The $50 4x4

[Deaton Design]

Local schools like to raise money by selling sponsor signs to go on the fence of the fields they play on. Ive did these in the past, but the price has been drove down so much now, that its hard to make any money. I was recently contacted by someone who was shopping prices, and she told me the low bid was 50.00 bucks each,on coro, multi color, and if they bought 20, the shop would throw in a 4x8 digital banner. I just told her I couldnt touch that and there you go. I mean, after materials, and time involved, at 50 each, the money made is very low. Each and every sign is different, has to be laid out, has to be cut and applied, I just cant compete with those prices. I mean the only difference between these signs and signs on mdo is the material. I dont mind doing signs on coro, but Im not gonna do them for nothing. Im just wondering, are these prices everywhere, or just in my little neck of the woods?

 

[signcrafters london]

I'm pretty sure I know who you're talking about, lol. I believe they were selling 4x8s for really cheap during the election, too. And it's not just in Harlan. Everybody's favorite sign shop/jailer elect in my area sold 10 mm, two-color, double-sided 4x4s during the election for $40. They weren't screen-printed, either.

 

[Deaton Design]

Yeah, I know who you are talking about too Mike, lol. I did a few election signs during the primary, but none in the fall. Price was too low. Heard they were doing 4x8s for 70.00.

 

[showcase 66]

One of the local schools here has sponsor banners (5'x5' Full color logo if wanted) in the gym. To have your business put up there is $150 a year. $125 goes to the school and the rest goes to the local idiot sign guy(I use sign guy loosely). They get about 30 a year. I have been contacted for quotes from them before and they tell me if I can match this price they will go with me. Never done one for them.

 

[Graphics2u]

Yeah, I know who you are talking about too Mike, lol. I did a few election signs during the primary, but none in the fall. Price was too low. Heard they were doing 4x8s for 70.00.

Are they flatbed printed or cut vinyl? Either way it's dirt cheap. For some reason when it's on coro people think it should be cheap, when in reality like you said the only difference is the substrate. I do those signs on fences around here on 4 x 8 .040 aluminum they last 4 years and I get over 3 times that price. And I still think it's too cheap.

The time it takes to layout each one differently really adds up.

 

[signcrafters london]

Are they flatbed printed or cut vinyl?

Versacamm prints

 

[Techman]

Do first one for the main event FREE. Use coro. Lease the rest to the sponsors of the event for $50 bux a year. End of season go back and get their signs. Store them safely.
Next year lease them to the sponsors again. 60 bucks year. One free to the main event.
Now you have 110 bux from the same sign.

Third year they look a little rough,, maybe. Lease them again for 60 bux. Now you have 170 bux from the same sign.

All this plus a list of people with whom you have a lead list to upsell other items.

Add this to your 7 fingers of life in your marketing program.

 

[SignManiac]

You think that's bad, a local sign guy asked me to quote (4) 4'x20 banners which I did. He said my price was what he expected but his client went online and found a company that was selling them for $74.00 including shipping. That's less than $1 per s.f. and retail pricing.

The sign business is screwed unless you specialize in something few others can do...

 

[Pat Whatley]

Do first one for the main event FREE. Use coro. Lease the rest to the sponsors of the event for $50 bux a year. End of season go back and get their signs. Store them safely.
Next year lease them to the sponsors again. 60 bucks year. One free to the main event.
Now you have 110 bux from the same sign.

Third year they look a little rough,, maybe. Lease them again for 60 bux. Now you have 170 bux from the same sign.

All this plus a list of people with whom you have a lead list to upsell other items.

Add this to your 7 fingers of life in your marketing program.

So....when are you going to offer a marketing class? Every time you post a little tidbit like that it's absolutely brilliant. This one is just taking something we already produce, selling it to the same people we already sell it to, yet presenting it differently so the customer thinks their getting a deal and we still make more money.

 

[Deaton Design]

That is a good idea Techman, but what if all the sponsors from the first year dont re-up?
Then you are stuck with x amount of signs, and have to make new ones for the same price.

 

[Circleville Signs]

As has been stated - most of these are local companies - as long as they are still in business - they will re-up.

If you HAVE to make a new sign, you've got what - WAAAAYYYY less in it than the potential earnings....

 

[HulkSmash]

We do all the banners for a university here. We do them for 200. They sell them for 2k :O

 

[Techman]

Thank you pat..

There is always 100 reasons or excuses not to do something.
There is always one who will take it and tun with it for a goal.

On the other hand...

