Need help pricing first job.

[LeeHuff 0]

As the title says I need help pricing my first paying job. I have been asked to cut dealership decals for the back of cars for a Jaguar dealership. (Nice to have my first job be for something high end) Listed below are the decal specs. I will not be installing the decals.

Size: 4"x2"

Vinyl: Oracal 951M (They liked the metallic)

Quantity: 50 of two colors (sum 100)

Weeding: I would consider it tedious/time consuming (small lettering)

Thanks in advance for any help.

Lee

[Jeffrey06 2]

As the title says I need help pricing my first paying job. I have been asked to cut dealership decals for the back of cars for a Jaguar dealership. (Nice to have my first job be for something high end) Listed below are the decal specs. I will not be installing the decals.

Size: 4"x2"

Vinyl: Oracal 951M (They liked the metallic)

Quantity: 50 of two colors (sum 100)

Weeding: I would consider it tedious/time consuming (small lettering)

Thanks in advance for any help.

Lee

How small? Easy font?

When doing smaller decals. I often will price by how small the lettering. I've spent hours on some that wasn't worth I charged.

[LeeHuff 0]

How small? Easy font?

When doing smaller decals. I often will price by how small the lettering. I've spent hours on some that wasn't worth I charged.

The smallest font is 1/4" tall, Easy to weed.

[Guest YHC]

I did a quick search on google and have found that the average is around .50 to .85 cents each. So say for the 100 at the .85= $85.00.

Better hope your cutter is dialed in real nice so you can just grab a corner and pull  

[Jeffrey06 2]

I did a quick search on google and have found that the average is around .50 to .85 cents each. So say for the 100 at the .85= $85.00.

Better hope your cutter is dialed in real nice so you can just grab a corner and pull  

Exactly! If you have it right, you can just pull down and the letters sit.

[tlzimmerman 11]

Cut 5......and produce them.  Time yourself, figure your hourly, add on materials, divide by number of decals...and you are golden.

If your cutter is tuned good, you could do 50 an hour pretty easily I would think...I would do them for 1.25-150 EA probably (high end metallic vinyl.....should be worth more IMO than a standard sticker which I would charge $1 for)

[john! 1]

I'd be at $2.68 each for that amount since you would need to buy 2 rolls of the 951M which you don't have in stock. Simple mark up on the rolls for special order plus cost of vinyl and a extra charge for tedious weeding.

Don't be afraid to quote my price or higher because any reputable sign shop isn't going to do them cheaper. If they pull the "oh blah blah can do them for" tell them well i am not them, Thanks for your time

[LeeHuff 0]

I'd be at $2.68 each for that amount since you would need to buy 2 rolls of the 951M which you don't have in stock. Simple mark up on the rolls for special order plus cost of vinyl and a extra charge for tedious weeding.

Don't be afraid to quote my price or higher because any reputable sign shop isn't going to do them cheaper. If they pull the "oh blah blah can do them for" tell them well i am not them, Thanks for your time

I like the way you think! I ran some rough numbers and figured it would not even be worth my time to order 2 rolls of 951M below $2 each. I purchased the 40" Zencut black and getting it set up and tuned in was easy for me, just don't use the blade that comes with the cutter. Once I put a new blade in it it has cut like a dream. Thanks for all the responses!

[john! 1]

I'd be at $2.68 each for that amount since you would need to buy 2 rolls of the 951M which you don't have in stock. Simple mark up on the rolls for special order plus cost of vinyl and a extra charge for tedious weeding.

Don't be afraid to quote my price or higher because any reputable sign shop isn't going to do them cheaper. If they pull the "oh blah blah can do them for" tell them well i am not them, Thanks for your time

I like the way you think! I ran some rough numbers and figured it would not even be worth my time to order 2 rolls of 951M below $2 each. I purchased the 40" Zencut black and getting it set up and tuned in was easy for me, just don't use the blade that comes with the cutter. Once I put a new blade in it it has cut like a dream. Thanks for all the responses!

No problem, In the 2 rolls of 951M you'll have around $96 from Fellers, I think $268 is decent profit IMO to get in the door with the dealership for future jobs maybe. I could have this job done in about 4 hours, that's about $67 a hour, my normal is $60

Bump it up to $2.75 and make some money!

[tlzimmerman 11]

Or bump up your prices and watch the guy down the street get the job for less. 

