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General => General Discussion and ??? => Topic started by: mooseman on October 25, 2014, 10:02:08 AM
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Curious,
is there anyone out there who truly works alone.
We (I) cover the screen printing, embroidery and some sign work totally alone. I have a helper that folds and boxes for me on call but other wise it is 100% me.
Anyone else elso in the same boat?
mooseman
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i am a 1 man operation
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Not a screen printer, but I also work by myself in my sales operation......
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One man shop here. Ive had family/friends help here and there over the years. I dont even outsource art or seps.
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Except for a few times when my wife folds for me, yep, all by my lonesome.
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Used to be but never again!
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I've been the first employee of a company a couple of times in my life, but when I got into my own, I have a partner, and we've worked together for 22 years. It wasn't long before we needed help, we just had too much work. So there were two of us doing it all for about 6 months, which I believe is what helped us grow. I sometimes dream of a one man operation after I retire, probably DTG, but then I wake up, LOL. God bless you guys going it alone...
Steve
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I honestly dont know how any shop could support multiple people without an auto. I barely make enough right now to take care of my bills and my family and i work my ass off.
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I honestly dont know how any shop could support multiple people without an auto. I barely make enough right now to take care of my bills and my family and i work my ass off.
And believe it or not, there are shops out there with multiple manual presses because they do not have the financial resources to get an auto.....
If a couple competing manual printers pooled their resources they may get farther ahead that spending all their time working themselves to death and beating each other up....
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Oh man, can you imagine two or three manual shops "going in" on an auto together? With the hard head shop owners I've encountered that would go south the day two of them wanted to run a rush job on the same day.
I find it hard to believe that a shop with two manuals filled up with work can't scrape together the cash to secure financing for an auto package. Now if they don't WANT to finance it, I can (kind of) understand that... But not really.
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I have no problems with the idea of financing a press, but right now I'm pretty sure I wouldn't qualify. It is probably for a different thread, but how does one make the leap from manual to auto without stellar personal credit to back up the financing. Mine really isn't great for this reason and that (nothing terrible, just nothing great like a car loan or home loan and few credit cards). I feel like I have more than enough work to take advantage of an auto, and the time savings on some jobs would be astronomical, which would actually let me catch up and go make sales, but right now I feel like I am maxed out with what I can produce in the time I have, and I am making enough for me, but just don't see how adding another person would double my revenue. It would gain me maybe 25-30% more in time and revenue based on what I see when I do bring in help.
Always looking for the elusive cheap auto, but that just doesn't look like a reality any time soon.
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I have no problems with the idea of financing a press, but right now I'm pretty sure I wouldn't qualify. It is probably for a different thread, but how does one make the leap from manual to auto without stellar personal credit to back up the financing. Mine really isn't great for this reason and that (nothing terrible, just nothing great like a car loan or home loan and few credit cards). I feel like I have more than enough work to take advantage of an auto, and the time savings on some jobs would be astronomical, which would actually let me catch up and go make sales, but right now I feel like I am maxed out with what I can produce in the time I have, and I am making enough for me, but just don't see how adding another person would double my revenue. It would gain me maybe 25-30% more in time and revenue based on what I see when I do bring in help.
Always looking for the elusive cheap auto, but that just doesn't look like a reality any time soon.
Have you tried? Maybe you do qualify and it's just a barrier you've created in your mind. It seems Geneva Capital does a lot of leases for the screen printing industry. I think that would be easier than traditional bank financing.
I'm not a huge fan of leases but it seems to be an option for a lot of people, so you have to make that decision.
If none of that works try working on your credit now. The sooner you get it in great shape the better off you'll be. I always check mine on credit sesame to make sure nothing funky is going on and it gives you an idea of what someone will see if they pull your credit.
Just some random thoughts.
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Yes, give Geneva a shot. I would imagine that if you have a few years of good business behind you, decent credit, and money set aside for a used auto then you have a good shot. However, but new if you can.
You'll be amazed at the work that will start to flow when you buy your first auto. It's a whole new world.
Oh, and adding an employee at your stage of the game doesn't need to double your revenue.
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I do 100% of our embroidery, screen printing, and vinyl production. We have been so freaking busy that a part-time employee may help.
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I honestly dont know how any shop could support multiple people without an auto. I barely make enough right now to take care of my bills and my family and i work my ass off.