That's 100 bux a sheet for coro. So what. We made some money. And we get access at least once to the bizz owner. And likely over 90% will use them signs again next year. So we get to talk to him again,, OOps,, we have to make a few new ones. That's even better. That's the hidden goody. We are getting new leads as well.

We do not care about that $50 bux, We care about the lead. Its a good lead. And if done right those leads will always carry over to a higher income in the long run.

50 bux x 20 = 1,000 bux. Plus some good leads and a chance to meet all those bizz owners at their expense. We didnt spend a dime advertising or a minute calling them. All this from a FREE tip on a website...

Let me point out something...
I moved here with no income, no prospects, no friends, no home, huge cc debt. Nothing to lose every thing to gain.

Five years later almost to the day.
My house is paid off, my car is paid off. I am technically out of debt. Wife is planning to buy a new car in a few months cash. I have a cnc router paid for and making money. In the process of building another.

Gos bless us all.

 

[ddarlak]

Let me point out something...
I moved here with no income, no prospects, no friends, no home, huge cc debt. Nothing to lose every thing to gain.

Five years later almost to the day.
My house is paid off, my car is paid off. I am technically out of debt. Wife is planning to buy a new car in a few months cash. I have a cnc router paid for and making money. In the process of building another.

Gos bless us all.

and you probably work 17 hr days and sat. and sunday to boot.

probably a cranky old bastard to boot!

...






j/k

 

[Deaton Design]

I wont try and explain my position on this for not doing $50 dollar signs. I guess my area is different from yours. I never meet the sponsors that buy the signs, only get the info from the club selling them. Youve made some good points and I may try that idea you gave us, but you might tinge your replies with a little humility.

 

[Bigdawg]

I wont try and explain my position on this for not doing $50 dollar signs. I guess my area is different from yours. I never meet the sponsors that buy the signs, only get the info from the club selling them. Youve made some good points and I may try that idea you gave us, but you might tinge your replies with a little humility.

Agree totally. I never see those business owners... in fact I only deal with whoever the representative is that is selling the sponsorships. And even that changes year-to-year when a new school year starts or the board changes.

While the tip is okay... it's not one that would work for my area.... nor any other area that I've done sponsor signs in.

Or are you saying that we should just start cold-calling the businesses using the fact that we did the sponsor banner? I'm not too sure how I feel about that - we've always had a policy that what comes into our shop is confidential and I would be uncomfortable using another client's transaction as a stepping board to one of their customers without express permission from my original client.

 

[Techman]

Not trying to offend any one. You or any body else.
So....
Screw humility. Screw ego. I really do not care one bit.
I will not walk around on eggshells spending time trying to figure out how to say something without offending someone's sensitivity.

This was not all about you. It was sharing an idea with every one. You or any one else can take it or leave it.


Oh?????? these will not work in your area. Well now it seems to work well in just about every other area in the country for lots of different people in different industries as well.

I took the risk of posting it. But I will no longer take the risk.

Screw it all, I'm done.

 

[Bigdawg]

I was trying to understand... no need to cop a 'tude.

So are you saying to cold call customers based on the sponsor signs?

And I don't think anyone was giving you a hard time for posting an idea... it just isn't a one-size-fits-all idea. But for those that actually have contact with customers - it might work. For most of us that don't... it won't.

Which doesn't mean the next tip you post won't work for me or John or anyone else... it just means this one didn't.

 

[signcrafters london]

To go one step further: Not only do you never get to see/meet/talk to the business owners, the person(s) doing the selling bring(s) your "artwork" in the form of bad business cards stapled to legal pad pages filled with changes.

And in this area, it is usually parents of players on the teams selling the ads. They routinely make promises to the business owners that are not included in the agreement with the schools.

 

[petesign]

I guess it depends on how busy you are. 4x4 signs on coro for $50 each is low, but not out of the question, especially if they order a bunch of them and have the artwork ready for you. Now, if you have to spend all day recreating logos off of websites, etc.. no way.

If i have print ready artwork, and they want 20 of these for $50 each, i'll do it. Beats watching paint dry when it's slow in December. That's around wholesale pricing, and if it's a school who will also order banners, coro signs for their sporting events, etc.. it's close to being worth it. You aren't going to laminate these, and you will use some promotional vinyl - and if you design it right you won't cover the whole thing with ink, just a logo and some text.

See if they will let you come out on picture day and take pictures of the kids to make removable wall graphics next year, maybe meet with boosters and see if they want to sell yard signs for players families, car flags, decals for their back windows, etc. Sometimes they need floor graphics, treatments for locker-rooms, posters for events at school, etc.

You'd be surprised what doors open later by doing a job at a lower cost now.