Not sure what to charge

[Flame]

And Flamey, if the economy is so bad, and all our materials costs have risen, why would your prices be lower now?

Because I used to be able to nab 90% of the customers who called or walked in and get their business.... that number has dropped to maybe 15% because of several locals doing stuff for dirt cheap. I didn't want to lower, but I cut a few prices just to stay in business.

Simply no one has money in my area. I won't throat cut and crank out 4x8's for $90 like some... but I've had to shave a little to help encourage people to keep buying.

I've NEVER seen people this poor. In my area of town, people are going out of business faster than you can blink.

 

[luggnut]

The $250 sounds a bit unrealistic, but if that's all he can get.... then so be it. The rest of you should be glad you don't have him for competition or live in his neck of the woods.

i'm in alabama and have a lot of competition doing these for that price.... it sucks. i get the jobs that the lowballers can't do like wraps or something or someone wanting a design that is a little complex or needs to look pretty good.

 

[OldPaint]

Because I used to be able to nab 90% of the customers who called or walked in and get their business.... that number has dropped to maybe 15% because of several locals doing stuff for dirt cheap. I didn't want to lower, but I cut a few prices just to stay in business.

Simply no one has money in my area. I won't throat cut and crank out 4x8's for $90 like some... but I've had to shave a little to help encourage people to keep buying.

I've NEVER seen people this poor. In my area of town, people are going out of business faster than you can blink.

HONESTY .........i like this, its not like it was as far as GETTING WORK, and its the same here !!!!
as for doin that job for $250, only one person LOST MONEY in that one.......and guess who dat was???
minimum........$500, FOR STUFF LIKE THAT!!!!!
stop and think of it this way:
HOW MUCH DID THE TRUCK COST HIM?
now, he got a new vehicle, payin insurance on it, and his payments for THOSE ARE CLOSE TO $5-600 A MONTH!!!!
so how can he not realize 1 MONTHLY PAYMENT TO PAY FOR 5-7 YEARS of advertisement????
i always used this thinking for BOAT LETTERING...........guy spends $100k for a boat, $500 for lettering is cheap. guy spends $20k for a boat, $200, for lettering is bout right. see how this works?

 

[Techman]

I'm not sure why but..
Just like most of us here...
I live in the worst state for unemployment.
Entire streets have rows of empty commercial units.
You see for sale signs on just about every 7th house.
You see foreclosure notices on houses all over the place.
With sticky joe's charging next to nothing for their work.

And yet my business is growing and I am finding work.

Could it be the marketing plan?

If you do not have a plan to get your clients money,, then your client will use his plan to keep his money.

 

[AlexT]

$450

 

[bpatrick3]

That sounds like trouble to me.... you have already completed the vans and customer did not get a quote from you FIRST?

I would be around $800/ea

I never have to give this customer a quote. They tell me what they need, I service the heck out of them, they want to deal with me and see the value of my service and knowledge. It is a great deal and is way I wanted to get some feedback. But the prices are all over the place, but that in itself tells me what I need to know. I am going with 675.00 and 625.00

 

[Mosh]

Must be doing something right, I have never borrowed money in my whole life and own my 10,000 sq foot shop, 5 year old home, and a vacation house in the Ozarks. Sorry you guys feel I don't charge enough, but I have more work than I can do. I like making signs, I guess not really worried about the money.

 

[Techman]

but I have more work than I can do

Then you ain't charging enuf...

 

[Jillbeans]

Agreed, if you are landing every job you bid on, you are probably too cheap and hence working for nothing, just enough to cover materials but not your time and talent.
I got $500 for the first van I ever did, hand-painted, in 1992.
I like making signs but I also like making money.
And people who price so cheaply hurt us all, because then clients think we are trying to rip them off.

 

[ddarlak]

dude, you can have 7 vacations homes and $250 is still way too low.


i would have come in at around $800 each.

 

[Mosh]

Guess that is why 5 shops have came and gone while I have been in biz.

 

[Jillbeans]

...they couldn't compete with your pricing and still survive, obviously.

 

[petepaz]

we would be around 500-550
weeding that small test is going to suck
but the install should be easy 1.5 to 2 hours per van
standard vans with just 1 or 2 color cut vinyl lettering we go from
350 up to 500
are we charging too little?
seems to be ok in our area but the way some of you guys are talking here we are leaving a lot of money on the table
we are covering our expenses and getting a decent labor price for the install
(or so i thought)