Whats the ideal pricing for banner and stickers?

[HulkSmash]

There was a time when we tried to compete with the snakes in the market who were just making enough to pay for material/labor with no profits. The best decision i ever made was throwing that mindset in the garbage, and pricing us 60% higher. Our business literally exploded, and turned into what it is today. We went from competing prices of 1800$ for a full van wrap, to $2600 overnight.. and we were winning almost every bid. It's almost human nature to assume the higher priced guys are higher for a reason. We've never looked back.

But kcollins, this is your 3rd thread in the last 7 days, where you are literally giving damaging advice. You have 0 clue about this market, and people like you are destroying our industry. I don't take that lightly. Sorry to be blunt. Do everyone a favor and keep your cheap suggestions to yourself. I'm done now.

bye

 

[kcollinsdesign]

Back when type was set using hot lead, people HAD to go to a printer for their commercial printing needs. As offset lithography, phototype, and digital technologies matured, the methods of production became available to anybody. If you go to a printer for business cards today, odds are they will just order them from an online source. Many people just print their own, or skip printing altogether in favor of an online presence.

The same evolution is happening in the sign industry. I have chosen to concentrate on design and project management, leaving fabrication, installation, and maintenance to firms that specialize in those areas. I have great respect for those that to do it all. My business model has worked well for me and my clients, but I realize it is not for everybody. I wish everyone on this forum continued success!

 

[Gino]

I'd like to introduce you to Rick, the circle maker.

 

[StickerBee]

I don't get how so many of the people that work from home are priced sooooo low. Just because we don't have the overhead doesn't mean we can't charge as if we do and compete with all the other shops in town. Use that lack of overhead to your advantage and pocket it.

People that work from home have a case to charge MORE than a regular sign shop because of the personal service you give. Customer calls you up and they immediately talk to the estimator, designer, producer and installer...all the same person and get all their answers at the same time. They call a big sign shop and you have to wait a week for an estimate, a week for approvals and designs, and THEN they'll estimate you'll get your sign in a month.. There is advantage to being a small outfit and a real reason to charge MORE than those guys... grow a pair and take what you deserve.

And stop comparing yourself to giant online-only vendors. If your customer wanted to buy online they wouldn't be call you in the first place.

I like this idea.

 

[HulkSmash]

Back when type was set using hot lead, people HAD to go to a printer for their commercial printing needs. As offset lithography, phototype, and digital technologies matured, the methods of production became available to anybody. If you go to a printer for business cards today, odds are they will just order them from an online source. Many people just print their own, or skip printing altogether in favor of an online presence.

The same evolution is happening in the sign industry. I have chosen to concentrate on design and project management, leaving fabrication, installation, and maintenance to firms that specialize in those areas. I have great respect for those that to do it all. My business model has worked well for me and my clients, but I realize it is not for everybody. I wish everyone on this forum continued success!

that's a cool story. I respect it. So with that said, stop chiming in giving business advice when you know nothing about it.

 

[Ryan Ramlal]

I am just putting this out there. Prices I seen on Letgo and signs posted on the parkway enter/exit ramps in Long Island, NY.

 

[Christian @ 2CT Media]

Stupid on the small stuff, I wonder if it is hemmed?

 

[Reveal1]

Late to this party, but my 2 cents; I'm somewhere between the two schools of thought. Definitely need to recover cost plus maximum profit that the market will bear. If profit is a dirty word to you, you need to work for the government or a social service. However, simple items like banners and small decal orders are the type of items that win customers and often open doors for more profitable work where you can sell your design and project management services. Consumer's perception of what is a 'fair' price is unfortunately also driven partly by what the online resellers are charging. Who here doesn't check the web to get a feel for what the market is doing price-wise? It's part of the equation and up to you to sell the premium you charge because of your less efficient but presumably more valuable business model. So I charge a Flat per order charge plus plus a sq. foot rate that is somewhere in the middle of the extremes being discussed. The flat charge covers overhead, sales cost etc. and provides an incentive to purchase additional units of the same size/spec item. One of my largest customers NEVER asks about pricing on anything EXCEPT banners, a small service intensive piece of business I could easily do without.. I could politely suggest that yes, that's a better place to get banners for reasons of cost and tell myself how brave I am for sticking to my guns (and how stupid they are for not realizing how great I am) , but I'm playing a longer game and want them to know that they can bring virtually anything to me and I'll provide either a market-competitive rate or a good reason to pay more. So I shoot for that right balance.