Where do you send them?

[mark in tx]

Long story short, the shop I used to send the "unprofitable" work to has shut down.
And it seems that most of the other shops around town were sending "unprofitable" customers that way also.

So, how do you find that low balling vinyl cutter in a garage shop in your area?

 

[J Hill Designs]

check craigslist

 

[Banners Signs Etc.]

+1 craigslist
or move to an industrial park where the possibility of walk-ins is avoided.
put "employees only" on the front door
send em to ME!!
jk

 

[Gino]

Why send them anywhere ?? Give a price and if they don't like it..... tell them 'thank you'... and walk away.

 

[john1]

Why send them anywhere ?? Give a price and if they don't like it..... tell them 'thank you'... and walk away.

Yep!

All those "small" jobs add up at the end of the month. It's really not going to kill you to fit a 20, 30 or $40 job in with another order while your working.

I look at those small ones as gas money if nothing else.

 

[MatthewTimothy]

Yep!

All those "small" jobs add up at the end of the month. It's really not going to kill you to fit a 20, 30 or $40 job in with another order while your working.

I look at those small ones as gas money if nothing else.

second this

 

[Gino]

^^Exactly.^^

Without going into details... we probalby do 5 or 6 little pain jobs a week, but they are paid in cash in order to cut down on bad collections. Just as I was getting ready to eat lunch today..... some lady came in and asked if we made those thar little sticky stickers that say 'Riding Double' ?? Sure..... $35 bucks plus tax. Said she is dropping off a load out back and she'll be back in about 45 minutes after giving me $40 bucks and said to keep the change. Put it into the computer in about 30 seconds, hit print with a cut around box, hit twice and I was done in about 4 minutes. Easy-peazy.

Had one yesterday. Guy wanted two little decals..... 3" x 45" black on white with his website. Same thing, but I got $49.82 and got a 12¢ on that one.

Like john1 said..... this is chump change, but someone has to take it.... so why not you ?? If hey don't like it.... don't let the door hit you on the way out.

 

[john1]

Exactly Gino!

If you must send these jobs away send them my way, I have no problem accepting them as this would keep things going as small as i am.

You have to set a minimum for this little jobs, If someone comes to me wanting like a 8"x2" sticker that says something funny i always tell them my minimum is $20 and it's always in cash...

 

[Banners Signs Etc.]

gino is it hard to always have the right answer?

 

[mark in tx]

I used to do those little pain jobs, I called them "ankle biters".
It got to the point though that the little bit of money they brought in didn't pay for interrupting the bigger jobs.
I'm very pleasant with people, I don't quote a ridiculous price to try and scare them off. I just tell them that I don't do that kind of work. It was just a little more pleasant for the person if I could refer them to someone and avoid any hard feelings.

 

[john1]

send them to me....lol

 

[HulkSmash]

i send them to Rev. John in africa

 

[royster13]

Any job that is priced right is profitable......If a job is not profitable it is not the job that is the problem it is the price....

 

[Gino]

gino is it hard to always have the right answer?

Nope.


If I don't know the answer, I'll just make up a story and y'all believe it.

Nah, really.... after being in business almost 40 years, some things just happen so many times, time after time again, you get a sixth sense for this crap. I put it out there and someone always seems to challenge it. When I give examples and most of the time, they've happened recently.... it's kinda proof that it happens to everyone, just we all view it as only happening to ourselves. I'm just trying to generalize things to put it all into perspective.
​