When I first started, I was the first hire, had no previous t-shirt experience, but had printed with flatbed presses, and made screens and worked in a darkroom, so I wasn't a complete noob. We had one Vastex manual and a homemade one color press. 5 people and one part-timer. This with slow production. Then we had a new hire who had worked in a large, large shop, who showed us what the speed table was for. So for one color printing, there was a printer, a loader, and an unloader on the press, plus a catcher. 300 per hour easy. Holy Spit! Multi color job, 2 people because the unloader had time to load as well. Went a whole summer like that, made some good money that way. By the time we got our first auto, we were already flying fairly high. I think my friend, that you aren't spending enough time printing. If you're not printing, you're losing money; think of how all of your variable and fixed costs are still there when there is no printing; rent, phone, insurance, yada yada yada... If you had 5 more hours printing a week, how would that help your bottom line? You can make the move, it's been done many times...
Steve
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I have no problems with the idea of financing a press, but right now I'm pretty sure I wouldn't qualify. It is probably for a different thread, but how does one make the leap from manual to auto without stellar personal credit to back up the financing. Mine really isn't great for this reason and that (nothing terrible, just nothing great like a car loan or home loan and few credit cards). I feel like I have more than enough work to take advantage of an auto, and the time savings on some jobs would be astronomical, which would actually let me catch up and go make sales, but right now I feel like I am maxed out with what I can produce in the time I have, and I am making enough for me, but just don't see how adding another person would double my revenue. It would gain me maybe 25-30% more in time and revenue based on what I see when I do bring in help.
Always looking for the elusive cheap auto, but that just doesn't look like a reality any time soon.
Save up 20% of the amount you want to finance and go to LOCAL banks and talk to a real person. I tried the big name bank route and they all shot me down or had horrendous rates and requirements. I ended up getting a loan from the bank 1 block from my shop from one of the nicest bankers you've ever met. Down to earth local banks often take risks to drive their local economy.
Oh, and I am a 1 person shop, 10 color auto, giant dryer. It maximizes my time to take orders, do art, clean screens, etc. I'd do it exactly the same if I had to do it all over, but I'm not going to rule out LUCK along the way haha.
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I honestly dont know how any shop could support multiple people without an auto. I barely make enough right now to take care of my bills and my family and i work my ass off.
When I first started, I was the first hire, had no previous t-shirt experience, but had printed with flatbed presses, and made screens and worked in a darkroom, so I wasn't a complete noob. We had one Vastex manual and a homemade one color press. 5 people and one part-timer. This with slow production. Then we had a new hire who had worked in a large, large shop, who showed us what the speed table was for. So for one color printing, there was a printer, a loader, and an unloader on the press, plus a catcher. 300 per hour easy. Holy Spit! Multi color job, 2 people because the unloader had time to load as well. Went a whole summer like that, made some good money that way. By the time we got our first auto, we were already flying fairly high. I think my friend, that you aren't spending enough time printing. If you're not printing, you're losing money; think of how all of your variable and fixed costs are still there when there is no printing; rent, phone, insurance, yada yada yada... If you had 5 more hours printing a week, how would that help your bottom line? You can make the move, it's been done many times...
Steve
I appreciate the advice, and it's something I see echoed a lot in threads, but the reality is I am printing as much as possible at the moment. I currently work around 50 hours a week, and easily half of those are spent communicating with clients, doing art, cleaning, sorting, handling screens, mixing inks, dealing with financials and other admin stuff, building and upgrading equipment, etc. I would love to work longer hours and get more done, but I have a 7 month old and my wife works 60+ hours a week as a teacher as well. It just isn't possible right now. Keeping the press spinning is great when you have other people handling all the peripheral tasks associated with a business, but it isn't realistic when you are a single person handling those as well.
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This is exactly why you need an employee to help with the work load. The truth is that you can't do it all yourself and grow, unless growing more tired and poor is what you're looking for. (and I really don't think that is) It is a difficult decision, no two ways about it. What if you had to make more sales calls? Do more art, make more screens? What happens to the work then? If there is no printing happening, you don't get paid. Help makes you money to pay them, make a profit, and grow... best of luck my friend.
Steve
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I'll start looking into it, possibly a part timer at first to help with some of the low skilled stuff. I was really hoping to automate before hiring anyone honestly, but getting the auto is proving more difficult than I had hoped. My current shop doesnt really have the proper electrical, which means moving, which means all those expenses and time. I'm going to give it another 6-8 months and see where I am and probably move and hire a part timer and hopefully by that time either be able to afford an auto or have found a great deal on a used one as a stop gap.
