FREE Pricing Study launched - free to all who participate.

[Johnmpcny]

I have had struggles with pricing many products. After months of working on this I and two friends got our association to do a industry study.

We made it open to anyone, members and non members. Every person who completes at least one pricing section will get a FREE full STUDY. Your only costs is your time!

This is not a money maker and likely lose money when all costs are done. Likewise I am sure we left many things out, or worded wrong. This is our first go around.

That said I believe this is the first study ever done that will have professional results and verified results. NPOA's expert on studies has done pricing studies for over 30 years in the printing and mailing industries. His methods and reporting give an accurate snap of the marketplace. The cool factor is the results will have shops from 100,000 in sales to 10 million. All broke out by sales volume- region- marketplaces. Even franchises will be able to see how they do.

I hope many here will take the time to do this. It will help all us understand pricing on a number Print and cut items we use everyday. The more how fill it in the better the data will be.

Remember this is 100% free for anyone who fills one in. After it will be sale to anyone who wants to buy that did not take the time participate.

http://www.printowners.org/2015-npoa-sign---wide-format-survey

The first-ever Signs & Wide Format Pricing Survey!

NPOA Sponsors First-Ever Survey Of
Pricing in the Signs & Wide Format Industry!
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NPOA is proud to announce a brand new survey designed to help small to medium size companies currently providing sign and wide format services. Every firm that submits a completed survey by the April 3, 2015 Deadline will receive a complete copy of the final study.

This survey is not meant to tackle every aspect or product in the sign industry, but rather it seeks to concentrate on the the basics in the sign industry.

We estimate this survey should take less than 20 minutes to complete. Don't miss out on receiving what promises to be a premier pricing study on signs and wide format.
The Process for Receiving you FREE copy is simple - First, click here or the link below to download the PDF worksheet. Once completed, you will then go to our survey site where you will re-enter your prices into our on-line Electronic Survey Form. You will receive your FREE study within 45 days after the deadline.

Signs and Wide Format Pricing Topics Covered...

Below are a few of the services and products covered in this brand new survey:


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• • Primary & Secondary Printers & Rips, plus ratings
  • Plotters, Cutters and Laminators used
  • Laminating Prices
  • Square foot pricing for more than 15 distinct substrates
  • Sample Banner Pricing
  • Pricing for Foam Core, Coroplast, Aluminum and Magnetic Signs
  • Decal Pricing for square and contour cuts
  • Vehicle Decals and Window Perfs
  • Installation & Travel Charges

This Study will retail for at least $195, but it can be yours absolutely FREE if you complete and return the survey by the April 3, 2015 Deadline.

How to Participate and Receive Your Free Study...





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Click above to download PDF Sign Survey Worksheet

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The instructions for participating are quite simple. The survey questionnaire is much shorter than many surveys published in the past.

1. Begin by clicking the image above or by using the button below to download the above worksheet. The PDF worksheet is 9-pages but don't let that intimidate you, since we have used larger type and cleaner formatting.
2. Once you've downloaded and printed the worksheet, complete it off-line at your leisure, remembering of course that the deadline for submission is March 31, 2015. We have conducted significant pre-testing and we estimate the worksheet should take between 30-90 minutes to complete, maybe even faster!
3. Last step - One the worksheet is completed you will go to the address provided at the end of worksheet where you will actually re-enter your data. We have tested this as well and believe it should take less than 10 minutes to complete.

Remember to print out a copy of your worksheet for your own records. Thank you.


ALTERNATIVE FOR COMPLETING SURVEY

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Although we strongly discourage it, it is possible for survey participants to bypass completing the Worksheet and go instead directly to our on-line survey. However, we have tested this thoroughly and we believe it is actually faster and more accurate to complete (at your leisure) the worksheet, and then visit the actual on-line survey, as opposed to going directly to the survey itself,

In the event you wish to go directly to the Survey simply click here. orwww.surveyadvantage.com/npoasignsurvey

 

[Gino]

Okay. I read through your post and the survey.

How is this going to make a small to medium shop do 10 million in sales ?? Or did I get that wrong ??
How is this going to help me or anyone else participating in this survey ??
If I have a pricing structure in place and you're going to put something together based on my and whomever else gets in it..... who exactly is this thing aimed at helping ??
Doesn't SignCraft already have this in motion for years ??
How are you going to monitor and/or weed out the baseless or worthless entries, just to get a free 'something' ??

Just some questions for ya............. ​

 

[Johnmpcny]

more detail on why

No this is will not increase your sales per say. It will show if you're leaving money on the table with your pricing. Shops who do and implement changes do make more money and increase sales over time. I will say if your sole business plan is to sell for less than anyone. You will not be helped by this or any study, just keep dropping your price to you have all the work or go out of business.

This more a snapshot to help you benchmark.

Say your pricing a banner at $69 but the study shows nation wide the retail pricing is $89 mean price. You left money on the table. Now say you get few orders for banners and your price is $129. It will show your above market.

You may lower or raise pricing based on your costs or sales plan, but everyone will have real data data to make that choice. Not throw a dart. If you have never benchmarked your firm or read a full pricing study, your eyes maybe opened.

We have a simple formula built in and years of experience, this will weed out fakers and throw outliners out. People for years try to trick or fool this type survey. It does not work. Bad data will pop out and be redlined. We then hand check it. We also check the name and address and weed out fake firms.

