posted
Hi All, Looking to hear of others experiences on operating a home-based shop and then switching to having a storefront operation. Did you find it increased your sales enough to make it worthwhile? I hand-letter as well as I just bought a newer vinyl cutting system. I also letter trucks on site. I have a fairly busy shop but wonder if I am missing something and could be making more profits by being more visible and doing more cash & carry vinyl as a sideline as well as custom signs. Will look forward to your responses.
posted
Heather I think it depends on what you want to do.
If you plan on handling all jobs and consultation on a "by appointment only" basis, you may as well work from home and skip the overhead. There's other ways to promote your business than having a storefront just so people will know you exist.
On the otherhand, a shop is a good way to seperate work from home..
Of course, yer stuck at the shop all day whether you have anything to do or not, to babysit phones and walk-in customers.... unless you get an employee, but then yer back to the overhead issue.
It also depends how much you pay for the rent in your area. Around here I could rent a commercial space with a vehicle bay, in a retail strip mall for about $600-$800/month.. That's not too bad and the extra exposure would surely cover it..
But I personally do not want or need anything like that. I already have a 30'x50' garage with a 12' tall door and even higher ceiling here at my house, I have more than enough room to do the work. I like the freedom to just take off in the middle of the day or whenever I want which you probably won't have at a retail location. You could always leave the shop and put a sign on the door, but then what's the point of the shop if you arent going to be there? May as well stay home based and get a big yellowpages ad and skip the rent.
-------------------- "If I share all my wisdom I won't have any left for myself."
Mike Pipes stickerpimp.com Lake Havasu, AZ mike@stickerpimp.com Posts: 8746 | From: Lake Havasu, AZ USA | Registered: Jun 2000
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posted
Heather, I agree with the fellas here. It was just another place for me to show up everyday. Most of my work was on-site so I only went to the shop to change the paint I had in the vehicle and type invoices.
I didn't like another complete set of bills and rent to pay either. If I had been there and been able to welcome walk-in traffic myself or with a hired individual, it might have been another story.
Another reason I chose to close the store front was because of the inconvenience it caused me whilst simultaneously raising my children.
The escalated insurance and security system contracts had nothing to do with my final decision, I promise...ha ha ha!
posted
Heather, the storefront sign business IS a good way to make money -- there are plenty of sign franchisees proving that every day. the way you'll make money in a storefront situation is different than in a less public locale. The short answer is: employees.
the storefront has the potential to increase your volume (through small and medium sales, mostly). that means you need some extra hands to handle that higher volume of less demanding work. you will find that a lot of your time is devoted to managing the production workers and handling "business" affairs. Less of your time will be spent making signs.
for some people this is a welcome change. so, it all gets down to what kind of work you want to have.
-------------------- :: Scooter Marriner :: :: Coyote Signs :: :: Oakland, CA :: :: still a beginner :: :: Posts: 1356 | From: Oakland (and San Francisco) | Registered: Mar 2001
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I think that working from your house is definately a hinderance to growth. While the benefits of home based are good, the bennefits that accompany the shop are great, too.
I, personally, would not want to ever work from my home again. I love the seperation of home and shop. I find that it is easier to leave the shop at the shop this way.
The financial considerations are a moot point to me because you just can't put a price on the feeling of home.
In the long run, just do what is right for you.
Have a great one!
-------------------- Bruce Bowers
DrCAS Custom Lettering and Design Saint Cloud, Minnesota
"Things work out best for the people who make the best of the way things work out." - Art Linkletter Posts: 6451 | From: Saint Cloud, Minnesota | Registered: Jun 1999
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I guess it would depend on the area you live in. In my area, a lot of businesses are home based because it is still a small town atmosphere around here. If I moved up town I most likely would only gain the walk in "Oh look theres a sign shop" business which would be a lot of "how musch is this? How much is that?" and kids wanting stickers for cars. People in my area looking for a sign seriously know where to go or will look in the phone book and me being halfway between 2 towns, they have to drive to get what they want anyways so their used to it. Now that is around here.If I were in Athens GA, 30 miles from here and a decent sized city, If I didn't have a storefront, I would be hung out to dry. People there want a Coperate, professional type atmosphere and they want to see you in a "real store". I know people there who have had to move their business (not sign shops) out into a building to get more business. You should take a good look at your situation and think to yourself "will my area accept me as a homebased business?" I myself like being home based but I am going to have to build a shop and it is going to be on my land but not right next to my house for the prupose of seperating it from my house for several reasons:the come by on Sunday customers (MY OFFICIAL DAY OFF DADGUMMIT), the come by at 10 pm "I gotta have my race car lettered by tomorrow morning", and the notorious "Sorry to wake you up but I need some DOT nos. for my log truck and I need 'em now" people.
