Wraps/ high end selling.... To who????

[DIGITAL DESIGNS]

Hey guys fairly new here. I've been in the biz for about 3 years. Most of our work has been smalls.... Banners, signs, small vehicle graphics. We have recently did a half wrap on our truck and some smaller wrapping like the front end of a '55 ford.

my biggest question here is I want to get into the wraps more. I feel that I can handle the job enough to go out and try to start selling......but to who? Do I target dealerships for color changes, custom auto shops and set up a display, boat dealerships? I have found out that I can't make any money printing 3x10 banners and a handful of coroplast signs everyday?

any help and thoughts are appreciated.

 

[chafro]

I can't help you with the wrap thing, but try to find more value added jobs. Things that need more creativity, more work, more service. Be very good at something that is hard to do, that it involves a "know how".
Those kind of jobs usually have better margins and clients are not going to leave you over the first offer that saves them a few cents.

 

[player]

Lawn guys, construction... seriously drive around and see who has wraps and call them and their competitors.

 

[SignManiac]

Hunt down the duck dynasty genre and push camo. It's a Hugh niche market. Redneck gold!

Oh, and don't forget the race car scene. NASCAR is a good market.

 

[Z SIGNS]

You want discerning customers and the ability to satisfy them.

 

[DIGITAL DESIGNS]

I guess the biggest problem that I am running against is everyone loves the idea and what it looks like but no one will lay out the cash. It's like I can't close the deal. I am in a rural area and guess that I need to go to town.

How about outdoor shows?

Thanks for the thoughts

 

[JoshP]

Cool post.. I'm also in the same boat. a lot of interest in wraps but when you try to get them to do it they pull the "I've got no money".

I'm in Australia in a rural town I guess and charging A LOT less than the guys in the big cities.


They expect to make their car/boat/bike look good but wont pay the money... drives ya nuts when you have the machine here to be producing this stuff all day every day!!

 

[Chriswagner92]

I was also planning on starting to get into wraps, if not with the company I work at, then on my own. My plan was to wrap my own car, and hit local car shows and mingle with the crowd, plus car shows are really fun to do on saturday mornings.

 

[Gino]

Knock on doors, hand out flyers and go to flea markets. If you get one nibble at the end of the week, it'll pay for everything.

Just don't be too anxious to give your stuff away. Stand your ground and demand top buck which will bring top billing for respect and payment. Once you get one under your belt, they'll be knockin' your doors down for your work. The money is out there...... you just have to find it.

 

[Mosh]

Gypsies love them. You know asphalt, trees service, roofing types. They fly by nighters who want to look official!

 

[Commando]

Is there a local dirt track around? There are a bunch around here. There is this guy and that is ALL he does. He doesn't even print the stuff.. That is contracted out but he does just fine with JUST the cars. People love putting their name and sponsors on their trailors. Hit a wall? Well, they need a new number or door wrap or something!

 

[SightLine]

In 10 years I've been doing full wraps I have not one single time had an individual willing to spend the money for a wrap. Tons ask about wraps though - early on I quickly learned to pre-qualify them. You can almost immediately tell if it is a business or not. If not I quickly get the subject onto costs and let them know that a full wrap is going to run at least a couple thousand and could easily run upwards of 5k plus depending on the artwork, vehicle, materials, etc.

I'd say 25% of the wraps we do are for small business, the other 75% for large commercial or government clients.....

All that being said - I find that the smaller jobs (banners, coro signs, etc) ARE where the real profits come in. Those are the jobs that add up fast. Some wrap projects are also very very profitable but most are no more profitable than the same dollar value of small jobs. The big profit wrap projects are generally also highly complex and very high cost projects, like 11 30 foot buses we are about to start on for example.

Look into town, city, county, state, and federal bid opportunities - those are where you start making inroads into larger government projects. Government projects can also be the most intimidating but also the most profitable.

 

[HulkSmash]

Hunt down the duck dynasty genre and push camo. It's a Hugh niche market. Redneck gold!

Oh, and don't forget the race car scene. NASCAR is a good market.

I throw away camo wraps daily. I hate non B2B work.

 

[Mosh]

Race cars wraps, yeah, will you sponsor me?

 

[Stanton]

. . . I have found out that I can't make any money printing 3x10 banners and a handful of coroplast signs everyday?

any help and thoughts are appreciated.

Figure out why you can't make any money doing what you know how to do.

Don't expect the grass is greener doing things you have no experience doing.


PM me dude.

I am way retired and point blank with advice.

-Glenn

 

[Wraps ink]

In my opinion I would first get some good training. I don't want to sound harsh but the wrap industry needs more shops who don't cheapen the cost and quality by failing installs and horrible design. I learned the hard way having to replace panels or redo a failing wrap. It takes time, and attention to detail, not to mention extra hands to help out sometimes. I would also get the right tools. the rolle pro is something I wish I hand bought 5 years ago and also the v cat roller from 3M. Wraps can either cause you to either sink or swim especially doing a large fleet...you wanna get those right the first time. I would really research material also. After that, just call businesses would have minimal vehicle advertising or already have wraps and sell the job. Instead of using the words "it will cost this much" tell them "your investment will only be $xx" most of the public who inquire about wraps the price point will be too high. You want to target a business with a need for advertising in a unique way.

 

[dawg]

in my opinion, starting with a few days course or similar equal with suicide..

need at least one person who made many cars already..

a truckside can be learned virtually in a lunchbreak.. to wrapping a curly bumper could take more time than a flatside truck..

it can generate money, better than coroplast signs.. but a lot learning..

coroplast signs you can start out of 300-500 dollar..

for vehicle wrap you might need at least 54 inches printer, possible uv, a very good laminator and most important someone who already made this sucessfully..
then that one mightbe sent for a 3-5 day training or for certification, so you can tell customers your folks are certified by 3m or other companies..

this will cost you thoushands.. thats why it makes more money..
more investment more outcome..

while im very clear about on ink and film can be saved additional money.. my suggestion just dont go for..
when customer pay 2500 for one car, you dont want to risk the whole bussiness on saving 50 or 100 dollar..
the 180- film the ""lowest grade"" and 380 could be said for the highest... however you might go always with the 380..


also as other already said.. the exist coroplast and other signs makes bills up.. to making living out only of wraps, thats a very long road..

here we make almost everything..
for an outdoor store for example,

i built a 60 inch dia table with the company logo inlayed..

built a shoe rack something out of 1x8 8 feet cypress and 1/2 inches sintra ..

built an indoor sign out of real wood bark and sintra letters...

another job was cutted magnetic letters and company logo out of flexible magnetic..

every job can be affordable with the right customer..
when customer entering in your shop, imagine you go into walmart example.. if milk is 3 dollar per gallon, you can not bid on

you buy, or you dont buy..

you have to be stronger than customer