bayshorecreations

How Many People Here Make Signs Full Time? Storefront? Work From Home?

How Many People Here Make Signs For A Living Full Time?  

36 members have voted

  1. 1. How Many People Here Make Signs For A Living Full Time?

    • I am FT with a storefront
      3
    • I am FT work from home
      12
    • I only do this part time/Have a day job
      24
    • I just do this for fun and do not profit from it
      1


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I am just curious to see how many people here do this full time as opposed to part time or just as a hobby and weather you have a storefront or not.

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I have a full time business providing reconditioning services to Car Dealers.  The vinyl is an added service - so I am not a hobbiest - but not a full time sign shop either.  I work from a mobile shop in a Grumman Step-Van. 

-Mike

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Full time working out of a full basement at my home.

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Part-time for me right now.  No store front - 26' x 32' Workshop behind house.  Mostly word of mouth and approaching anywhere/anyone that I think could use some graphics.  I'm working on adding Neon to my line, although the plant I bought is going to require a LOT of work to bring it back on-line.  I hope to go full-time with this someday, but for now, I keep rolling everything back into it.

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My husband and I both work fulltime, and do this in our spare time(DBA). Our hopes are to slowly build a nice customer base, so when it's time to retire, we can slide into the decal business fulltime.

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I own an antique mall and a consignment shop. I do this pretty much full-time out of the consignment shop and am setting up to do the same in the antique mall. So, it's kinda "full time" and kinda "not".

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Guest Schramm

With an exception of running my grandfathers painting/plastering business for 3 years and 2 years in the USMC I have had my own business.  I have had some tough roads that many of you just starting now will never have to face as I didnt have a message board to turn to I just had to figure it out.  I have been a painter since I was 12 years old and since then I have never gone a week without getting paint on something that I own (except electronics).  I will say that if you are a start up in this economy you have a really good chance of failing!  Not saying dont do it but just saying that if you do have a day job keep it and make this a side thing til the market changes!  Just a thought!

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I have to disagree with the last post. Now is the best time to get/start a business. Companies are starting to come back into the market, and yes you need capital while your name gets known. But most companies are rung out (they are in the same boat as you, or they are holding on ) in any case you may actually have an advantage - You don't know what's not possible so you are willing to do everything and see what works! - That is the definition of a niche market. Good luck, Be stubborn (after all you are always right, Right??) but most of all be a miser with your personal finances and use it for your business.  If you are lucky enough to get a lot of cash -save - save- save!

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Not sure where this thread is going... but here are my thoughts....  Don't quit your day job to go into business for yourself UNLESS you have enough income coming in from other sources to at least match your current income.

I lost a gov. contract in Nov.  I own a marketing/advertising company, a computer programming co. and now a sign company. 

FROM ALL 3....  I'm still not making NEAR what I was making with one contract.  So don't shoot a gift horse in the mouth.  Take what you can, work your business after hours.  Even with a GREAT economy I would still advise you to take a step back and look at your current situation.

People who say "go for it", are saying that because its not THEIR FUTURE!  Its easy to say when its some one elses money.

NOW with that said....  Different markets bear different returns.  Your talents come in to play.  Your sales/marketing skills are also VERY important.  And a number of other THINGS (timing, market, exposure, population,# of business's)  PLAY a MAJOR factor in whether your BUSINESS succeeds or not. Listen.... If anyone could just quit their day job and open a successful sign business, don't you think they would?  It's not about whether you CAN make it or not, its about whether you WILL make it or not.  Can and will are 2 different horses. 

SO please don't bet your future on what anyone says on this board.....  There are some very smart business people on here, BUT you've got to determine if a market exist, can you reach that market, and will they buy.  Bottom line.

And to answer the ORIGINAL QUESTION... Out of my house... I have a shop.  Fulltime. 

later...

Pappy

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Guest fivestar

I am a full time vinyl shop along with computer repair and my wife and I own a flower shop. 

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Guest Schramm

lueman,

How long have you been in business???  I dont agree with you at all.  I cannot remember one time where the economy has been this bad in all my years of running a business.  If you start a business as a low ball your not going to make a profit and there is not enough new work for a newbee to save if they have to pay their bills and are counting on this as their income!  I dont sugar coat anything as I think that 99% of people want to hear the truth not some make believe version of the truth and I will say it again this is a bad time to start up a new business unless it is part time.

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will i hate to tale you'll but the economy is not that bad because i i buy and sell old cars and trucks 1900s-1970s and i buy cheap and sell high like a i have a 66 impala ss for sale and i am having more people then ever to look that are looking for toys so its not that bad                                                                                                      my sign business is poppen have only been doing it for about 6-7 months and its out of the house and i have a moblie tralier it hobby/part-time/full time if that makes scense there are 2 main shops close but people are not useing them that much but they are working me to death i have a cattle ranch and 3 produce stands that are my mains and the produce business is the best it has been in 20 years but people have to eat and i am having a lot of business to new business

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Hey BG.... It all depends on where you're at bro....  Times are tough here.  So thank GOD that you have work...

