Suggestions Vehicle wrapping

[Porschenut]

Hello,

I own a Classic and Vintage Auto restoration facility in Ottawa, IL 61350. We are centrally located between Chicago , IL, Peoria, IL, Rockford IL. and several medium sized cities. However 90% of our restorations are for clients that are out of state. For the past 6 months I have had numerous inquires asking if we can wrap vehicles, both from local potential clients and from our out of state customers.
I am a graphic designer and one of my employees is one also, two other employees have experience wrapping cars from their previous jobs, I am thinking of offering my customers the option of having their vehicles wrapped.
With that said... I am not especially interested in purchasing an entire set up right off the bat. What I am thinking of doing to start is to work with my customers, design what they are looking for and then work with a company to provide us the wraps. We can then install them.
I would appreciate any advise you all can give me.
My first question is... Is this a viable way to proceed or should I be going at it from a different angle?
If this is the best way to get started, are there companies that have the needed equipment and are willing to supply us the wraps?
I will stop there and see what is recommended. Thank you in advance

 

[mark galoob]

id farm the whole thing out. wrap shops are going to be much better equipped to handle the project from start to finish...they have acutall experience in design and layout for a full wrap. take a small percentage and go make money where your money is being made.

 

[Gino]

It's probably the most cost effective way to get your foot in the door.

What you'll be lacking are the inside/insight fundamentals of developing a wrap. Avoiding this or that and not just placing things aesthetically, but according to body lines, incidentals and other obstacles most of us just know as second nature. Maybe go to a trade show or two and look very carefully at the people doing wrap demonstrations and seeing what makes it really easy and why.

No sense in buying a lotta equipment if this thing doesn't pan out. Perhaps, some local shop will team up with you and you can just send your overflow to them and get a percentage. All kindsa ways to skin a cat, ya know.

 

[T_K]

If you're just looking to make some extra money, then night eagle has a good idea. If you just take a percentage or referral fee for sending a wrap shop business, you're taking care of your customers and keeping focused on what you do best.

If you want to get into the wrap market, outsourcing the production is a way to get started, assuming you know how to do the layouts and setup production files. If you're just drawing pretty concept pictures and the other shop has to create the real layout and production files, it's going to eat up all your profit most likely. My opinion: if you can't handle the real design-for-production aspect, you don't need to do it at all, just refer to another company.

I know there are people who are just installers and they still make money despite not producing the wraps/graphics. But as only an installer, you have to deal with whatever they give you if you want to keep on schedule. You don't have control over the production. Did the out-gas properly? Use the correct film/laminate? Are there defects in the print/laminate? Lots of things that can go wrong here. If you don't have the production equipment, you either have to deal with it or send it back and wait (and tell your customer to wait for their vehicle).

As you're an auto restoration company, I'm assuming you have a bay to pull the cars into for install, which is a plus. I've done a bunch of wraps outside in the Texas heat (shop didn't have a bay) and it's no fun. The fact that you have 2 graphic designers is a plus - even if you need to learn specifics on wrap layout design. You've got a couple guys with install experience, which is a plus. So you're not starting from zero.

I think the big questions for you are: 1) How interested am I in investing in the wrap business? 2) How will this affect my regular business? 3) Can I turn a profit on this?

 

[Propaganda Ink.]

Pro-tip... stay away from gradients unless you are 100% certain that the gradient as a whole will be printed in one go and does not wrap around to meet other panels that were not printed on the same continuous print.

Just my 2¢... Irrelevant? perhaps. But now the world is a better place because you know.

 

[2B]

there are several merchant members here who can print onto wrap vinyl.

so yes, your plan is the best to test the water without a large investment

 

[Porschenut]

there are several merchant members here who can print onto wrap vinyl.

so yes, your plan is the best to test the water without a large investment

Thank you for all the info, I appreciate your time and expertise.

 

[Porschenut]

Thank you all for taking the time to read and answer my post. I appreciate your time and expertise.
Are any of the members here near Ottawa, IL 61350 and can give me a recommendation on a company close to us that can design, print and wrap a new Dodge Ram Dually?
Thank you,