Z

What would you do for $20?

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I know that may sound strange, but I am trying to get a feel for a starting point as to what to tell people I would charge for this or that. Word of mouth advertising is one of the greatest inventions in the world!  :thumbsup:

Alot of my friends and co-workers are asking for me to do various work for them after they've seen some of what I've been doing. Nothing really big yet, but still enough to have sparked some interest. Now, I just need to not "scare" them off with over pricing. Mostly simple requests but still: What would you do for $20? Thanks.

Z

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Depends..... How bad do I need $20?  If I have nothing going and want some extra cash, Ill spend an extra hour or two to make it, If youve got the machine and materials, & its just sitting there. $20 is getting paid to learn.

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I'd do A LOT for $20...

:thumbsup: lol

To be honest, i started out doing small jobs for $5-20 and now i have a flat rate minimum of $25. I know it's intimidating at first but stick to it and things will adjust. The customers who are true and understand they are getting a quality service will pay it, ones who don't will blow it off.

A example would be like today, i outsourced some digital work for a customer that was very small for the back of his vehicle, total pricing came to be $23.00 for the printed vinyls and since that's under my minimum i automatically go to $25.00 for that plus install fee ($45/hr) which came to be $70 installed all together. 

Another example would be lets say someone wants 6 1"x8" decals and the pricing program (graphixcalc) says $2.00 each, if your minimum is $25, the total cost is under that at $12 for all but you would automatically go to $25 since it's under your minimum. For small things like that i usually do $15 but i try to stick with $25 in most cases depending on the client.

It took me a long time to understand a minimum but just think that other shops are going to charge more in most cases and your providing a SERVICE not a charity :)

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  I agree with the minimum thing . It lets hobby type starting business get some work . When you are paying a store front & all the regular business expenses , it is ALOT better to have regular customers , not the flea market walk up type , as long as you have enough of the regular customers . The walk up type customers are great for people who have a business run out of the house/out of their back pocket . Then like BullDog says , paid to learn/get experience . Experience is what will let you decide what to charge . It would be better to undercharge than overcharge getting started . Word of mouth that you charge ALOT is alot worse than if it was said you are almost giving decals away . I think we all know which results in more business . You can raise your price anytime .

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Alot in this economy......I would work for 2 hours probly if I knew there was $20 at the end...but I am a hobby/side businesser trying to grow his business.  Most of the time they understand the higher price when you tell them how many hours of work you are going to have in it...so suffice to say I have not had to work 2 hours for $20 dollars...I am just saying if pressed I probly would.  20 bucks can feed me and my wife for several days if we need it to!

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Well there was this 1 time at band camp.............

Hey FF ,

I didn't get your humor at 1rst , which is weird since that type of humor is right up my alley . That is hilarious ! I'm afraid to ask more about it though  :thumbsup:

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LOL, It's a line from a move, there's more to the line and it involves a flute, but I cant say it here

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Depends..... How bad do I need $20?  If I have nothing going and want some extra cash, Ill spend an extra hour or two to make it, If youve got the machine and materials, & its just sitting there. $20 is getting paid to learn.

A good point. I've seen many times that $20  meant the difference between having food in the fridge and not.  I've Paid for a pack of cigs with dimes and nickles.

I've done a bunch of magnetic bumper stickers for $3 per (cost...about $1) which take me about 5 minutes. 50% of the time it has led to much bigger jobs.

I once worked for an old woman who started with nothing and built a chain of 6 fast food restaurants,and 2 motels. She gave me one piece of advice that I'll never forget "Never let money walk away from you...no matter how little." It all ads up.

For me, these days $20 is 2 of my many presicriptions for a month.

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Especially when Oracal 651 with tranfer tape winds up less than $1 per lineal foot ( 24" wide ) . I have spare time , that is why I frequent the internet alot ( I'm guessing anybody reading this has as much spare time :) ) . I would rather have fun creating decals & making some money than not . What happened with Hechingers Home Improvement stores ( a national chain ) :thumbsup: Home Depot started doing business , had lower prices & wound up bankrupting Hechingers .

