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Do you consider your local competion friend or foe?
- Thread starter blueben
- Start date
Sticky Signs
New Member
OK, sounds like we need to draw a line here. Friendly competition will help each other out and still maintain a profit or a favor owed. Friendly competition will not try to poach your clients even though they know who your clients are. If my client goes to my competition, than so be it - BUT - I would expect my friendly competition to inform me. However, if my competition knowingly goes after my client, than that's a whole different story and the party is over. For example, A couple months ago I met a guy that I know is a client of my friendly competition (Mike). We chatted about products and services and I gave him my card. I said - Here's my card, don't call me. Call Mike first, if he can't help you out, let me know and I'll take care of you. I quickly sent Mike an email telling him what happened. In no way, shape or form did I try to poach his client. Mike was happy about my honesty and we can both sleep better knowing that we can trust each other and continue to thrive of each others success in the future.
I try to keep track of who is who and who has what. IE, Guy down the street has a cnc router, the other guy has an 8' printer, the other guy does screen printing, the other guy does wraps, etc, etc, etc. All I need to do is keep track of it all and use it to my advantage. I let everyone know that "THIS" is what I do. Now that I know what they can do, I can use that to my advantage by selling their product. Buy from them at trade pricing, add a mark up and sell to my happy client.
Maybe there's something you can do that the competition can't. Maybe you can do it cheaper than they can. Figure it out and make it work for you.
Best way to beat the competition is to turn them into a client.
After all, there's nothing wrong with a little friendly competition...
I try to keep track of who is who and who has what. IE, Guy down the street has a cnc router, the other guy has an 8' printer, the other guy does screen printing, the other guy does wraps, etc, etc, etc. All I need to do is keep track of it all and use it to my advantage. I let everyone know that "THIS" is what I do. Now that I know what they can do, I can use that to my advantage by selling their product. Buy from them at trade pricing, add a mark up and sell to my happy client.
Maybe there's something you can do that the competition can't. Maybe you can do it cheaper than they can. Figure it out and make it work for you.
Best way to beat the competition is to turn them into a client.
After all, there's nothing wrong with a little friendly competition...
kstompaint
New Member
Ddarlak... There's one in every crowd and it's probably always you. We work well with several other local shops. Usually we overlap and compete on some jobs but sub or refer to eachother on the rest. Business is business and that's all it is. Until somebody proves themselves to be the local ahole, I'm more than willing to help them out.
Dave Drane
New Member
I have been bit a couple of times by people I thought I could trust. I still have close affiliations with a friend who once worked for me but I am not about to trust anyone ever again. Humiliation of being ripped off just isn't worth it, even though i feel good about some of the guys i meet once a year at a trade show. I think I will just keep to myself in my area and I sure aint about to go helping some "sign Jock" who can't organise himself to keep his stocks up.
Farmboy
New Member
The one's I work with are friendly. The others in town are neither. There's 3 sign shops we help out with dig. prints from time to time. A few times one or the other has stopped to see if we have something they might need to finish a job, if I have it I sell it to them just a little over cost. We keep to ourselves for the most part. I've never been to any of their shops. I've had other sign and shirt shop owners stop by my place and shoot the $hit for hours, I would help any of them out any time I could. For the most part I just concern myself with keeping my little corner of the world spinning.
That is the rule that I had used.
Give and take situation until the taking becomes more than the giving. Never expose all of your secrets but see if you can find a working relationship that is a benefit for the both.
DucatiDave
New Member
Friend without a doubt...that is why there is a forum like this one...we help each other, and the net yield is a better service/product to our customer...which results in more repeat purchases in the industry.
cleanmywound
New Member
We are in a smaller town and being friendly with the local shops works out well. We are the only shop that screen prints. They all come to us for their work. We don't embroider apparel, we send out to them. we have a handful of other shops that do work we don't do in house. We are know making a good amount of sales on product that we only pass long. This allows us to do what we do best and keep making profits. We have an embroiderer who has us be a go between with another embroiderer. The one doesn't like doing caps the other likes to do them, but they are not friendly. They could save some cash if they were, we still make a couple bucks off this brokering.