Pappy

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I have been doing graphics 4 years now, and have an EBAY store where I sell them, I have still stayed busy enough to support myself solely from vinyl graphics through the recession,   Business has remained strong for me. My main products are vehicle graphics. I only make and sell, not apply.  I work fulltime with my EBAY store from my home.

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I have a day job as a systems administrator, been doing IT work for about 11 or 12 years now.  I also have a side business offering computer services, and am now offering signage too.  If the day comes where I can turn my side business into a full-time gig I could probably stay pretty busy offering both services.  If nothing else, building up a side business offers a little insurance should something happen to my day job.  You just never know these days.

Before IT, I worked for 4 years as full-time sign fabricator building/welding custom cabinets, channel letters, awnings and also doing service and installation.  Since leaving the sign industry in I've missed it.  I'm just type of person that gets satisfaction out of building something from scratch and having a tangible product you can see and take pride in once it's done.

Before my days working in IT and Signs I served 4 years in the Marines.  Semper Fi.

Cody

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Guest kenya

For me, vinyl is an added addition to the business that we already have.

We needed signs, lettering & such done & no one around except a couple of guys that wanted way to much.

I can personally say, owning a business for the past 24 years- this is the worst time for us & it has been for the past 7 months. We build aluminum screen rooms, sun rooms and do commercial & residential glass work & since the crash,  it's been hard. But thankfully my vinyl business has help A LOT. 

I say if you have the money to buy some equipment, alittle at a time- go for it. The biggest asset for me was ordering 500 business cards. I head out & stop to talk to local business owners. The personal contact has brought in more than any ad that I've ever place online or in the newspaper.

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Guest Schramm

BG,

Your very lucky but if produce is your main form of income how can you tell someone just getting into the sign/lettering business as a start up that things are poppin?  I have a antique mirror glass company, I am a decorative painter, I do wall words, sometimes signs and sell wall, ceiling and furniture graphics and sure things go ok for me due to how many things I have going but we are not talking about all the other things that I do we are talking signs and lettering as this is what this message board is about.  I stand behind what I said last night as this is not the market or the economy for someone to QUIT THEIR JOB TO START INTO THIS BUSINESS!  If you have a job by all means buy a plotter and start slow and see how things go.  Cutters are not so expensive right now that you cannot afford one but times are pretty rough as I havent been this slow ever in the entire time I have been in business!!!

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It is here. Our local paper is constantly publishing accounts of people who lost their jobs and have successfully started businesses.

http://www.inc.com/magazine/20080501/starting-up-in-a-down-economy.html

According to the US Small Businsess Administration, the last two recessions were good times for startups .

http://www.buyerzone.com/deals/content/0109_starting-a-business.html

Having been in this business for awhile there is ONE thing I have learned. When things get tough for other businesses..the first thing they think of is advertising. And there is no more cost-effective advertising than signs and banners. The return on investment is great. The worse the economy gets,the busier I am. Of course I don't produce decorative items that people consider a luxury when the money is tight.

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Guest kenya

Oh..... we've always been home based also.  ;)

Too much overhead to rent a building and we have a 40' x 60' shop/barn behind the house.

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I and my wife started our embroidery business in 1998 during the black October recession and in fact just after the Y2K boom. we grew from 24k first year to 120k by 2000. After the 2001 downturn we retooled and added a second machine and again grossed over 80K. (see the pattern??) During a downturn you reconfigure the business see what's profitable and drop what's not. YES, things Are bad now, but if history is any indication we are in for a boom time the likes of which this country has never seen. I for one retooled and bought a vinyl cutter, now I can offer tackle twill, patches, vinyl lettering and vinyl graphics. Listen carefully to the president's words he says it's  going to take time, but economists are already saying we hit bottom and that 3rd quarter we will be in the positive. Guys, I know things look bad, but take it from someone that's been there if you are not getting ready for the recovery then you might as well pack up your vinyl and call it a day. 

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Thanks for all the responses so far guys! Keep them coming! I think that this is a great thread for anyone wanting to start a business or advance their business to the next level! Lots of great stories and information is being shared here. I think I might post a few more polls with info like this for people to be able to read.

Heep em coming!

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Oh..... we've always been home based also.  ;)

Too much overhead to rent a building and we have a 40' x 60' shop/barn behind the house.

yes we have always been too. i have a front office in the house and a back room off the back we built about 10 years ago. i have oh so many times thought or was suggested to get a building but after what i saw this last year, so many small businesses  having to close because their rent or lease was not affordable because of the slowness of the economy. i will never get a building. i consider myself so blessed.

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