Where to start?

[Almost Heaven Decal Co]

Hello all! I recently purchased a vinyl business from a friend. He had steady clientele, but unfortunately was too busy with tinting and mechanic work to keep up and decided to sell.

I purchased his VinylExpress Q42 and all of his backstock of vinyl(around 40 rolls mixed lot of Oracal 651&631) for $1k (not a bad price in my eyes).

I signed up for a membership with Vinyl Master LTR and got the ball rolling......so I thought. I seem to get good results, however, there are several questions I have that are unanswered.

I guess my question is, where is a good place to start? Tutorials, videos, blogs, etc. of experienced people using this program? They offer tutorials but honestly they remind me of the old videos from Health class that teach you nothing. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

Hello all! I recently purchased a vinyl business from a friend. He had steady clientele, but unfortunately was too busy with tinting and mechanic work to keep up and decided to sell.

I purchased his VinylExpress Q42 and all of his backstock of vinyl(around 40 rolls mixed lot of Oracal 651&631) for $1k (not a bad price in my eyes).

I signed up for a membership with Vinyl Master LTR and got the ball rolling......so I thought. I seem to get good results, however, there are several questions I have that are unanswered.

I guess my question is, where is a good place to start? Tutorials, videos, blogs, etc. of experienced people using this program? They offer tutorials but honestly they remind me of the old videos from Health class that teach you nothing. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

What do you plan on offering in your new business?

The best way to start? An apprenticeship, period. If you have $$ you can hire people that know what their doing, but if you're on your own, apprentice. That might mean working for a sign company and putting your plans on hold while you obtain the skills.

If you just want to put vinyl stickers on car club vehicles, yard signs and tchotchkes then you can probably just watch some videos and practice. If anything more you would need to learn from people that know.. Youtube videos won't show you safe ways to install signs.

 

[Almost Heaven Decal Co]

What do you plan on offering in your new business?

The best way to start? An apprenticeship, period. If you have $$ you can hire people that know what their doing, but if you're on your own, apprentice. That might mean working for a sign company and putting your plans on hold while you obtain the skills.

If you just want to put vinyl stickers on car club vehicles, yard signs and tchotchkes then you can probably just watch some videos and practice. If anything more you would need to learn from people that know.. Youtube videos won't show you safe ways to install signs.

Thank you for the response,
I thought starting with decals would probably be my best route, and open doors to potential clients for larger projects when the time comes. I was thinking it would benefit me more starting small. I generate enough income with my current career to cover the cost. Signs are my biggest concern as there is a lot more involved in the process.

Unfortunately...and fortunately from a business stand point, where I am there is only one other person that currently does vinyl. When I asked my friend that I purchased it from for advice, I basically got the " you're on your own" type of response.

I have patience and respect for any craft, so I am laying out a plan to slowly learn. This, like any other hands on profession, is not something you want to rush. I am willing to take the necessary steps in order to be successful, and if that means paying someone for teaching me then so be it. It is well worth the investment.

 

[equippaint]

Like tx said either get a job and learn or hire an employee you can learn from. Usually people get the knowledge first and then start a business, not sure why so many think this industry is any different.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

Thank you for the response,
I thought starting with decals would probably be my best route, and open doors to potential clients for larger projects when the time comes. I was thinking it would benefit me more starting small. I generate enough income with my current career to cover the cost. Signs are my biggest concern as there is a lot more involved in the process.

Unfortunately...and fortunately from a business stand point, where I am there is only one other person that currently does vinyl. When I asked my friend that I purchased it from for advice, I basically got the " you're on your own" type of response.

I have patience and respect for any craft, so I am laying out a plan to slowly learn. This, like any other hands on profession, is not something you want to rush. I am willing to take the necessary steps in order to be successful, and if that means paying someone for teaching me then so be it. It is well worth the investment.

That's a good response. Smaller stuff can be done by anyone with a cutter and some videos and that's all you need. There was a lady at my church that bought a vinyl cutter and she learned on her own and does a great job lettering glass and yard signs and decorations for the church. She would make a great employee at a sign company because she already has the feel for laying vinyl and working on the computer. Starting out that way will let you know if you can pickup the skill easily or not... some people really struggle with it.

A lot of what you need to know about larger "signs" won't come from Youtube though. Even though the process can be similar and your machine might be capable of making them, it's important to learn from someone with real sign shop experience in deciding what materials to use, what construction methods to use and how to safely install such signs. Once you get into the realm of larger commercial signs, you assume the risk and liability that can come with potentially failed methods. Your products go from being harmless yard signs to large pieces of metal that can slice someones neck in half or do major damage to a car.

Having experienced people teach you how to properly build those is a REQUIREMENT. When you get to that point you can hire someone with sign installing experience or sub out to an installer.

Hopefully you'll find the artistic enjoyment out of making signs that you did when in the tattoo business. The sign shop customers are much more pleasing and easy to deal with than tattoos. Friend of mine owns a tattoo shop. People are emotionally invested in their tattoo but not so much with signs, so the scrutiny and difficulty is less.

