Starting out

[John Singh]

Hi Shiver!

First of all welcome to the site
We hope you enjoy our company
So have fun!

If you take time to look at some of the threads some, not all, of your questions have been discussed.

I’ll start the ball rolling by saying that there are sign magazines in the UK
such ones like Sign Update or the one that most on the board here enjoy is Signcraft. http://www.signcraft.com

Sign Update sometimes advertises going concerns for sale due to retirement etc…. or even recruitment posts

http://www.sign-update.co.uk

[Robert Lambie]

hi mate and welcome to the site..
im just off to bed and only noticed this post because john replied..
ill try reply tommorrow..
on what you have said..
what do you want to do first? vinyls? neon? trade stuff etc etc

i wold advise you go at it alone, but carefuly! 😉

[Rodney Gold]

Hiya , Welcome
Where in SA was your Company , Im in Cape Town.

[Luke Lansdell]

Thankyou all very much for the replies – I was starting to get worried!! I will subscribe to the magazines -I know signcraft well it’s a great mag- a local mag would be better though like sign-update.
Our initial thoughts are to do vinyl cut and digital printing. We also have good experience in the graphic design industry which we are hoping to try and incorporate. My main concern obviously is getting a client base, being a ‘freshman’ in the UK! That would be the reason I would look at another business for sale.
I was in Johannesburg (Gangsters Paradise!) and worked as production manager for National Signs and then started my own small company called Designer Signs. Telpro were my main suppliers and were extremely helpful to me in new product info. etc. How is business over there? 😀

[Mike Brown]

Luke – Hi! 😀

sorry we didn’t reply sooner 🙁

Good luck in your new business ‘over here’. Personally, I would start off on my own and build from scratch – it only took us a few months before we were busy most days…I would suggest getting your business up and running and then make sure you work with other signmakers in the vacinity…seems to me there normally more than enough work to go around. Providing everyone respects each others existing customers and doesn’t mess it up price wise by being cheap then, usually it has a way or working out. Strikes me you shouldn’t have any trouble – I mean you’ve been humble enough to ask for advice here and respect what we all have to offer – so, as the saying goes, “…slowly slowly catchy monkey…” 😉

more soon

mikethesign

[Rodney Gold]

Yeh – Telpro supply us stuff as well , mainly machines , like the Roland PC’ thermal printers and Our Large format inkjet- We mainly use Maizeys for Pex etc – we bought 3 lasers and a few Overhead routers from them.
I poached one of their Reps who is now 2nd in charge here (Jean) and I often see John and Ricky.
Business is good , it’s tough , but I do pretty much upper end stuff and offer a huge amount of services to customers and the signage industry.

In terms of starting up , I would buy an exisiting business for a few reasons and with a few proviso’s
1) Existing experienced staff
2) Exisiting material and equipment
3) Exisiting customers and order book (you make money straight away.
4) Existing artwork (IMHO the most important reason – regenerating artwork for new customers you take from an exisiting co is very costly and time consuming)

I wouldn’t cheap out on buying the business , you will get what you pay for – buying a business that is going down and trying to revive it is really bad news – I would also tie in the seller and staff re restraints of trade etc.
I would also not make an outright payment , perhaps 1/2 down and payments through a year or so – then the original owners etc have an interest in your success.
You can always expand on an exisiting business with new products and ideas.
Obviously , which route you go depends on your finances , if you dont have the ready and want to keep your day job , the only way to go is limited start up . Problem with cold start ups is you pay for equipment from word go but have no cash flow to cover it.

[Luke Lansdell]

Thanks for the info. all. I have been looking around the internet for suppliers to the signage industry to get some ideas on pricing without much success. 😕 Could any of you post some links to online and ‘offline’ suppliers. Thanks guys 🙂

[Lorraine Buchan]

Hi Luke,

Firstly see if you can upgrade your membership to a full UKSG member as you’ll benefit from some great discounts from Europint display, on vinyls and substrates like euroflute, foam PVC, alucolour, banana banner, magnetic.

other suppliers really depends on what your looking to do:

Banners: Trounce, Bannerbox, National banner,
A-boards: A Display, Roto signs, Signwaves, Anchor
Magnetics: Anchor magnets, Bisbel
Aluminium signs: Ashby, Durable signs, SMP (Sign Makers products)
Vinyls: APA, Hexis, Spandex, APS (All print supplies)
PVC, Acrylics etc: Cox Plastics, Armari, Silwood
Digital printing: Raccoon, B&P Lightbrigade

others: Cherwell sign supplies, jag sign supplies.

There are loads of companies out there, your best bet would be to type in the search box of this site something your interested in say cut out lettering or built ups it will give you loads of info.

Also get your self a subscription to one of the sign magasines, sign -update, it’s full of adverts for suppliers to the sign trade in every thing imaginable.

[Lee Attewell]

Hi Shiver,
Welcome to the site and good luck with your new venture.

Lee

[Robert Lambie]

gray. do you have a url for the mag mate (?) 😉

[Rodney Gold]

It’s great to actually HAVE a sign mag of our own , however it is hardly a non biased journal as most of the “editorials” are generated by advertisers – for example last issue had a 1 page feature on my Co , and this was cos I had just upgraded to 3 new lasers from one of the biggest advertisers in the mag. Mostly its announcements of new products etc – and a few informative articles. At any rate , I repeat, ANY local mag is better than none!!! I think it’s published quarterly. 4500 copies , 13500 readers. Its a very useful mag in terms of who supplies what and where etc.
I think it has been published 6 times already – I will look for your article.
IMHO signage resources on the web are pretty good – a lot better than print mags mostly.
the url should be http://www.practicalpublishing.co.za but all you get is an “under construction” notice.