Opinion What would you say...?

[Kentucky Wraps]

A new shop in town (ShopX for anonymity) who markets Vehicle Wraps, has neither printers nor installers. They called themselves a "print broker" to me. They subbed out the printing from somewhere and got an installer from another wrap shop to install a wrap...and it said "wrapped by ShopX" on the back of the wrap. They want our shop to offer installations for them...however, I'm trying to think of a way to tell them I don't want to help create a local competitor.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?
Part of me wants to explain to them why...part of me wants to tell them I'd literally be shooting myself in the foot.

 

[d fleming]

No thank you works. Shop around the corner from us just went back home to the garage. Had wraps in his name but no printer. Undercut all other shops to the point he closed the doors. Be willing to bet the one near you will do the same soon.

 

[Gino]

I would say, just be honest, it usually works. No reason to insult your competition to their face. However, if it can bring you more work and you can hammer out better details, it might be some more work.

You realize, if they are brokers, they do not wanna invest a thing....... UNTIL a deal comes along. Now, that they've picked your brain, know your pricing and just about anything else, they could become a serious thorn in your side.

I say squash 'em like the venomous snarling bug they are.

 

[BigfishDM]

If you can make money doing installations then I would consider it. If you are not getting the business already, at least you can make some money on the installs until this guy runs himself outta business, then you can go back and take it ALL.

 

[Billct2]

If you want to make money installing some other local competitors wraps, then yea. It's not the same as installing corporate branding, which isn't local competition.
I have had some offers like that and I just say I'm not interested, good luck.

 

[Kentucky Wraps]

If you can make money doing installations then I would consider it. If you are not getting the business already, at least you can make some money on the installs until this guy runs himself outta business, then you can go back and take it ALL.

Well I already offer installs for extra money to a local wrap shop that has pretty much guaranteed accounts. Basically wrap jobs I've already missed out on, so getting paid for the install is actually a really nice way to still get my piece of the proverbial pie. Which is completely different then "Creating" a competitor.
It's getting a piece of an already established pie VS. helping a new shop bake a pie and sell it...using my quality ingredients.
I'd rather he try selling pies that suck so he can't open a pie shop here.

 

[BigfishDM]

Well I already offer installs for extra money to a local wrap shop that has pretty much guaranteed accounts. Basically wrap jobs I've already missed out on, so getting paid for the install is actually a really nice way to still get my piece of the proverbial pie. Which is completely different then "Creating" a competitor.
It's getting a piece of an already established pie VS. helping a new shop bake a pie and sell it...using my quality ingredients.
I'd rather he try selling pies that suck so he can't open a pie shop here.

I understand.

 

[Johnny Best]

I'd tell you that it hurts like hell to shoot yourself in the foot. Your gonna need that foot to squash that bug.

 

[Joel golden]

Helping start a more complex process isn't a good way to start a relationship with a customer. For the customer, the less gears in the clock is the most efficient way to tell time...seriously have they thought of the complaint process? Customer complains to outsourcer, outsourcer complains to installer, installer notifies outsourcer that if they look at the problem they would clearly see it was the printer, printer tells outsourcer that it was not communicated correctly to him and it was the designers fault but then the designer says it should have been caught in the proof sent by the outsourcer... now the outsourcer has to be worried because I just got a headache thinking about what he's doing and that he wants you to be in this chain at some point... this really is a selling point for you against them so I'll just take 2% of those sales when you use this argument to get a bid

 

[customquint]

Go ahead and offer install work to him. Make sure you charge or quote what you need to do the job. Plus a small extra for not making profit on the whole job and extra for headaches because something isn't designed right or printed wrong and you have to figure out how to out it on so it looks right.

If they think you are too much, don't sweet it, your not losing anything not getting the job because it's not worth your time for less.

I feel shops working together is better than not. Some thing other shops might be able to do that can help you out on a project and thing you can do for them.

I would think that a shop that has different installers for each job would result in mixed quality work. Some good some sucky.

 

[jfiscus]

I have to agree with customquint above; go ahead and tell them your hourly/sf/project rate for install. If they balk, then oh well. If they pay you to install the wraps, then even better. There is always going to be competition, just learn to work around it and evolve or you will not last.

