Renting a unit?

[Nick Monir]

Hi Lee, there are loads of things to weigh up mate. I took on a small unit about a year after I started up, purely because business was going well and I was fed up with people knocking the door at the weekend. I never regret taking it on but there are lots of overheads with a unit – rent, rates, electricity, gas, phone line, broadband…..

As for the unit bringing in more work, that is going to depend on its location. If its stuck down a quiet back street, then no, however if its in a prominent place like a main road or busy industrial estate then it should attract more work for you.

Ultimately it would all depend on the costs, its position and whether or not you think you can justify it. Look into units and add it up.

Hope this helps a little 😀

Nick.

[Chris Wool]

quote :

Do you think having a unit will bring in more customers.

most defiantly as long as the other business around the unit bring people on to the estate.
i was in a similar position 12 years ago and within 20 min of putting the sign up i had 2 new customers for van lettering and that paid the rent for the month.

chris

[LeeMorris]

Thanks for the replies
Its not something to enter into without a lot of thought and backup and with my job situation at the moment it would make it easier financially.
When i get customers ring me now they seem a bit put off when i say i work from home.

Lee

[Gary Birch]

I honestly think that having a true business address helps get more and better enquirys. I have been in premises for 2 years now and things have gone from strength to strength. My place is not on a busy street in fact it faces onto a library car park. Like Chris my unit was immediately paid for by the extra work I got from passing trade which I wouldn`t have got by being at home.

The big thing for me though having a young family was the fact I could close the door on it each day.

No matter what you decide to do I am a firm believer in that if you give the customer a good job, at a fair price within a reasonable timescale you have to be very unlucky not to succeed.

Good Luck in whatever you decide to do.

Cheers

Gary

[Ian Bingham]

I agree with Gary the best part of a unit is closing the door on work which you cant do from home, i did 3 years from home now 7 in a unit, so much better, but costs are greatly increased, eg unit insurance starts at 700 pound, extra phone 30 -50 a week heat, light, rates, we pay 1600 at 47p in the pound on 1500 square ft, but the great increase in business has always covered it with no problem
all the best with your choice
Ian

[LeeMorris]

Thanks guys
I know its a big gamble but when you’ve got ideas and ambitions you sometimes just have to go for it.
I was thinking a workshop thats got an area for displaying all the types of signs and materials you can buy rather than a customer just looking at pictures. Obviously that would need a bigger unit and be more expensive

Lee

[John Childs]

quote gary birch:

I honestly think that having a true business address helps get more and better enquirys.

Not sure about that. What’s a "true" business address?

Fair enough, if you use something like "Signs House" as the first line, but doing something like that always strikes me as being a bit pompous. I also find it irritating because it just makes the address longer than it needs to be and adds nothing of value. Signs House, 43 High Street is still 43 High Street however you dress it up. If I’m writing out their address I always miss superfluous things like that out.

It’s a bit the same with industrial estate addresses. Who gives a toss what estate your unit is on? Number, road, town and postcode will get your post to you and everything else is window dressing. I miss those out as well. 🙂

A potential new client couldn’t tell from my address whether I have a big unit and van park, or whether I’m operating from a shed at the back of a council house.

[Gary Birch]

John
I can only go from my experience and that was that I noticed an increase in calls from none customers when I moved into premises. Maybe it was a coincidence and I would have got them anyway or maybe it was the fact that I moved to the other side of town( I doubt it though as I have more competition in this area than the last).

I agree about the Signs House bit though. There is a Sticker Lane in Bradford, what an address that would be lol.

Cheers

Gary

[Phill Fenton]

Have you done any homework on this Lee?

From what you have said this is a part time business. How many hours will you need to work just to cover the over heads. Do you have enough spare time to do that (and make a small profit) and keep your full time job?

In reality – having a unit is not the answer to bringing in more work. You can do that just as easily by marketing your business properly. This means telling as many people by whatever means that you are a sign maker.

I believe you need at least two people working to cover the costs involved in leasing premises and still produce a reasonable profit. Working part time on your own, you will struggle just to cover your costs. Then you will face your next dilemma – do you give up your full time job, and do you employ someone?

What would I do? I would give up my job and start the business from home working full time marketing my new venture. Then once the momentum had built up – I would lease the unit and start someone else working alongside me.

Good luck whatever you decide.

