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Well, its Sunday afternoon, and I'm sitting here working, trying to catch up on a few projects I'm behind on. And as I was working, it dawned on me just how much things have changed at our shop, especially the last 5 years.
How much as changed for you and where do you think or plan to be in the next 5 years?
jnsigns@onlink.net Chapleau, Ontario home of "The World's Largest Game Preserve" Spring is upon us,in Shania Twain Country. Farewell snow,here comes the mosquito!
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Glen, Im 52......so in 5 years I will be half way to 62. So that means in 5 years I will be half way from here to growin tomatoes. Scary thing is...Im lookin forward to it! And what's even scarier is ..now I understand why anyone would wanna do that! Life in general,after all,is really all about change,isnt it?
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5 years ago, I had just quit a very good job to go to a just-get-by job, so that I could start my sign business. I was doing anything and everything, at more-than-reasonable rates, and would work whatever-day for whatever-hours, so long as my name was getting out there.
5 years from now, I look for this place to be streamlinin'...in other words, I'll be doin' more of the kind of work I WANT to do, and not what PAYS the bills. I see the custom-painted motorcycles still bein' a big part of the business, but I also see pinstriping gettin' bigger. Nice, clean lines and cool, small-to-medium designs. I see my signs getting more advanced. Instead of the standard 4'x 8' aluminum sign that is so popular around here, I see my clientele buying nicer signs: overlaid panels for a dimensional look, maybe some carving.
In 1983,I married my sweetheart. (On this weekend!)
In 1998, I opened "The Sign Shack" for business! (On this weekend)
I could go on, but why? Where will I be in 5 yrs? I'm hoping it's not too far from where I'm at right now!
------------------ "I have the body of a God.....(Buddha)"......................................... David Cooper, The Sign Shack Enid, OK. signshack@peakonline.com
Posts: 658 | From: Enid,Oklahoma, USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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I'll be rich as hell, because I'm getting out of the business and into art exclusively. Not to say there is anything rrrong with the bus., but there is more room for the bucks in art. Now understand...Rich to me is way more than I have done in signs and related trades. Not a put down, just gettin' old and my talent spirit say's it's time. Thas'it ..........................CrazyJack
------------------ Jack Wills Studio Design Works 6255 Brookside Circle Rocklin, CA 95677 writer@quiknet.com
Posts: 2914 | From: Rocklin, CA. USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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In 5 years I will own my own home with my wife, my son & another child. I also hope to be making great income from my sign shop doing only high end work.
Also doing sign work will be mainly to keep me happy because I will be making more money from another business that will provide me with residual income well into my latter years.
------------------ Bob Rochon Creative Signworks Millbury, MA bob@creativesignworks.com
"Some people's kids"
Posts: 5149 | From: Millbury, Mass. U.S. | Registered: Nov 1998
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Well if we ever get this building built the next 5 years prove to be the most lucrative of my life (at least thats what I'm counting on).
As long as my health stays with me I will work, because I love this trade to much to quit on it.
For all those younger than me(almost everyone here is)If you are going to stay in the trade start looking into aquiring your own building and do it while you are young enough to reap the benefits.
This trade doesn't hold much of a future for retirement programs...owning a building or two or even more will give you the security you want when you reach that retirement age.
There are different ways to do it...use it as income....sell it...reverse a paid off motgage...live in it and work in it.
Start now there is no better time to sacrafice than when you are young...it will pay you 10 fold over the long haul.Aand property will never be cheaper than it is today.
I wish someone had given me this piece of advice when I needed to hear it...I hope someone benfits from my spouting off.
------------------ Monte Jumper SIGNLanguage/Norman.Okla.