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I'll start looking into it, possibly a part timer at first to help with some of the low skilled stuff. I was really hoping to automate before hiring anyone honestly, but getting the auto is proving more difficult than I had hoped. My current shop doesnt really have the proper electrical, which means moving, which means all those expenses and time. I'm going to give it another 6-8 months and see where I am and probably move and hire a part timer and hopefully by that time either be able to afford an auto or have found a great deal on a used one as a stop gap.
A couple years ago when I got our first auto we were just like you. In a small 800 sq ft shop with 100 amp electrical service. I didn't think we could do it but it worked. Ended up finding a used Javelin on Digitsmith, a compressor off eBay fairly locally, had an electrician friend do the wiring and we were off and running. All in we spent under 6k. You can do it.
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What sort of electrical don't you have that you will need? There are non-3 phase options out there. I'm not sure I could recommend any right now until I see how things are going in the next week or so.
But think about how much you will pay an employee and then calculate does that number equal payments on an auto and other expenses related to getting an auto? Labor ain't cheap, that's for sure!
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I have 130 total amps for my section of the building, and only one single phase 50 amp 220, which being used for my dryer. I originally had access to 2 more 50 amp 220 circuits, but both are being used by my landlord currently. I'm sure I still could grab one from him if I asked nicely :D
Honestly though, I need to find a bigger and cleaner space, preferably with plenty of electrical and natural gas. My current shop is borderline ghetto due to the age of the building.
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I'm struggling with the hiring vs automating thing now too.
I've got about as much equipment as I can fit in my garage now. So an auto would mean moving...which I definitely like the convenience of working out of my garage and the rent is cheap. =)
I set out with the idea of never hiring anyone but I'm starting to realize that might be my downfall. Cleaning screens right now is my biggest bottleneck and some part time help would do me wonders.
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to reiterate what you can do on a manual, way back in '78, the Pope came to Boston, we had about 8 different 1 color designs, all printed at an average of 300 per hour with 3 people on the press, and one catcher. Suppose we were getting $5.00 per shirt back then (which sold for $15 - $20) that's $1500 per hour gross... that will make you some money. Now I realize that you're not going to have that kind of business all day, every day, but it's for illustration purposes. The point is to increase your output without increasing your costs, or at least with as little increase to cost as necessary. And if you get some low end employees to get started, they can be cross trained to do more work while you do the sales that will drive your operation.
Steve
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And if you get some low end employees to get started, they can be cross trained to do more work while you do the sales that will drive your operation.
Steve
Just make sure you do the math on this.....For some this idea turns out making them "poorer" because at the end of the day they were paying wages instead paying for equipment.....
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An auto won't call in sick.
Have you considered outsourcing any of this overload work that you're experiencing? That might be the alternative to hiring while you build the business and stack cash. I guess it depends on how large you want to grow the company, but at some point you (or someone) will need to spend a good portion of every day maintaining the backend of the company, managing clients, and growing.
Send me a pm if you're interested in exploring that option.
Good luck!
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I have been thinking about sending certain jobs out more and more. I am increasingly getting higher color count 200+ orders, and those take freaking forever to print in house compared to the one color stuff I can bust out at 150 an hour.
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Not like you don't have a kick-ass print shop around the corner. I'd definitely send it out to give you breathing room. It's like temp labor that never calls in sick and does ALL the production for the job.
I definitely think you should get an auto first.
I went the other route, but I have my irons in too many fires. I do know that if my guy quits or something I could more easily take over now that we have the auto vs trying to do it manually. Hell no, I wouldn't want to do his job manual!
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And if you get some low end employees to get started, they can be cross trained to do more work while you do the sales that will drive your operation.
Steve
Just make sure you do the math on this.....For some this idea turns out making them "poorer" because at the end of the day they were paying wages instead paying for equipment.....