[David Glen]

Looks to me like a case of eyes wide shut here.
Unless you have enough capital to pay your way for a couple of years it’s best to build the business first IMHO.
Unless of course you do serious research and produce a business plan which really suggests it will work but it’s still a chance take.

Really you have answered your own question, you don’t have enough customers. Build the business to the point of bursting then move forward.
Just my view because it will be like starting again.

Additionally, the move from home is unlikely to be to a prestigious or busy address, more likely a workshop tucked away somewhere.
Unless of course you have pots of money to invest in the setup and beginning stages.

[LeeMorris]

Well if i’m honest i was hoping it would bring in more work. I have done lots of marketing but doesn’t seem to have much impact, maybe my marketing isn’t correct.

Lee

[David Glen]

Lee, look at it from the potential customers side.

He decides he needs to get some new signs.
What does he do? Believe me, he will not spend 30 minutes looking for a flyer which came through his door 6 months ago.
Neither will he go and look in newsagents windows or in the free papers.
You don’t say what marketing you have done but Yellow Pages WILL bring in work as that (or increasingly so Yell.com) is the first place a customer will look. Personally I don’t recommend Thompsons Directory.
If you design a good advert (say a 1/4 column) which doesn’t look (homey) and have a dedicated phone line in your home which you answer as a business, you will reap the rewards.
If you think YP is too expensive then forget about a unit as you will still need to advertise.
You will find that most customers will never cone to you as following an enquiry you will call on them.
Just my opinions based on experience…

[Warren Beard]

Hi David

Why wouldn’t you recommend Thomsons Directories?

[LeeMorris]

David
I do have a 1/4 column advert in yellow pages and yell.ocm
Also a local magazine but thats only just come out.
I have also do emails, Leaflet drops to shops and by post.
Don’t know what else to try.

Cheers
Lee

[David Glen]

Well you’re on top of it then.

Don’t wait up for those calls though as it does seem very quiet at the moment for new enquiries.

[John Childs]

quote Warren Beard:

Why wouldn’t you recommend Thomsons Directories?

Probably for the same reason I wouldn’t.

Our copy of Thomson directory goes in the bin as soon as it arrives. We just don’t need a shelf full of directories. One is enough. 😀

[Andy Gorman]

Has anyone had any joy with Yell.com?
I’ve just come to the end of a year with an enhanced listing (like 300 quids!) and I didn’t get a single call from it. They tell me it is being viewed 200 odd times a month! By people with no phones, I reckon.

Anyone?

[Graeme Harrold]

I get a fair percentage of business from free listings – yell.com and google ads. Dont have a massive turnover and therefore zero advertising budget, but I get enough descent work to keep me going. It is however important to track where new customers got your info and invest your interest there.

No point paying for a click-through ad if you are not converting enough clicks to sales to cover the cost.

[Warren Beard]

Sorry for stealing this thread but has anybody used the Business Strata service?

They email you all new and relocated businesses once a month, they get the info from BT as soon as the line is set up, do you think this would be too late to approach a company for their signs?

It’s only about £25/month

Anybody heard of it?

cheers

Warren

[LeeMorris]

I even thought about buying a van, at the moment i use the car which does have graphics on but with a van i could get more on and would look more like a business, maybe some colour prints.

Lee

[Graeme Harrold]

quote Warren Beard:

Sorry for stealing this thread but has anybody used the Business Strata service?

They email you all new and relocated businesses once a month, they get the info from BT as soon as the line is set up, do you think this would be too late to approach a company for their signs?

It’s only about £25/month

Anybody heard of it?

cheers

Warren

Not heard of them, but I get plenty of "cold calls"…….If you do use them make sure they delist the companies who opt out under TPS and MPS as it could land you with a fine.

[David Glen]

Lee, I have just ditched my car and use my van for everything.

Within 1 month of doing this I picked up close to £1000 worth of work directly from the van.

Warren, you may be different but most businesses will pick up YP before Thompsons and looking through the categories and lack of entries you will see why.
I ditto Johns reply – straight in the bin.

Re new business information. When I moved I was plagued with calls following thompsons new business notification service.
I mean, how many accountants and financial advisors can a business need??
Now, I wasn’t a new business, I simply moved and took on a new phone number. I was well pee’d off and told them so.
I told all callers I wouldn’t even contemplate the call because Thompsons had sold on my business information without my permission.
Likewise, every time they ring for business I tell them to clear off.

Could be a useful service from a signs point of view mind you.

