gcextreme 475 Posted April 28, 2014 How many of you guys with storefront have garage bays for doing stuff on vehicles? How do u guys without garage bay manage without? Specially during the winter? I found 2 different places. One is just down mainstreet, its just a 350sq foot office for $250 a month with all utilties except phone.. Another place is just on the edge of town with a 1 car garage bay and a small office for $750 (plus utilities). The $250 office space is at least 3x the size of the bedroom in my house im working out of..and is really affordable but im afraid i may outgrow it superfast! The office building is actually shared, theres two other small businesses in the same building, a barber and a lady who does tailoring and sewing stuff.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted April 28, 2014 Just thinking out loud up in the north like us I would thing a garage bay would be almost essential if you was going into this full time. Installs in the winter would bring a premium price as it would be hard to do for most people unless they had a heated garage. Not sure on utilities added to the $8 k a year. New ceramics shop I did work for just got their first bill, small shop, hadn't run kilns much yet and gas was $400 last month. But with what you are doing might be a BIG asset to have a warm install area to keep work going all year long. Will be hard making those December payments if sales are down right before Christmas cause people can't install Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pshawny 410 Posted April 28, 2014 Having that garage bay does sound tempting, but $500 more a month plus utilities adds up quick. Would it bring in the extra sales to pay for itself and then make some profit? Starting off smaller and working your way up might be more feasible. I would guess that the majority of customers wanting installation are going to be commercial and would have a garage bay for you to come do the install in. I'd try to make the smaller place work for a year & go from there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gcextreme 475 Posted April 28, 2014 Yeah im thinking go with the smaller place first...for only $250 a month if vinyl sales are slow in the winter i can still fall back on shirts and hats and etched glasses and other products. I really want to do it..but the thing that gets me is my current fulltime job with beneifts... i could just run the store Friday-Sunday and in the evenings like 5-10pm. If business goes good i want to eventually quit my fulltime job and do this fulltime.. But this would be a good way to test the waters.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BannerJohn 1,324 Posted April 28, 2014 If you keep 'thinking' you will be working in the back yard after your wife kicks you out of the house. I've been in business for 10 years and never had a garage bay and never missed it. Go with the cheaper option you can always rent a storage unit with a garage door if you think you need it. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
npace 110 Posted April 28, 2014 I have a retail location, in a small town, on main street, no garage bay. BUT... I have friends that do have them. $20 or a 12 pack gets you the space for an hour or two if it's available or on down times. saves paying the extra rent and utilities on the space that you may or may not need on a regular basis. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jaybyrd 3,770 Posted April 28, 2014 No garage here but I'm in a better climate than you too. I actually install right out front either on Main st. or in the parking lot directly across from the store. It draws lookers and potential customers when I'm out there. I did a boat Saturday in the parking lot and picked up 2 small jobs and even had the police stop and tell me it looked good . Nice working in a small town. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
express2100 154 Posted April 28, 2014 Pretty hard to have the best of both worlds esp when you're just starting up and on a budget. I think you should go with the smaller less expensive place as well. You seem to have a good niche started with your shirts and bike theme vinyl which doesn't require a stall. I'd focus on that and save save save for future expansion. I have the opposite here. No storefront and no desire. However at home I do have a 1200 sq ft shop with in floor heat (efficient and less dust) with 18'x10' and 9'x10' OH doors and 12.5' ceilings. I am on a busy two lane hwy and everything I put out for sale sells within one week. So when I am ready a sign out front will probably be all it takes. I heat the shop all winter anyhow so this is where I will focus my efforts. Plus I enjoy being home. I was extremely happy last week with the first truck in my shop and installing my first graphics. I hope to do a lot more of this. Several wall art requests are flowing in as well so that will get me out a bit more. I don't think I will ever be able to afford retail space around here. It's big money!!! I guess my point is GC, do what works for you without strapping yourself to the bills. From what I have seen it takes a lot of hard work to make descent money in this industry. You obviously have the passion and work ethic to be successful. Good luck! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dawn's Design 403 Posted April 28, 2014 I'm moving into a store front now with a one car bay. Has a office and water for $450 a month. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gcextreme 475 Posted April 28, 2014 Wow Dawn..wish i could find a place like that around here...$450 aint bad for that. Yeah Jesse im a workaholic..i leave my fulltime job and go home and go straight to my workoffice and start doing stuff..the wife gets mad lol. I spend all day working on machines, drilling holes, crawling thru machines and metal shavings and running airlines and wires..its actually soothing to go home and work on vinyl stuff amd weeding..lol. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skarekrow 1,842 Posted April 28, 2014 That is a tempting price... yearly lease? month to month? I'm just curious... not looking. Good fortune here to have a 500 sq foot shop at home. No heat though so, it's been a long winter, working out of my cramped office. