Being new to the sign Business I down loaded the trial version of Estimate Sign Software. I am trying to keep me prices the same for simular jobs & and just tired of guessing at prices.
Boy do I have a lot of questions!
Do a lot of you use this software?
Is it worth the money?
Are there other programs out there like this?
What kind of profit are you setting for 5 year vinyl, 8 year, substrates?
Once you have your slides set do you change them often?
Any other sugestion you may have would be GREAT!
Thanks again for all you help!
Todd Swain
Posted by Mark Smith (Member # 298) on :
Todd,
Just wanted to make myself available. My email is mark@estimatesoftware.com.
I think you'll find that as you use EstiMate you'll begin to do more profitable work and be more confident in your pricing and presentation.
As for the sliders, please read this article on our website: Consistent pricing
[ July 18, 2002, 07:08 AM: Message edited by: Mark Smith ]
Posted by Glenn Taylor (Member # 162) on :
Todd,
I use EstiMate religously. I love the program. When I get home from work tonight, I'll answer your questions in more detail.
Posted by Steve Spiry (Member # 2201) on :
Can anyone tell me if it werks good with xp?And what moduals u get with it? Thanx in advance Steve
Posted by Johnathon Bakan (Member # 2669) on :
Steve,
EstiMate works well under the Windows XP platform. We have it installed in our offices here at EstiMate and have found that it is very stable. In addition I have had virtually no calls from users concerning issues between Windows XP and EstiMate.
When you purchase the software, you get to try everything the software has to offer for 60-days, all the plugins, components and subsystems. At anytime during the 60-day period or at the end of it you can permanently enable the parts of the software that come with the initial purchase which are:
3 Free plugins. One plugin called "Free Form" automatically comes with the software and then you can choose two others from the available plugins. You can purchase additional parts of the software at anytime.
This may seem like an odd way to sell software, but it insures that the customer is able to customize the software to their unique shop situation and that they are not buying a big expensive package that is loaded with features that are not needed.
Thanks for posting about your pricing concerns. The tutorial Mark has mentioned above is a good place to start towards consistent pricing, we also have training videos available that includes a visual pricing key to further enhance consistency in your pricing.
I hope this answers your questions. Greetings to all the Letterheads!
--Johnathon
Posted by J & N Signs (Member # 901) on :
You'll never regret buying "Estimate". I wouldn't work without it! And lately the shop workload slider has been at 100%...As far as I'm concerned, buying this software should be one of the first investments to make if you're serious in operating a profitable business.
[ July 18, 2002, 07:13 PM: Message edited by: J & N Signs ]
Posted by Glenn Taylor (Member # 162) on :
Todd,
One of the things EstiMate does is help you accurately determine your minimum shop rate. For my area and expenses, mine is about $70 an hour.
My vinyl and substrates are marked up 100%.
I have the Pro version. I use it to price screen printed signage & decals and to price screen printed t-shirts. It does a lot more than just signs.
It is easy, quick and accurate.
Posted by Bob Gilliland (Member # 28) on :
Todd,
If you follow the link Mark gave you to the Estimate community, you will get a good understanding of the software and how others view not only it, but the company as well. Research the site some more and get into some of the tech articles Jonathon mentions. Solid product!
If you decide to make the jump, give me a call and I can come up give you some pointers on the software itself along with some other “pricing”pitfalls and no-no’s. I forewarn you now thought; I’m a firm believer in running my business and not allowing the customers to run it for me. So my advice and suggestions may be a bit stronger then others in this area “in this area”. But I can also tell you first hand that it is doable “in this area” as well.
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No right or wrong answer to the question, but interested in reading how others approach the subject.
For this example I’m going to use a Gerber color cartridge, but substitute any substrata you would like. Gerber list for a GCS Black is $97.50. Some folks get it much cheaper then that. What price do you enter in the material database as your “cost”? List price, the price you pay, or other?
I enter a higher value then list and my reasoning is the following: I account for the time to write a purchase order, place the order, receive and stock the order, and material and labor to satisfy A/P. My theory is that is what it costs me to get it and keep it on the shelf. If I am able to purchase smarter via volume or other means, then good for the business. If I am able to acquire and pay for it more efficiently, again good for the business. If I then want to offer a discount or reduced price to someone, I know there is some margin there still allowing me a profit.
I’m curious as to how others handle it?
Posted by Glenn Taylor (Member # 162) on :
When I input the cost of material into my database, I an estimated cost of shipping. If Gerber's retail price for foil is $98, I put it down as $108.
In the "design time" numbers, I have EstiMate default to 6% (30 minutes) whenever I start a quote. This 6% is to help cover the cost of talking to the customer, making out the invoice, and general paperwork.
Posted by Todd Swain (Member # 3111) on :
I just wanted to thank you all for your help!
Todd
Posted by Diane Crowther (Member # 120) on :
Bob, the administrative costs you mentioned should be covered by your hourly rate. That's considered overhead. If you filled out the worksheet to determine an hourly rate for your billable hours, and then you inflate the material cost to allow for ordering and handling, you're actually adding this in twice, and it makes your costs artificially inflated. When you look at the "hard numbers" it won't be telling you the actual story.
If you put the actual cost of the material into the database, then assign an appropriate markup to the material, the additional amount (markup) is more accurately reflected on the profit side where it belongs.
Posted by Harris Kohen (Member # 2139) on :
Hey Bob I have to agrewe with Diane on this...
when I read your posting about adding to the cost of materials. what you were adding is considered overhead and should be a part of your regular markup to labor and materials, there is no need to inflate the cost of goods sold to recoup this, In my opinion it sound to me like you might be overpricing yourself, however if your getting the work still that isnt such a bad thing, BUT the drawback is your not going to see the real cost/profit information that Estimate is designed to give you. thus a failure on your part to get your moneys worth out of a great program.
