Start Subbing Prints/Installs Full Time?

[Christian @ 2CT Media]

Hello All, this is my first Thread in this awesome family.

I'm posting this because me and my business partners are faced with a decision and I want to get other people opinions to use as a bearing for my part of the decision.

We have been approached by a few non-wide format shops to sub out our prints, installs, and print/installs. This has included signs, vehicle graphics, and wraps. Recently we have been approached by a small wrap shop locally about doing some print/installs for them. We have been offering great prices to these clients and we are making money and keeping our printer busy, but it has come up that we should approach other shops about subbing our services to them. The downside is we make less than our retail clients and have less time for the retail clients.

So my major questions are:

Would a direct approach be something other shops would want or would it offend them?

Should we approach other shops and do this as a full time thing, or just let them come to us here and there?

Lastly, what are some caveats that any of you have experienced in doing this?

I appreciate and respect all the response you guys give and look forward to the good and bad post that may come in this thread.

Thanks,
Christian De Ramos
2CT Media, LLC.

 

[signswi]

Wholesale the prints, let the other shops do the installs. You don't want install headaches for customers that aren't yours (not to mention warranties, etc.). Require print-ready files, make sure you have a contract that spells out situations in which you're responsible for reprint, what your rush fees are, etc.

 

[Christian @ 2CT Media]

Thanks for the reply!

My main worry was about the installs, because of the liability it places on us.

 

[iSign]

keep it separate.. only offer this to shops that CAN'T do it, and your approach could be to offer a nominal "finders fee" for referrals that result in a sale AT YOUR PRICE, set by you, on a job by job basis (knowing you owe 5%, or whatever... for the referral)
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now you deal direct with the client, like normal, and maybe don't actually "discount' the job like a wholesale job would be.. but you just offer a little kickback to get those companies referrals... which many will; not want to do because they might lose all future business to that client, but maybe you offer some assurances against that...

 

[Christian @ 2CT Media]

What about shops that do offer wraps and want someone to handle overflow, because thats what our most recent client wants?

 

[Locals Find!]

As a broker I hire shops like yours to do installs for me a lot. They usually make me sign an agreement / disclaimer. That they are only responsible for problems with installation and are not responsible for shoddy materials etc, etc..

If they screw up the install its on them to pay for the material and the labor costs involved. If the material I gave them is garbage and falls off the car its all on me. I would have to prove they did the install wrong.

Work out an agreement before hand on what is expected by both parties and ways of determining fault before you do any job.