-------------------- John Thompson JTT Graphics "The big guy with a little sign shop!" Royston/Hartwell Georgia jtt101@hotmail.com Posts: 626 | From: Royston Georgia | Registered: Feb 2002
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home based ...now ...had a shop for 2 years..never again(unless i build one on my property). and i have a MOBILE SIGN SHOP! this is the way to go if you can swing a brush and do vinyl. you can work like the old "snappers", just stop in a business and tell em their signs could use some "spifin up" and that you can do it RIGHT NOW!!!! and i never get beat up on price.....in fact i need to get out there, got a place needs some hours changed on their window....and ill bet i get more stuff to do while iam there.....and at lest 2-3 people will see the van and inquire about some signs for them!!!! the mobile shop ....i get to go to car shows, campgrounds, marinas....and people cant miss my 8'x 13' rolling billboards on that truck!!!! i get better exposure than any storefront.
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
Hey old-paint, we had thought about doing that when we first started making signs. What kind of a vehicle do you use? Do you cut vinyl in it an if so what kind of a generator setup do you have? Just curious, I'd still like to have one like that someday.
-------------------- John Thompson JTT Graphics "The big guy with a little sign shop!" Royston/Hartwell Georgia jtt101@hotmail.com Posts: 626 | From: Royston Georgia | Registered: Feb 2002
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posted
ya never get beat up on the price Joe, cause your prices are 1/2 of what any book says. You are not only part of the problem, but a Volvo owner as well, you're a yuppie, tofu eating, low balling polocian!!! who puts down meat yet eats dairy products, ya don't believe in killing but ya kill the prices of signs surrounding you. ya letter Scarab boats for $100 as if you were lettering a canoe belonging to a retired minister.
Sincerly your friend, Joey
-------------------- HotLines Joey Madden - pinstriping since 1952 'Perfection, its what I look for and what I live for'
You forgot to use one of those smiley things when you were flogging Old Paint.
My thoughts on this storefront thing are that you need to start with a clear understanding of your goals, then a plan.
The storefront (if you decide to go that route) is really just a marketing tool that will be as effective as whatever it is that you plan to do (and do) with it. What kinds of customers do you want to deal with? What can you do with your storefront that will attract those types of businesses? You get the idea.
Good luck with your decision!
-------------------- Jon Aston MARKETING PARTNERS "Strategy, Marketing and Business Development" Tel 705-719-9209 Posts: 1724 | From: Barrie, ON, CANADA | Registered: Sep 2000
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posted
I had a storfront for ten years, it's almost impossible to do singlehanded. You say you do trucks onsite, you will have to close the shop in order to go to the truck location, inevitably you will run into more scheduling conflicts than you can imagine. If you have a 2:00 appointment at a truck shop somebody will walk in the door two minutes before you need to leave wanting to talk forty five minutes about a sign they "might" need , or you will have somebody meeting you at the shop at 9:00 only to have them show up at 1:00
-------------------- George Perkins Millington,TN. goatwell@bigriver.net
"I started out with nothing and still have most of it left"
A storefront increased my revenue incredibly and helped me grow, however doing a good job at it solo is like walking uphill.
I personally went back to homebased because I wanted to go parttime and be with my still very young son more at this time. But if it were strictly a business decision and I wanted the higher dollars, I would have stayed storefront with my fulltime employee.
But with a storefront and an employee, you need to accept more projects, which is ok because it's your employee you can delegate the work to. You will in return make alot more money doing this. This is of course providing you can keep an employee busy which it sounds like you could.