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gcextreme 475 Posted May 1, 2014 You think your cramped...i am working in my spare bedroom (which will become the baby nursery this time next year) and its about 9'x10' so thats what 90 square feet. And i have more supplies stacked into my living room and front porch area... Excuse the mess, been busy lol 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jaybyrd 3,770 Posted May 1, 2014 You think your cramped...i am working in my spare bedroom (which will become the baby nursery this time next year) and its about 9'x10' so thats what 90 square feet. And i have more supplies stacked into my living room and front porch area... Excuse the mess, been busy lol I could work in that and think I was still at my place. Chaos is money making in progress. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gcextreme 475 Posted May 1, 2014 Yeah it will all get packed up tomorrow and go into my trailer and off to the bike show sat-sunday..then when i get home it will get all organized...for a little bit. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mabscotthandyman 1,410 Posted May 1, 2014 Yeah it will all get packed up tomorrow and go into my trailer and off to the bike show sat-sunday..then when i get home it will get all organized...for a little bit. I can spend three days organising my shop or office and be back a mess in no time especially the shop Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jaybyrd 3,770 Posted May 1, 2014 Spend 3 days organizing and can't find a thing afterwards. There is order in my chaos. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pshawny 410 Posted May 4, 2014 This place is available back where I use to live, about 40 miles away. LEASE ONLY. $900 PER MONTH. APPROX 3,375 SQ FT OF HEATED STORAGE SPACE FOR LEASE W/OVERHEAD DOORS. LOADING DOCK. GREAT LOCATION. 1 BATHROOM, 1 OFFICE. TENANT PAYS UTIL. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MadHatterGraphix 1,258 Posted May 4, 2014 You think your cramped...i am working in my spare bedroom (which will become the baby nursery this time next year) and its about 9'x10' so thats what 90 square feet. And i have more supplies stacked into my living room and front porch area... Excuse the mess, been busy lol I think the room I share with my mothers arts and crafts is a little bigger maybe 2 feet both ways, and I only have to deal with one window. However she has an external closet which takes up a whole wall, a wall of shelves plus a bookcase take up another, and the closet is filled with more arts and crafts items along with wrapping paper. Now reminder I have a desk, a larger UScutter, a 15X15 heat press, the DTG which takes up a lot of space, my sublimation printer, boxes of HTV, and sign vinyl, Bins of t-shirts, boxes of printed/ pressed tshirts. Sublimation blanks, Kraft paper, various sublimation paper, and shipping supplies. I believe I sit in a 2'WX 4"L section that leads to the computer desk. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gcextreme 475 Posted May 6, 2014 Well the office in town i was looking at is a no go. The owner is selling the whole building and not sure what the new owner is gonna do with it. For now ive been cleaning up my enclosed front porch room that faces the main street in my little town of 200people. I am gonna have a shelf with decal samples, a clothing rack, my hat rack, and a wall rack for can koozies, and a shelf unit for etched glass stuff. Going to vinyl up my front windows for advertising and basically have my front porch as a store...will post pics up soon. Plus with it all in the front porch i can easily back my trailer up and load stuff to go to craft shows. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
express2100 154 Posted May 7, 2014 And the Mrs. is cool with this? I think it's a great idea.... using what you have that is. My wife might go for something like that as long as I kept the window ads classy and professional looking. Doesn't your wife do daycare? How will your plan effect that and visa versus? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
slice&dice 2,450 Posted May 7, 2014 Zoning allows you to use your home as a retail store? http://zoning-planning-land-use.lawyers.com/zoning-and-your-retail-business.html Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BannerJohn 1,324 Posted May 7, 2014 zoning laws vary from town to town....there are no generalities. In my town, it depends on the area. There is an entire section of town that this is permissible. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MZ SKEETER 4,708 Posted May 7, 2014 Yep, Although I live in residential house, there is a family operated auto repair shop across the street, and a block away is a tool and die business, and this area is zoned business, Those companies have been here since the 1950's , maybe older,and still running, handed down to sons. I live in a small town, not even close to Main St. business. Pretty quiet and peaceful here. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gcextreme 475 Posted May 7, 2014 And the Mrs. is cool with this? I think it's a great idea.... using what you have that is. My wife might go for something like that as long as I kept the window ads classy and professional looking. Doesn't your wife do daycare? How will your plan effect that and visa versus? No the wife works at a daycare in Glenwood (8 miles away). Im not too worried about zoning theres 2 other home based business in town..its a small town of barely 200 people...and its not like a retail store...i will only have samples and if a customer wants something i make it for them and call them when its done or ship it to them. The way i see it..people drive by and see the signs and they write down the phone number. I have a fulltime day job from like 8-6 so its not like im gonna have customers throughout the day like a regular retail store. Its no different than having my truck and trailer parked out front with my business stuff on it and someone stopping to talk to me about it... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gcextreme 475 Posted May 7, 2014 Heres a quick pic of the inside.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
