How do we compete with this?

[HulkSmash]

how many customers come in wanting black and white wide format...NONE! how many banner stands do you sell? I been doing this for 23 years and have NEVER even had a call for someone looking for one. Its a BS marketing ploy

Why are you basing everyone's market on yours? I've sold hundreds of banners stands in the past 2 years.

 

[Colin]

Did I really see someone say "The end is near"? WOW!!

I kinda thought the embedded humour in that comment might get lost.

 

[Gino]

Why are you basing everyone's market on yours? I've sold hundreds of banners stands in the past 2 years.

I was thinking the same thing, but thought... we just must be different.

Some time ago, I had one customer buy two stands, and then buy 20 more from a guy up the street for the exact same cost we were selling them for. Later, the same customer came back and then bought 20 more from us and then 20 more about two months later.

So, I asked him why he went with the other guy for the first 20 ?? He said, he verbally lowered his price on the phone by so much, I had to use him. When I showed up, he put a real cheap replacement in place of what we used and he had paid in advance since it was a special order so he couldn't say no. Also, the other shop convinced him they were of the same quality. Half of them fell apart within a few times of using them. Over the years, we've had no problem selling them, but we don't average 100 a year.... I don't think. Hafta check that out.

 

[SD&F]

I personally know someone who works in the printing department at Staples. They are not offering the same quality that you can get from our shop. They run specials and get people in the door. The people that buy from them, would not usually return for the same item.

 

[Locals Find!]

:ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:
This is one of the best laughs I've had in a long time!!! I've seen first hand the "printing" that comes out of Staples, Office Depot, Grand & Toy, etc... (at least up here in Canada), and to call them professional is an insult to this industry that I've spent most of my life in!! I could write a book on how many times I've "lost" a customer because they could "get it cheaper at Staples". I say good luck to them, and a week later, they're back in my shop asking me to bail them out because Staples screwed up their job!!!

I will admit though, Staples IS a good place to buy stationery, water, printers, etc... Just because they're "BIG", it doesn't make them good at everything they attempt to do! And what the heck does "blame dumb" mean anyhow??

Oh man, thanks for the laugh... I really needed it today!!!

"blame dumb" damned auto correct.

 

[Colin]

Further to my post #43, it seems IKEA is moving into more areas than just canvas prints:

http://business.financialpost.com/2012/03/02/a-prefab-home-brought-to-you-by-ikea/




.

 

[headfirst]

how many customers come in wanting black and white wide format...NONE! how many banner stands do you sell? I been doing this for 23 years and have NEVER even had a call for someone looking for one. Its a BS marketing ploy

How long have have you been doing this? I had a walk in two weeks ago looking for large format black and white. Not that I could sell him anything, but just saying...

As for banner stands? I sell a few a month. I was at a chamber speed networking event last month and had a dozen people ask me if I could do them.

I buy them from a wholesale ASI guy and sell them for about the same price as staples. If you're complaining about the staples price you might want to rethink your process. I make a great profit at that price.

 

[Colin]

If you're complaining about the staples price you might want to rethink your process. I make a great profit at that price.

Considering your outlay for the stand, the media, the ink, the cost of the printer, the maintenance cost of the printer, and your time (labour), you make "a great profit"?

 

[headfirst]

Considering your outlay for the stand, the media, the ink, the cost of the printer, the maintenance cost of the printer, and your time (labour), you make "a great profit"?

I buy them from an ASI supplier, finished and ready to give to the customer or drop shipped direct to the customer. At Staples regular price (~$180) I make about $100 per set (banner + stand) but on that sale price I would make only about $20. Luckily that sale is done, but you just need to make sure that you upsell the customer into other items, just like staples does.

Somethings don't make sense to print inhouse when there are companies that specialize in them.

I have a color copier in the shop, but I dont print business cards. It just doesnt make sense when I can send them to a trade printer for $11/m.

 

[GAC05]

Further to my post #43, it seems IKEA is moving into more areas than just canvas prints:

http://business.financialpost.com/2012/03/02/a-prefab-home-brought-to-you-by-ikea/




.

Someone could make a fortune producing help videos and user's guides that would save customers from the confusion/frustration of trying to assemble a house from the instructions IKEA normally supplies with their DIY products.


We are just finishing up a project that included banner stands wall hangings (up sold them from foam board posters to gallery mounted canvas) and bumper stickers for a local car rental with 5 locations here.
Customer shopped around a little but wanted it all done by one shop.
We did ok on the stands/print but made better money on the canvas and the labor to go to each location and set up the stands and wall hangers.

Can't say that I am competing and winning..... but I'm trying.

wayne k
guam usa

 

[TyrantDesigner]

It seems quite clear given the way the market is moving that competing on price alone is a recipe for failiure. Even on a local level you are driving margins down and killing an already weak market. The cheapest or the new guy with money to burn will get the job.

On a larger scale, bigger companies like Staples are moving in with large nets to take the cheaper end of the market. Don't forget the "trade" houses who are also hurting these days are creating portals to sell direct to the public.

I tend to agree that the days of the "sign shop" are numbered, you need to become a marketing resource. A problem solver that can offer a level of service that a national or online producer can't.
Unless you have the ability to produce in bulk or have a corner of some business that is only done on a local level (vehicle wrap, signage install etc.), you have to chase the quality and level of service end of the business.

I have seen the design and marketing part of my business take a larger role in getting and keeping clients, While my direct competitors are cutting back on sales support, I am spending more time validating my clients and getting it right.

If I could find a trade sign company I could really trust (I have looked), I would just become a design shop and drop my overhead even lower.

The quality of "cheap crap" in this industry is getting better. soon will only the design make the difference?

Massive trade printers in offset litho have decimated the small print shops. We now send all our print to the likes of 4over and gotprint. Will Small sign shops follow?

I really don't see small shops dieing out. Good human service where you can walk into, know your work gets done there and can pick up there is the reason why a lot of shops make money. You help your customers, give them quick, courteous services with a smile, don't fear grunt work and like to go 110% people will notice above some zit faced goon who doesn't want to be there, throws some text up on the screen, sighs when you ask for changes. Mind you I don't see the DOZENS of small shops in each city that can't design their way out of a bag and the dozens of others in each city that pump out shoddy work or dozens of others that try to start up with that gumption that built America but don't know their butt from a whole in the ground all while driving the price straight down and giving legit customers a bad taste in their mouth to honest hard working and skilled people in the industry. My take, let the super cheap office store printing eat the small fries ... just like walmart, target, etc did, retail in small business is still around because they've had to adapt to survive.