-
Starting Up a Sign Company
Looking for some advice into what is the best way to go about starting up my own sign company. I have finally realised after six years of working for someone that I could be doing the work for myself. I currently work for a small sign company employing 3 staff, of which I am the one of the designers, and the only person capable of fitting sign systems, vinyl etc.
Firstly the reason I am looking for advice is that I am confused as to what equipment to look at, I currently use a gerber edge 2 with GS15 plus plotter and Omega 2.5. We also have a roland Camm Pro wide format plotter of which I am the only one who appears to be able to use it.
So basically should I go thermal or inkjet?
Do i get an all in one printer / cutter or stand alone setup?
Software Signlab, Omega, etc?????An to put a spanner in the works as cheap as possible because of budget constraint, plus I will need a business plan and to talk nicely to Business Gateway, Bank Manager, etc.
-
5 Replies
-
Hello e wig
Cheap is only relative to the funds you can utilise. £50 quid are £10k?
If you are limited in your budget, it may be better to start with a plotter rather than printer, but then it will depend on the market you are aiming at, so perhaps a little more info will enable the guys and gals on the boards to advise what is best?
Peter
-
hi there,
I’m all with what peter said, if you have a “tight budget” then i would suggest a vinyl cutter ( size of your choice ) and sign lab software as at the end of the day you can make signs, letter vehicles and make banners all using this machine. Growth is something that takes time so as peter said suss out your market and then grow from it rater than spending a fortune on equipment and having it sit there for months on end not being used.
Good luck with your new venture and hope to see some of your work posted soon
roffs
-
Go along to the business Gateway seminars. There’s a lot of free advice there and they’ll help you to put together a business plan and assign you a business advisor who will steer you in the right direction and get you asking yourself all of the right questions before you start up. If you’re lucky you might even get a grant to help you get started. 😀
What part of Scotland are you from?
-
Thanks folks, I will arrange a meeting with business gateway and see what advice they have to offer first before looking at equipment, but I can see your point in only getting a vinyl plotter to start with. At present I am unsure as to what my budget is going to be but less overheads the better.
I am based in SW Scotland where I am quite lucky as there nearest sign companys to me are 60 miles east and 30 miles west so quite a large catchment area.
-
your catchment area sound too good to be true, i have 9 sign companies within an 8 mile radius. and i live in the middle of no-where.
go for a plotter and good sign program , (easysign), and be prepared to be broke the rest of your life. 😀
Log in to reply.