Need help buying my first printer!

[signage]

The most disturbing thing is that its 11:00 on Friday night and I am waiting for the flatbed to finish the last board and I am on this forum while my wife and kids are at home asleep.

What is disturbing is when someone uses their kids for excuses!

 

[SignManiac]

If you're working more than forty hours a week and neglecting your family, then you're not charging enough or managing your time properly.

 

[iSign]

Personally - I don't see why everyone gets their panties in a wad when someone comes on here and does something out of the supposed "norm". How hard would it be to just give answers to sought after questions and let whatever happens to that person happen?

because what happens doesn't happen to that person... that person will have long since lost his ass & the collective "we" will be stuck holding the devalued "bag" answering to all the misinformed schmucks that think a banner is only worth $2/sq. ft.

I would far rather see the lowballers (& their gallant defenders) get their panties in advance from some tough love education, then to see our industry take it in the rear after the fact...

There's a reason most of us started our own businesses and not the least of those is the ability to charge whatever we want for our products and services and not have to answer to anyone.

don't answer then...

...but you can count on those who don't like lowballers to keep the conversation going without you

 

[CustomRide]

Wow typical "newbie to the sign industry" post on signs101.com. He gets flamed, everyone feels better, 3 people throw up the popcorn emoticon in between to up their post count and feel better in some strange increase your post count way.... and this website looks less appealing one post at a time....and like the rest of us who read this wish we could get the time back we wasted on getting this far in the post after realizing there really was no place to post anything reasonable by time Bob's print job gets done at 11pm and Flame gets done telling him how much his post does not really relate to the original topic.

Now where is my fly on the wall emoticon ....no wait I want the one on the wall eating popcorn..... can this count as 2 post since I wrote about multiple topics.

 

[Flame]

Wow typical "newbie to the sign industry" post on signs101.com. He gets flamed, everyone feels better, 3 people throw up the popcorn emoticon in between to up their post count and feel better in some strange increase your post count way.... and this website looks less appealing one post at a time....and like the rest of us who read this wish we could get the time back we wasted on getting this far in the post after realizing there really was no place to post anything reasonable by time Bob's print job gets done at 11pm and Flame gets done telling him how much his post does not really relate to the original topic.

Now where is my fly on the wall emoticon ....no wait I want the one on the wall eating popcorn..... can this count as 2 post since I wrote about multiple topics.

Really didn't write about anything. I'm gonna blame this post on a Friday night margarita too.

 

[iSign]

...3 people throw up the popcorn emoticon in between to up their post count and feel better in some strange increase your post count way...

...can this count as 2 post since I wrote about multiple topics.

that's a pretty serious case of post envy ya got there bro... :ROFLMAO:

the long time members I know have come here for several thousand different reasons over the years, but I can guarantee you "post counts" has never been one of them....

 

[MikePro]

postcount +1'd!

i think the simplest response to this guy's original question is: no, don't buy a printer. no way you're going to be able to produce at less cost than outsourcing it like you have been. if you're just doing this to "help churches", as you claim, then just stick to that and be their banner-broker all you want.

The churches aren't going to be there to help you when the creditors come calling for your unpaid printer/media/ink/electrical bills.
... well, maybe i'm wrong. They'll always be there for you, you just can't sleep there... or ask them for money apparently.

 

[Colin]

. Nearly 100% of the work I do is for churches. I started the whole operation with the main intent of helping churches out.

If you want to help them, why not give 'em some banners like this?


(Aw c'mon folks.....you know I couldn't pass up on that opportunity :Big Laugh)

 

[iSign]

lobbed up....

...smacked down :Big Laugh

certainly can't fault you Colin.. that one practically had your name on it!

 

[SignManiac]

Colin not sure if that's an original but I like it!

 

[Mosh]

I can't even read all this. Hey sign BROKER! Go away, you are NOT welcome around the Mosh! I hope we never meet up as I have been put in jail on THREE seperate times because of SIGN BROKERS! BTW, I have more hair than all three put together, so nothing they can ever say will change that! Bald SOBS!!!!! GO AWAY!!!

 

[Edserv]

After reading the first few posts I decided to skip and reply.
First, I would like to thank you for posting a sincere question to this forum. I would like to thank you for posting a sincere thread, and I wish I had the authority to apologize for all the horrid comments to your post.
I've experienced many similar results.

Regardless of what you're currently charging, there are many ways to research and correct mistakes to your current pricing scheme. We called over 500 companies when we started our business to find what was considered "competitive pricing." How else could you do it? We had no intention of under-cutting the competition, we just wished to gain an understanding of what the market dictated that we could charge for banners and signs. (shoot me now. I now this is such a horrible thing to do.)
Anyway, once you figure out what you should be charging, it may make sense to purchase a wide-format printer and cutter, copier, etc.
We use a Value Jet 1204 (and are getting ready to purchase a second printer) and use FlexiSign and Adobe.
We enjoy controlling the production, and price is almost NEVER the issue if you're selling on quality and customer service. And (on a side note) if you know how to market your business, you'll NEVER be desperate.
Thank you again for posting a sincere question, and please don't let the neg's deter you from enjoying all the positive members on this site. There is a lot (A TON) of GREAT info on this forum.

