Dimension Wood Signs...How To Make 'Em and Sell 'Em Part II

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Bear in mind, too, that you'll probably be wise to quote a few small signs and finish and deliver them before attempting to tackle any of the biggies. This will give you the chance to become comfortable with your new business (little shop owners are often more tolerant of blunders in protocol and technique) and to develop and polish the abilities you'll need later when you handle the multi thousand dollar jobs.

Big or little, how do you know (preferably before your competition) that a new enterprise is about to open up? Keep your eyes open for businesses that are closing, because there may very well be a new one opening soon in the same location. You should also regularly check out the "fictitious name listings" where all new businesses are listed under their assumed names in the legal notices section of your newspaper. And, whenever you drive around town, make it a practice to watch for the new construction of stores and offices and/or the remodeling of old buildings that can mean a brand new enterprise is about to move in.

DEVELOP A REALISTIC FINANCIAL ATTITUDE

You may have to under price the first few jobs you land, in order to induce your initial customers to try your (to them) unproven abilities. Once you're sure of yourself, however, you should up your rates to a competitive level.

No, you should never get greedy. But you should remember that building a little profit into your pricing structure ensures that your business will survive and expand. Even if your present overhead is low, you should be charging enough to save for the construction of a nice shop with adequate help, tools, and perhaps a delivery vehicle. If you don't allow for such eventualities now when you quote a job, you'll be in effect phasing them out before they. even have a chance to become reality.

If you don't know how to go about it any other way, you can allow for future growth capital needs quite easily when you make a quote: Just figure out how much you need to do a given job (materials plus time at your hourly rate plus wear and tear on your tools, etc.) and add on an additional 30%. If the customer refuses and you're desperate for cash, you can always come down a little with most of your pride intact. But just try raising a quote once you've given a prospective client a figure that's too low!

LEARN TO CHARGE FOR YOUR WORK

Although I hesitate to tell you exactly how much to charge for the signs you construct, I can give you some minimum figures that I feel might be in order.

Fifteen dollars per foot per side is a fair price for routed signs. Twenty dollars per foot per side for low relief carved signs and twenty five dollars per foot per side for deep relief carved signs are not unreasonable. Double all footage charges for two sided signs. And always add to your base prices for installation and signposts (these two items can be itemized, if necessary, on the contract) whenever you're required to furnish such labor and materials.

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