[Graeme Harrold]

quote David Glen:

Re new business information. When I moved I was plagued with calls following thompsons new business notification service.
I mean, how many accountants and financial advisors can a business need??
Now, I wasn’t a new business, I simply moved and took on a new phone number. I was well pee’d off and told them so.
I told all callers I wouldn’t even contemplate the call because Thompsons had sold on my business information without my permission.
Likewise, every time they ring for business I tell them to clear off.

Could be a useful service from a signs point of view mind you.

Get your numbers (Personal and commercial through TPS) and addresses (MPS) delisted through http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/ Takes about 30 days to be effective, after that cold callers are breaking the law, plus they quickly hang up when you mention you are TPS listed

[David Glen]

I’ve done that Graeme and it certainly works but of course with a new line you get the calls before registration is effective.

[John Childs]

Warren,

The people who run that type of information business have zero confidence in their own product to provide you with any leads.

How do I know that? Well, just tell them that you won’t pay their monthly subs, but you will pay them 10% commission on any jobs they get for you. Explain how, if their service is as good as they maintain, that arrangement will result in them making a lot more money from you. Then sit and listen to the excuses as to why they can’t do that.

My favourite was "how do we know we can trust you to pay us" to which I politely replied that if that was their attitude, how could I trust them to keep their promises?

[Gary Birch]

Warren
I have subscribed to the said New connections from Thomson Directories and yes it works not brilliant but yes it work. I pay around £650 per year for 2 x surrounding areas which equates to approx 60 – 70 leads a month. I then get rid of what I`m not interested in and send out a letter of introduction to the leftovers, I probably average 1 or 2 jobs per month from them. But what you have to keep in mind is that each of them that is left smiling will then hopefully pass our name on( just like all other customers).

But as with everything DO NOT agree to pay their initial price. I have got between 20-25% by standing my ground.

Cheers

Gary

[LeeMorris]

Maybe Rob could list a Marketing forum
I’m sure lots of us would get some helpful ideas from it.

Cheers
Lee

[Phill Fenton]

quote leemorris:

I have done lots of marketing but doesn’t seem to have much impact, maybe my marketing isn’t correct.

Lee

Someone once told me it’s a "numbers" games. If you get the message to enough people that you make signs you will get the work (you just haven’t told enough people yet). Advertising is also expensive. The telephone is the quickest and easiest way to contact a lot of other small businesses. So "tel:"(You see what I did there 😉 ) them what you do.

[LeeMorris]

Phil
I would love to be phoning around local businesses but i’m not that good at cold calling
I thinks its because when companies ring me i just put the phone down on them and think thats what they would do to me.

Lee

[David Rogers]

Lee, just that if I was in your position this is how I would make my initial assessment…maybe not how I’d end up proceeding though…that would mean making a proper business plan!

Unit – don’t faff about with fancy areas displaying your work / plasma screens & coffee machines. It’s a workshop / office to make YOU money – the time will come when you may wish to entertain your clients / display a vast portfolio – but what you will crave is SPACE, don’t waste it. A SMALL area to separate public from private is a handy thing though – prevent them from gaining free access to any production & office areas & you can have a few photos, colour samples & fonts on the wall. Try to avoid back alleys or very busy streets with no parking. A cheap SHOP may be ideal as a manufacturing & retail base. I operated out of one for many years. Just a bit tight for space But I managed.
Profit – obviously not to be confused with turnover. Before you sell anything, before you make anything the unit etc HAS to be paid for. If you’re not making at least your ‘rent’ and a wage and can buy stock already don’t rush in. Your first 6 months to a year will probably be tough enough getting properly established & your name out there to generate a steady & growing income. Get to where you need the space / growth. I honestly don’t think it can be grown significantly without full time dedication.
advertising – Until you can trade almost entirely on repeat & recommendations remember that Yellow Pages still works and is still a major player, Phone Book (growing allegedly) – and web based searches. If a potential client can’t type in ‘SIGNS & your town’ and get you on the first page of natural results it may as well not exist. (Don’t waste your money on sponsored links or Pay-Per-Click).
Depending on the saturation of your YP with other sign companies, look at increasing the size slightly – and getting the NAME & PHONE BIG. Forget full colour & fancy backgrounds at this stage. Take every freebie advert going too. Business networking – me? – no, yet others swear by them. I think it largely depends on the group. Flyers – target them. Ignore the domestic market if you can – not much money in door nameplates & sunstrips. Telephone cold calling…fastest way to hack them off. If you can’t stomach being told ‘no, not interested DO NOT call again’ then give it a WIDE berth. However, cold calling on local businesses IN PERSON might be a good idea. Keep it BRIEF – 30 seconds or so. Go in armed with a smile, a flyer & a business card! Expect less than a 2% feedback on any personal flyer drop, less than 0.5% if just mass mailed. Don’t part with a penny to any scheme that promises you better web placements (especially in Google). I had a nice long discussion a few weeks ago – it went from £500 for the year, to £200 for the same year to £25 for a two month trial. "Is your business not worth £25?" was the last hope he had of making a sale…charming!

