To shop or not to shop?

[Andy Gorman]

Others may disagree but I think taking on such a responsibility at such an early stage is a bit risky, but I am a bit of a careful sort. I am only a few months into self employment, working from home, and the best responses I have had have been from going out and introducing myself to local businesses personally. I don’t much like doing it but once you get a couple of interested potential customers it becomes easier.

Another thing I did was to get a free write up in the local paper. Our paper offers this to new start ups, and I did get some response and work from it.

[Chris Wool]

hi
leave your car on a indust est where there are a lot of small business people dont see it in the drive

when faced with your problem a freind said to me a unit or shop in a sensible location will generate its own income £500 to £600 all in a month is only a sign and 2 vans it worked for me
you then have 20 days to make some money to live on etc.
enjoy
chris

[Paulsad]

You could try a bout of leafletting – may generate some new business.
Or approach one of these business advice centres and see if they would carry some of your cards to hand out to new start ups etc.
The unit next to me has just come up for rent and I could do with the space but the landlord is a greedy s.o.b. and I can’t afford it, however the chap moving out tells me he’s had a lad in asking about the unit and when asked says he’s doing signs! Which seeing as my lettered van and bloody big sign are right next door I can’t wait to meet this chap.

[Bill Dewison]

I might be slightly biased with this considering how I’ve set up, but if you can find a reasonably sized shop in a good location you’ll have more work than you can shake a stick at!

I’ve been open for 3 1/2 weeks, and in that time I’ve had about 20 paid jobs (the biggest invoice has been £220 so far). If you kit the shop out correctly you’ll get sign work, vehicles, small sticker jobs, a boards, and a whole variety of different work. I took on the print side as well, and every signage job I’ve had, I’ve had their print work as well!

Another benefit of a shop is you get talking to ppl who can really boost your business. I’m currently ironing out a deal to sell signs from a printers who is based about 10 miles from my shop. I have a guy who used to work as a vinyl fitter (mainly vans) who is willing to do Thursdays and Fridays if I have any vans to do and today’s latest, a sign fitter who has the zip-up scaffolding, willing to do all my fitting work at a reasonable rate!

Humble opinion, but working from a unit sounds like hard work. Don’t get me wrong, it can be done as so many prove on uksignboards day after day, but starting from scratch I’d imagine to be a tough cookie.

Rodney offered some great advice in an earlier thread about self-promotion, if I find it again, I’ll PM it to you 😀

Whatever you decide, you’re keen as mustard, good at design, and proving that you can stick vinyl to everything and anything, so I’m sure you’ll do brilliantly 😀 If you do decide to go down the shop route, I’m more than willing to give you the specs to everything I’ve done to the shop and any advice I can 🙂

Cheers, Dewi

[David Arch]

I also started from home, within 2 months I ran out of space. Luckily I found a 300sq ft unit to work from at a very good price. I needed the space as I do window tinting and signs etc at the same time.

I think that you need a business premises, wether it be a small shop or a large unit, I needed it to separate work from home, even though I am a relative newbie, you need to have time to relax if your workplace is your home I find it hard to relax.

Most of my work comes from recommendation, I was lucky I got in with a local hand car wash just as it was opening, the people who owned it knew a lot of local businessmen and from that I have got a lot of work over the last couple of months, but I have 2 or 3 people a day coming to my unit askin about business, this is great but I wouldn’t want it at my house where I relax.

Dave

[Bill Dewison]

Said thread with some cool advice from all, especially Rodney…

http://www.uksignboards.com/viewtopic.php?t=3898

I totally agree Dave, although I can appreciate it’s not always possible to get a shop/unit, working from home must be hard work. I know a few ppl here work from home and run some fantastic businesses, but they must get mithered silly! 😕 I s’pose it’s different if there was a seperate telephone line, and outbuilding/workshop somewhere that could be locked off and a large dobermann manning the front door, but it would drive me dotty. I remember reading a thread about a customer appearing at a signmakers house at 8am on a Sunday morning! I mean come on, thats just taking the proverbial! 👿

Cheers, Dewi

[Ken [at] K2]

quote orangedog:

Advices pleases.

You asked for it. 😆

I think we can all remember the feeling when you’ve just started. I remember when I got going in 1987 I’d’ve sold my @rse if someone had the cash on them [come to think of it, there was that time in winter ’89….]

Hindsight is a wonderful thing but the decisions you make now will impact your business in the future.

In your business plan [you do have one don’t you?] what type of business would you like to be doing in say five years time? Vinyls for Nova Boy or the POS contract for ASDA?

The way you present yourself, locate your premises, prepare your literature and target you potential customer base will attract a certain type of work.

ie. ..

* You won’t find me in Yellow Pages cos that’s not where the Head of VM at FCUK looks when she wants something in acrylic. Think about your potential customers and where they would look for your service.

* My literature shows finished products rather than lists of machines as MG3020 means f@#k all to the POS buyer at Tesco. Do your customers need to know the name of your plotter or what it can do for them.

* Mailshots. FFS take the time to qualify each lead before wasting your literature and postage only to have the wrong person throw it all in the bin when they open the post. I would rather send out 10 ‘sure things’ than 100 ‘maybes’

* Don’t appear desperate. It’s the same at when you’re out on the pull. Chicks can spot ‘desperate’ at 1000 yards and so can customers. Keen and enthusiastic on the other hand is good.

* Finally: Constantly evaluate your goals. The only constant in business is change so be flexible in your approach. There’s no point in chasing rainbows. Have some defined goals and work on your plan to achieve them.

Good Luck.