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Signextra + Phil Halling
1. How long have you been in our trade?
I started part time as a schoolboy in 1972 signwriting and painting vehicles for a local sign company.
2. What made you want to get involved in sign making?
When I was about 11-12 I picked up a “woollies” brush, a tin of humbrol and scrawled my name. I thought at the time, That looks good, it was easy and do people get paid for this?. The rest as they say is history.
3. If you were able to start over, is there anything you would do differently?
The one thing I would change is that I would charge more from the offset,
When I went self employed in1980 I was up against an old signwriter who had got the bulk of the work in my area. He had made most of his money in the50’s so he was doing lorry cabs for a bottle of scotch or so and I like a fool tried to compete with him – the end result was it took me at least 8 years or so to get the local clientele paying proper prices for the work.4. If you had a choice just now, what piece of equipment would you most like to own, & why?
I think with retrospect I would like to have at least two large format printers,
The aggravation caused when your only machine breaks down cannot be put into words, especially when you are having to out source printing at 5 or 6 times the price you can produce in house.5. How do you feel your business has developed, since starting?
Since starting the business has taken quite a few diversifications, from traditional signwriting we went into vinyl about 1990 and that was good to start with, until the equipment got too affordable and what I call “cheque book signmakers” appeared on the scene, anybody with a redundancy payout or insurance payout or whatever suddenly could set themselves up as sign makers. Unfortunatley they caused, in my area, stupid pricing as most were not dependant on the signs as a main income.
At this point, about 1997 we re-assesed the business and came to the conclusion that the major profit area was applying graphics, rather than production, so we got rid of all the equipment, 3 plotters, a colour camm, workshops, stock etc. and concentrated on free lance applications and technical advice to some of the new up and coming sign companies.
Early this year a production opportunity came along that was too good to miss so we re-invested in equipment, premises etc. and started to produce our own graphics/prints etc. whilst still maintaining our free lance application services. Over the years we have got onto the 3M applicators list, we are avery dennison approved applicators and vws accredited.
6. Do you have a chosen speciality?
Our chosen speciality is vehicle wrapping, which we have been involved with since about 2000. We do anything from race cars to taxis, promotional buses to minis. We also do a lot of fleet work as well, on the applications side we do all the ford and Mercedes vehicles for the RAC and regularly do 6 or 7 vehicles for TNT per week.
7. Is there a goal you aspire to?
Our aim is to be as good as it can get, so that customers automatically assosciate us with good work and don’t feel the need to shop too far afield.
My own personal aspiration is to semi retire while I am still young enough to enjoy it – although I don’t ever envisage total retirement, after all this business is a way of life.
8. Who is your favourite supplier & why? (Regardless of size)
Our favourite supplier is pyramid basically because we have such a good relationship with our rep, who literally will move heaven & earth to get us what we require when we require it.
9. What is your pet HATE about the sign business?
My pet hate is NO forward planning – everybody thinks because all you do is push a few buttons on a computer, they can order work at 4pm to be on site with a 4 man fitting crew at 7.30 the next day any where in the UK.
10, Do you find the internet helps your business?
The internet certainly helps in the fact that files, designs, measurements etc. are thrown around the ether quickly, saving so much time and travelling, enabling us to work within the above confines (see pet hate)
11. Has registering at uksignboards.com been of benefit to your business, & if so. Why?
Being with uksb has helped us gain both information, and I hope, friends amongst the industry and if and when we get a problem it’s the first place I’d turn to for possible answers, there are a lot of knowledgable signmakers out there.
12. What would be your advice to someone just starting out in the sign business?
My main advice to anybody starting out would be: Look, Listen & Learn, your never too old to learn another trick or technique. Never be satisfied with your last piece of work – that leads to complacency, and never charge too little, you can always come down but it is impossible to start raising prices.
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15 Replies
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:appl: Enjoyed that Phil.
Well done, and thanks for the insight.
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yeah, I actually thought you “lucky one” with the two buses! would have loved to have done them
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Good Stuff Phil…an interesting read.
I love your van.. superb 😀
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Great write up Phil, nice read!! I always enjoy reading about our members 😉
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lovely right up phil 😀 especially like the buses 😉
nik
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Phil, that was very interesting to read, very impressive.
Love your van, looks great 😀
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great work phil
nothing more satisfying than standing back and admiring big wraps at the end of the project.
keep it up
Kevin
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Some brilliant work here..truely professional..
Jon
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Greta stuff Phill, very interesting
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Thanks for all your comments guys, and a happy & prosperous new year to each & every one of you.
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Really good work here Phil………
Just one or two questions for you. 😀How did you get in vehicle wrapping?
Have you been on any courses?
What wrap vinyl do you use and why?
Any advice for would be wrappers?Pryam
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Impressed with the buses etc. you have done Phil, and woud like to ask some advice. I’ve been asked to quote for wrapping a London Taxi with union Jack all over. We’ve got a wide printer, but to be honest I’m a bit scared. A union jack has all these straignt lines – the whole length of the vehicle – is it realistic to do that? Many wraps I’ve seen use an image where straight lines are not very noticeable.
Also, we don’t have indoor premises to do it.
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I doubt you could do that with a print. Probably have to wrap in one colour and then add the red cross, blue triangle shapes etc. Very tricky though.
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Hi Phil,
Great work
I thought that it was just my customers that think that making a sign was a ten minute job and that they didn’t need to order there sign till the day before they open there shop
keep up the good work
Brian
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Hi Phil,
I just read your thread. All your work is very good.
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