Starting / Buying sign business?

[Loumeister]

Guys, I am looking to make a career change into the sign industry. My experience is mainly in the machine building industry, having done all aspects in that industry from assembly, to design work in CAD, and eventually project management and customer service. I have decided that I need to move into something a little more satisfying and would like to start my own business in this field. Having no experience nor have I been able to locate a job to learn the industry, I am considering two options:

1: Go the franchise route, any franchisees out there, what can you guys tell me about it? Pitfalls, and positives that I can expect?

2: Seek a consultant in the area to help start up the business and learn the trade from them. Has anyone here done any consulting work like this? Any thoughts on what it takes to get the operation off the ground?

Please let me know if I can provide any other details that would be helpful in steering me int the right direction. again, I have no experience in this field other than working with a broker on a deal that fell through to purchase an existing sign franchise, it just seemed like a really great business. If there is anyone in the Cleveland area who is looking to sell a business I'd love to hear from you.

Thanks in advance,
Loumeister

[kgirl]

1. Don't do it

2. Run away from this line of work as fast as you can

[LightHouse]

No offense but its not something you can learn with the snap odf a finger. Coming from a business owner its also not an industry you can just hire a designer either....

[gvgraphics]

Welcome.

I think there might be a little more stress involved than you realize.
However, I hope all works out well for you.

Sean

[Loumeister]

I didn't mean any disrespect in my question, nor to imply that I would be able to learn the business in a few months. My background is projects that last anywhere from 8-52+ weeks, projects that can cost from 50K to 1Million+, and the responsibilities associated with these projects linger for years. What I saw in the sign industry was a fast paced, multi project business that has rapid turnaround times and your on to the next thing. It might be case of the grass looking greener here, but it's a change I would welcome at this point.

Again I'm not looking to insult anyone's experience or length of time that they have been doing this, but everyone had to start somewhere, I'm looking for that starting point.

Any help or direction would be appreciated.

Thanks

[chopper]

there are several franchises, the one that is popular here is fast signs
a friend of mine dose a lot of installs for them as a subcontractor,
I think they have a web site if you google them I am sure you will find there web site, is this going to be a hands on thing for you?
if you intend to design you will need to start with the software that you will use there are many choices for that also, photoshop, illistrator, flexi, signlab,coreldraw,etc, you will need to decide if you are going to do just vinyl, or if you are going to print, and you can get into hand lettering if you desire...there is also lighted signs..sandblasted signs, carved signs, etc..
if you ask questions that are more specific to the area or areas you desire you will get better answers I think, hope this helps //chopper

[Holeshotrob]

I used to work for a Sign-A-Rama as the boy Friday. I started as a designer/installer, but soon I was doing everything. The owners were in the missile guidance industry previous to purchacing the franchise, thinking it would be an "easy" way to make some money. They were sold this nonsense by the Corporate office and off they went.

They quickly found out that alot of work goes into it and alot of franchise fees and had to sell 4 yrs later after depleting all their savings. They are now back in the missile guidance industry.

I wouldn't buy a franchise if you paid me to take it. Good luck!

[juan45215]

I started from scratch and if I had to do it over I would buy an existing business. Even if it's something other than signs. With an existing business everything is already setup and you have income on the first day.

[SignManiac]

Do not be discouraged. It is in fact possible to learn this business but I'll tell straight up you are in for one intense education if you want to be successful. Ten years ago I offered an accelerated sign program and taught people from very diverse backgrounds how to start out in this business.

The biggest hurdle to making it in this business is you. Even with all the knowledge in the world, the one thing that will make you or break you is desire. This business can be a tough one. You have to be determined, passionate, self motivated, driven, stubborn and never satisfied that your work is good enough. Because excellent design and quality are two of the many things you will need to set yourself apart from the competition. Otherwise you will only be selling a commodity which today has become very under valued.

I had one student who was a true artist and he failed when he tried to run his own business. He did go on to work for another sign company and it was a job at best. Another student I taught was a displaced corporate exec. He couldn't draw a stick figure freehand but he understood what it took to run a business. He went on to become very successful.

I've been in this business full time for thirty three years and watched it evolve from hand lettering to the expensive high tech field it is today. It can in fact be a very rewarding and creative way to earn a living but you would be wise to thoroughly research it first before you take the leap.

