posted
First a little history to explain my situation a little better:
If I have a home based shop I'll work 24 – 7 until I burn out, then I'll find a million and one excuses not to start that sign until about an hour before it's due to be picked up! I remember a set of airboat rudders that left my house thirty minutes after putting the last coat of clear on them! To name just one. Not to mention the fact that I suffer from one of the worst, almost terminal, cases of cabin fever known to medical science! I also have hobbies that are time consuming and I enjoy way too much to stop doing them. (I build acoustic guitars and bass fish.)
So, with that, (work history & hobbies) well in mind I just rented a shop; it's in a very visible location on the second most traveled street in town. The other shops in town are located on side roads that get maybe 5 to 10% of the traffic that will pass my new shop. (I got the permit thing straight with the county and city by the way.)
The building has been closed up for about 5 years, a friend of mine owns it, it was a florist shop the last time it was opened, and he has been using it as a storage building for the past few years. He was not trying to rent it, as a matter of fact he really didn't want to rent it but he needs a few signs and we made a deal, he gets his signs and I get a shop in a great location for $300.00 a month + utilities.
It's going to take a lot of cleaning (moving his stuff out) and building before I can open the doors, I figure this will take about a month.
After exchanging a few emails with Old Paint, and viewing pictures of his Shop "truck", I went on a quest for a step van to set up very much like his. What I found instead was an old U.S. Mail truck (kind of a mini "step van" if you will) and am in the process of making a shop truck out of it. (New paint job and lettering.)
I want/need to go ahead and start producing signs before I get into my shop. If I could afford it, I would wait until I get into the shop before I start production but it gets very expensive, very fast opening a new shop when you’ve been out of the trade for as long as I have. I needed to buy all new equipment and supplies, except for my quills and airbrushes. (I kept my old sign kit and have used it every now and then over the past twenty years.)
What do you feel is the best way to get started, to let potential customers know that there’s a "New Kid" in town or an "Old Kid" starting back up?
Should I go door to door, pass out fliers, advertise in the news paper or on radio, just drive the shop truck around?
What are your feelings?
Thank you in advance, for reading this novel length post and your advice.
-------------------- Steve Levitt Signs Of All Kinds Okeechobee, Fl. 34974 Posts: 64 | From: Okeechobee, Florida | Registered: May 2003
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posted
I would make up some nice cards, and then go around your area looking for older signs that are in need of repainting or replacement, then go in and personally talk to the owner, explaining that you are a new shop and would like to show him what you can do. Then if the situation merits the time, offer him a free sketch to see what you can do to imporove his image.Remember though, that from that point on, the word of mouth will be working either for you, or against you, so always try to do your best, and you should get favorable responses.
-------------------- Jeff Ogden 8727 NE 68 Terr. Gainesville FL, 32609 Posts: 2138 | From: 8827 NE 68 Terr Gainesville Fl 32609 | Registered: Aug 2002
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I was thinking the same as Jeff, instead of door to door... focus on specific evidence of a need for signs. I think that way you can get busy getting work. You want to do 2 things get work, & get word out to the rest of the town for when they need signs, but get work should be first... then driving the shop truck on actual jobs, doing installs, & getting the word-of-mouth wheels turning should take care of the rest. I've always thought I'd go door to door, if I ever got caught up on all my jobs. I think 1 time in 7 years I actually got "caught up". That probably lasted about half a day.
I would try to get the shop truck painted, lettered and striped as soon as possible and drive it everywhere you need to go. My customers are amazed at how much attention their vehicles get once they are lettered. Helps my buiness too because they ask who lettered their truck. My cousin couldn't have a cup of coffee in the local restaurant without someone asking him about his work or asking who lettered his van. Vehicles get a lot of exposure.
This way too, when you are handing out business cards as suggested above, you can show the potential customer some of your work right there.