Jillbeans
New Member
In a 10 mile radius I have:
Sandblasted shop-friendly and we've sent jobs to each other.
Monument sign shop-used to be a regular sign shop in my home town, applied there at 17 and he told me I'd never be a signpainter, I guess I should thank him but he's a douche.
I don't like to be told never.
Full service shop- been in the biz longer than I've been alive, very dear friends, the owner stops in every now and again to tell me "nun" jokes. We refer stuff back and forth.
2 print/vinyl shops- friendly with one, nodding hello terms with the other
Custom bike and sign shop- good friends
Silk screen/sign shop- tried to be nice to them but they were snotty.
Paper printing shop w/printer & plotter- friends
New paper printing shop with plotter- Meh, actively bid against them (higher) get the job 90% of the time.
They once advised someone to use black window lettering.
2 Franchises- no, and one went under last year
2 race shops- Flinner, with whom I could never compare/compete and another one with a real nice lady who sold me her old plotter when mine up and died.
Wood Carver Dude- over the hill from here, I make him a lot of patterns
2 pinstripers- very dear friends and they are both cute so I like when they visit, I make patterns for them or cut vinyl masking. One smells nice too. win/win
2 Moms with Plotters- they work together, I like to look at their "site" for a good chuckle, had to send one a file once and they didn't know what an .ai was.
Firetruck guy- he's good but I don't know him well
2 sign painters-One is disgustingly good, and he's a super nice guy. Friends. The other is a shakey jake who underbids me. He also has a plotter, likes Monotype Corsiva a lot. All caps of course.
The other three old sign painters are dead but their signs live on.
There are also at least two other "sign" people with whom I am not friends/don't know but see their vehicles or Craigslist ads.
The one gal took over one of my accounts (wasn't sorry to see it go) apparently it took her a while to realize that white aluminum comes masked with clear.
I try to be friendly to a certain point.
The new guy has been guerilla marketing on my block with very medicocre corosigns.
"Need a Sign?" Guess he doesn't realize he's breaking a few local zoning codes.
I did have one out front for a day that said "Need a REAL Sign?" but that was stooping to his level.
I don't really like a new dog peeing on my tree, but he's not a competitor in any true sense.
Competitors may come and go, but it's nice to give everyone a chance.
It's nice to be able to call someone when you need just one yard of vinyl or a can of paint.
It's nice to help and be helped.
But sometimes you do have to hold your cards pretty close to your chest.
Love....Jill
Sandblasted shop-friendly and we've sent jobs to each other.
Monument sign shop-used to be a regular sign shop in my home town, applied there at 17 and he told me I'd never be a signpainter, I guess I should thank him but he's a douche.
I don't like to be told never.
Full service shop- been in the biz longer than I've been alive, very dear friends, the owner stops in every now and again to tell me "nun" jokes. We refer stuff back and forth.
2 print/vinyl shops- friendly with one, nodding hello terms with the other
Custom bike and sign shop- good friends
Silk screen/sign shop- tried to be nice to them but they were snotty.
Paper printing shop w/printer & plotter- friends
New paper printing shop with plotter- Meh, actively bid against them (higher) get the job 90% of the time.
They once advised someone to use black window lettering.
2 Franchises- no, and one went under last year
2 race shops- Flinner, with whom I could never compare/compete and another one with a real nice lady who sold me her old plotter when mine up and died.
Wood Carver Dude- over the hill from here, I make him a lot of patterns
2 pinstripers- very dear friends and they are both cute so I like when they visit, I make patterns for them or cut vinyl masking. One smells nice too. win/win
2 Moms with Plotters- they work together, I like to look at their "site" for a good chuckle, had to send one a file once and they didn't know what an .ai was.
