URGENT Correx Sign Price

[Martin Pearson]

David bit out of the loop so no idea what you should be charging your customer BUT I would be looking for someone who can print directly to the boards first just to make sure you don’t get it wrong and it ends up costing you money.
Oh and also check who ever prints them for you can match your lead times.

[David Hammond]

Spoken to a local printer, who can print direct. Had a price back, and can do it for wednesday provided I can get the artwork and order to them today.

I will make about £20.00 on each board if they go ahead.

[David Rowland]

imo correx is one of the toughest prints out there… i be talking u into 5mm foamex at this time

[David Hammond]

They’re pulling their face at the price as it is… The printer seems confident in printing to the correx.

I have quoted £88.00 each + VAT

Considering they need them in a rush, and dragging their heels I don’t think they’re in the position to haggle.

[John Harding]

Ok just a gut reaction

way too cheap and making £20 per board why bother or you wont be in the business any longer than the guy you bought from.

Please do not take that as a critism just an observation to help you move forward

john 😀

[David Hammond]

No I accept that.

Sounded cheap to me. I spoke with my uncle, who’s dealt with the client before.

If they’re pulling their faces at my price then good luck to them.

I was trying to push for a £100 each min, but that was a defo no, as it’s all as cheap as possible.

Wouldn’t mind it’s for a take that concert, and they’re probably charging £5.00 a car… they wont be short of a bob or too.

[Martin Pearson]

Difficult one David, at your price it’s to cheap but on the other hand your making £160 for doing next to nothing. What the customer is likely to make has nothing to do with it really. Yes from your point of view it’s flippin annoying when you know the sort of money they are likely to make but they won’t look at it that was at all, just get the signs done as cheap as is humanly possible.

If it’s just text then you could probably do it inhouse with vinyl and make a bit more for yourself, depends on how busy you are and what else you would be doing with the time.
If your new to the business then it’s all experience and some would say better to be making something rather than nothing.

[David Hammond]

I have a few jobs on the go at the moment, and next week there’s some staff off so will be manic.

They’ve ordered 6 boards. I could do it in house, but i am tight on space, and it will need flood coating yellow.

It’s £120 for not doing much.

[David Rogers]

I’m flabbergasted.

Why…just why?

To keep a customer is all well and good – but have you REALLY made £160 for doing nothing?

Design time, transport, wages, asking opinions on here…it’s all time…and time is money.

In reality – you’ll be lucky to have made £10 each.

£80 ‘profit’ out of a £700 job.

I know you’ve taken the criticism and remarked on the last guy going under ‘cos of ‘excellent prices’ – but what’s next? They’ll expect it cheaper next time…and tell their mates…pretty soon you’ll be doing them for nothing ‘just to get the business’.

‘Temporary signage’ shouldn’t deflated your prices to nil.

If it was on 3mm composite I bet you’d be after £400 each – I know I would.

‘Cheap’ substrate does not a cheap sign make…

Anyway – hope they pay on time.

Just noticed they’ve only ordered 6 not 8…so all that work for even LESS money…

Dave

[John Harding]

Martin

quote :

at your price it’s to cheap but on the other hand your making £160 for doing next to nothing

No no no Martin jobs like these are never that straightforward meeting phone calls emails it all adds up running around arranging the print buying the material its a slippery slope to suggest thats any easy way to make £160 which is barely a days money for most tradesmen and thats without taking out your overheads and have we forgotten the dirty word profit. Also what happens if you get a materials price wrong waste a panel by damage etc there no room for error or margin against unforseen circumstances.

come on gentlemen (hot)

[Robert Lambie]

am i right in thinking this is a 3 metre by 2 metre sign? x 6 times?
it isnt cut vinyl, needs to be digitally printed?
Correx boards?

[David Hammond]

Firstly. I am really really peeved off with myself about this. I am trying to turn the company around.

I don’t know why I listened to uncle knob head.

I got the price from the printer, and passed it onto my uncle – it is more one of his clients – we have an odd set up. He suggested the price, based on previous dealings.

Considering I knocked out 2 correx aboard fascias, for 40quid each!

Yeah robert, 3x2m, full colour, digital printed.

I usually double raw material costs minimum, so why didn’t I on this.

I have loads of questions I am asking myself.

Yeah it sounds great £160 profit, but as its turning out it’s not. Really really annoyed me.

I don’t want to be the cheap sign maker… The cheap jobs are always the hardest!

Feel like I have let the honest sign makers amongst us down. Sorry.

[Robert Lambie]

david dont knock yourself mate… the pricing is one of the hardest parts of this business to get right. you have the correct frame of mind from the offset and that is most important.
the difficult part is to watch customers walk away because they "think" your too expensive but end up buying poor designed crap from the guy down the road.

anyway…

didgital printing… my machine prints 54inch wide and i look for £50 per linear metre "unlaminated". i dont offer on cheap whatever, we only stalk the 5 year digital white. ide be looking for about £350+vat per sign based on that amount.

the fact they need it cheap is not your problem. keep it in mind when pricing, give 10% off or whatever, but dont bend over for anyone.
if you want the work and willing to offer a very good discount then ask for payment upfront before you lift a finger.

YOUR costs and labour arent going to change dramatically regardless to what you do. so nor should the end price. as way of compromise, tell them you will supply the prints and they can stick it to their own boards.

best of luck.

[Glenn Sharp]

Just out of interest and a s a comparison can I ask what anyone would have charged for banners at that size?

[David Hammond]

Cheers rob.

I can print 64inch, I look for about £45 plm – laminating I guess about 15plm. Prob too cheap.

I thought I had a quiet month. Looked at the accounts and have invoiced just as much as bisy months. This is since I upped put a pricing structure in place (not on this occasion) so it seems to be I get just as much cash and less hassle.

I got these printed direct to the correx as it was easier than messing about myself.

I gave a quote to an existing client the other day £ 1200+vat for a 8 x1m sign tray fitted. Not heard nothing back. So I worry I am too expensive. 🙁

[Robert Lambie]

we can print 74 inch wide i think on our AJ printer mate and very fast at that, but i was basically pricing like that because even if you price at 1m x 1m you need to some how compansate for the waste.. same when laminting.

i also mount the prints on the sheet material in minutes using a rollsroller flatbed. so my print speed, mounting/labour speed etc is going to be much faster. but as you can see, im not necessarily now dropping my prices way down because i can. i see us making more money from the investment rather than allowing us to undercut the competition.

lamianting is a difficult one to price on. but remember, it only takes dust, tension, whatever when laminating and you waste media, ink, lamination as well as time… so again, keep your "real" overheads in mind.

[David Hammond]

Cheers rob.

I see you have a great business head as well as sign makers head.

I need to sit down and work all of this out. See how long it takes me to do things like hem a banner. Cut posters, laminate, and account for it.

At least I have people like you to turn too. Many thanks