Chris
Lets Go Banners

 

[SignManiac]

Chris I'm pretty sure the forum rules require you to be a merchant member to post your companies website, even if it is passive. Just trying to keep the peace, love and happiness.

 

[signage]

Chris I'm pretty sure the forum rules require you to be a merchant member to post your companies website, even if it is passive. Just trying to keep the peace, love and happiness.

I appears he know this, that is why he made it blabla DOT com

 

[SignManiac]

Well that would be a very slick way to circumvent the rules that everyone else has to live by, very much lacking in integrity....

 

[MikePro]

i think the negative comments are directed towards the "new guy" who completely skipped over the forum rules,went straight to posting garbage, and never returning.

p.s. i say, have at it! its only "negative" when you're not laughing.

 

[10sacer]

Welcome to NASCAR where circumventing the rules is an art form.

 

[Jillbeans]

I report that every time I notice it (self promotion)

As for the guy doing the banners for churches, that in and of itself is usually a thankless job.
Why he would buy a printer when he could outsource is beyond my comprehension.
He's gonna have to sell a lot of banners @ $2/sq ft to pay off that equipment.
Love....Jill

 

[andy]

Flamer,

You admit to just delving into advertising and marketing yet you already know what works and doesn't work?

Do you think there is a reason why every major brand manufacturer gives out coupons every week at the local grocery store? A coupon is nothing more than a discount you can hold in your hand and you have to actually go somewhere to redeem it and do you know what happens when people go into a store with a coupon for one thing - they end up purchasing other things at retail prices more than 50% of the time. I learned this in college while getting my Marketing degree. Walmart isn't as successful as they are by banking on singular shopping experiences.

So you are telling me that getting a product in front of 1000 people a week for as little as its gonna cost you is a bad idea?

Look... most small to medium shops have a woeful marketing budget and/or strategy. A lot throw money at direct marketing strategies that are cheap, but end up returning nothing and way too many just live and die by word of mouth and a precious few take shots at everyone else for daring to do anything out of the norm.

I don't do wraps, I hate to even bring coroplast into my shop and I only do banners because thats what 70% of wide format is (Infotrends survey).

The most disturbing thing is that its 11:00 on Friday night and I am waiting for the flatbed to finish the last board and I am on this forum while my wife and kids are at home asleep.

The problem with marketing qualifications is they tend to be overly simplistic and make the flawed assumption that multi nationals and small businesses can be lumped into the same group.

Walmart sells thousands of commodity products which they don't manufacture. Thanks to their retail power they are able to turn to customer supplier relationship on it's head... if you want to supply supermarkets with Milk for example the supermarket buyer will tell you the price you are going to get. As it's impossible to sell milk in volume you need the supermarket more than they need you, ergo the supermarket dictates a very low purchase price which makes them a healthy profit upon resale in their stores. It's also worth pointing out that most special offers and promotions run by supermarkets are paid for on the suppliers Dollar. A supplier will be told "hey we're doing a buy one get on free offer on your product so you need to supply twice the volume at the same price". Walmart is generous with promotions because ultimately they aren't paying a dime for anything.... the supplier takes all of the financial hit.

Walmart is a in a strong position precisely because they are in position where they can bully and intimidate their suppliers into these promotional activities. Walmart DOES not drop their profit margin at any point... promotion or not the supermarkets continue to make the same return on sales... the supplier of the product on promotion is a different story.

In the small scale sign & display business context the promotional activities you embark upon are paid for entirely by you and your profit margins. Suppliers in this industry aren't going to offer sales support, they aren't going to donate rolls of material and gallons of ink to support your promotions... you've got to pay full suppliers list price. If Walmart were in the same situation their promotions would number virtually zero.. .promotions which cost them money= bad. Promotions which cost them nothing= good.

In any case the comparison between companies like Walmart & Coke is flawed. We all make bespoke, one off products to order. There are none of the same economies of scale and there is no ability to bring mass production into the mix. Moreover, companies like Coke sell a product which costs virtually nothing to produce... a can of water, some cheap processed sugar and some flavouring, total production cost of no more than 5p. Retail this for 65p and you're making a hefty profit which means there is plenty left for marketing & promotional activity.

Following the marketing systems used by multi national food manufacturers and retailers can lead you to make false assumptions and also invest money in the kind of promotional activities which will never produce a worthwhile return.

 

[iSign]

the op must have sinned a lot & now he's looking for a stairway to heaven...