An existing up and running business is the easier way to start out but more money to get in. Learning as you go will probably cost a lot more in the long run as mistakes are more costly than most people realize. But a degree from the university of hard knocks will leave you with a lasting impression. Good luck and make sure you know what you're getting into.

[Checkers]

Signmaniac offers some very good advice.
No matter what approach you take, it's not going to be "easy money".
I mentioned in a previous post that you can learn the basics of sign making in a few days, but it will take years to master the ins and outs of the business. If you have a background in running a successful business, you'll be ahead of a lot of your competion. However, in today's world,competition is everywhere and a lot of shops really don't have a clue on how to run their business and it's hurting the industry in general.
As with any business, franchises have pros and cons, and there are good and bad franchises. For the most part, the positives outweight the negatives because the better franchises have a system that works and they normally support you throughout the business life. The cons are that they are normally more expensive to start and run, plus you have to play by their rules no matter what happens.
If you think you want to make the committment, do your research by searching the old posts. This has been discussed a lot. Also, start working on your business plan to see if youo can make it work.

Checkers

[Loumeister]

Guys, Thanks for all the great information and words of encouragement. I realize it's not going to be a walk in the park, but I've never had an aversion to hard work, and really the benefits of being your own boss have their own rewards that money can't buy. I've got the basics of the business end of it having run a multi-million $ company with 16 employees, but it's not the same as being your own boss. I'll look more into pursuing this, and am definitely thinking that buying an up and running operation is the way I will go... Any interested sellers? :smile:

Loumeister

[Replicator]

Welcome and Good Luck !

[Craig Sjoquist]

Welcome to a outstanding forum n ppl .......... It seems the only thing your lacking is advertising education ...so before you buy your way into a mess ...maybe you can study some books at library on the signage industry like Mike Stevens mastering layout ... start reading a magazine signcraft and others.... maybe look into a sign school .... will be helpful ... vist sign shops in area start as vinyl installer at one ..learn to walk before you run ... do this for a year...
review then make your choice... in this day and age the sign industry has a great future for anyone willing to be brave with the proper education one can enjoy life very well ..I certianly have for 32 yrs and look forward to another 32 ... NOW learning how with computer aided and wow sure is opening my eyes ....best I can say GIT-R-DUN

13 folds

[creative]

LOU!!!
That is ME 7 years ago, jump in.
Electro/Mechanical Engineer, Prototyping and R&D, CAD & CAMM CAM350/Autodesk/Camtastic/Hex code Programming/Autoinsertion etc... I'm a project kind of guy enjoy doing one projects, signs are projects.
You'll enjoy the sign industry.

Even simimlar names!!! LOUIS

[Pro Image]

Howdee from VA.............

There is some great info on the site and in this tread.........

[juan45215]

Guys, Thanks for all the great information and words of encouragement. I realize it's not going to be a walk in the park, but I've never had an aversion to hard work, and really the benefits of being your own boss have their own rewards that money can't buy. I've got the basics of the business end of it having run a multi-million $ company with 16 employees, but it's not the same as being your own boss. I'll look more into pursuing this, and am definitely thinking that buying an up and running operation is the way I will go... Any interested sellers? :smile:

Loumeister

There's 2 sign shops for sale in Cincy. Come on down:Cool 2:

[cartoad]

Signs are fun, but stress and deadlines can overwhelm if you are not careful, if you hire employees, then you have all that to deal with too, balance family, business, employees, and wear all the hats. By all means check out all the franchise offerings, and look carefully at the issue of of sending a percentage of your gross to a corporate office, and what you will get in return. Also check to see how much control they have over your operations, you don't want to feel that it is your $$$ at risk, but you are working for them. There are also some excellent non-franchise networks to belong to that provide training, tech help and support with out a royality, check them out too. Franchise gives you instant name recognition, but at a price. I was a franchised tool dealer prior to the sign business, and I would never again be in that situation, but to each their own. Earlier in the tread some suggested working for a year in a sign shop to learn, good advice, a friend suggested same to me, but I did not have a year to do that. Best of luck, read as much as you can here, will help with the decision a lot.
Hal