Yes, always be careful, do the math, and do it again, then ask someone else to check. If you get an auto, be prepared to get a bunch of frames that fit it, your present manual frames may not work out, depending on the press. Will your dryer handle the output from an auto? Will your exposure unit hold an auto frame (typically 23 x 31)? Mentally walk through the process looking for trouble, not to dissuade you, but to be prepared for what would be coming. I still think the most important thing for you is more production in the same time frame, though an employee will run you more money, he/she will make more for you than you have to spend on them (don't forget about labor burden, such as matching their SS, insurances and other things), if done right. And though I know some prefer getting the auto, which I applaud and also recommend, I know that in our shop in the beginning we knocked out 9000 white t's with a 2 color front on 2 manuals over a weekend, without having an auto payment hanging over our heads. Our first auto was used, which we got for $12,500 and worked to death. It helped us get the higher volume work, get a better reputation, and of course, get another auto and more employees. If you have an accountant, find the time to sit and chat about what you want to do. If you want to spend time with the family, you need to have it all under control so you can do that. You can do this, no matter what route you take
Steve
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All of my frames are already 23x31 (minus the huge stuff I use for flatstock/flags/all over prints) and I actually have an exposure unit that could in theory do 4 up at a time, though my light source really isnt ideal for it so I just use my standard MH unit. I've done all the research when it comes to this kind of stuff and been preparing for a long while toward getting the auto.
Definitely a lot of other factors to think about though.
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I'd say if you are busy with a manual, then get an auto as soon as you can. The sooner the better. It was one of the best decisions I made, and when I bought my auto, I was in a shop that it would have not fit in.
When you start looking at 400pcs. as "I can fit that in this afternoon in a couple of hours start to finish including film and screens" it changes your whole business in a very positive way.
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I'm basically there. I got deposits for 2 200 piece orders today and have a 300 piece order that will probably fall into place by the end of the week. One is 6 color fronts and a 2 color sleeve, one if a 3 color front, one is either 4 or 5 color fronts and a 1 color back. Those 3 orders will take me pretty much all week when I factor in client communications, artwork and seps, setup, printing, cleanup, boxing, etc. With an auto, maybe a day and a half all told and I could fill in other stuff during any down time. A second guy wouldn't be nearly as efficient....
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I like reading this thread. Good sounding advice. I'm in the same boat. My shop by myself, and my press is going non stop from 7 to at least 7 every day. Need more time in the day. Have been getting quotes on an auto. Scared to buy used! Even had a online meeting today about an s. Roque. It's a very scary decision to make but one I need to pull the trigger on. Also I can get a high end press for less that what it cost to bring on an employee that will call in sick and or sit around doing nothing during down time
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When you start looking at 400pcs. as "I can fit that in this afternoon in a couple of hours start to finish including film and screens" it changes your whole business in a very positive way.
EXACTLY!
We just had a call from a friend (thanks ;) ) and it was to knock out a 500 pcs job (2 color front and back) that would need to be done by Weds (two days). I said "no problem". Went tell my guy to give him the heads up (it's not solid yet) and he started panicking a little bit. I said "man, that will take us 4 hours TOPS... if you can't stay calm about stuff like this I won't tell you till it's time to get it done!"
He still isn't used to how fast that we can knock out jobs compared to the past when we were manual.
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You might be surprised how affordable a new Automatic Press can be. For the price of two cups of Starbucks coffee a day you can step up your business with a Auto Press. If your business is not green and growing it's brown and dying.
Example: 25K leased
60 month payments
$562.75 per month
or $11.26 per day (based on a 30 day month.)
BTW, the above is an estimate, and final numbers are based on credit scores and other factors.
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I would buy a auto before hiring a employee in most cases. The nice thing about having a auto but no employee over head is if you can always call up a buddy and be like man can you come help me print this 1000pc job ill buy beer and pizza. But when your manual shop and adding another employee wont really speed up the printing much unless you had another manual press.
Obviously you need to have the business to support the auto cost but if you got that id go for it. You will increase your output, decrease your set up, increase your quality of product and quality of life. Leaving yourself more time to do other tasks or sell more jobs. Eventually you can hire someone to do the printing and you can move into selling more or another part of your business.
Shelly and I added an auto as a 2 person company doing just roughly 300k a year in sales. You wont believe how fast you grow at that point.
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You might be surprised how affordable a new Automatic Press can be. For the price of two cups of starbucks coffee a day you can step up your business with a Auto Press. If your business is not green and growing it's brown and dying.
Sadly it is not about the affordability of the new press, it is about being able to finance it...I have looked at the numbers for many small screen printers trying to buy an automatic press.....In many instances their existing work load and cash flow will support it but their credit score kills the deal....
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You might be surprised how affordable a new Automatic Press can be. For the price of two cups of starbucks coffee a day you can step up your business with a Auto Press. If your business is not green and growing it's brown and dying.
Sadly it is not about the affordability of the new press, it is about being able to finance it...I have looked at the numbers for many small screen printers trying to buy an automatic press.....In many instances their existing work load and cash flow will support it but their credit score kills the deal....
