I'm ticked - one of my newer customers approached me for a price on lettering 25 to 30 menu board inserts he has on hand. 1.25"H x 18"L all Helv. caps using 3mil white vinyl. Pretty simple job so I quoted $125 for the entire job.
He emailed me last night attaching a quote of $30 from some yahoo with a plotter and asked if I could match it! I politely declined his invitation to drop my price.
I work from home and there is no way I could make any money doing that job for $30.
Does anyone think I was way overpriced at $125.?
When it comes to those customers who want to buy RTA vinyl, just lettering, numbers or maybe even some stock clipart I charge $5. per square foot, per color for 3mil (ie. Oracal 651) with a $25 minimum order PREPAID ONLY! Canadian funds.
Anyone else care to share their RTA pricing?
Thanks
JC
[ August 07, 2005, 05:57 AM: Message edited by: Jean-Claude Theriault ]
Posted by Catharine C. Kennedy (Member # 4459) on :
That's quite a price difference! Yours sounds much more appropriate- Cat
Posted by Ricky Jackson (Member # 5082) on :
I would be shocked if he actually got the merchandise from the guy. It's one of those "too good to be true" situations. You'll probably be getting a call from him after he finds out he's been screwed over. Caveat Emptor!
Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :
JC..I think your pricing was just about correct.
Your quote was around $5/piece.
I just delivered 75 12"x2.75" rectangular decals, reverse weeded in 3 mil vinyl (customer installed) for $4/piece and thought I did just fine on the pricing.
I can't imagine doing anything like that for a buck a piece!
Posted by old paint (Member # 549) on :
those who want PRICE MATCHING need to go to WAL MART!!!! i had one call me for a price on a single 18x24 yard sign..told em basic one color was $12.50 and the stake was $3. she come back and asks if i do PRICE MATCHING? NO I DONT if your to cheap to pay that for a yard sign then you need to call the other place back!!!! R.T.A. is good money for me. depending on the customer i charge $5-$8.00 a sq ft for calendered vinyl $10 a sq ft for HP.
Posted by Curtis hammond (Member # 2170) on :
$5 bux a foot is good. Come out to about $10 a linear foot for prepped ready to go 24" vinyl. Installed is still a good job price. IF some yahoo wants to do it that cheap for the training then let em have it.. Time to get a printer.
quote: was $12.50 and the stake was $3.
Now condisering that a standard screen printed 'House for Sale' sign kit at home depot is $19.95..
I'll never again sell a custom made yard sign for less..
[ August 07, 2005, 03:27 PM: Message edited by: Curtis hammond ]
Posted by Myra Grozinger (Member # 327) on :
Jean - Claude you are correct with this price. Actually, it's a little low.
I do these slats for a local University. I get the slats in, they are 16.5 x 1.5, they come in stained. I put on a coat of varnish, and then letter them with one name in standard metallic gold vinyl for $ 12 each, and have re-orders every year.
Your other RTA pricing also is quite low. I can't off the top of my head compare it, because I price mine with the Ready-To-Apply module of EstiMate; I am spoiled that way. But into consideration always comes the app tape, the prep time, the advising of the customer that if he/she does not share the size of the substrate the letters etc. go on, and the condition and type of substrate, then chances are we may not have a pleasing looking sign. Especially if the letters in the sizes they specify don't fit once cut...
I tell the customer that I will mark centers of lines of copy - and provide a printout of how it looks assembled. That ultimately because of the time I spend prepping for the success of the finished product they save no more than about 1/4 of what it would cost for me to apply it as well as cut it.
Posted by Rene Giroux (Member # 4980) on :
It,s obvious that at these prices he will lose money, so technically, the more jobs he sells, the quicker he'll be broke... solution, buy your jobs pre-cut from this guy, be very picky and soon you're going to have a good deal buying his equipment from the bank...
Posted by Stephen Deveau (Member # 1305) on :
Hey Jean
Your competition is doing a lost leader for the customer. Hoping to pick up other projects from him.
I still think your price is to low as I would charge $7.50 per and throw in a small sign for free. Using any left over vinyl.......
Next time ask your customer if you can have the $20.00 item on the menu for $5.00!
Watch him jump through the hoops.
Sorry to say but this part of the woods has to many sign shops and want to bees'
I been doing this for 30 years now and am glad I do only speciality work.
Posted by Fred Weiss (Member # 3662) on :
I guess I'm confused as to whether you are applying the vinyl to the inserts or not. RTA means ready to apply. The job will consume about 7 to 8 square feet of vinyl and transfer paper so if you're selling for $5 a foot then you should be at $35 to $40 for taped and trimmed out RTA readings handed to the customer.
My price for this order would be at $6 to $7 a foot because of the letter size. You have to get more to cover the typesetting. Still, from first keystroke to final trim out, I doubt 45 minutes would go by. Cost on the job is less than $4 US. At $7 a foot, the return on time is $52 based on 8 feet of material.
The guy doing them for $30 isn't losing money making them. He just doesn't know he could be getting a much better return on his time. He just happens to think that $26 gross profit for less than an hour's work is better than what he gets for doing whatever else he does.
If you're applying them, that changes everything and $5 each sounds about right.
Posted by Sid Besserman (Member # 5502) on :
Tell them to just print it on their computer and use the paper sign. $1 per sign? If it takes 2 seconds to make one, I might think about it. Is time worth anything? I can always get more vinyl but not more time. Sttteppp awaaayyy from the phone sloooowlyy....
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