Firetruck guy- he's good but I don't know him well
2 sign painters-One is disgustingly good, and he's a super nice guy. Friends. The other is a shakey jake who underbids me. He also has a plotter, likes Monotype Corsiva a lot. All caps of course.
The other three old sign painters are dead but their signs live on.
There are also at least two other "sign" people with whom I am not friends/don't know but see their vehicles or Craigslist ads.
The one gal took over one of my accounts (wasn't sorry to see it go) apparently it took her a while to realize that white aluminum comes masked with clear.
I try to be friendly to a certain point.
The new guy has been guerilla marketing on my block with very medicocre corosigns.
"Need a Sign?" Guess he doesn't realize he's breaking a few local zoning codes.
I did have one out front for a day that said "Need a REAL Sign?" but that was stooping to his level.
I don't really like a new dog peeing on my tree, but he's not a competitor in any true sense.
Competitors may come and go, but it's nice to give everyone a chance.
It's nice to be able to call someone when you need just one yard of vinyl or a can of paint.
It's nice to help and be helped.
But sometimes you do have to hold your cards pretty close to your chest.
Love....Jill
kstompaint
New Member
Holy crap Jill! All of that in a 10 mile radius? Your market is saturated!
While I'm not going to give away any "secrets" or train my competition, if they need 2 feet of vinyl or a pint of 1-Shot, they're welcome to it. There's one guy here that does mostly "bigger" stuff than I get into. If it's a repeat customer of mine that just wants one project that's out of my realm, I sub it to him. If it's a new client that primarily wants jobs that are more in his league, I just refer them. He sends me paint and wrap jobs and everybody (especially the customer) wins.
There's the race car guy turned vinyl cutter. We are friendly but he does stuff for next to nothing, which is frustrating. He refers paint / print customers though.
There's one guy here that's an old sign painter / pinstriper. I consider him to be a good friend. Years ago he gave me a pinstriping tutorial. He doesn't have a plotter or even a functional shop. Sometimes he orders material and has the supplier bring it here. We've printed / cut a few things for him and he has borrowed some 1-Shot from time to time. Just talking with this guy makes me better at what I do.
This is an interesting thread. It's neat to hear everybody's experiences and opinions on other shops.
While I'm not going to give away any "secrets" or train my competition, if they need 2 feet of vinyl or a pint of 1-Shot, they're welcome to it. There's one guy here that does mostly "bigger" stuff than I get into. If it's a repeat customer of mine that just wants one project that's out of my realm, I sub it to him. If it's a new client that primarily wants jobs that are more in his league, I just refer them. He sends me paint and wrap jobs and everybody (especially the customer) wins.
There's the race car guy turned vinyl cutter. We are friendly but he does stuff for next to nothing, which is frustrating. He refers paint / print customers though.
There's one guy here that's an old sign painter / pinstriper. I consider him to be a good friend. Years ago he gave me a pinstriping tutorial. He doesn't have a plotter or even a functional shop. Sometimes he orders material and has the supplier bring it here. We've printed / cut a few things for him and he has borrowed some 1-Shot from time to time. Just talking with this guy makes me better at what I do.
This is an interesting thread. It's neat to hear everybody's experiences and opinions on other shops.
Mikeifg
New Member
I'm good friends with a buddy who is my comp, but he gives me all hs big work and we both make out really good. I have another company who I'm not close to but they have given me some removals. I think the ones who don't want to work this way are not secure about their customers.
TheSnowman
New Member
We have about five other shops in our tiny town, and several "print shops" as well. Friends w/ all the print shops, and we all refer people back and fourth. Far as the other sign shops, I'm not really "friends" with any of them, but there is only one out of those five that I actually respect because they aren't low ballers and the stuff they put out is good quality stuff. We are generally bidding with them on jobs. The other people don't show up too much...probably cause it's hard to beat free.
