The Letterville BullBoard: How diverse is your shop?

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Posted by Glenn Taylor (Member # 162) on :

I was on the phone today with another signmaker this morning. He was expressing concern about the economy and how things were slow around his shop. He hadn't taken in a new order since last Thursday.

We spoke about pricing and service. I've seen pics of his work. Its good. But, he just felt like he couldn't get any traction. He asked how we were doing. I told him we were swamped and that we were actually turning away work.

"What's your secret?" he asked.

I thought for a moment, glancing at my production board. I had over 35 jobs in house. Then I noticed that of the 35 jobs, only 6 were bonafide sign jobs. The jobs weren't that big.

I answered, "Diversification."

We do most types of signs (we do no electrical in-house). But, we also screenprint flat stock and textiles. That is what is keeping us busy right now. Very busy in fact (I've worked through the last two weekends plus I've been going into work at 5am to try and catch up).

At this writing, I've been working on my paperwork - permits, invoices, quotes, and so on. And, I started wondering....

What do you folk do to keep your shop busy when signwork slows down? How diverse is your shop to help level out the ups and downs of business?

Posted by Joey Madden (Member # 1192) on :

Diverse! I get off by designing and making tools relating to our craft.

Posted by Jackson Smart (Member # 187) on :

About a year ago...we changed our approach to this business. We made a new sign...and added "ART STUDIO".....Well...now at least half of our business is art related. I am currently working on 2 murals and a few other paintings. I love it. It is exactly what I intended to happen. We still do signs,,,however...Now we are doing a better class of signs. Signs with artwork mostly. I got tired of trying to compete with the vinyl shops...so I changed my attitude and "RAISED MY PRICES"....Bingo! Now I charge a lot for my work...and I am staying plenty busy.
I know that you need to be as diverse as possible to stay alive...especially while you are paying your dues!

Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :

You want diverse? How's this...

signage
vehicle graphics
3D Modeling and Animation
printing (BIZ cards, postcards, flyers, bbrochures, catalogs) - farm the printing out
web design - graphics, shockwave (flash, director, etc.)
engineering - skyscrapers mostly
custom auto interiors and body panels (hoods, fenders, air dams, bumpers, etc.)- fibreglas, carbon fibre/graphite, custom stitching/upholstery
custom car audio installations - from basic to "shake the planet", if it rolls, floats or flies I can install a killer setup in it - custom work ONLY, I dont touch the easy drop-in stuff.

Basically, I make all my hobbies into business because I enjoy them all thoroughly and making money with them comes pretty easily.

Posted by Danny Palmer (Member # 95) on :

Sublimation * Screen Printing * Digital * Chain Stitch * Cad-Cut * Embroidery with full digitizing department

Uniforms * Industrial-Police-Fire-Sports

Jackets * Hats * T-Shirts * Sweats * Signs * Banners * Auto & Marine Lettering * Mugs * Ribbons * Badges

Every Team Sport item from baseballs to goal posts. We keep a 2-million dollar plus inventory of sporting goods to supply our dealers and web store.

We felt it hard the week of the attack and the week after. In the last couple of days, sales seem to be returning to near normal.

I am still very concerned about the massive amounts of merchandise we have on order for the
Spring, some of which has already started to arrive. We are also about to take delivery on an
automatic press for our screen print department.
I had that on order prior to the attack.

Even as diverse as we are, this is the first time I have felt uneasy in this business. I have notified my sales people not to sell any franchises for 90 days. I d every thing short of a guarantee, to assure a franchisee success. Right now, I can't do that.

Dan

Posted by John Novicki (Member # 955) on :

Glenn,

I guess I'm at the other end of the spectrum, as I only do hand painted and vinyl signs (about 50-50 over a period of time). All installations are sub-contracted, I don't climb very high, and I don't make a sign unless I can carry it. Of course, I'm a one person operation, so that probably makes a difference.

Business is steady all year. Usually have about 3 weeks work in front of me, sometimes as high as 6 weeks. I'd like to try my hand at other types of signs, but I can't find the time, or more likely, the ambition.

Good post!

John

Posted by PKing (Member # 337) on :

Vinyl keeps the lights on,Wall lettering makes profit,Inside murals buys toys

Posted by kevinlandry (Member # 1352) on :

Dye Sublimation
Large Format Printing
Large Sign Facia
Vinyl
Edge Stuff
Painted
Vehicles
Design Work
Sub out Printing
Moving into Textiles and may get a small embroidery machine soon. (good money in t's) although the quantity of orders is slow.
The minute you send a customer away you are going to lose them. They go to another shop that does the same thing we do. They can offer neon and I can't. But they can offer all of my stuff too. So I have to sub out some sign work. (and I really hate that)

Kevin Landry
KnL Signs
Halifax NS

Posted by Brian W (Member # 42) on :

vinyl signs
large format digital printing/art repros
all promotional products
screen printing in house
textile printing in house
embroidery (sub out)
vehicle graphics
graphic design

I don't think I've really been caught up with my work load in 15 years!

Brian

Posted by Print Wright (Member # 850) on :

We do general signage, offset printing, screen printing - tshirts, stickers and signs, write and publish books, farm out some work and have an aromatherapy section in the shop. Have just purchased hot foil equipment to do trade printing. Would like to do one main thing as I feel that would be a lot more profitable (economy of scale) but in our situation diversity is the key to survival. We purchased the hot foil gear before the air attacks, and are nervous about the economy here.
One of the other printers here opened a funeral parlour next to his print shop. Now thats diversity
Kerry Wright
Print Wright
Gladstone
Australia

Posted by Diane Crowther (Member # 120) on :

We have 3 "divisions" to our company:

Signs:
Interior wayfinding signage (schools, commercial buildings, etc.)
Vehicles (land and sea)
Exterior signs - vinyl only (no carving/sandblasting)

Award & Recognition Products:
Plaques (Metalphoto, Edge printed, Screenprinted, Engraved Corian)
Namebadges
Desk accessories
Sometimes medallions & pins

Industrial Products:
Labels, decals, panels
Lamacoid nameplates
Aluminum nameplates and panels
Routered control panels in aluminum or lexan
Domed decals

Our Industrial Products Division accounts for the bulk of our sales. If we had to rely on sign work (we're in a rural area), we'd starve. We have a Gerber Dimension 200 router which is going almost all the time and I think we only do about 2 signs per year on it. The rest of the time it is routering control panels, or engraving all kinds of things!

Our diversity has kept us afloat. During the last recession when a lot of the big companies were offering early retirement packages, our retirement plaque business was booming. When things picked up, and new businesses were opening, we did a lot more signs.

Good question, Glenn. It's interesting to see what else people do.

[ September 29, 2001: Message edited by: Diane Crowther ]

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