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I guess the best way to say it is...when you turn down a job you are turning down a  customer. And word of mouth is about 50% of my business.

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LOL @ FF You had me rolling. Rodger you are right that was right up you alley to funny.

I have done a lot of work for $10 since I am just learning, some of it takes me longer then 2 hours to do it too. The main thing was word art for the 10 bucks. I am still trying to figure out pricing also but I need the work and the money so I will work cheap, or I think it is..lol

Christi

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Hey Thor ,

I'm listening to you because that is realistic advice , like you said that applies to many in this forum ( hobbyists ) .

There has been several members in the past couple years ( they have not been around for a long time so I'm not talking about anybody that has posted in this thread  :) ) that has really pushed the pricing thing . Some members have constantly debated the issue for the sake of the beginners. This forum is mainly beginners & need your type of advice ( IF asking , they are not experienced sign companies located in a strip mall )

John! explains how he started off charging $5 - $20 & went to minimums ( $25 ) & $45 per hour rates . That is what beginners need to pay attention to in his post , IMO . I think in any business , it needs to crawl , walk , then run .. UNLESS the business is coming in with ALOT of money & spends what it takes to be set up with professional personel , equipment etc .

the Pricing issue is always like which vinyl is better , wet or dry installation ... alot of varied opinions .

I have listened to BannerJohn & value his advice since he has been doing this a long time & has a VERY realistic , mature viewpoint !!!

 

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Hey Thor ,

I'm listening to you because that is realistic advice , like you said that applies to many in this forum ( hobbyists ) .

There has been several members in the past couple years ( they have not been around for a long time so I'm not talking about anybody that has posted in this thread  :thumbsup: ) that has really pushed the pricing thing . Some members have constantly debated the issue for the sake of the beginners. This forum is mainly beginners & need your type of advice ( IF asking , they are not experienced sign companies located in a strip mall )

John! explains how he started off charging $5 - $20 & went to minimums ( $25 ) & $45 per hour rates . That is what beginners need to pay attention to in his post , IMO . I think in any business , it needs to crawl , walk , then run .. UNLESS the business is coming in with ALOT of money & spends what it takes to be set up with professional personel , equipment etc .

the Pricing issue is always like which vinyl is better , wet or dry installation ... alot of varied opinions .

I have listened to BannerJohn & value his advice since he has been doing this a long time & has a VERY realistic , mature viewpoint !!!

   

Nicely said!

I do agree with BannerJohn but would like to also say that, if you let customers get your services for next to nothing $20, then they want future work the same and this allows you no room to grow because you will loose their repeat business later.

I am learning a good bit on the forums about pricing and conducting business. I also read a bit of books in my spare time as well to excel in business. I haven't gotten to market myself just yet but the little business i have had has kept me going enough to support my own apartment, new car ect so it can only get better  :)

Being a beginner should not let you define that you need to give away service. Yes yes i know there are hobbyists here but since i have never done this as a hobby i cannot have a voice but i think service is service and money is money, hobby or not. I am starting to realize that quality and customer service is where you need to chime to customers at and they most likely will not care about higher pricing if you do mention the quality of materials you use to make things happen  :thumbsup:

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$20 isn't next to nothing when you know what it's like to literally have nothing. That being said...it's not like I do a 2x6 banner for that. I'm talking little things like a decal or bumper sticker.

I owned a very successful upholstery business for 20 years and many is the time I saw a $10 throw pillow lead to a $500 sofa job. And I made good money on the throw pillow too.

I reckon if I had plenty of money I could afford to turn down the small jobs. On the other hand, I've seen 2 sign shops here go out of business in the last 2 years because they wouldn't mess with the small jobs.

