Meaty Okra

More good info Stetson, thanks. I'd like to PM you for some more particulars. I have all kinds of questions about print. -MO

Thanks for the insight Steson, There is some really good info there. I read and reread your answers several times. When you mentioned "Keep all your jobs in several places..." Do you mean physically? i.e. store job files off site on a remote server? Yes, I had planned on making backups on a remote server once I get things rolling. It's on the infinite to-do list. heh. Here's another question for you guys, What are your opinions on having "sales reps", in other words offering friends, family members and eventually acquaintances a percentage of profits from a job once they've brought you a lead and the job is complete? Does anyone do this on a small scale? At any rate, I guess the best thing to do in that respect is just to create a buzz, talk to people and get people talking. Also, you mentioned having a partner to outsource work to. I'm very interested in how this works, the technical bits and all, because I would love to be able to offer digital print services to prospective clients. If you could please explain more about this, that would be great. As far as providing superior service goes, I go by the golden rule... Treat others the way you want to be treated. I love good deals, and I love getting good service along with a good deal, so I think it's only right that I provide the same. In my unofficial market analysis of my area, I've phoned the "competition" commonly found on craigslist, talked to people about their prices and all that jazz; I'm also paying close attention to the way they do business, i.e. how they answer their phone, the way they talk to me (as if i were a customer) and so on. I notice who uses templates for their websites and who builds them from scratch, I notice their grammar and spelling. In all of my research, I've found a fair amount of people out there that don't take their businesses as seriously as they should. Thanks again, -Meaty

Hello all, I've got a lot of experience with vinyl work having worked in a couple of larger, established sign shops, making and designing all kinds of signs. I am a trained/practiced graphic designer as well. However, a businessman is what I am not. In the span of about 4 weeks, I've sold and completed 3 jobs, one of them was a repeat from the same customer. All sales have been a product of "door knocking", or hoofing it from door to door in shopping centers, passing out flyers and business cards pitching my services. I have 2 pieces of .090 clear plexi with samples on them tucked professionally into a 24"x36" artist's portfolio, for visuals. This method works, but only about 1 out of 15-20 times. I have a rickety system in place, borrowing bits of knowledge and what I've learned from the other sign shops. I realize that the system will come together with time. I have everything I need for small vinyl sign production. I just need work. So my questions for you guys that successfully work for yourselves are, How did you get started? How do you get jobs? Who do you talk to or where do you go to find out about bidding on jobs? If advertising is helpful, what avenues do you use? Would you be willing to share the way your system works with me? (meaning the way you do things, the steps you take from concept to completion to archiving jobs and finally, dealing with the tax man) I realize I may be asking a lot, but I'm sure someone out there wouldn't mind sharing some useful info, eh??