 

[Johnny Best]

I have sub contracted myself out for years. They, the competition s not living in your Pollyanna world. They will brain drain you, learn as much as they can from you and then when they don't want to pay your prices anymore plus they have your playbook, throw you out of their bus.
Your mindset is they are the competition, and you do not help them train to get better, you are looking to be at the finish line first, not helping them to it before you. It's business people, they are the enemy, they need to be destroyed.

 

[gabagoo]

Guys who do nothing but broker everything can be a little dangerous when it comes to getting paid, as they often owe everybody, but like to pay themselves first...COD all the way

 

[equippaint]

If they were in a different line than what you are, i.e. new truck dealer, marketing company then it would be different. Someone that you'd feel pretty strongly about having zero interest in becoming a competitor of yours is the kind of person you partner with. These guys sound like they want to build a business without knowing anything, without investing their money with the long game of learning, investing and starting their own shop. They will feel slighted at some point in the relationship at some perceived issue of price, time, quality etc and start doing it on their own with your pricing and knowledge. Not to mention all of the headaches you will encounter from not being able to speak directly to the customer. This is the reason we hand off work rather than sub. Ate too many jobs that other people have done for us. You send customers to us and we'll send customers to you with the professional understanding that we wont solicit each others referrals. If they seem like dirtbags that can't handle this, a simple no works well.

 

[Kentucky Wraps]

.... There is always going to be competition, just learn to work around it and evolve or you will not last.

I think you're missing the point that they are brand new, and I would literally be actively helping them get a foothold in the area by installing for them. I know there is going to be competition, but that doesn't mean I need to help create MORE of it.

 

[petepaz]

we deal with a lot of print brokers, all local and to us they are like free sales people. we welcome their work. if you are selling him the full wrap with installation he in turn has to mark it up so he can't really under cut your price so it shouldn't hurt your business. they either come to you or him but if you are making the graphics and installing you will get the business either way. unless i'm missing something what have you got to lose by giving it a try?

 

[Bly]

we deal with a lot of print brokers, all local and to us they are like free sales people. we welcome their work. if you are selling him the full wrap with installation he in turn has to mark it up so he can't really under cut your price so it shouldn't hurt your business. they either come to you or him but if you are making the graphics and installing you will get the business either way. unless i'm missing something what have you got to lose by giving it a try?

This. Either do it and make money or let someone else do it.
If he's marking up your prices then he will be more expensive than you.
If they come to you word will soon get around your team is doing the actual work so might grow your business anyway.

 

[rossmosh]

we deal with a lot of print brokers, all local and to us they are like free sales people. we welcome their work. if you are selling him the full wrap with installation he in turn has to mark it up so he can't really under cut your price so it shouldn't hurt your business. they either come to you or him but if you are making the graphics and installing you will get the business either way. unless i'm missing something what have you got to lose by giving it a try?

This. I'd also setup very strict guidelines for them to follow. Include payment terms, delivery procedures, artwork setup, and expected production times. I'd also insist that I did all printing and I wouldn't print a damn thing until the vehicle was in your possession.

It's a business relationship that can work if you want it to and they are reasonably professional.

 

[ams]

Generally these are people who don't know anything about signs but want to get into the business. By avoiding the cost of employees, equipment, vehicles, supplies, etc it's all profit to them. I'd stay away from them.

 

[Andy D]

Personally, I don't install other peoples work for the same reason I won't
print on a customers substrate, too many opportunities for a simple job to turn into a
cluster-you-know-what if there is an issue.

However, there are plenty of sign brokers out there that only want to do design work and
leave the rest to others...nothing really wrong with that. People tend to be so paranoid about
competition, they tend to make decisions that are not in their best interest.

Do you need the work? Can you do the installations without them interfering with your "bread and butter" work?
If "yes" and "yes" take a job or two and see how it works out... who knows, if they go under, you may end up with
all of their clients.

 

[Andy D]

I wanted to add:
If you think they have no interest or the ability to do installations down the road, then
doing their installations for them, and getting part of the pie, would make it harder for a full
service wrap shop to get a toe hold in your market, where you would get none of the pie... so that might
be all the round better for you.

But, if you think they are going to use you as a "how-to" so that they can start doing their own installation
down the road...Who knows, you might be cutting your own throat.