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Starting on my own
- Thread starter SignProPlus-Alex
- Start date
SignManiac
New Member
Doesn't MBA stand for Master Baiter Artist?
jimmysigns
New Member
:Oops:
OldPaint
New Member
let me see, what does an MBA have to do with a SIGN MAKING BUSINESS....other then keeping the books????
this job has so many facets pertaing to ART, DESIGN, CARPENTRY, WELDING, ARCHITECTURE, DRAFTING, BUILDING CONSTRUCTION & other on site construction. then there is the knowing your sub-straights, how to cut it, with which tools and do it so you dont lose your fingers, then what paints do you use in each application, how automotive paints work, and being able to READ A RULER . none of this is learned from an MBA.
sorta like haveing a degree in SPORTS MEDICINE, and starting business in LAWN CARE)))))
this job has so many facets pertaing to ART, DESIGN, CARPENTRY, WELDING, ARCHITECTURE, DRAFTING, BUILDING CONSTRUCTION & other on site construction. then there is the knowing your sub-straights, how to cut it, with which tools and do it so you dont lose your fingers, then what paints do you use in each application, how automotive paints work, and being able to READ A RULER . none of this is learned from an MBA.
sorta like haveing a degree in SPORTS MEDICINE, and starting business in LAWN CARE)))))
Mikeifg
New Member
I agree, That's why I got my degree in Marketing and Graphic design. 4 years worth at a good school. Now I do have to say it don't mean squat in this business. You still have to be good to make a survivable living. I graduated in 95 and from experience the people comming out of school today in the business have no clue." Look at me I can run Photoshop" really I mean why don't they try doing it without their computer and see how good they are.
Gino
Premium Subscriber
I had a '69 MGB front grille for sale, but sold it some 25 years ago. Had the wire wheels, too, but sold them about 30 years ago.
qmr55
New Member
I had a '69 MGB front grille for sale, but sold it some 25 years ago. Had the wire wheels, too, but sold them about 30 years ago.
So you parted a stolen car?
Just kidding Gino :Big Laugh
Gino
Premium Subscriber
Nope. An old friend of mine collected MGA's, MGB's and 6 volt VW's. Looked like fun so, I ended up buying one and partsed it out, but ended up giving the remains to my friend. Then, another friend and I started building an old '58 Morgan [I think +4] from the ground up. New wooden floor, wire harness and when we almost had it finished, he died of Lou Gehrig's disease and only ever sat in it. I gave my portion to his widow and let well enough alone. She eventually sold it for about $5,000... far less than it was worth, but she needed money. Funny how some things end up going in life.
:Oops:
:Oops:
anotherdog
New Member
okay, you have $5k, but you need a lot of other incidentals to get going and they cost money too.
How about financing your equipment, say for 48 or 60 months? That way you hang on to your capital and it helps you over the first year of start up.
Just about everyone here is in this business with two feet. If you really want to turn this into a business you have to do it right and to do it right you have to risk something other than the current contents of your bank account.
I'm sure you are aware from reading this forum that it needs a lot more than a garage full of sign equipment, and that these days are tougher that any other to start a sign business. To build a business that can support you (rather than a vinyl cutting hobby) you need the right tools. Since you don't have experience with maintaining used or the learning curve of discount machines, you should get one that comes with reputation, warranty and a little training.
But before you do even that you should dip a toe into the marketing and sales side. Sub out your initial production and discover if you can even get the business to justify having your own cutter.
Oh and whatever you do, don't discount under the market to get business. It will kill you in the end (or the local sign guys will). You have to do it with quality of service.
How about financing your equipment, say for 48 or 60 months? That way you hang on to your capital and it helps you over the first year of start up.
Just about everyone here is in this business with two feet. If you really want to turn this into a business you have to do it right and to do it right you have to risk something other than the current contents of your bank account.
I'm sure you are aware from reading this forum that it needs a lot more than a garage full of sign equipment, and that these days are tougher that any other to start a sign business. To build a business that can support you (rather than a vinyl cutting hobby) you need the right tools. Since you don't have experience with maintaining used or the learning curve of discount machines, you should get one that comes with reputation, warranty and a little training.
But before you do even that you should dip a toe into the marketing and sales side. Sub out your initial production and discover if you can even get the business to justify having your own cutter.
Oh and whatever you do, don't discount under the market to get business. It will kill you in the end (or the local sign guys will). You have to do it with quality of service.
SignProPlus-Alex
New Member
Thank you very much for your answer. My fault, I did not disclose the whole story. I want to buy used equipment under 5K. Cutter and printer. (Than after that 3k+ for vinyl and some printing stock, substrate, inks.)
