place. That place is fabulous. If any of you had the talent he had in his little finger, you too, could run a business such as his.

If you want to work from home, so be it. No one is stopping you, but it just doesn't look professional, unless you've set your business model up in such a way, no one ever comes to your place.

If I answered the door in my pajamas for some guy making an unexpected early morning pickup, I would not know how to act. Some of you might not have a problem like this, but then, maybe your mechanic doesn't have regular hours either and you're at his mercy if he thinks the way you do.

Ring-a-ling-a-ling.... ring-a-ling-a-ling.... ring-a-ling-a-ling....
Hello, this is Joe, I'm not here, leave a message. Beep:
My car won't start and I need you to come get me and fix it.
A day later and Joe calls you and said he decided to go on a picnic with the little woman and the kids. How can I help you ??
Never mind, I had to call a real auto shop and get it towed and they fixed the starter solenoid problem for $95.00.
Guess I can't count on you anymore, Joe. Last time, you overslept and the time before that, you were painting your house and couldn't be interrupted.

If I called my dentist and he showed up at Starbucks to discuss a root canal, I'd be wondering how he's doing this ?? Actually, I'd be a little more than scared.

Anyway, if you enjoy working from your home, great. The Goddess does. A certain portion of our home is our business end of the company. We have a private drive, a parking area for about 12 vehicles, a completely separate entrance, a bathroom, waiting room and some samples in the office area. The computers are in there, along with filing cabinets and all the other things to conduct a business. There are no household items in this area, like washing machines, heaters or other homey things. It's about 1,840 square foot of our house designated for business..... only.

While we may deduct a great portion of our house towards write-offs, it makes a much easier life for her, as she can multitask and run the business end of things from there, while our shop which is 8,800 sq ft, about 15 miles away is the fabricating facility and fully a write-off.

 

[Kevin-shopVOX]

I think many of you are getting caught up in words and definitions. Also, there's always gonna be exceptions, like Dan's place. That place is fabulous. If any of you had the talent he had in his little finger, you too, could run a business such as his.

So only people with talent can have a home based business? Others are relegated to a storefront? Not sure I understand that. I'm very familiar with Dan's work and it's amazing but that is not why he is capable of having a home-based business. It is simply his choice as it is for others. His talent has nothing to do with being home based.

If you want to work from home, so be it. No one is stopping you, but it just doesn't look professional, unless you've set your business model up in such a way, no one ever comes to your place.

Isn't this more just your opinion and no way near a fact or a trait of being professional? People by from people. They don't buy from companies. The fact that you have a storefront vs a home-based business might influence that decision but people always buy from people. If I came into your storefront business as a new customer wanting something and you were a total doosh I wouldn't do business with you. Pretty straight forward; it is the relationship that matters

If I answered the door in my pajamas for some guy making an unexpected early morning pickup, I would not know how to act. Some of you might not have a problem like this, but then, maybe your mechanic doesn't have regular hours either and you're at his mercy if he thinks the way you do.

Ring-a-ling-a-ling.... ring-a-ling-a-ling.... ring-a-ling-a-ling....
Hello, this is Joe, I'm not here, leave a message. Beep:
My car won't start and I need you to come get me and fix it.
A day later and Joe calls you and said he decided to go on a picnic with the little woman and the kids. How can I help you ??
Never mind, I had to call a real auto shop and get it towed and they fixed the starter solenoid problem for $95.00.
Guess I can't count on you anymore, Joe. Last time, you overslept and the time before that, you were painting your house and couldn't be interrupted.

I think this again relates to the relationship. I wouldn't do business with that mechanic because he was unreliable..not because he was home based. His unprofessional perception stems from his actions..not where he lives/does business.

 

[SignManiac]

I was home based in New York for eighteen years and had no problem with customers coming to my home. I had the hours I would see them posted and if they would show up beyond those hours they were SOL.

The past twenty one years here in Florida I too was home based and handled it the same way. Never an issue.

Now I'm not home based and it's weird having to commute three miles each way everyday. Not sure I will ever get use to it. Never had a customer comment negatively to me about my location or shop.