Over all a few may get a free study for little work. Thier bad data will not make the cut off.
You also will see breakouts of pricing by High -Med - mean and low. You can see where your pricing fits. This will help any firm from the smallest to largest.

We report market size based on rural, small city and large city. East coast vs west, south and midwest. Surprising but nationwide you we see only small changes.

Yet on a single product you will find prices very 70% or more. You will still get a Median price Mean price, with majority break out high and low.

We have years at this the study will be accurate with less than 7% margin of error.

Total anonymity of all participant surveys is guaranteed. All of the survey
data used to prepare the Industry Pricing Study will be subjected to numerous statistical and manual tests to
insure the highest degree of accuracy possible. As a result, we can report that the average margin of error
for all pertinent pricing data in past Study's was 6.65%, with individual “margins of error” for specific
questions ranging between 2.1% and 8.5%.


From other studies we have learned this

• Contrary to popular belief – Although many printers continue to claim that the current state of our
economy as well as local economic conditions makes it impossible to keep up with pricing, many printers
are doing just that, certainly the more successful ones. While “belt-tightening” and improved efficiency
can reduce the need to raise prices, prices still need to be adjusted and raised and “smart” printers are
doing just that. One only has to compare prices in this year’s study to the one published before to see
that pricing for many items have increased in the 2-4% range in the past 12 months.


• Make sure your prices are up-to-date – Make sure that you constantly review prices for the products
and services offered by your company, making sure to update them when and where necessary. In today’s
current economic climate, it is imperative that prices for similar products and services remain competitive
within your marketplace. While it is clear that your prices may indeed be higher or lower than others, you
should be prepared to explain, at least to yourself, why these differences occur. Are your press rates “out
of line” with what others are charging? Are you failing to account for realistic “minimum” and “set-up”
charges where called for? When was the last time you conducted a thorough, unbiased analysis of prices
being charged by competitors? Is your cost structure so different than your competitors that your prices
are no longer in-line with competitors? You need to address these questions before casually dismissing
the pricing data presented in this study.


• Do not rationalize and blame the economy – Both in good times and bad, print and copy shop owners
are often too quick to look outwards and blame others for their problems. As this study demonstrates, especially
in our “Industry Snapshot” section, there will always be firms at both ends of the profit spectrum,
The opinions expressed in this Executive Summary are those of the author alone, and do not, in any way,
reflect the opinions, suggestions or recommendations of any organization or sponsor.


Even in the best of times. By examining any one of a dozen snapshots, you will quickly realize that prices
charged for various products and services vary little in our industry, regardless of the sorting criteria used.
When we do find pricing variations, they are far more likely to exist within individual markets than they
are from one section of the country to the next, or when comparing companies based upon population
density – i.e. large markets versus small market

 

[Gino]

Thanks for your reply. I wish you all the luck in the world on this. I really do.

It would be nice to have an industry standard where just about everyone complies. However, this site, the others I'm on and just real life in general dictates, it ain't gonna happen. For some, it gives them a basis of what they hafta beat, with more confidence.

First of all, most all the hacks and lowballers don't even subscribe to this kinda stuff. They're on their own, ruining the trade all by their lonesome. It just so happens, they tend to be the majority these days.
Again, I wish you all the luck, but it reminds me of locks on your front door. It only keeps the honest people out.


I just lost a rather nice/large order[for us], which I was told I have...... by over 1/2. I was awarded the job and 2 days later lost it. I know the going rate for this product and was also guided by the wholesaler on this one. The other guy came in at about $450 over what my cost was. About a 3 weeks ago, I had done the very dirty deed you are speaking of and I happened to beat out all the competition, until the boss guy went to one last guy, who beat me out by $5. a banner. He said, all I had to do was tell the guy what to beat.... and he did it.

This kinda price war is more common then I believe you realize and no kinda survey is going to stop it. Pricing books and whatnot are good to have for a reference, but it does not automatically mean you will receive what the honest guys are getting. It just means what some people might be getting..... somewhere.

I will keep close tabs on this and perhaps participate. Hoping for a great outcome and turnout for you.............. ​

 

[Johnmpcny]

Correct

You have it right, you can only try and educate the lowball fools. That or wait them to run out of money and they collapse.

What we try to do is give the business person tools to make better choices. Trust me it helps.

All you lose is about 30 min of your time and you may well find answers you never had. Not bad for 30 min.

If even one price is to low or high and you adjust it is time well spent.

You can also use the results to build confidence

"your price is too high" Well our national study shows I am below average for this item. Of course you can always find other cheaper. I even have data to show my pricing is fair and honest. I can make a living charging this and providing you outstanding service today and years to come. The lower price guys come and go and if you have a problem who knows.


I forgot to answer the signcraft part. Yes and no they offer a subscription pricing guide. This is study of markets and actual selling prices. Nothing says this is what you did charge in their guide. It says this is what you should charge. It is very valuable. We have pricing guides like this. Franklin and Crouser in the printing world. They work hand in hand and do not replace each other. While they will say they survey prices, it is very small and limited survey nothing of this nationwide scope. It is also not blind and only of their users very few who do so. In fact the other two have many subscribers who participate in ours. You pay for their product ours is FREE, if you participate you only pay if you do not and want to buy it.

 

[Johnmpcny]

update

We had questions on wording and updated the description to make it more clear. The answer does not change, just made it more clear on what we are asking.