Haha Fred, they’re great. I think anyone can be talked into or out of anything, if the other person at least sounds sincere
. Bippity Boppity Boo.
Back to Adtech….. comparing McDonald’s to Burger King or any of the other fast foods chains is kinda what I’m talking about and
you’re ruining. They all offer basically the same thing with a slightly different spin on the names or the pictures…. but they are all selling for within pennies of one another. Yes, that’s exactly what I’m talking about…. If sign shops would all sell for within pennies or dollars or whatever pay scale we’re in….. we’d have to depend on service and quality…. and not price whatsoever.
However, you don’t even have a stove top or a soda machine and you want to bring me customers by hawking like a guy at a baseball game and me give you 20% for your efforts. Now what’s wrong with that picture ??
You’re coming to a gourmet restaurant that sells one-of-kinds in multiples of any size, but you want a Mickeye D’s price. At our gourmet restaurant, you can get Veal Parmigianino, steaks of any cut, fish catch of the day, soups, yummy breads, wines and so much more than you can at a fast food chain. You are stuck with one kind of hamburger or breaded chicken, worthless salads, and waxed ice cream drinks and soda with so much sugar… you gag. How can you compare a gourmet restaurant with a Burger King or Wendy’s ??
Okay, back to signs…. where in God’s name have you ever heard me or anyone else talking about Cor-X signs lasting 7 years ?? Where do you get your information ?? Off the McDonald’s coloring paper placemats ?? C’mon man, get a grip. You’re hardly hurting my or any other sign shop’s market, but you are hurting it for guys local to you by approaching this marketplace you speak of with your broker ideas.
There’s no fight between us Adtech, not at all. It’s not personal in the slightest. I pretty much dislike
ALL brokers, so don’t feel singled out by any means. It’s very basic. I broker a few things out myself, but I am a sign shop and we fabricate about 90% to 95% of our wares in-house. There comes a time when I need to sub things out and I make those decisions when to do so or not. I might even sub out a job we could do in-house, but for scheduling restraints or too many deadlines, I have to have others doing work for us. However, other than putting a design together for a post card or a business card or even a Cor-X sign, you sub it all out. Now here’s where it gets interesting.
Now, you need to stay competitive, so I bid a job out using 3/4” MDO with cut out letters and a digitally printed scene and copy of about 20 words and installed 15 miles from our shop. All materials, labor and out-a-pocket expenses come to about $275 to $300. I quote it for $975. including everything and installation. Now you quote the same job, you find someone that will make this for around $750. You add your percentage….
what was that again ?? 40% ?? I doubt you’ll be capable of competing with me, so you either have to take a smaller percentage which hardly makes it worth your while or a cheaper wholesaler. Aha…..
now you find someone to do it for $600 and you’re gonna charge $850. The main thing is…. if you compare apples to apples, this new wholesaler of yours won’t be making the sign for anything near the same quality or material-wise and you’re really giving the customer a sign made for about $150 for $850. You’re really moving along now, huh ??
Was I in the ballpark with that 40% or do you try to at least double your investment ?? Kinda hard to do if you can’t control anything. So, you broker guys go around looking for the cheapest guy in town that will sell you a sign and you eventually become known as scum.
Brokering can work, but as long as you sell and don’t try to compete against your own competition. Find one good shop and treat them fairly and you’ll do wonders for yourself… and them, but don’t pretend to be a sign shop and not lowballing if you really are.