We do work for SEVERAL freelance designers though that used to work for a few of the places in town, so that's kinda nice. I'd call those "friends".
We do work for SEVERAL freelance designers though that used to work for a few of the places in town, so that's kinda nice. I'd call those "friends".
copythat
New Member
Be Cautious!
I once used a not to local guy for printing, until I sent him a very large order to print & he said he never received. Original client came back to me with the same order in his hands & told me. "An individual came by with the order I gave you wanting to print the job I gave you".
So he was trying to steal my account. I lucked out!
Now I used a local guy for printing envelopes & send him orders that have no name or address on them.
Not an east task.
I once used a not to local guy for printing, until I sent him a very large order to print & he said he never received. Original client came back to me with the same order in his hands & told me. "An individual came by with the order I gave you wanting to print the job I gave you".
So he was trying to steal my account. I lucked out!
Now I used a local guy for printing envelopes & send him orders that have no name or address on them.
Not an east task.
Circleville Signs
New Member
We are in a smaller town (20k people) and we are the only shop in our county with in-house digital print. We do a good bit of local wholesale work. As far as our "competition", in the county, I know of the following:
1. Lady who was the secretary at my shop 5 years ago - quit and bought a cheap plotter. Bad design, basement pricing, etc. I wholesale to her. She's sweet, but...yeah.
2. 1 man shop focusing on the same things we do. He's about 15 miles away. Heck of a nice guy - we do all of his digital print, and he even buys substrate from us sometimes.
3. Local print shop (paper) who tried to get into the banner business this year - but they bought an aqueous printer and didn't know it. Had some seriously pissed off customers during graduation season. We now do all of their banner work
4. New shop about 15 miles away - I've tried talking to them twice. Snotty, know-it-all's who put out bad work. I've cleaned up a couple of their messes in the past few weeks. I don't see them being around too long.
That's pretty much it in our county.
1. Lady who was the secretary at my shop 5 years ago - quit and bought a cheap plotter. Bad design, basement pricing, etc. I wholesale to her. She's sweet, but...yeah.
2. 1 man shop focusing on the same things we do. He's about 15 miles away. Heck of a nice guy - we do all of his digital print, and he even buys substrate from us sometimes.
3. Local print shop (paper) who tried to get into the banner business this year - but they bought an aqueous printer and didn't know it. Had some seriously pissed off customers during graduation season. We now do all of their banner work
4. New shop about 15 miles away - I've tried talking to them twice. Snotty, know-it-all's who put out bad work. I've cleaned up a couple of their messes in the past few weeks. I don't see them being around too long.
That's pretty much it in our county.
TheSnowman
New Member
Yea we know...you've been famous for this and rubbed the rest of us the wrong way since you made your first post here.
signgal
New Member
Well, we decided two things going in.... NEVER talk bad about the competition and that bit about keeping your friends close and enemies closer.
In the beginning we were very friendly with our "competition". Wholesaled to several. Those people are out of business and my area now makes Jill's look attractive to a start-up sign company. We are beyond saturated and I could never be friendly with all of them and it wouldn't make sense to be, since most go out of business within a couple of years.
I am friendly with one shop owner I frequently come in contact with. We have made it a policy to never owe another sign company anything, so we won't be asking him for favors and neither does he.
For the most part, I don't trust anyone further than I can throw 'em anymore. Too many shady ones in the biz, now.
In the beginning we were very friendly with our "competition". Wholesaled to several. Those people are out of business and my area now makes Jill's look attractive to a start-up sign company. We are beyond saturated and I could never be friendly with all of them and it wouldn't make sense to be, since most go out of business within a couple of years.
I am friendly with one shop owner I frequently come in contact with. We have made it a policy to never owe another sign company anything, so we won't be asking him for favors and neither does he.
For the most part, I don't trust anyone further than I can throw 'em anymore. Too many shady ones in the biz, now.