You are correct....but we can look at each shops situation and perhaps get a lease for them. Never know till you try. Even in these market conditions we have provided leasing for shops that might not believed they were able to get leasing. Never know till you try.
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Shitty credit can really screw it up for people but I highly suggest getting credit corrected sooner than later. If you are a growing shop its likely you will need credit be it for a building or some machine along the way.
Check out Geneva, we like them. Use them for 2 Embroidery machines and our auto set up. We own everything else.
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I would buy a auto before hiring a employee in most cases. The nice thing about having a auto but no employee over head is if you can always call up a buddy and be like man can you come help me print this 1000pc job ill buy beer and pizza. But when your manual shop and adding another employee wont really speed up the printing much unless you had another manual press.
Obviously you need to have the business to support the auto cost but if you got that id go for it. You will increase your output, decrease your set up, increase your quality of product and quality of life. Leaving yourself more time to do other tasks or sell more jobs. Eventually you can hire someone to do the printing and you can move into selling more or another part of your business.
Shelly and I added an auto as a 2 person company doing just roughly 300k a year in sales. You wont believe how fast you grow at that point.
300k sales with a manual? Damn no wonder you got an auto, your arms must have been ready to fall off.
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From your last description, it sounds like time to go for it; it's a little hard to pull the trigger, but once your in the groove it'll be worth it. But I do sense from some a reticence in having to add employees, and it is hard to find quality employees, but if you're going to grow, you will eventually have to get some. As someone else said in an earlier thread, hire by their attitude, train them your way, and let them go do the work while you grow the business. Not everyone you hire is going to have your work ethic, but you have to weed those folks out until you have good ones, which, like me, might eventually leave and start their own place across town.
Steve
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300k sales with a manual? Damn no wonder you got an auto, your arms must have been ready to fall off.
300k sales total, which included embroidery, artwork, business cards/flyers and such.
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If you have about 50k in income you shouldn't have a problem leasing. I had lease approvals one year after a home foreclosure so don't let credit history stop you. These people want to lend money that's how they make money.
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Example: 25K leased
60 month payments
$562.75 per month
or $11.26 per day (based on a 30 day month.)
BTW, the above is an estimate, and final numbers are based on credit scores and other factors.
Hey man... I'll take 10 of those leases if you always do your math like that.
I just hope your engineers are better at math than you (Sorry, couldn't help that dig).
But seriously, your math sucks.
11.26 x 30 = 337.8 x 60 = 20268
On a 24,000 lease you just LOST 4k. ;)
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me too! sign me up :D That math also omits interest and other peripheral monthly fees.
To put it in some perspective, I just went through and counted my active screen printing jobs that are beyond the "just sent out a quote and waiting to hear back" phase and I have 22 jobs in queue, with about 16 of those "due" by the end of the week. Now about half of those are under 50 units or are one color jobs in the 50-150 range, and about half of them supplied finished or nearly finished art, but I am SWAMPED. I will probably end up working Saturday and a few nights this week. I have spent the first 3 hours this morning at the computer and on the phone, emailing customers, placing orders, and working on art. The next 6-7 hours will be all printing and prepping. Rinse and repeat for the rest of the week, and it will still be tight to get everything done.
That doesn't even count a few outsourced embroidery jobs (which still require art and communication time etc. and some web work I do for another business on contract.
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Actually his MONTHLY amount that he quoted 562.75 does account for those... that times 60 is $33,765 That's not a bad profit for the leasing company.
You have more business than us. :)
We have one full time employee and another "office manager" who bounces between a few different businesses but is mostly focused on the t-shirt business (she's reclaiming screens right now). My wife does some artwork and I take up space.
We have an auto, two single head embroidery units. I will say, that the office manager is paid out of another company though and I don't really take a check either. I keep dumping it back in. BUT, we are certainly poised for me to start taking a check... I'll probably just bonus out the surplus to the team so they can feel better about the crap wages I pay them. :)
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I wish I could dump it all back into the business. I would be a lot further along than I am, but having a kid is expensive as hell... :D
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People that hesitate about growing should consider what they could be pretty quick with some dedication.
Look how quick it happens for example in early 2011, 2 person company manual and 3 embroidery heads renting space. 2014, 10 person company, on our second auto/dts/led exposure, 22 embroidery heads, full vinyl print/plot set up and own the building.
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People that hesitate about growing should consider what they could be pretty quick with some dedication.