If you get a van – sign it up, and leave it in plain view whenever possible. No need to be ‘fancy’ – just be memorable, with a clear & concise message. If you can stretch to something that can fit an 8×4 inside – great as it makes transporting goods & tools so much easier. It doesn’t have to be new – just be presentable.

You said you’ve done marketing. What type? As Phil said, it’s a numbers game. I used mailshots many years ago to local businesses & I got ONE job (4 vans) – still worth it, yet disheartening at the effort I went to.

I’ve probably said it a hundred times on here – reputation, good or bad will make or break you. Don’t drop prices, just do a better job than the next guy. Word gets around about your service & skills and people will usually be prepared to pay for them.

Anyway – I’m rambling…

[Phill Fenton]

I’m the same Lee – it was not something I enjoyed or thought I would be any good at. The way I approached it was I obtained a mailing list of all of the companies in my area along with the main contacts name and telephone number (e.g – A chamber of commerce directory of members in your area will give you this information but will only contain members information). I used to spend up to an hour each day on the phone in the morning calling everyone and explaining who I was. You don’t need to be a high pressure salesman – just be yourself. Explain who you are and why you have called (e.g you have started a new business making signs – is this something that would be of interest to them?). 9 times out of ten they will say no – but if you would care to send in a leaflet or brochure they will keep it on file. Occasionally you will get lucky and you will come across someone needing a quote for a van or something. Follow up each call with a polite letter introducing yourself and your service. I promise you if you speak to the owner of the business he will be impressed enough to listen to you (he’s been in the same situation himself before). Very few people are actually rude and hang up. Just don’t try and be something or someone you aren’t. No one likes having their time wasted either so keep your calls short and sweet and straight to the point.

As I said already – if you call enough people you will get some work.

When I started my business I started it full time from day one with a small industrial unit. It was a case of sink or swim – otherwise the bills wouldn’t get paid. 😕

The van is also a very good way to tell people what you do. I reckon I get as much work from my van as I do from running my business from a small unit. The units main purpose is it allows me the space to do the work.

[Craig Bond]

I advertise in the Yellow Pages. I got rid of Yell.com because it did not work, but I do now have a free listing. I have a free listing on google. But more then any other method – I have a van with a free advert on it which is seen by hundreds of people every day. The yellow pages does bring in about 50% of my work so is well worth the money spent (I have a full colour 1/4 page, which costs £1400ish per year). The other 50% is due to customer base orders, which is due to word of mouth. These probabily came from Yellow Pages or my Van, and the fact we do a good job. It all takes time but, if you do your job right then word of mouth is a better advertisement than anything, but it takes time!

[Colin Bland]

I did yell.com sponsored listing for one year and didn’t get any work from it at all.

I advertise in yellow pages and my current advert works well for my local area but i also advertise in two other areas using an 0845 number and no address – big mistake have got hardly any enquiries from those even though they are exactly the same advert.

My advice is you have got to stay local or if you are going to advertise in other areas get a telephone number that is local to that area

In analyzing my calls I find that 50% of enquiries from yellow pages come from businesses that are within 2 miles of my unit

Its amazing how local people want you to be –

Colin

[Andy Gorman]

So yell.com doesn’t seem to have impressed anyone. It’s not just me then.

Anyways, Lee: tell EVERYONE what you do. Always be on the lookout for opportunities. I once picked up more work whilst walking to the kebab shop than I got from spending 2 weeks posting leaflets on the industrial estates. If you see an empty shop, remember it and make a point of passing it now and again. If it looks like someone is moving in, go and visit while they are there. Drop business cards with anyone who will take one, especially on the counters of trade counters.

When the work dries up a bit, go out and find it. And remember – it takes time to get established. I’m not there after 4 years.