There are different schools of thought, and guest and I and others have had these conversations before.  IMO when pricing vinyl...you have to hit a sweet spot where you make money, and the customer is happy.  If they feel the price is too high they may still buy.....when its time for more they might look into other options, if they feel they got what thy payed for, they become returning customers, and returning customers are also your best advertisement.

Finding that balance for jobs is the hard part of pricing.  For a jag dealership they may think that 2.75 a piece is great, or they may look at the hundreds of places online you can get dealer decals made for 60 cents each, even chrome raised ones for less than $1.  Only you can decide what they are going to be happy to pay.

Vinyl is a competitive market to say the least.

He is right though, a big sign shop won't touch jobs like this, because they are busy doing signs and billboards and full digital prints nowadays...why bother with a job thats gonna bring in 250 when you are working on jobs that start in the thousands.

[midwaste 4]

I tend to agree with Tlz on this one.  Even a Jaguar dealership is probably going to know they can get a much better price than $2.75.  Other shops may or may not be too busy, that depends on many factors.  Fact is, they more than likely already have catalogs where they can get printed decals for probably around $0.25 each.

What metallic color did they want that requires you to use 951?  I'd offer the metallic 651 options right up front for a cost decrease.

[john! 1]

Here we go again with people having a issue with making good money.

Take or leave what i say but i am making great money and will not work for nothing. If your getting every job bid your too cheap anyway.

Who cares if they say they can get it cheaper, then by all means do it. Stop wasting my time and your own and get it done for cheaper. If you want it now, your going to get it done by me, if you want to penny pinch and shop around then do so. Simple as that.

I had a guy order 12 decals today, there was 2 15x13" ones and the rest were 6x6" and under. I charged him $80 and had it finished within 2 hours from meeting up with him while i was out on a errand. He did not bat a eye.

I guess everyone is different but i'm for the customer who wants it now because nobody likes to wait weeks for a order.

Heck, i just finished up 20 20x10", 20 2x25" and 20 5x3.5" decals for a guy and turned the job around in 2 business days. I'm on top of my game and customers appreciate it and think less about bickering over price.

[tlzimmerman 11]

Agreed...customer service and fast turnaround are paramount.    Without them your business will not flourish.  But to suggest that because someone does it cheaper than you would means they aren't fast, and don't offer good service is an unfair assumption. 

Case in point, I turned around 50 6x6 decals for 2.25 each, took me about 2.5 hours from start to finish, he payed at 3:00 P.M. and they were in the mail that night.  From then I did 2 designs last night from contacts I had received that day, and also pressed 10 shirts that came in the mail and shipped them as well.

Nobody is trying to say to not make good money.....I am just trying to help people who are getting into the business realize that its competitive out there, they need to figure out what the market will bear, and hit that fine line.  Not to be harsh....but there are 2 guys in town that do vinyl that have high prices...and seem to think they are entitled to that and cop an attitude when people say they are too high.....and they send alot of pissed off customers my way and I thank them for it every day.  At my pricing, I average somewhere around $60 an hour I work, which after taxes and reinvestment into the business and such you are still looking at around  $30 an hour......to me thats a good living doing something I enjoy. 

[neron15210 10]

Well said Tiz.

[Guest fivestar]

I don't know how anyone could accurately give a estimate without seeing the actual design.  Is it a block font or script?  Is there a lot of letters to pick out the centers out?  Is there a logo to go with it?  A lot of things to consider.

[tlzimmerman 11]

I don't know how anyone could accurately give a estimate without seeing the actual design.  Is it a block font or script?  Is there a lot of letters to pick out the centers out?  Is there a logo to go with it?  A lot of things to consider.

Yep...it truly is....at least for me....all about time.  I just try to give an estimate based on an average.......

[LeeHuff 0]

I wanted to update everyone that replied... Ended up doing 100 4" decals with 751 silver/grey metallic for them at $1.90 each. I wasn't too worried about not getting the job cause my roommate is a sales manager there, just took a little negotiation with the owner on the price. All in all everyone is happy and I made enough money for my time. And the owner already mentioned me doing some for his GM dealership in the near future. Thanks to all that put there 2 cents in, ya'll definitely helped me with nailing down a price. I have learned a good bit from the people that post valuable information on this forum. 

Thanks a bunch!

Lee