Starting a sign installation company

Welcome to the forum. My personal answers to #1 and #2 would be "No". If you are subcontracted to do the work, and you put photos all over your website, then the original customers sees their work on your site, they'll know who did it. Next time they need something done, would you think they would go to the middle man or come directly to you? Possibly, directly to you, which would cut out the guy that gave you the job in the first place. So there would be no reason for them to let you do that.

You're going to have to stand on your own 2 feet, build your own portfolio, and get your own customers. You essentially have to start at the beginning on your own.

That's my take on it.

Can't help with #3, I don't do wraps.

 

I agree, it would be great if you could take all your work photos and show them, but from a business stand point, it's not very smart business to let someone do that, especially if they can be seen as a competitor.

Good luck with your new venture!

 

Hello from NorCal.

:Welcome:

Congratulations on the new venture.

My thinking is you can claim X years installation experience working for XYZ company on your resume, performing this, that and the other types of installation. Using photos of the fruits of your labor while employed by XYZ is just wrong unless XYZ gives his permission. Even then, XYZ can not release the use of his customers images for your use in a public format, only those customers individually can do that.

 

Welcome from PA.......................................

 

Welcome from Charlotte!

 

Sign Up Graphics

Welcome from Skokie, IL

 

Just my experience and I'll offer this cause its a similar concept... It's not our main interest, but for several years we have manufactured and installed lighted signs for other sign shop customers. When we do their installs we usually only use our trucks that have no lettering or logo of our own on them. Just D.O.T. numbers and weights.

In fact, we keep 3 other sign shops magnetic signs in the toolbox of the one crane and also a bucket truck that we regularly use for these installs. When we are on their jobs, we usually throw on the magnets. This is done so that THEY get the good pics of us installing their signs (that we made).... and they have called us back, and back, and back again.

This is part of a long story, and we use some common sense. ie. if the customer insn't licensed for the area we are in, then we dont wear their brand, etc.

But to try a specific answer your question, I would think that showing off pics of install work for other shops would be working against you in many situations, especially if you want to work with other sign shops. If I squint, I "possibly" wouldnt see a problem with it as long as your marketing was ONLY directed at other sign shop customers, and NOT their customer base. Absolutely not on the internet. Absolutely only with the permission of those who designed it and maybe even the company it advertises.

 

Welcome from Sydney.

I have an idea - and I do this for my own stuff sometimes, and have never had a complaint.

Take a cropped photo of a section which shows the quality of your works. For example on a wrap, it might be the side mirror - or a door handle... to show the quality of your install. This only works if there are no distinguishable features on that crop though, and might work best for just plain colours etc.

If the above is still touchy, then I can suggest doing your own car/van/truck with your own wrap, and taking photos of that. You could even rip all that off every month, and put on a different design, and take photos of that. In 6 months, you have photos of 6 different designs. Hey, it's something, and better than nothing? Also you could offer your first couple of clients discounted "opening specials", to get the ball rolling on some biz and use those photos?

Something else to consider... if you have a shop or garage... I've seen this here and there... is to go to a car wreckers, and buy yourself a car door or bonnet in good condition... or a rear quarter panel or something. Wrap it good... and hang it up on the wall. Makes for a nice conversational piece and you can talk about issues and design considerations while you're customer's there.

Anyways, there are heaps of ways around these initial problems and as we all know, it's the hardest part to get started so don't give up! Sounds like you'll do great with all your installation experience!

 

and

a warm welcome from sunny california
-gg

 

Hey Edserv why don't you buy a merchant membership since you are continually breaking forum rules and tooting your own horn yet again?

To the OP, build your own client base and show photos of your own work only.
Make it clear on your site that you did the install, not the design or manufacturing.
But I can see a need for a good installing service and I wish there was one locally.
Love.....Jill

 

All the signs installed on my page are/where my design from scratch when I had my own sign co., only one install example is not my design or print ... Frontier ... however I did put a disclaimer regarding this.

Before I do installs for other sign co., I ask if I can use the install picture for example purposes, with an added disclaimer of who built/designed the original, if I just assisted or did the full install. It's a fine line ... just walk it carefully so everyone wins. I also refer any new work back to the sign co. that used me for the install. They offer me a finders % ....... it's not a perfect venture.

 

Welcome to a outstanding forum and people.

You can take pictures of the install part of it like when hanging a sign hardware used and mount, a wrap you could show ends, curves, splices etc. what your trying to show is the quality of install. Saying I installed that sign is one thing, Showing a before and after install is another.

 

+ custom grafx

a close up of a project says nothing of the design/marketing/location/vendor etc. i would not want an employee showing one of my pieces in his/her portfolio. but if the business was for metal polishing or some specific service. how could an employer be against a close up of the job showing the craftsmanship or lack thereof that new client should expect.