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Great topic Glenn. Monte, your advice was well timed for me, but first some history. I moved to Maui in '95 with a truck and some debt. After a half year doing 20 hours a week sign work for a guy with a Gerber Sprint 4B in a shop cluttered with paint & pounce patterns, I jumped ship to help a new guy set up a shop where I would have a manager position with a decent computer & plotter and a cleaner modern office. I got him set up and was promptly laid off, as he couldn't afford the wage he promised me. I checked back to the 4B shop, now he had a new computer, plotter, & employee. I was, however, taken on by an associate of his who had a sign shop specializing in screen printing. This was 5 years ago. I was trained in this somewhat messy job, in anything but a cleaner modern office, but the shop was for sale and by the time I learned to run it, my employer was eager to sell & leave the country. With no other buyers I took it on for nothing down, no interest, and $1000 a month for 2 years. Last year I did 100K in sales by myself, bought a Gerber edge & built a clean modern office in my dusty warehouse. I have never been happier then these last 5 years. So Monte, last week my offer was accepted on a 70 year old house on a commercial zoned 1/4 acre lot about 10 minutes from here. A few hours ago I was worrying myself about the increased overhead I need to come up with every month. But now I am picturing myself under the mango tree on the lanai watching the finishing touches being put on my new commercial building, and designing the new sign. Wish me luck. Aloha
------------------ Doug Allan Island Sign Maui, Hawaii
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In five years I hope to be welcoming Mario to our condo in Mexico! If all goes well we will have been there for about 1-2 years at that point.
And not because of anything any fancier than putting away some bux in retirement funds and owning some property that can be sold, as Monte points out.
------------------ Dave Grundy AKA "applicator" on mIRC "stickin' sticky stuff to valuable vessels and vehicles!" in Granton, Ontario, Canada 1-519-225-2634 dave.grundy@quadro.net www.quadro.net/~shirley
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Good topic Glen, it's so easy to get caught up in the daily grind that sometimes we lose sight of the paths our lives take.
1991 - I'd decided there was no future driving fast trucks and had a small shop in Scottsdale, AZ turning out wood signs, custom cabinets & furniture. My girlfiend was running an upholstery business out of our condo with the help of our 7 yr. old daughter, my parents were retired and spending winters in AZ near us, my 2 sons back in Kansas were running the family businesses. Just about the time I thought that things had finally settled into a predictable groove my daughter was diagnosed diabetic & my oldest son (26yrs old) was killed in a spray plane crash leaving behind a young widow & a 2 yr. old daughter (my first grandchild).
1996 - I was living in my shop after my girlfriend & daughter moved to Oregon, my folk's health didn't permit much travel any more, my youngest son in Kansas left the family biz & went back to school to become an architect, my brother & his two young sons had returned to Kansas and we agreed to take a more active role in the famly biz with the understanding that I would spend 1/2 of my time working there & the other 1/2 working for myself. Closed my shop in AZ & moved my tools to KS but kept one foot in Arizona.
2001 - I'm in KS most of the time right now but the family biz side has been taking up way more than 1/2 of my time however have got started refurbing my old home on a 40 acre farm that I used to live in years ago and just got an old 2,500 sq.ft. warehouse and am finally setting up a shop with the help of my daughter from Oregon who is currently living with me. My youngest son is now an archtect in Norman, Oklahoma (be nice to him Monte, he's one of the good ones - grin) & the proud father of my 2 yr. old grandson.
2006 - should be back to spending most of my time in AZ but Grundy, if you & Mario happen to see a black Peterbilt pickup truck with straight stacks parked in front of a local cantina south of the border, come on in & say hi. I'll be the old guy sittin' at the poker table with his chair tipped back against the wall playin' a friendly game & debating the relative merits of tequila vs. mescal with some pretty little senorita & the bartender.
------------------ Chris Elliott 1longshot@msn.com cell 620-845-0264
Posts: 686 | From: Scottsdale, AZ & Anthony, KS, USA | Registered: Dec 1999
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Just starting my now 13 year old off to college and my 9 year old in H.S. at 54 years old.
You guys wanting to move to Mexico, give me a call. The wife's family has a ranchito down south in the lush green mountains. Can't blame you for wanting to live that easy life.
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Five years from now? I'm just sitting here wondering what I'm going to do for lunch.
