i work out of a shop(on my property now) that is small and a portable building(have you heard of the term 10 pounds of **** in a 5 pound bag).The traffic is nill but we work by appointment only and meet with the customer at his/her place of business.drawing are proofed threw E-mail/fax.we have a good repeat busniness but i would like to get more exposure other than my shop van!The cost of Rental Property in outragous(2,000-3,000mo. + avg. 5yr lease)the thought of putting out that kind of money makes me vomit. but looking ahead to selling the bussiness when i retire makes me think about owning a building and property "in Town", so that i can sell the pakage.

the cost of building a building with all the luxurys would be cost wise more my speed but here again the exposure issue.(the shops in town seem to have more volume)lost a customer the other day because i was not at a conveant(sp) location...the price was right and the design was what they wanted but didn't want to make the drive for me to do his van! wow....

im kind of venting but really looking for some input to this topic.

oh...im here when the kids get home from school! they know more about my business than some of the help i have had..so i would miss them if i was in town!......help what to do has any body out there had to deal with this issue.

[ December 16, 2001: Message edited by: old paint ]

Adding that overhead will only lead to uncertainty and that's just not a comfortable place to be!

With all that land, imagine the workshops you could build on it when the need arises.
If you go rent a place in town, yer stuck with it til your lease is up, whether you have the room to grow or not.

If you have children, nothing will replace the extra time you will be able to spend with them - being there when they come home from school. There were definitely rules, I couldn't make noise in there but I spent a lot of time hanging out watching my father work. I even had a place to ride my bike when the weather was too bad to go outside!

the franchise shops (Sign-A-Rama, etc) are pretty much all storefront operations. they run a commodity, retail business. "quicky-sticky" if you like. if you want to make a lot of money (potentially), and make a lot of fast cheap signs, that's the way to go. if you want to be a sign craftsman, that might not be the way to go.

as far as selling the business, i don't think the location is going to get you a lot of equity in customers. i would expect your customer list, reguardless of location, and the shop name (if you have a good reputation) to be worth more than a storefront location. after all, Sign-A-Rama could move in across the street.

You look far more credible if you are in a visible and accessible building. And the folks who want the good work are the ones who want to trust you to do their work. Image IS everything.

Rent. Keep the economy moving. Make more in the process. Do only profitable work. Define what that is. Smile. Speak positive thoughts. Enjoy life. It's the only one you get.

[ December 16, 2001: Message edited by: Jay Allen ]

scooter ...check your post on hand cut silk screen stencil..did a step by step for you.

the credablity with a store front...sure that is my struggle..but all that money is out the window!?!...rental propery is so high!

WARNING: Staying that busy will have an effect on you & your family's life. It will make you irritable & need more down time to recover which is a bad thing if you have a family to take care of because the last thing you need is more stress than you bargained for.

I'm not a Great Signmaker like some of you, I'm a Decent Signmaker but I am a Great Businessman. That's why I have a storefront, My signmaking skills are small and maybe a little average compared to some of you on this BB. That's why I choose the mainstream in your face business, I'm a businessman, not an artist.

Scooter,(quote)
(If you want to make a lot of money [potentially), and make a lot of fast cheap signs, that's the way to go. If you want to be a sign craftsman, that might not be the way to go.)

It's all your decision. You say you are cramped and short of room. Are you busier than you want to be too? Do you feel you need the move to town to get more business or get more room?

You express how you like to work at home and love to spend time with the kids. Both these things are important.

Like many here we have had it both ways. Janis & I have worked by ourselves and with up to 22 employees. Every stage was enjoyable. We made it that way. We also got small again (by choice) after being a larger company.

Every stage brings a different level of pressure and stress. And every stage of growth changes the job you personally will do.

Unless you are a large company with huge numbers, most of the equity you amass will be in the building and not the business whether it is at home or in an industrial park. As to selling out and retiring.... Well, I consider myself retired already. Most folks think of retirement as some day when they will get to do the things they enjoy. I do that every day. I do it by choice.

Do what is right for you and your family. Make choices about the type of work you will take on... high volume production or one-off custom stuff or a mix of both. What ever makes you happy is what you should do.

Same goes with where you build (or rent) a shop or how big you get.

Get a sheet of paper and pencil. Sit down with those you love and make a list of pros and cons. Make a list of costs, and benefits. Talk it over.... include your kids at some stage of the discussion.

And then make the decision that is best for you.

Also review the situation once in a while in the future and make sure that things are still going the way you want. Make sure that you continually and conciously make changes along the path that are right for you and your family.

Do all this and you can't go wrong.

Thanks everyone!