Feel free to ask for advise on vinyl or materials or how to price and deal with customers. You'll get many opinions... just be sure to follow up on your threads and bring closure to them

 

[Almost Heaven Decal Co]

Thanks a bunch for the insight!

 

[Almost Heaven Decal Co]

Like tx said either get a job and learn or hire an employee you can learn from. Usually people get the knowledge first and then start a business, not sure why so many think this industry is any different.

When it came up for sale, I didn't want to miss the opportunity to purchase it. It wasn't my intention to jump in while being clueless. I figured $1k investment really isn't much with what it included.

 

[equippaint]

When it came up for sale, I didn't want to miss the opportunity to purchase it. It wasn't my intention to jump in while being clueless. I figured $1k investment really isn't much with what it included.

But are doing just that? There’s stuff for sale all over thats worthless. So if the guy had a garage full of restaurant equipment from a failed venture, would you go buy that and start trying to figure out how to cook? I just dont get it, sorry.

 

[Almost Heaven Decal Co]

But are doing just that? There’s stuff for sale all over thats worthless. So if the guy had a garage full of restaurant equipment from a failed venture, would you go buy that and start trying to figure out how to cook? I just dont get it, sorry.

I went in to detail in my introduction on another thread. I will give a quick rundown of what I got for $1k..... VinylExpress Q42, and all of his stock which was about 30-40 rolls of Oracal 651 &631 vinyl. He had a successful list of clientele, but it was taking too much time from his main business which was a garage that produced more income. I researched about the value of all of it and it was far more than he was asking. It's $1,000 not $1M. Its a very small investment. I made that back in a week with my full time job. Perhaps it wasn't a good buy? But I didn't want to not get it then have 3 times that invested in it. I understand where you are coming from though and appreciate the opinion.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

Your right to give it a go.. I mean you're a tattoo artist and if you're halfway good then you have more artistic talent then most sign people here. You're probably used to and comfortable with selling your skills so it's a good transition. Most tattoo artists are talented, it's just the lifestyle and drama they get caught up in is their own worst enemy. It's a good (and small) risk you took and in my opinion is a smart move using your talents from tattooing to something more "grown up". Would like to see some of your tattoo work if you ever want to post it.

 

[James Burke]

I essentially did the same, and I'm totally in agreement with the OP. I'm guessing the investment in equipment (and personal growth) will pay a damn-sight better than the typical savings account does these days.

A lot of people "jump the fence" into endeavors well beyond their areas of expertise, looking for new challenges, excitement and the tremendous growth that often accompanys it. Oftentimes they're met with marginal results. But sometimes the synergy they create is wildly beyond their fondest dreams.

We, as a society, desperately need those generative souls....just as much as those individuals need to break out of their shackles of comfort.


JB

 

[player]

I am so glad I won't have to live through all the trial and error, rework, non payment, and all the other pitfalls coming the OP's way. But if he can get through the first 5 years of major pain and losses he might be in a position to finance some more equipment and still not make much money.

 

[James Burke]

I am so glad I won't have to live through all the trial and error, rework, non payment, and all the other pitfalls coming the OP's way. But if he can get through the first 5 years of major pain and losses he might be in a position to finance some more equipment and still not make much money.

I often think the same when I see a little child getting disciplined for their childish, ignorant ways. I'm sure there are octogenarians out there thinking "Damn...I wouldn't want to go back and re-learn what a fifty-year old has to learn. But here I am....53 years old...and learning...not that much different than the situation of a little child, relatively speaking. The only difference is that my mistakes are most likely more costly, and more painful...with farther reaching consequences than carelessly spilling my milk at the dinner table.

It's part of process....and we all go through it. It has the potential to produce tremendous results in a person's fortitude....or it can totally crush them without blinking an eye. We may not be able to choose the situation, but we can surely choose how we grow from it.

JB

 

[James Burke]

... and still not make much money.

Fourteen years into this wild ride and, ironically, money still isn't my main motivator. I refuse to shackle my happiness to a balance sheet.


JB

 

[player]

When I owned and operated a bigger sign business, my boss was crazy. He made me work day and night, weekends and holidays. All for next to no money.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

When I owned and operated a bigger sign business, my boss was crazy. He made me work day and night, weekends and holidays. All for next to no money.

This coming from someone who makes fun of people working from home making good money...lol. Thought you were Mr. Big Time?

BTW, how do you own and operate a business, but still have a boss??

 

[James Burke]

When I owned and operated a bigger sign business, my boss was crazy. He made me work day and night, weekends and holidays. All for next to no money.

Typically, the average person's definition of work/life balance is...."Work like hell....play like hell".

Being self-employed, I think of life as a piece of cloth...where the threads of work and the threads of free time are woven together, and there aren't the extreme swings of fatigue and extensive times of leisure to contend with.


JB

 

[James Burke]

how do you own and operate a business, but still have a boss??

I assumed he was referring to himself here....

JB

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

 

[player]

Yup