If the Lord doesn't come and take me home by then I'll be 62. Hard to imagine what I'll look like but maybe still eating solid food.
Hope to have a business plan made up and maybe completed a list of goals to accomplish. Should have finished that article for SignCraft by then and possibly have the bathroom painted for my wife. And the shop needs sweeping. Or, on the other hand I may just sit here and think about it. It has worked for me in the past...why shouldn't it work for me in the next five years?
------------------ Chapman Sign Studio Temple, Texas rchapman@vvm.com
Posts: 6306 | From: Temple, Texas, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Hey George, the local psychic is moving into the building at the street, and has already inquired about bartering the signs. I am not making this up! Think a reading would help my planning?
My odometer just rolled over 61, and my work goal is to be out of the retail biz, and be running the wholesale biz from a laptop computer in (enter tropical destination here).
A personal goal is to help Adrienne make the Benicia project happen.
If there is some way I can help Jack Wills meet his get rich goal in art, I'll do that too. Vic G
At 77 I have slowed down quite a bit ... mostly retired, but still do some work for my old customers when they can't find any one that knows how to do some of the specialized painting.
-------------------- Si Allen #562 La Mirada, CA. USA
(714) 521-4810
si.allen on Skype
siallen@dslextreme.com
"SignPainters do It with Longer Strokes!"
Never mess with your profile while in a drunken stupor!!!
Brushasaurus on Chat Posts: 8831 | From: La Mirada, CA, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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I'm lucky enough to remember 5 years ado when I retired for the umteenth time, that was in 07 and it was sort of a forced retirement by a family member who needed my help. In 5 years if I'm above ground hopefully I'll still be helping others in the craft I hold so close to me or maybe I'll join a Gospel choir and sing the praises of the Lord while getting to know him better..
-------------------- HotLines Joey Madden - pinstriping since 1952 'Perfection, its what I look for and what I live for'
quote:In five years I hope to be welcoming Mario to our condo in Mexico! If all goes well we will have been there for about 1-2 years at that point. And not because of anything any fancier than putting away some bux in retirement funds and owning some property that can be sold, as Monte points out.
As it turned out...we never bought a condo but have been retired in Mexico since 2007.
By good luck and the grace of god we did what we planned and pretty close to the plan.
-------------------- Dave Grundy retired in Chelem,Yucatan,Mexico/Hensall,Ontario,Canada 1-519-262-3651 Canada 011-52-1-999-102-2923 Mexico cell 1-226-785-8957 Canada/Mexico home
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Five years,,Hummmmm, hopefull I will still be right where I'm at. And still wearing size 4 jeans.
-------------------- Signs by Alicia Jennings (Mudflap Girl) Tacoma, WA Since 1987 Have Lipstick, will travel. Posts: 3819 | From: Tacoma, WA. U.S.A. | Registered: Dec 1999
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Where will I be in five years? My dad died two years older than I am now. His dad about the same. My mom's dad died at 37. My odds are not good with an irregular heartbeat problem. My best guess is that I will be pushing petunias up from below! I have had a great life and got to do about everything I ever wanted to, so with no kids, who will care? Would hate to think someone else gets to spend all I saved, but guess what? I will not care! I plan to take with me the same money that Howard Hughes took with him...zero!
Alicia, you will always look good in any size jeans!
-------------------- Preston McCall 112 Rim Road Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 text: 5056607370 Posts: 1554 | From: Santa Fe, New Mexico | Registered: Nov 1998
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Well 10 years later, I accomplished some of what I predicted. I did own my own home, didn't have another child, no residual income, decided not to renew my marriage license gave up the house and Couldn't be happier
[ October 13, 2011, 09:30 AM: Message edited by: Bob Rochon ]
-------------------- Bob Rochon Creative Signworks Millbury, MA 508-865-7330
"Life is Like an Echo, what you put out, comes back to you." Posts: 5149 | From: Millbury, Mass. U.S. | Registered: Nov 1998
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Dum Chit, I just read the original date on the post. Back in 2001, I was running the signshop of a Six Flags theme park in Federal Way, WA. Quit in 02' and back to working for meself. Got the house on 1 arce, built the shop, and here I is.