Good Luck Pam, Pam's Signs
-------------------- Pam Eddy Niles, MI ple@qtm.net Posts: 460 | From: Michigan | Registered: Dec 2000
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Hiya Steve, Business cards first, order a few thousand. Everyone you meet will get one. A coming soon banner should be hung as soon as you can get it done. From there, anything goes. From my previous experience, you'll get curiosity seekers dopping in on you as soon as there's activity in the building. Everyone from perspective clients to sales people will be interupting you as you try to work. If you can, get a spot cleared out to letter your vehicle or start some dummy signs to show pepole that you can get the work done even before you're open. Also, do a search. This topic has been discussed before and there's a wealth of info in the archives.
posted
Word of mouth is the best marketing. If you have a BNI chapter(s) in your area, then go to one meeting as a visitor, and you can go two times before deciding to join or not.
BNI saved our business from bankrupting after 911 when we moved out of the house to commercial shop. The jobs the BNI group helped me find was the difference between keeping and losing my business. We generated $5000+ in refferals given to us, which is not a big deal, but that $5000 kept our business from collapsing.
BNI group members become your salesmen, and you become theirs. They keep their eyes and ears open to find you work as you also do the same for them. New people in business are often tempted to check out BNI groups, come to a meetings, and you can find out first hand those needing signs and vehicle graphics. You will do some work for members in the group, but they are NOT your client base...but they make great salesmen if you gain their respect and trust by representing yourself honestly.
posted
Strange no one mentioned making a really nice sign for your business.
Business cards are a must door to door is ok but it takes away from production.
Run a nice ad and get the local paper to do a "New business in town" intro piece.
Word of mouth is your greatest asset...make sure you deliver on time with good quality product.
You sound like I did before I went from "home base" to "store front".I too was bored to tears with no where to go...I actually would get up in the morning drive 10 miles to town have coffe and breakfast then return to "go to work" drove me crazy...I made the move to town and never regretted it as I'm sure you won't either .
Good luck ...you're on the right track!
Crank it up..."werked fer me it'll werk fer you"
-------------------- "Werks fer me...it'll werk fer you"
posted
A short article in the local paper in the business section with a photograph would help the community get to know you. Could inform them of an old kid stepping up again. Hometown kid returning...or something about revitalizing dead storefront as a neighborhhod bonus.
Chamber of Commerce mixers and affairs help get you plugged in with the business community that wants to move and steer their direction.
Sometimes affiliation with a service club helps greatly. Mention your curiosity to a Rotarian or Kiwaniian and watch how fast they invite you to be a guest at their luncheon. You can then evaluate the crowd to find where you best fit and can serve.
Sponsor youth soccer or a sport where the kids come home wearing your name and logo at the dinner table.
Donate a sign to a local food bank or charity and get some publicity for it, or do it without the public acknowledgement and see if God honors your giving.
Help kids in the neighborhood. Their parents will find out who you are and want to support you and will spread the word.
Letter on your truck that you know Joe Pribish!
-------------------- The SignShop Mendocino, California
Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. — Charles Mingus Posts: 6806 | From: Mendocino, CA. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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I am putting up a shop sign Friday, Luckily there is a 20 foot sign pole already installed out front that I will mount my sign on that.
I will put a "Coming Soon" banner across both faces of that sign plus on the windows.
My shop truck is in the paint shop and I'll be picking it up tomorrow and start putting some lettering on it.
I'm building easels and work tables today, I already hooked up my air compressor and ran PVC through out the shop so I need no more then 20 feet of air hose.
I'll be working on the store front this weekend and I hope to be opened by the 1st on November.
And once more,"Thanks for all the GREAT advise".
-------------------- Steve Levitt Signs Of All Kinds Okeechobee, Fl. 34974 Posts: 64 | From: Okeechobee, Florida | Registered: May 2003
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Steve, good luck with your new shop. If Joe directed you here then you owe him a mess of fish. Good thing about having Joe for a friend is that you can keep the fish and send him the sea weed
-------------------- Kathy Joiner River Road Graphics 41628 River Road Ponchatoula, La.70454
Old enough to know better...Too young to resist. Posts: 1891 | From: Ponchatoula, LA | Registered: Nov 2000
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I thought about naming my mail truck "Little Joe" in his honor, but you hit on a much better idea, I think I'll scan in a few fish and Email them to him!
-------------------- Steve Levitt Signs Of All Kinds Okeechobee, Fl. 34974 Posts: 64 | From: Okeechobee, Florida | Registered: May 2003
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