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A Little About Myself

signgirl

New Member
Now that i have posted on this board and have really come to value all the posts, tips and knowledge i thought i would introduce myself.....

My father started this sign company about 35 years ago and it was his life. I remember playing in our dining room trying to avoid easels that he had set up when he hand lettered. He went from there to the garage to his own building.

I started working with him when i turned 18 for something to do until i found out what i wanted to do and 23 years later here i am!

We had a shop of 5 for years and were absolutely blessed with work. 12 hour days, 6 days a week. That all stopped around when sept. 11th hit, certain people retiring and companies becoming less community oriented. We became a 2 person shop and when it got busy we just worked a little longer and harder.

This Oct 19th will mark the 1 year anniversary of dads death. (Guys...wear your masks, gloves and whatever else you can to protect yourselves!!!) I guess it was not an option just to close down so i am continuing on. I was always involed with the fabrication and design part but hardly ever dealt with pricing or customers. Now i have it all and sometimes seem to be running in circles. I have thought of should i go bigger, should i keep it to just me (which many of you know just by leaving the shop for a couple hours becomes a hassle), hire one more person?

I am so fortunate that dad had made so many sign friends who came to him constantly for advice and now they are always so willing to come to my rescue... I am so blessed by that!

This year has been quite a change for me but fortunately the work i have received i know how to do and if i do not well then i pass it on. If there was one thing i learned this year i guess it would be.....Yeah Pops, you do know it all!!
 

ZOMBIE_05

New Member
Welcome

Welcome to the boards. I myself am quite new to this industry and could only hope to have the longevity that your fathers company (and yours) has maintained. Sorry to hear of your loss and good luck with your future endeavors.

Kevin Schultz
Schutz Designs
Blackfoot, Alberta
Canada
 

WVB

New Member
:Welcome: 2 :signs101: signgirl. Sorry for your loss, but I am sure he has passed everything he knew onto you. With that you will go places for sure. Best of luck to you.
 

Bigdawg

Just Me
Welcome Signgirl! Sorry to hear of your loss...hard way to learn that dad did know everything but it sounds like he raised a very capable daughter. Best of luck to you.
 

signgirl

New Member
Thanks all and with a board like this i'm sure i will learn even more! The more i thought about things the more i related our shop relationship with american choppers...the tuttles!! I feel the boys stress!!!
 

Cadmn

New Member
welcome signgirl & love the Tuttles reminds my wife of Me & the boys & daughter I have when we "work" "Togather?"
 

Marlene

New Member
Hi Signgirl. So sorry to hear of your loss. This is a great site with a very wide range of knowlege so please ask if you have a question and I'm sure there will be more than one person who will be there to help.
 

JoySigns

New Member
Welcome Sign girl. Where are you at in Illinois? Nebraska aint that far away, maybe sometime when I'm passing through (which admittedly isn't that often) I could say Hi. Sorry to hear of your loss, may your father's spirit continue to bless you.
 

Git-R-Done

New Member
Hello Sign girl. Sorry for your loss. I too am an Illinoian (is that a word?) Anyway, new to this myself but plugin' along. Cold callin' and beating the street to get business. What part of Illinois are you located? Sound like you have a wealth of experience behind you and you'll go far. Good luck with all you do.
 

ENTDesign

New Member
Welcome from Michigan. To answer the to grow or not question, you need to decide what makes you happy about what you are doing. More employees can mean more management time, less design and making. I selfishly want to do alol of the design and making, so no employees and no overt advertising (but not a bunch of business either!). I largely wholesale, and I can tell that summer is ending.
 

THATgirl

New Member
Hi signgirl
That is so cool your Dad was a signpainter and you are following in his footsteps. I know he is smiling at you from heaven. Best of luck to you and welcome to signs101.
Cheryl
 

iSign

New Member
Hi Signgirl.
I'm originally from Illinois & still make trips back to visit my mom and sister. I've been gone 26 years, a little over half my life... but still feel a certain loyalty to my old teams & an affiliation with that region that is in my blood. I also wonder what part you are from.

Hey Git-R-Dun I never noticed you were an Illini too.(that's my word for us.. like the team "Fighting Illini") I'm from the northwest suburbs, spceficially Hoffman Estates, where are you located?

Signgirl, On the topic of employees, I took over Island Sign 9 years ago when it was a screenprinting business printing signs & decals. I had about 8 years prior experience from 5 signshops in 3 states, & restructured my shop from not even having a computer back then, to a full service signshop specializing in digital printing, both thermal & inkjet. I've run it entirely by myself for 8 of those 9 years.

I began writing my thoughts on this topic & soon realized I had enough to say for a topic of it's own, so for now, let me summerize it to say I know what you mean when you feel like you are running in circles.
 

signgirl

New Member
Thanks to everyone! Ihear him speak everyday to me or is that just one of those little nats! ( i always called him that!)

My shop is in peoria illinois. Actually just outside in the country. Thank goodness i have such loyal customers. We got in with some of the larger companies so i either get faxes or email, not ever asking prices up front which gives me a chance to really add up all my time and materials.
 

Git-R-Done

New Member
Doug,

I am in Carol Stream. That's cool you were familiar with the area. If you notice the picture next to my name, it was taken on Maui. It was a picture I took there when I went over to get married in 2002. Anyway I usually check out any pictures you post to see if anything looks familiar, not to mention the great work you do. Lots of luck.

Git-R-Done:tongue:
 
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