To put things in perspective:

$20=

4 lunches at McDonalds or Hardees or

1 carton of the cheap cigs I smoke or

half the months' high speed internet or

a month';s supply of dog food for my dog or

a color cartridge for my inkjet or

3  blank 2x6 banners with $2 left or

5 blank 2x4 banners or

25 shipping boxes for 2' banners (UPS,not USPS,they are free)

10 DVD rentals

and the list could go on.

Money is money. Like I said, I ain't rich enough to turn it down,nor will I ever be.

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$20 isn't next to nothing when you know what it's like to literally have nothing. That being said...it's not like I do a 2x6 banner for that. I'm talking little things like a decal or bumper sticker.

I owned a very successful upholstery business for 20 years and many is the time I saw a $10 throw pillow lead to a $500 sofa job. And I made good money on the throw pillow too.

I reckon if I had plenty of money I could afford to turn down the small jobs. On the other hand, I've seen 2 sign shops here go out of business in the last 2 years because they wouldn't mess with the small jobs.

To put things in perspective:

$20=

4 lunches at McDonalds or Hardees or

1 carton of the cheap cigs I smoke or

half the months' high speed internet or

a month';s supply of dog food for my dog or

a color cartridge for my inkjet or

3  blank 2x6 banners with $2 left or

5 blank 2x4 banners or

25 shipping boxes for 2' banners (UPS,not USPS,they are free)

10 DVD rentals

and the list could go on.

Money is money. Like I said, I ain't rich enough to turn it down,nor will I ever be.

I didn't say i turned $20 down, i just said that people need to not be afraid to charge, saying "ehhhh throw me $20 and i'll do it" isn't profitable personally. You need to know what it costs you, what the market is going to bare for X decal and you'll be successful.  :thumbsup:

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Sorry for the double post but here is a break down of my past 2 days with small orders....

1. Customer wanted a window banner 26" long in magenta pink, charged them $30 installed ($5 was install)

2. Customer wanted 4 6x9" race numbers, 4 6x9" race letters and 2 4x20" racer names. charged him $75 since they were 2 color silver with red outline

3. Customer wanted 2 in loving memory decals 12"x4" in white, my minimum is $25 so i charged her $25 she said $25, how much are they each, i said $12.50 cause my shop minimum is $25 and she said "oh ok"

4. Customer wanted window banner 36"x4" in silver along with a shocker sticker 5x4" and basketball sticker 5x4", charged $30 installed ($5 was install)

I usually get $25 for windshield banners and charge $5 for installing but i just say $30 and am good to go. On #3 i kind of gave her the 5x4" for free since it wasn't a big deal to cut them being so small.

Things like this add up nicely when you stick to your minimum  :D

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  After reading John!'s last post , I was thinking about the topic of this thread ... I think this is funny , but accurate . So John! would do nothing for $20 since it under his $25 minimum .

John! , I say this with good intentions . You have made your opinion very clear & it has validity  :D . I advise you to agree to disagree & not feel obligated to push that point . It will get to a situation where it seems you are driving your point home too much ( seems that way a bit already  B) ) .  When things have gone that way in the past , nothing good happens .

 

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  After reading John!'s last post , I was thinking about the topic of this thread ... I think this is funny , but accurate . So John! would do nothing for $20 since it under his $25 minimum .

John! , I say this with good intentions . You have made your opinion very clear & it has validity  :D . I advise you to agree to disagree & not feel obligated to push that point . It will get to a situation where it seems you are driving your point home too much ( seems that way a bit already  ;D ) .  When things have gone that way in the past , nothing good happens .

 

In all honestly, this has worked excellent for me and i haven't had no complaints. I do however do occasional $5-10 stickers for small stuff  so don't take my pricing the wrong way please  B)

Usually i'll give you X amount of decals that will fit across the vinyl so you get the best bang for your buck and customers tend to love it.

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To put things in perspective:

$20=

1 carton of the cheap cigs I smoke or

John, John,John......you're still smoking? Sandy

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Rodger has just amazed me with his posts in this thread!!  ;D

:D  B) Rodger!!

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