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

[Guest Schramm]

This is a really good thread.  I am always tossing old ideas to the side to start new ones.  In my line of work things are trendy and go out of style quickly.

[MisterEd65 2]

As for the original thread question/poll, I do this part time, basically still a newbie and trying to learn all I can.  I've made some stuff for friends and for my real job (which is driving a cryogenic tanker hauling CO2) but basically it is paying for itself.  Once I've gotten better and more trained I look forward to making more profit from this.  This is a great hobby/sideline/business to be in and I look forward to making this a good side income for my family.

[BigGreen 5]

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!!!

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 posted by bannerjohn this my customers and i am not sell as high as the rest but i am making a killen vinyl profit is high real high

[BannerJohn 1,324]

exactly. Whet imes are tough,decorative items don't do all that well. People with little money to spend consider them luxuries.

[Guest Schramm]

I havent noticed a decline in my glass which is 100% decorative and a luxury just in the rest of my stuff.  People with money dont have to worry at all about what is going on it is the ones that put on a show like they have money that are getting squashed.  Hell I dont even notice it as those that are totally broke are fine as well.  LOL

Business has slowed down, but has it stopped?  NO.  The reason why goes deeper then changing what is not working and follows into another post that is going on how do you advertise?

[BannerJohn 1,324]

I don't advertise at all. I don't even have a listing in the phone book.

[Guest fivestar]

My business is up over 50% from last yr.  I'm so busy right now I could actually hire a part-time person.  It's up in everything I do, signs, banners, magnets, and especially shirts.

[tlzimmerman 11]

I am part time from the home on the web for now.  I aspire to go fulltime down the road but I am very secure and have a good job at the moment and am keeping it until the wife finishes Nursing school at least then we can look at what we want to do. 

My decision to not start up a business has nothing to do with the economy in fact I think I could start now just fine just am opting for the more secure option.  When the going gets tough the tough get going, and I believe hard times make people look twice at what they spend their money on, which means when people shop around its a good time for a startup who is lean, mean, and skilled at what they do to gain the trust of alot of customers.