 

[Gino]

So only people with talent can have a home based business? Others are relegated to a storefront? Not sure I understand that. I'm very familiar with Dan's work and it's amazing but that is not why he is capable of having a home-based business. It is simply his choice as it is for others. His talent has nothing to do with being home based.

What I meant by that was, if you have a talent and business sense like he does, you can pretty much do whatever you want. People will seek you out regardless of your presence.



Isn't this more just your opinion and no way near a fact or a trait of being professional? People by from people. They don't buy from companies. The fact that you have a storefront vs a home-based business might influence that decision but people always buy from people. If I came into your storefront business as a new customer wanting something and you were a total doosh I wouldn't do business with you. Pretty straight forward; it is the relationship that matters

While the quality of the product along with it's cost generally rules what one buys, I guarantee, you will buy from a dooshbag, if you want it bad enough. People buy from people...... yet, we're all on an internet site and more than half of these people buy from people via the phone or internet, never seeing a soul. How many of your vendors are working out of their kitchen ?? How many of your customers would buy from you, if they knew you were truly in a tent or dining room ?? Only someone that wanted your products bad enough, probably based on quality and costs.



I think this again relates to the relationship. I wouldn't do business with that mechanic because he was unreliable..not because he was home based. His unprofessional perception stems from his actions..not where he lives/does business.

No, you missed the point and made my point at the same time. That's precisely what I mean, based on what so many have posted so far. They have the ability to sleep in, not answer phones, go be with the family, go do this, go do that and have any excuse to not work. They don't seem like very energetic people to me. They are not disciplined to work. Has nothing to do with being able to afford a small garage or storefront. The people that can't afford these things today won't be able to afford them in a year or even five years, cause they have no stinkin' incentive to grow. Again, not everyone is this way, but how many home-based sign shops which farm out a great deal of their work and can't answer basic questions over the phone or in an e-mail do you know that are successful ??

So, while you can totally run a business from your garage or bedroom, why ??

• It does nothing to draw in business.
• It doesn't have a face for people to associate with.
• It has no feeling of a business.
• It hampers doing most large projects.
• It allows you to not work.

If given a choice, let's take money out of the picture....... how many people would want to run their business from a storefront, mall store or building facility of some sorts ??

• You no longer have to letter trucks outside in unthinkable conditions.
• You have space to work on several to several hundreds of sign a day.
• You have a place designated for freight, UPS and other deliveries to be made and picked up, instead of your front door.
• You can have employees and others helping without having illegal employees running around your house.
• You will now have proper insurance on your building to fit the business. Most people working outta their home rely on Home Owners, when something goes wrong. Did your insurance know you bought a $25,000 unit and put it in an unsuitable environment ??
• You have ample storage for inventory.
• You look and sound legit.

Again, I'm not ragging on any person here doing it from their house, apartment or in-law's bedroom. Ya gotta start somewhere and if you're to grow, how can you grow in your house, unless you are a broker or a salesperson ??

 

[Gino]

I was home based in New York for eighteen years and had no problem with customers coming to my home. I had the hours I would see them posted and if they would show up beyond those hours they were SOL.

The past twenty one years here in Florida I too was home based and handled it the same way. Never an issue.

Now I'm not home based and it's weird having to commute three miles each way everyday. Not sure I will ever get use to it. Never had a customer comment negatively to me about my location or shop.

Yeah, but I saw pictures of your shop. It was the real McCoy. It just so happened to be planted on your property. If I had a place like yours [the old one] I can see being home-based. I'm talking more of the vinyl jockeys just looking like part-timers.

My uncle had a factory on his property and they did work all around the world. One of his biggest customers was Disney. Not a sign shop, but an embroidery shop with a little screen printing on the side. Very little. The shop was located about 3/4's of a mile away from the house. We'd ride motorcycles or go-carts to it when helping out when I was a kid back in the 50's & early 60's.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

To me it doesn't matter if you are home based or have a devoted business place. It's all about how you conduct yourself and the quality that you put out.

All the pros and cons that everyone throws around to go one way or the other, they can easily be swapped up, just about everything single one of them can be a pro or a con for either type of business location. While the pro or con might lean one way or the other in most instances, I've seen examples of them in both, because of that, I won't judge based on where they are located as a defining judgment on rather or not I do business with them.

