Your start-up shopping list for a newbie !

[Jayne Marsh]

I use 5 to 7 year vinyl on vehicles unless its a special job, in which case Id go for cast or vehicle wrap.
My favourite squeegee is a freebie I got from Spandex at Sign UK 2 years ago, felt one side, plastic the other. I got some new silver squeegees and I hate them cos they shed everywhere.
Another must is some cheap garden spray bottles from a diy store, this is for application fluid/ whatever u like for cleaning surfaces.
Masking tape by the bucket load
Cleaning rags, scalpels…..erm (thinking what Ive got in my fixing box )
Jizer……good for removing glue.
As for application tape I just buy whatevers on offer when I order my vinyl, but I dont like the clear stuff……there are plenty of views on application tape!
Happy shopping!

[Paul Rollason]

Hi Sconie

Get an application tape despenser

We held off buying one for ages but it like haveing another pair of hands

and has now freed up one of us to do other things so well worth the money.

Get samples from as many suppliers as possible and go for the materials you like working with as opposed to the cheapest or whatever.

It’s not worth struggling for the sake of a few pence.

paul r

[Tim Painter]

Go on the Mactac website request some vinyl spec sheets / info and get some nice swatches from them FREE… for a change….

Tim.

[Nicola McIntosh]

and an absolute must…a good cutting matt!! 😀

nik

[Aaron & Chris]

One of the best buys we have had is a pair of platform ladders for high roofed vans and shop fronts. Much better than climbing up and down step ladders and safer.

Well worth the money and there not that much!! 😉

Cheers

Chris

[Marekdlux]

I use 3M gold squeegees. I take a piece of velcro loop (the soft part) and put that on one edge of my squeegee, 2 in one squeegee. 😀
You will want a good pair of tweezers for weeding. If it doesn’t make your finger bleed when you poke yourself with it, it’s no good!
Some nice straight edges for cutting stuff out.
I’m being cheap at home right now until I can build myself a proper table. For an application tape dispenser I am using some of the shipping holders they send with certain types of vinyl. They are square and have a round center that fits on the roll of vinyl, I take two of these and screw them to my table with a roll of application tape between them. They work great, and they are free!!!
You will want a good “air release” tool. Something sharp and pointy. Use it to get rid of bubbles in your work, never “cut” the vinyl, only poke it.
-Marek

[sconie]

Some great advice folks, keep it going, I am sucking it in like a sponge, I have emailed a few suppliers and asked for the samples, this should help me pick a main supplier.

Should I get my vinyl in 5/10/20 mtr rolls to start with ?, I had thought smaller as I have no customer base to work from.

Thanks from the loch.

Sconie

[Derek Heron]

one of the best tool box tips i would like to pass on.
magnets i have about 10 they are about 2inch dia with a small bolt or screw in the middle so you can pull them straight off and move em about
ends are covered in felt pads so they don’t scratch saves loads of time and masking tape make sure you keep them separate in your tool box as they tend to pick up your old bits of scalpel i also get tweezers from medical supplies shop in town a small step B&Q do them ally fold up job stores flat also get good squeegee’s 3m gold and felt you will notice the difference chinagraph pencils a good idea as well also check out all the tips on the forum saved a fortune racks tape dispenser cutting edge etc
oh nearly forgot 4 pair of hands
cheers Dex

[sconie]

quote dex:

one of the best tool box tips i would like to pass on.
magnets i have about 10 they are about 2inch dia with a small bolt or screw in the middle so you can pull them straight off and move em about
ends are covered in felt pads so they don’t scratch saves loads of time and masking tape make sure you keep them separate in your tool box as they tend to pick up your old bits of scalpel i also get tweezers from medical supplies shop in town a small step B&Q do them ally fold up job stores flat also get good squeegee’s 3m gold and felt you will notice the difference chinagraph pencils a good idea as well also check out all the tips on the forum saved a fortune racks tape dispenser cutting edge etc
oh nearly forgot 4 pair of hands
cheers Dex

Thanks Dex

Are you a biker or racing driver ?, Xjr1300 pilot myself, I just love the rush, only thing I have found better is flying a warbird !

Thanks for your tips, I am trying to picture your magnets, are they DIY ?

Thanks again from the loch.

Sconie.

[Derek Heron]

hi again i am a biker and all round petrol head nearly retired road racer IOM etc but thats a long painful story. 🙁
the magnets! seen some at my local b&q asked the guy about them they are white 40 mm across they hold small signs up he told me they dont sell them but gave me a half dozen with no hooks in put a big self tapper in and they are fine if you check e bay for magnets they have some on there but you need em big enough to get hold of my mate came back from cadwell park and handed me two back which i had left on his van 😳

[Dorian Marks]

Sconie,

Is a business plan, or some type of strategic plan on your list?

What are you going to do to set you apart from the sign shop down the road?

Have you decided how you are going to segment the market, by sector or location? What we did was to focus and target our marketing activities on three core sectors and anything else that came along was a bonus.

Have you got enough room for your current activities and for expansion? (this is where we are getting into trouble)

How are you for orders, now, in 3 months and 6 months time? Is there a contingency plan for the slack times?

I don’t think that this was the answer you were looking for to your post but these were the things we were beating ourselves up with this time last year.

Best of luck

Hamlet