Also you said that it is dumb to price "custom work" because it has no set value. So what I am hearing you say is that you get a job in from a customer they ask for a quote you tell them it is "custom work" so you can not price the Job until completion because it custom and you cannot gauge your time material cost...ect
Is that correct?
No what he is saying is it's not wise to set your prices as if you were selling a commodity. A commodity is a GOOD which is in demand but has no qualitative difference to like goods in that same market. So if you believe the buyer sees no difference in quality, they will always seek out the lowest cost, and you will have to have lower prices to compete. In this industry that's low and won't leave you much room to grow as a business, a lot of sign shops that do business this way close down early.
However if you were selling a SERVICE where you create a custom product... well then there is a difference in quality, so you can compete in other ways, like better service, better designs, longer lasting signs, etc. In this case knowing what others charge isn't as important... Knowing how much you need to make to not only stay in business but to thrive, is.
Why not post in a open fourm? What are you worried about?
Honestly, I can't speak for everyone here, but I'm not worried about you knowing what others charge. We're simply trying to help you. If you think you have it all figured out and you are going to set your prices based on what others are charging, go for it. In a few years there will be one less shop to "worry"
about.