While perception can weed out quite a bit of the riffraff, it can also cull out the good ones as well. Have to be careful with it.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

One of his biggest customers was Disney. Not a sign shop, but an embroidery shop with a little screen printing on the side.

I knew a freelance digitizer for Disney that did their designs from his home. Didn't even have a desktop embroidery machine to test his patterns on. Disney is very particular about their designs.

He is now one of the main instructors for Wilcom software.

 

[Gino]

This was before computers and people working from home on anything.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

This was before computers and people working from home on anything.

Yea, he was doing the true "punching" on "tape" for the patterns, like my mom used to do when she was programming the very early computers.

However, having said that, computers and the internet have changed the ball game quite a bit. I have to wonder how many are using the old way of thinking when the game might have changed so much.

Just me speculating here.

 

[Gino]

Yea, he was doing the true "punching" on "tape" for the patterns, like my mom used to do when she was programming the very early computers.

However, having said that, computers and the internet have changed the ball game quite a bit. I have to wonder how many are using the old way of thinking when the game might have changed so much.

Just me speculating here.

The company was established in 1885 by my uncle's father. Then back in the 20's through the early 50's they had rows and rows of people with sewing machines. Probably about 90 or more people in this one room alone. They were always busy as all get outs. In the 50's sometime, they put in a computerized unit which the lead sewer used this machine and about 15 stations of automated machines did whatever that lead person did. Instead of laying people off, my uncle went out on a limb and bought quite a few of these machines, making him one of the largest producing companies around. The other people took on new duties and the place flourished. By the early 60's he was a self-made multimillionaire. He then added machines which did it something similar to what's used today, but on individual discs. There were no hard-drives or computers like today, but the machine now, no longer needed an actual operator. It also got much faster and not as many machines were needed. As time moved on, people retired and I don't think he ever fired or layed a single person off. Just as they retired is how his workforce dwindled. He went from about a 175 man facility to around 50 or 60 by the 80's.

The building is there, but the business is gone and changed names a few times. As the children got into it, they pretty much just fought amongst themselves after he died and everything went to sh!t in a bushel basket. Now, from what I know, my cousins all have their own business and at each other's throat because of stoopidity more than anything else. None of them have what was once practically an empire in this field. For being stoopid, they all lost.

Today, I just found out, one of these cousin's husband is dying and almost gone. He's only 66 or 67. He has Lou Gehrig's Disease. He's in his 5th year of it and can't function a'tall.

 

[synergy_jim]

worked out of the house for 2 years. I will never go back.

 

[Kevin-shopVOX]

So only people with talent can have a home based business? Others are relegated to a storefront? Not sure I understand that. I'm very familiar with Dan's work and it's amazing but that is not why he is capable of having a home-based business. It is simply his choice as it is for others. His talent has nothing to do with being home based.

What I meant by that was, if you have a talent and business sense like he does, you can pretty much do whatever you want. People will seek you out regardless of your presence.

I agree with this..even if he was on a boat his customers would still seek him out.



Isn't this more just your opinion and no way near a fact or a trait of being professional? People by from people. They don't buy from companies. The fact that you have a storefront vs a home-based business might influence that decision but people always buy from people. If I came into your storefront business as a new customer wanting something and you were a total doosh I wouldn't do business with you. Pretty straight forward; it is the relationship that matters

While the quality of the product along with it's cost generally rules what one buys, I guarantee, you will buy from a dooshbag, if you want it bad enough. People buy from people...... yet, we're all on an internet site and more than half of these people buy from people via the phone or internet, never seeing a soul. How many of your vendors are working out of their kitchen ?? How many of your customers would buy from you, if they knew you were truly in a tent or dining room ?? Only someone that wanted your products bad enough, probably based on quality and costs.

That I don't agree with. Sure we might buy some products online based on cost and quality based on research etc. but in a custom business growing your clientele is about relationships first. Price/talent second in most scenarios. Yes we are all on the internet here but we all have a relationship and perception of one another thus influencing the buying decision. I sell a product all day long via the web where at times I don't get out of my pajamas. Yet I have a relationship with every customer. 9 times out of 10 that relationship came before they ever purchased. How is that possible if I "'hide" behind a computer in my tent and no one ever gets to see me? People do buy from people, your product is not unique that they can't get it some where else if they don't like you. If you happen to be the only guy in town then I could agree. They may just be stuck with dealing with you

Also why is your perception of a home based business about people living in tents or dining rooms or something so far fetched from what is typically a reality? Is that because you worked hard to get to where you are at, that anyone doing something similar in a different way is not as good or professional? Do they not deserve your respect until shown otherwise?



