• Make more profit

    Posted by Steve Broughton on July 9, 2002 at 8:30 am

    OK so you’ve designed and fitted the customers signs be they whatever, you now have all the customers relevant info stored on your computer, what else can you sell them?
    Ever thought of where they get their printing from? there are plenty of trade only print firms on the web so why not start simple and offer the customer 500 full colour business cards all flash like their signage, have a ring round the local print firms and get quotes for 500 full colour cards, remember all the artwork is almost done all you have to do is transfer the info onto a smaller size (although designing for print is a little different than signs, I worked in printing for 15 years).
    2 of the companies I use are http://www.rcs.plc.uk and http://www.printing.com they charge £28.50 and £40 respectively for 500 full colour business cards, local printers around here the cheapest price I was quoted was £89.50 so I sell them at £85 but bear in mind that they have to do the artwork and yours is almost all done. Also I am in what is known locally as the “back of beyond” here in the sticks so obviously alter your selling prices for your area accordingly.
    If you are going to try this make sure you get their print buying catlogues first, cos they come with the relevant info for preparing files for print and it helps if you spend some time to understand CMYK printing and they all take Corel Draw files.
    Last month i sold 14 sets of business cards thats £1190 for £399 cost all plus vat, remember all the artwork you have all ready designed, so you should have already charged for that.

    Adrian Howard replied 21 years, 9 months ago 7 Members · 16 Replies
  • 16 Replies
  • Lorraine Buchan

    Member
    July 9, 2002 at 9:03 am

    I do the same thing steve, But how do you find RCS?

    I’ve used them, a few times now and find they are very sloppy with their time keeping, They give you a date for delivery and nothing arrives, your customer arrives and you’ve no cards for them. I have to add on at least 3 days to their delivery date when i tell the customer, just in case and still on occasions the cards don’t arrive.

    But, what can you expect when 500 fullcolour cards cost £28.50!!!

  • signscript

    Member
    July 9, 2002 at 9:20 am

    RCS are dreadfull with deadlines 😥 try http://www.caralan.co.uk

  • Steve Broughton

    Member
    July 9, 2002 at 10:06 am

    Hey Kev are you a real yellow belly or just some yorkie masquerading as one 😀 thanks for the info yes I know RCS are slow but they are good.

  • signscript

    Member
    July 9, 2002 at 10:46 am

    😀 Im a True Yorkie Bar !!! but my wife is a Yellow Belly and i needed to move out of my 440sq ft in Yorkie Bar Land so I found 2500sq ft in Yellow Belly Land for about half the price !! how good is that !!!

    Do you think anyone else has a clue what we are on about ???

    and yes i know i havnt changed the address on my website 😳

  • Lorraine Buchan

    Member
    July 9, 2002 at 11:54 am

    (?) (?) (!) (?) (?)

  • Steve Broughton

    Member
    July 9, 2002 at 11:54 am

    No I don’t suppose they do our kid but I won’t tell them, where abouts are you?

  • signscript

    Member
    July 9, 2002 at 12:17 pm

    well to confuse everyone a bit more we are near: (-)

    😕 “its very sunny here” 😕

    not!

  • Jill

    Member
    July 9, 2002 at 1:34 pm

    I am getting asked more and more if I do business cards this post was just what I was looking for. Thanks guys for sharing it.
    Jill

  • Steve Broughton

    Member
    July 9, 2002 at 1:40 pm

    😀 Sunny Scunny or who put the c……… oops sorry can’t do that one 😀 😀

  • Mike Brown

    Member
    July 9, 2002 at 1:49 pm

    well you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to work that one out eh! 😉

  • signscript

    Member
    July 9, 2002 at 2:15 pm

    id already typed the entire phrase out … and then thought twice and deleted it !!! 😳 a bit rude 😳 dont u think!

  • Mike Brown

    Member
    July 9, 2002 at 2:26 pm

    would be Kevin!…yeah

    If you don’t tow the line here then the wicked witch of the north swoops down on ya and takes you and your posts off to never-never land! 🙁

    (that is – Rob Lambie, the administrator – bans ya’ and deletes ya posts… 😕 )

    [gulp]

    …but a little innuendo is OK… 😉

    more soon

  • signscript

    Member
    July 9, 2002 at 2:41 pm

    anyway back to the subject !! PRINTING for extra revenue !!

    What you need to do if your not sure how to design for print is call RCS http://www.rcs.plc.uk or Printing dot com http://www.printing.com and ask them for a pack which has samples in a catalogue/pricelist and guide of how to design for print and file format they accept.

    once you have this you can design away. but dont just limit yourself to business cards. here is a list of printers i use … there mainly in yorkshire but they will deilver to the uk and there very well priced..

    FOR 1 & 2 COLOUR WORK
    —————————————-
    COMPANY: Print Works 01937 585575
    CONTACT: Paul or Rosemary

    COMPANY: GH Smith & Son 01347 821329
    CONTACT: Alex Smith

    FULL COLOUR PRINT (SMALL RUNS 1000 or less)
    —————————————-
    COMPANY: PPS Ltd 0113 244 2220
    CONTACT: Andy Dove

    FULL COLOUR PRINT (MEDIUM RUNS 1000 to 20,000)
    —————————————-
    COMPANY: PPS Ltd 0113 244 2220
    CONTACT: Andy Dove

    COMPANY: The Mouse House 01423 872704
    CONTACT:

    COMPANY: Fretwells 01482 835511
    CONTACT: Marion

    FULL COLOUR PRINT (OVER 20,000 & For Specific Requirements)
    —————————————-
    COMPANY: Alistair McIntosh 01924 245529
    these lot are a print brokers so they can play different printers off against each other to get the best price..

    ALSO FOR FULL COLOUR DOUBLE SIDED STUFF min order 10,000
    —————————————–
    UK FLYERS http://www.ukflyers.com

    They are realy good quality and fab price

    ie. 10000 business card size 80mm x 50mm Full Colour Both Sides
    ONLY £80

    Hope this helps (!)

  • Mike Brown

    Member
    July 9, 2002 at 2:51 pm

    excellent post…that should help!

  • Andrew Blackett

    Member
    July 19, 2002 at 2:58 pm

    I had a fax come through from williams design and print (01745 817171 + glynnis@ukonline.co.uk) with some prices of trade printing, they are as follows:

    1000 A4 Single sided £105 Double sided £168
    5000 A4 Single sided £144 Double sided £248
    5000 A5 Single sided £99 Double sided £168
    1000 A4 tri fold £176 (double sided)

    Full colour onto 130gsm gloss

    small print as follows:

    proof included in price, design available on request, computer to plate technology, prices are for printing cmyk. All prices exclude delivery and VAT where applicable at current rate. There may be a disk handling charge for artwork supplied incorrectly

    Never used them myself but may do in the future.

    ANDY

  • Adrian Howard

    Member
    July 20, 2002 at 9:04 am

    I use printwize http://www.print-wize.co.uk
    very quick, cheap and good quality work
    eg 500 business cards single colour 350gsm board £18.00
    i retail at £47 plus artwork, leaflets single colour on 130 gsm gloss white £34 for 1000 run on £23 per 1000 also available letterheads comp slips ncr forms etc. easily double your money for little work
    RCS for full colour if they dont meet there deadline you get a full credit
    for the job – last year i had over a £1000 worth of credit because jobs overan by a day or two… cant be bad

    Adrian

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