[Nick Durbin]

Im in the same position, i work from home, i have a regular job that i cannot give up at the mo as i have a mortgage and a young baby to support.
I have a good customer base as i am also a litho printer with obviously a big garage and extension…
I would like an opportunity to get premises and have even been asking the council if i can get a grant/cheap rent for a year to see how business grows…
Difficult decision, but in the end i will jump in with both feet, before then baby comes first…. 😕

[LeeMorris]

Well there are a lot of points to think over.
Maybe i’m trying to run before i can walk,

Thanks to everyone for the comments and help.

Cheers

Lee

[Richard Urquhart]

I see this has moved on from the title but i would like to add my response from
yell.com I went in there a few months ago and I have a thing on my web site where i can see where and how people got my details from and I can see what link they came from. I get about 9 hits from a sign maker search a month from yell and so far 2 good jobs which have covered my add. I think more and more people use the net now and also use their mobile phones to search for things, we had one the other day and when asked the guy said he used his phone and yell.com

rich

[John Harding]

quote :

So yell.com doesn’t seem to have impressed anyone. It’s not just me then.

Andy – Yell.com is so good for me im dropping my Yell book ad for the first time as 95% of the calls are yell.com

just my twoppence worth

John

[Andy Gorman]

I’d be interested to know what level of ad people have on yell.com and what results they’ve had.

You’ve got the free entry, enhanced listing and enhanced listing with web link.

As I mentioned, I’ve had an enhanced listing without web link for a year and not one call, not one! They are asking nearly 400 quids for the web link type listing.

[Richard Urquhart]

John that’s good mate as you only need 5% for the hours you work !!! or should I say days, your always on holiday

Rich x

[John Harding]

Ive got the standard paid for advert with my web site link, so people use YP then link to my site for a look then call me up – works ok 😉

John

Ps rich you know last week was hard so im taking friday off to recover 😀

[Richard Urquhart]

You are joking

I must learn to play golf it must be a good money spinner !!
I have a course on tuesday not the ones you go on !!!

[LeeMorris]

Maybe Rob could move this or change it now its moved on from the title.
I’m sure lots of us would like to know what each other do for customers.

Lee

[Richard Urquhart]

Sorry Lee
Rich

[Andy Gorman]

I think some kind of marketing/advertising thread would be a good idea. Somewhere where we could all share what works and what doesn’t.

[LeeMorris]

Hi Rich
I wasn’t being sarcastic i don’t mind the topic changing i thought with a better heading it would get a better response.

Cheers
Lee 😀

[Nick Durbin]

personally, yell.com doesnt work for me and in the last 2 yellow pages ive only had 1 call…
Most of my work is through word of mouth or returning customers…
personal advertising is the way….leaflet drops and newspaper ads in locals always seem to catch someones eye.

[Gary Birch]

Strange how we all get so different results. I have an enhanced listing with yell.com and a weblink and it pays for itself in the 1st 2 or 3 months. I have actually pulled out of the sign makers section as I only seem to get sh!t that I don`t want.

Apart from word of mouth and repeat custom which is by far the most productive I would say the next most successful is the New Connections info I send letters out to on a monthly basis.

Having had 10 years sales experience the only thing I would stress is that you should not just do your marketing when you are quiet. Try and set aside time each week and do it while you are busy as this will remove the pressure of having to find work and give you more confidence. People can sense confidence and it will go along way in your sales pitch. As has been said earlier tho try and keep it short but to the point.

Try sending out letters of introduction explaining the services you are able to offer and close the letter with the words "I trust the above is of interest and will give you a call to discuss over the next few days". Trust me it works.

Cheers

Gary

[Chris Windebank]

Hi Lee, as I was starting up I went through the same things as to where I should advertise. I chose an alternative route but visiting printing companies and made them a sign saying "we make signs". They have the units and passing trade and I reap the benefits.
Also a mailer but left in the greasy spoons cafes where all the builders eat, plenty from that.
Think of different industries too. One of my biggest clients is a loo hire company, I get work every week from them from toilet signs to signing ALL there vehicles and trailers.
Yell.com has worked for me, Thompson did not. The most important thing is to get a good website up and running and add "Google Analytics" this shows where people have found you from and what they actually typed in to get to you, from there you can change you key words to suit.
Just my bit

[Andy Gorman]

Local newspaper business supplements. There, I’ve said it.

Erm…what I meant to say was, has anyone advertised in these? Any good? Expensive I know, but just wondering.