I think this again relates to the relationship. I wouldn't do business with that mechanic because he was unreliable..not because he was home based. His unprofessional perception stems from his actions..not where he lives/does business.

No, you missed the point and made my point at the same time. That's precisely what I mean, based on what so many have posted so far. They have the ability to sleep in, not answer phones, go be with the family, go do this, go do that and have any excuse to not work. They don't seem like very energetic people to me. They are not disciplined to work. Has nothing to do with being able to afford a small garage or storefront. The people that can't afford these things today won't be able to afford them in a year or even five years, cause they have no stinkin' incentive to grow. Again, not everyone is this way, but how many home-based sign shops which farm out a great deal of their work and can't answer basic questions over the phone or in an e-mail do you know that are successful ??

I don't think I missed your point at all. That mechanic was unprofessional based on their actions thus losing my business. Sure are there harder workers than others. Absolutely but that doesn't mean they aren't professional at all. It just means they can't or don't want to work as hard as you think they should. Remember everyone's idea of success, business and their goals are not yours; they are theirs alone. I see nothing wrong in someone wanting to sleep in. If I sleep till 10am but work till midnight am I a slacker? If I work for myself and take a vacation am I not able to grow my business? Again you're generalizing on what you deem worthy and possible. Judging, without knowing, someone who starts a business from their home because they are taking baby steps that they will never grow because they are lazy takes balls man. You offer a lot of good advice but sometimes some of the things you say seem so wrong and pompous.

Most people I know that are serious about working for themselves are some of the hardest working people I know be it from home or a storefront. I know a lot of these businesses that you describe and they are completely capable of growing their businesses year over year if they are serious about it. Do they know as much as you or I or the next guy? Maybe not, but that certainly doesn't mean they can't grow their business and make mistakes while doing it.

So, while you can totally run a business from your garage or bedroom, why ??

• It does nothing to draw in business.
  Not true you just don't have a storefront to say "here we are". However I'm pretty sure that's not the only way to attract business.
• It doesn't have a face for people to associate with.
  Really? All home based owners are hermits?
• It has no feeling of a business.
  You mean to you?
• It hampers doing most large projects.
  You mean if I sell a 25' pylon sign for a shopping center, I can't get it done because I'm home based? Hmmm...I can tell you that is far from the case. I build relationships with vendors and there are many storefronts that still have to do the same.
• It allows you to not work.
  No only you allow your self not to work. I can still go to a storefront and not work. My choice.

If given a choice, let's take money out of the picture....... how many people would want to run their business from a storefront, mall store or building facility of some sorts ??

• You no longer have to letter trucks outside in unthinkable conditions.
  Who says they do now...sure some do but that isn't the case for every scenario. People are much smarter than you give them credit for.
• You have space to work on several to several hundreds of sign a day.
  Only if your storefront allows it. They come in all shapes and sizes.
• You have a place designated for freight, UPS and other deliveries to be made and picked up, instead of your front door.
  I'm not sure that's a real problem. It is what it is. Do you think UPS cares or your sign supplier? As long as you pay up you are good in their book.
• You can have employees and others helping without having illegal employees running around your house.
  They are only illegal if you don't play by the rules of what constitutes legality in your state.
• You will now have proper insurance on your building to fit the business. Most people working outta their home rely on Home Owners, when something goes wrong. Did your insurance know you bought a $25,000 unit and put it in an unsuitable environment ?? Again you have to play by the rules...lets leave assumptions out of the picture of how you think every home based business operates. It takes all kinds to make the world go 'round lets give them the benefit of the doubt first. That is unless you've checked the legality of every one working out of their home.
• You have ample storage for inventory.Not sure everyone needs that. Last I checked most suppliers deliver next day to 2 days.
• You look and sound legit.I suppose it helps you "look" legit to some but I'm not convinced it is a necessity. Now sounding legit, that is a completely different story.