I have experience with HP 5000 (pigment inks), Roland sol jet 3, Camm-1 PRO CM-300, us cutter mh-841 and some other printing stuff.
I have solid sales experience and I am not planning on having a 'price war' with local sign shops (I worked in two of them) Garage situation just for few month. I am looking into store front location.
iSign
New Member
The only print cut solution you will find for $5k that is worth having is a used Gerber edge, or a gold mine opportunity when lightning strikes and only you see it... You won't find it by asking sign people, because if it's worth having, it's probably worth over $10k even without software... So I'd buy it if I knew about it...
$8k is still not enough... Forget printing... Or get a start-up loan!
$8k is still not enough... Forget printing... Or get a start-up loan!
SignProPlus-Alex
New Member
How about Roland FJ-50 eco sol I see them go for $3000-4000?
Locals Find!
New Member
Doug aka Isign is really trying to help you here. Get out of your own way and listen to him. Really with your small budget sub out your prints!!!!
We have good merchant members here that can do the work for your for less than you can do it in house. Signs365 is who I use and there are others too.
Don't spend all that money to get some used POS that your going to have to fix and spend time not selling babying. Go out and do sales and let someone else do the heavy lifting. Most sign shops & other businesses for that matter fail because they are constantly trying to produce product and don't have enough time to sell product. Till you have built up your business just focus on sales and establishing yourself then get equipment later after your established and the sales are there.
The guys giving you advice have all made the mistakes you're about to make and are trying to help you avoid them. So listen to the hundreds of years of experience talking to you here, or don't and roll the dice and maybe you will be one of the lucky 10% that survives.
We have good merchant members here that can do the work for your for less than you can do it in house. Signs365 is who I use and there are others too.
Don't spend all that money to get some used POS that your going to have to fix and spend time not selling babying. Go out and do sales and let someone else do the heavy lifting. Most sign shops & other businesses for that matter fail because they are constantly trying to produce product and don't have enough time to sell product. Till you have built up your business just focus on sales and establishing yourself then get equipment later after your established and the sales are there.
The guys giving you advice have all made the mistakes you're about to make and are trying to help you avoid them. So listen to the hundreds of years of experience talking to you here, or don't and roll the dice and maybe you will be one of the lucky 10% that survives.
Haakon
New Member
This is so true.
I can relate to this situation, I did almost exactly the same last year. i have a degree in graphic design, and have worked about 5-6 years in signmaking. Got laid off because of "bad economy" in the company I worked in 2010, "strangely" enough just before the boss' son turned 18 and was finished at school, and started in my old position some weeks after..
Anyway, I dediced to start my own business and did so last summer. I have plenty of experience so I know exactly what the local market wants and the spilt of cut vinyl vs prints that are being ordered on a monthly basis. And what size plotter that are needed for the regular jobs.
So I went for a Roland GX-24, not at all a high end plotter, but from personal experience Roland plotters are sturdy workhorses, my first plotter was a PNC-1800 that I bought used, probably 15-20 years old then, I cut at least 1000 yards of vinyl with it before selling it on, it worked for years after that also until a stepper motor gave up.
The GX-24 costs about $3000 over here, but from june 2011 to now it has brought in about $30,000 in profit. $2000 just this past week for a substantial order of cut web url stickers.
Buying a old plotter for 75% less than it cost new and hope it will work for a year of two (could be a month, or a week or two) is a risky business plan if you ask me. You need to be totaly confident in your equipment, not just hoping it will hold together for that big order with a tight deadline that you just received.
Take your $5000, buy a great and reliable plotter in the size you need (Roland GX-24/CX-300, Summa D60 etc) for about half your budget, stock up on a selection on vinyl, and sub out your print jobs until you have made enough money with your plotter to buy a new printer. This way you have time to see how the work load divides between cut vinyl and print jobs as well. Maybe it is 50/50, or 90% cut vinyl and 10% print in your market?
Old, cheap second/third hand printers I would avoid at all costs, there are SO many more things to go wrong and to maintain than with a plotter. At my last job I got stuck with keeping an old Mutoh Rockhopper alive (without having seen one before I started there), spent many evenings and weekends changing heads, pumps, endless manual cleaning, and it only got decent prints half the time. Old solvent printers are the worst.
SignProPlus-Alex
New Member
Thank you for advise. I will hold with printer for now. Customers in my area mostly want full color magnetic for they cars 12x18 $50 pair, 18x24 $70 pair, 18x24 coro ss $20, banner $8 sq ft., wrap $14 sq. ft. 60% of current business comes out of printer.
I found sub for printing in NJ they will print for $2.5 per sq. ft. on oracle 3651 or $4 on 3m controltack.
I found sub for printing in NJ they will print for $2.5 per sq. ft. on oracle 3651 or $4 on 3m controltack.