A storefront is a different world. It can be a good experience or an expensive one. It's a very individual decision that you may want to at the very least TRY so you know. Like I did.
posted
Heather, there is one other option. A warehouse location. The rent is less than a storefont, you do not have to be at the shop all of the time. If you have a nice office-showroom you can meet clients there. I put my shop phone on call forwarding to my cellular phone 24-7 so I don't miss any calls. Cheers and good luck.
-------------------- Rob Thomas 3410 Ketcham Ct Beautiful Springs FL 34134 Posts: 965 | From: Bonita Springs, Florida USA | Registered: Feb 2000
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Hi Heather, I went from a rural 1 1/2 person shop to a high traffic location 5 years ago. Doubled my sales 1st year. It was very difficult to keep up, even with the addition of employees - lots of 12 hour days & 7 days a week to keep my clients happy. However it has paid off, my sales are now 4.5x what they were 5 years ago and now I work 5 days/wk, 8 hour days. You will get tire kickers but you learn to spot them real quick and can deal with them quickly. We probably average at least 2 new customers per day, that adds up to a good client base over a few years for repeat business as long as you can give the service, quality & pricing that works to put the cash in your pocket. However it is a personal decision that only you can make - just don't get in over your head.
-------------------- Colleen Henderson Signs Now, Thunder Bay, ON signsnow@tbaytel.net Posts: 140 | From: Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Jun 1999
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Hi Heather..I am home based...all the "clean stuff" computer etc. is located in the house..warm in winter and airconditioned in summer. I have a fairly large, modern shop/with spraybooth on the property. Home and shop are paid for...minimal overhead. Since I am a one man operation this is the best for me, I am free to go to customer's sites and work there and I don't have to worry about people wanting to enter my "storefront" when I am working on 53' trailers that wouldn't fit in the store anyway!
My opinion??? A one person operation may as well be home based, hopefully with a seperate shop on property. I like cutting,weeding and masking in the house but I wouldn't want to be cutting sheets of MDO in the house!
-------------------- 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
posted
This subject has come up sooo...many times before and as I read thru the reasons for and against I see a trend that has nothing to do with what is right or what is wrong with either.
The real truth lies in what you expect from life and more importantly what are you willing to put into it.
I happen to be one of those that has to have somewhere to go in the mornning or I will sit around the house imagining that I am working.
Others find the freedom of coming and going as they please an undeniable right.
Both (can) make money but not all do (regardless of their make up).
Decide for yourself which personality you are and persue it with all your heart...be the best you can be ...and all will be right with the world. (your world anyway).
-------------------- "Werks fer me...it'll werk fer you"
posted
hey joey....you P.I.T.A. NEW YORKA......i do very well with the prices here....iam higher then most others....as for my eating habits...when you sit at my table(then you can complain,your invited for dinner anytime) ya old crimudgin!!!!! john if you would like i can send you a couple pics of mobile shop. its a 1974 chev P-30, 350, auto. with 23,000 miles on it. it had cabinets, 110v floresent lights and plug in recepticals when i got it. also has a 6.5 kw onan gen and a colman roof air conditioner. can be pluged in like a motor home or run off the gen. also have a 400W inverter set up at the desk for the computer, plotter and printer,yes i cut vinyl or paint from this truck.
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
Thanks to all of you for your thought-provoking ideas about home-based vs. storefront. It certainly got me thinking. Sounds like for me personally it would be more of a hassle to go storefront for many reasons. First of all, it is hard to find good help. The student I have now is excellent. Does the job perfectly every time. Unfortunately, she is going away to college this year. Wish I could clone her. Also, skilled sign helpers are not too readily available here in Canada. Or else you train them and then they start their own business. I was also afraid of the "tire-kickers" many of you mentioned. I do like to be free to come and go from my shop and hate rushing through a job to get back to the shop to meet a customer. Stressful!!! Also, someone mentioned lifestyle. It is nice to sit out on the porch with the cat & my knitting at lunch time on nice days. I think all of you have helped me to make a definite decision-stay home based. It is a small town here too I might mention. Think maybe I will try to narrow down my product line too and market that more heavily. Again, thanks to all of you and Happy July 4th!
P.S. Colleen Henderson, nice to hear from you. I met you in Banff in 1998.
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