Again, I'm not ragging on any person here doing it from their house, apartment or in-law's bedroom. Ya gotta start somewhere and if you're to grow, how can you grow in your house, unless you are a broker or a salesperson ??

Remember not everyone's idea of their business is to match yours. Growing is relative to ones goals and satisfaction. That's it.

 

[Kottwitz-Graphics]

I'm going to throw my hat in this ring, and a lot of what I'm going to say are my opionions based on my own personal experience as a home based business. (My shop is located on the back side of my property, which is a (2) story (2)car garage. I do designs and vinyl upstairs, painting, cnc work (yes, I have a gerber router), and welding projects downstairs.)

1st:

there are pros and cons to working home based,

the good things:
-save on gas
-you can just go to bed if you feel tired
-you have your family around you all the time (sometimes not a good thing)
-less expenses
-long vacations

the cons:
-some clients feel like its not profesional (i disagree completely)
-no space for big equipment, big vehicles (fleets, trailers rv's etc) and thats where the big money is i.m.o.
-very limited space to work.

unfortunately i like money and as a consequence i need a bigger space to work but i definitely wish i could work at home...

True, there's not as much overhead, and but as far as laying in bed if you feel tired, and long vacations, if you want to be taken seriously and make your company profitable, those are a huge no no. As a home based business, there are days when I didn't want to go to work, but I do because it's my job. That is how my shop is going to be more successful. Vacations, ha. I get calls on vacation (which really po's the wife) but I take the calls, and handle business, but I tell customers that it will a few extra days.

Fleet vehicles, I do on the customers site. That way I can work around their schedule.

..............................................................................................

8th year running the business from my home. This is the third house I have done it from and the result of a decision not to grow the business beyond a certain point. This house was chosen for it's size and shape to be perfect for the business with nearly 3000 sq feet I can dedicate just to the business.
The benefits are countless; No drive to work, Tax write-off, makes late night and weekend working a lot easier, and on occasion when business slows my fixed costs don't have me breaking out in a sweat.

In this last recession there is no way I would have survived if I had to pay my mortgage as well as rent on a sign shop.

 

[ol'phart]

We've been home based for over 20 years.

PROS

Less overhead
Commute time eliminated.
Less hassle with government requirements, fire inspections etc.



CONS

You had better be motivated enough to actually work your business. Some people have trouble actually getting up and going to work when they work at home.

The biggest problem with home based businesses is when you decide to sell your business and move on. Home based businesses have little or no value on the open market. Unless the buyer has a key to unlock and a door to open then it is not viewed as a viable business. We will soon be moving our business out of the home and into a commercial space only so we have something to sell in a few years.

Most people working from home are most likely working "under the radar" as far as whether they are zoned for business where they live. Don't **** off your neighbor or it can all come to an end.

When you work at home you are always at work. You have to strive to get away from the work on a regular basis or it will drive you crazy. As it is when your self employed you only work half days. Whether it's the first 12 hours or the second 12 hours doesn't matter, your the boss, you decide.

Some customers think that since you are working from home you should be cheaper than everyone else. I tell my customers that my work can be cheaper, faster and better than anyone elses but they can only choose 2 of those 3 claims.

Enough Said

 

[slappy]

I wish my shop was at home right now. I left that little thingy you plug into your laptop to make your wireless mouse work, at work, and I suck at the touchpad thing on a laptop not to mention the little mouse button in the middle of the keys.

so another pro: If you worked at home, this would never happen! So, if your a workaholic, like myself most of the time, it's nice to have everything with you at all times when you want it. (or need it)

 

[grampa dan]

We are home based on a small acreage in a small town. The property is residential zoned which allows a small business. Our shop is 350 feet off of the road. Our new house is 28 feet off the road and is designed to be a visual showcase for the kind of work we do. The sign allowed by the city is 4'x4' but our new house is by default the biggest sign ever! We have always been home based. At the start I had a small studio in the basement... 10 years ago we bought this property and built our big shop.

www.imaginationcorporation.com a look through the website shows the shop the new house link shows the new house.

It works well for us and I couldn't imagine it any other wy.

-dan