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Ten squillion newbie questions…
…And here is the first!
Buying a cutter, need to know how to use it and learn techniques! Are there any books or similar I can look up?
…And the second!
I already have an order for a sign from my local Post Office..(the mad fools!), and although I already buy Correx from my local Pyramid Display (I can get the vinyl and base board as well as the sign frame to give it a border), I aint got a clue as to use the frame to put the sign up!
Is there a web type tutorial I can follow? If I was to just clag the sign to the side of the building it would be lying on the road the next day! Can i make it vandal-proof?
…And the third!
What is this term ‘pricing’ and how is it calculated…..? 😳
Ta muchly!
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2 Replies
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Welcome to the signage community.
Answering your specific questions is really difficult but I will try steer you in the right direction.
Q1) There are folks that have been working in vinyls for as long as they have been around and still learn every day , this would be a topic that will take many volumes to answer. Your first port of call is the manufacturers sites , they contain basic information on the various grades and types of vinyls.
Secondly it’s off to the vinyl machine suppliers sites , glean them for information
Then the big wholesalers often offer video’s , tutorials or workshops on vinyl on and off site
Most importantly , THIS SITE – become a gold access member and check out the tutorials here.
Thereafter search the web , a lot of trade publications have tips and tricks etc and look at other vinyl guys sites for inspiration.
Q2) For display and fastening systems , use your suppliers expertise
Give them the parameters of whats required , durability , where its mounted , environmental conditions etc and let them recommend the best system. Your suppliers are often the best source of info.
Q3) Pricing : You can thumb suck a price , like material costs x5 (which actually works quite well on average) or you can work it out. A good way to start is ask your supplier what it should go for , a more accurate but lazy and somewhat unethical way , is to ask for a quote from a competitor.
However either way might still not make you any money at all as individual circumstances change. You have to factor in fixed monthly costs , payments and depreciation on machinery , what you want as a salary , time spent on design , time spend on construction , time spent on fitting , cost of materials , potential warrantee claims and about a gazzilion other things.That was the “good” news – now for the “bad”
When investing money in a product or business , one has to do some research. Firstly market research to see if there is a demand for your product and what that demand is and will it support your enterprise.
If the product or service is of a technical nature , then one has to know the abilites of the machinery or the processes and materials in order to efficiently produce it or to know exactly what can be produced or to be able to buy machinery to produce it.
The most vital thing about any business is profit – without it you fail and thus pricing , or knowing what to charge is the key.
Signage, and specifically vinyl signage is a very cut throat business and you are going to be competing against very experienced folk who have achieved economies of scale. Profit margins (NETT profit) are not high in this industry.
There are tons of traps waiting to catch the unwary , like for example using the wrong vinyl for a particular application and having it fail. Technical ability is also not the only skill required.
To be a signmaker you have to be a puter fundi , you have to be a designer and artist, you have to be a craftsman , you have to be a rigger , you have to be an accountant and you have to be a super salesman.
I really don’t want to put you off , the game can be very rewarding if you do it right but if you had to come to me and asked me those questions along with my advice of whether you should enter the field , I would tell you to do a lot more research before buying any capital equipment and making the commitiment. -
Thanks for that.
I already have my own business, the cutter will supplement my income…so I’m not going into this blind.
The pricing aspect is something I’m keen to find out from others, as I know companies that merely mark up items by a %age. The 5x rule is a good and simple one I have to admit.
I suppose the learning curve will happen with useage. I intend to do blackboards and A-boards as well as the upvc banners initially, then progress to shop fascia and perhaps a little vehicle lettering – but not lots of this. As I produce blackboards as a signwriter the vinyl is a natural progression for me.
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