-------------------- Signs by Alicia Jennings (Mudflap Girl) Tacoma, WA Since 1987 Have Lipstick, will travel. Posts: 3819 | From: Tacoma, WA. U.S.A. | Registered: Dec 1999
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sadly, in 2001, I thought I would be in a much different place.
Then the wifey got cancer, business partnerships dissolved (amicably), great customers failed, great customer turned into a---holes, the family turned on each other, divorces, business near collapse, friendships collapsed, font sales near collapse, things I planned to do I never did ....
But I did pay off the mortgage this summer!!! yayayayayyayayyay!!!!!!!!!!
I guess my only plan wasn't really much of a plan, as all I've managed to do is survive. I am now working feverishly to get somewhere else in life .... before someone reposts this again .....
and who digs up a post this old anyway?
-------------------- Michael Gene Adkins The Fontry 1576 S Hwy 59 Watts OK 74964 Posts: 845 | From: Watts, OK USA | Registered: Jun 1999
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I will be 55 and hopefully above ground. Third daughter will be ready to start college. With the the amount of emigration we are seeing here, I hope all my family will still be close by and able to build lives for themselves without having to relocate half way across the world. Hopefully still in nearly daily contact with you lot too. Mind you, the way tech has progressed in the last five years, I shudder to think how we'll be communicating by then
-------------------- Kevin Gaffney Artistik Signs Kinnegad County Westmeath Ireland 044-75187 kevingaffney@eircom.net Posts: 628 | From: Ireland | Registered: Oct 2003
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In 5 years, I'll be (gulp) 71.....Good Lord willin'. It's all in His hands now.
Everything's pretty peaceful now; at least for the time being. Pretty much debt-free, and still doing some sign work. I'm trying to concentrate mostly on more custom, hand-done stuff.
But, I still haven't figured out what I want to be, when I grow up............
posted
In 5 years I will be more or less full time taking down ancient barns, giving new life and purpose to the old materials, carving Santa figures for the kids, and maybe an occasional carved sign.
[ October 14, 2011, 08:26 PM: Message edited by: Steve Purcell ]
-------------------- Steve Purcell Purcell Woodcarving & Signmaking Cape Cod, MA
************************** Intelligent Design Is No Accident Posts: 900 | From: Cape Cod, MA | Registered: Oct 1999
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Ten years ago, I thought I had ten good years of backpacking left. Five years ago, I thought I had ten good years of backpacking left. Today, I still think I have ten good years of backpacking left. I don't know what all that means other than some folks are incredible optimists... or they just never learn!
-------------------- David Harding A Sign of Excellence Carrollton, TX Posts: 5089 | From: Carrollton, TX, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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My mind wanders. And that's not a good thing, 'cause it's too small to be out there alone. Posts: 3129 | From: Tooele, UT | Registered: Mar 2005
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Ten years ago when this question was first posted we had just finished our second season at Giggle Ridge. I was seriously considering changing the name of our business and doing design only. That plan was discarded when I realized no one else could build the ideas I drew. Three years later at age 50 we built our new studio/workshop and jumped into the building of theme signs and environments with both feet.
In late 2005 we bought our CNC router and a wonderful new adventure began. Add in three more years and the demand for our workshops proved viable enough to start in a whole new direction once more... teaching others of our specialized craft.
Of late it looks like we may just get in some serious traveling taking the workshops on the road.
The next five years... well, a new house is planned. The business is doing well. Janis & I have celebrated 37 years together and counting. I still do what I love each day. Having a six year old grand daughter fills the rest of the time with fun. It does not get much better than that.
-grampa dan
-------------------- Dan Sawatzky Imagination Corporation Yarrow, British Columbia dan@imaginationcorporation.com http://www.imaginationcorporation.com
Being a grampa is one of the the most wonderful things in the world!!! Posts: 8738 | From: Yarrow, B.C. Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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gave up the house and Couldn't be happier 
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