What should I buy?

[brandonakers]

Hey guys,

So I am trying to expand into different markets in the sign industry. Currently I rent portable billboards and do pretty good doing that. I have a graphtec plotter I primarily use for for creating letters.

My question is I have about 2.5k to reinvest into my business.

What should I buy? Currently I am outsourcing print projects.

Give me some ideas boys! Its burning a hole in my pocket haha!

 

[OlsonSigns601]

Depends on how much you are outsourcing your print project and several other factors for your market.

If you are spending $400+ a month on prints, then you might as well buy your own printer.

2.5k isn't going to buy you are printer to run a sign shop with but it will get you setup on a nice rack of media for a leased printer. So if your spending more on outsourcing than the monthly payment..... get a printer.

Maybe visit another sign shop and get an idea of how they run and make sure its what you want. Maybe not someone in your direct market but someone far enough away you wouldn't be competing for jobs with.

 

[bob]

Hey guys,

So I am trying to expand into different markets in the sign industry. Currently I rent portable billboards and do pretty good doing that. I have a graphtec plotter I primarily use for for creating letters.

My question is I have about 2.5k to reinvest into my business.

What should I buy? Currently I am outsourcing print projects.

Give me some ideas boys! Its burning a hole in my pocket haha!

A massive $2500? There's not much that amount will buy that will do a whole hell of a lot for your business.

Probably the best return would be to invest in lottery tickets. There you'll at least have the illusion of action.

Failing that, put it in a CD and keep on trucking until you have 10 times that amount. Then you'll be ready to do some serious damage.

 

[brandonakers]

Thanks Guys

Yeah I know it is not a ton of money to re-invest into my business, I just feel so limited with just my plotter.

I started looking at possible expanding into wooden signs. Found a decently priced automated carver called the CarveWright to do small wooden signs with. If any of you have any experience with this let me know.

I would love to be able to do my own prints however I just moved into the area where I am at now and it is a smaller town of about 4000 so I don't know that investing in a solvent printer would be the best decision at this point.

Any other suggestions would be awesome.

Thanks guys!

 

[SignManiac]

Invest in books on design, business, signcraft magazine, smaller hand tools to cut sign panels, etc. in other words, education. No knowledge, no money.

 

[Flame]

Yeah I know it is not a ton of money to re-invest into my business, I just feel so limited with just my plotter.

I started looking at possible expanding into wooden signs. Found a decently priced automated carver called the CarveWright to do small wooden signs with. If any of you have any experience with this let me know.

I would love to be able to do my own prints however I just moved into the area where I am at now and it is a smaller town of about 4000 so I don't know that investing in a solvent printer would be the best decision at this point.

Any other suggestions would be awesome.

Thanks guys!

I can't see how a town of 4000 can support a sign shop. I'd start thinking of selling to a larger market, maybe online? Find a niche?

 

[Mike Paul]

$2,500. ='s Hookers & Blow...

Put it away and save up for a real printer...

 

[401Graphics]

how about buying a heat press and using the cutter to make custom apparel using material like thermoflex or siser? I have made wayyy more money on selling custom apparel than cut vinyl decals (back in my ebay days)

 

[brandonakers]

how about buying a heat press and using the cutter to make custom apparel using material like thermoflex or siser? I have made wayyy more money on selling custom apparel than cut vinyl decals (back in my ebay days)

Great suggestion, I guess I never thought of that route. I will look into that!

 

[visual800]

I have no printer and all I have is a plotter and it doesnt make me feel any less of a signshop. I sub it out and am glad of it. Would it be nice to have one? sure it would be a convenience. I don't sell enough of it to justify buying one.

Kepp subbing out and saving up and see how it goes. Your equipment does not control who you are unless your a$$ is in deep debt for it

 

[WildWestDesigns]

Agree with 401Graphics on the heat press route.

You should be able to get a good one for that price that will work great with apparel. Just don't try to get cheap on the heat press. Doing shirts and using a cheap heat press, if you have enough product out there, it can come back to bite you.

 

[brandonakers]

Visual800,

I have a feeling you have quite a bit more skill in fabrication then I do. Would be nice to have the equipment and know how to do channel letters and digital reader boards.

I do really like the idea of a heat press, just now trying to figure out which markets around here would utilize one. Obviously sports teams would be a good route.

Thanks for your help gentlemen!

 

[Plustax]

I have 2 Carvewrights and been using a Carvewright since '08. The things people can make are awesome and many are surprised in what and how much it can do. Here's a FB page of some of the things I've made... https://www.facebook.com/CarvingsByJerryB

Yeah I know it is not a ton of money to re-invest into my business, I just feel so limited with just my plotter.

I started looking at possible expanding into wooden signs. Found a decently priced automated carver called the CarveWright to do small wooden signs with. If any of you have any experience with this let me know.

I would love to be able to do my own prints however I just moved into the area where I am at now and it is a smaller town of about 4000 so I don't know that investing in a solvent printer would be the best decision at this point.

Any other suggestions would be awesome.

Thanks guys!

 

[Gino]

Just give it to me and I'll call you once a week...... and let you know what's going on.