[Gary Birch]

No I haven`t been in any sort of newspaper but I had considered putting an add in the Auto Trader in the commercial section. Would be interested to know if anyone else has tried that.

Cheers

Gary

[Graeme Harrold]

quote Chris Windebank:

The most important thing is to get a good website up and running and add “Google Analytics” this shows where people have found you from and what they actually typed in to get to you, from there you can change you key words to suit.
Just my bit

Most important thing is customers to pay for the website, this is something to build upon as business grows. It is important to have some form of website, but Id initially stick to 3 pages:

• Home/Welcome Page
  Contacts
  Brief portfolio

I am hosted by "1 and 1" and part of the package is analysis of traffic. I get this sent to me on a weekly and monthly basis automatically……very handy to monitor where people are coming from, and hit conversion rates to orders.

[Phill Fenton]

quote gary birch:

No I haven`t been in any sort of newspaper but I had considered putting an add in the Auto Trader in the commercial section. Would be interested to know if anyone else has tried that.

Cheers

Gary

Yes I did when I first started – I got one or two jobs but not many – just enough to cover the cost of the advert which made it a waste of money really.

[John Childs]

A good ploy is to keep your local paper informed of anything you do. It doesn’t need to be a major contract win, more or less anything will do, and they will often do a little article.

You’d be surprised how they can often struggle to find interesting stuff to put in their paper, and may well welcome a few column inches about how one successful local business is helping another improve their image on a new van. Then you get an opportunity to explain to the reporter how you strive to offer quality products and good service at a reasonable price.

Best of all – it’s free.

About fifteen years ago I had a customer with a distributor in Turkey and he agreed to supply a few self adhesive logos to them to put on their delivery van. I just made them and stuck them in the post. Three weeks and a few phone calls later we had a quarter page article in the local paper telling the populace about this small local signwriter who was expanding into export work. Although it didn’t come out in the article, me and a girl were working from a very cramped garage atached to my house. Laugh a minute.

[John Childs]

Enough of the marketing – back to the original point of this thread. Premises. 😀

There’s an interesting little article on working from home on page 30 of today’s Financial Mail on Sunday concerning some folks who started little businesses at home which then outgrew their sheds. It discusses their reluctance to get back into the rat race that they tried so hard to escape from.

I have to say that I have a certain amount of sympathy with their view. I came into this line of work from running a small franchised garage with about eight employees and one of my gripes (not the largest) was having to spend an inordinate amount of time attending to the troubles and responsibilities of employing eight people. I thought that a little vehicle graphics business I could run from my garage with little in the way of overheads and nobody to worry about but me would be good.

Unfortunately the work was there, and the lure of expansion was too great and I now find myself, twenty years later, in exactly the same position as the one I was trying to escape. Sure the financial rewards have been welcome, but there are things I’ve misssed out on by being so wrapped up in my business. I look back fondly on the days when it was just me and a girl and life seemed a bit more carefree, with time to go out for lunch, spend more time with the wife and kids, and stuff like that.

Take careful note of Phill’s comment about how much work, and therefore number of people working in the business, you will need to pay premises expenses. When I got out of the garage business we rented the property to two men who employed one mechanic. They only lasted two years because they found that whereas we could make a profit on the place from nine people working there, the three of them couldn’t generate the profits needed to cover the costs.

One of my hobbies is share trading and the notion of selling up here and doing that for a living is very attractive. No employees, no overheads, no worries, just a decent laptop and I could run it from a beach anywhere in the world. The only downside is that I’m not good enough at it.

[Gareth.Lewis]

John,

Thanks, you’ve convinced ME to stay as I am, working from home as a one man band. When I am head down, weeding the thousandth tiny letter at two in the morning, (all the time thinking of getting premises and staff, surely it must be easier than this), I do almost convince myself that growing the company is the way to go.

I’ve heard far too many people ruing the day they decided to ‘go for it’ and get premises and staff for (they say) all they seem to do is ‘keep’ their staff and their families, whilst all the time earning, for themselves, much the same as they were when they were a one man band.

Lee,

I hope you think long and hard before you do anything drastic (and listen to John’s wise words), an acquaintance of mine has just gone into partnership with two others and has bought a big large format printer, a new van, all sorts of expensive kit, plotter, workbenches etc etc. I just hope for his sake the work is out there for them to pay for it all and make all three of them a tidy profit, forever.

Cheers,

Gareth