Look how quick it happens for example in early 2011, 2 person company manual and 3 embroidery heads renting space. 2014, 10 person company, on our second auto/dts/led exposure, 22 embroidery heads, full vinyl print/plot set up and own the building.
What would you say contributed to that success most of all? Obviously people didn't hear that you had an auto and started throwing business your way. Just curious as to what YOU think got you that far along?
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I'd be curious as well. That is also almost 4 years of growth. I have only been doing this full time since the beginning of this year, though I have been printing much longer than that of course. It has taken off really in the last 4-5 months for me, and I am definitely not hesitating to grow. I have already expanded twice now, from 500 sqft to 900 and now 1200, and I am finally at a point where I need very few things to do basically whatever jobs come my way (I cannot stress how exciting this is!). Now it is all about specific upgrades to increase efficiency (like the auto and a more powerful exposure light etc.). The actual growth when it comes to print volume and client base for me has been entirely based on word of mouth and random google searches, and has been very steadily increasing.
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People that hesitate about growing should consider what they could be pretty quick with some dedication.
Look how quick it happens for example in early 2011, 2 person company manual and 3 embroidery heads renting space. 2014, 10 person company, on our second auto/dts/led exposure, 22 embroidery heads, full vinyl print/plot set up and own the building.
What would you say contributed to that success most of all? Obviously people didn't hear that you had an auto and started throwing business your way. Just curious as to what YOU think got you that far along?
Yellow page ad. ;)
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People that hesitate about growing should consider what they could be pretty quick with some dedication.
Look how quick it happens for example in early 2011, 2 person company manual and 3 embroidery heads renting space. 2014, 10 person company, on our second auto/dts/led exposure, 22 embroidery heads, full vinyl print/plot set up and own the building.
What would you say contributed to that success most of all? Obviously people didn't hear that you had an auto and started throwing business your way. Just curious as to what YOU think got you that far along?
We were fairly well known in a small niche of the automotive market and the options for great printers within it are limited. Most are still manual printers printing 1-2 colors of ink with really basic artwork. We did see a drastic influx (for us) in work when adding the auto and I can only imagine it's because it certainly seems like you are more serious about screen printing when you add a auto. Of course there were sources for this type of work outside the niche but often people like to keep it in the family so to speak. Interestingly we also seen a pretty large bump in business when adding the new CHIIID, no idea why but that's been the case. I think people like to buy from growing small businesses, I know I do so that could play a part.
Yellow page ad. ;)
What's that ;)
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Word of mouth has been our best friend. It takes a while but it's free so ROI is infinite. Once you start knocking out medium and large runs quickly at good prices, word will spread.
An auto lets you be more competitive on price and turn time and opens up production capacity in a hurry. it saves on wear and tear on employees and lets you have 2/3 positions be fine for unskilled labor (as long as they have a bit of a brain).
Don't buy an auto suited to what you are doing today, but for what you'll be doing once you grow....because you will grow once you have an auto! (unless you blow it, but if you're really busy with a manual, then you obviously are on the right track)
I bought used at 25% of new price, it wasn't without a few challenges, but I'm able to do my own work on it and wasn't scared of getting dirty, if that isn't you, then new is probably a better choice.
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We were fairly well known in a small niche of the automotive market and the options for great printers within it are limited. Most are still manual printers printing 1-2 colors of ink with really basic artwork. We did see a drastic influx (for us) in work when adding the auto and I can only imagine it's because it certainly seems like you are more serious about screen printing when you add a auto. Of course there were sources for this type of work outside the niche but often people like to keep it in the family so to speak. Interestingly we also seen a pretty large bump in business when adding the new CHIIID, no idea why but that's been the case. I think people like to buy from growing small businesses, I know I do so that could play a part.
Interesting...so you make it a point to tell your customers you're an auto shop? How does that come up in conversation? Fascinating thread this has turned into, for me anyway..I think I might have to take the plunge sometime next year, you guys are talking me into it.
Yellow page ad. ;)
What's that ;)
That's about what I was thinking.
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That was a joke based on Brandt's refusal to answer his phone.
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Interesting...so you make it a point to tell your customers you're an auto shop? How does that come up in conversation? Fascinating thread this has turned into, for me anyway..I think I might have to take the plunge sometime next year, you guys are talking me into it.
Word of mouth mostly, but yes we post on our facebook/instagram and such when we add equipment. It seems to work for us. I dunno if people would get excited knowing that X shop is the same its always been, doing nothing to improve its quality, speed, or capabilities. I think people like to see shops that are growing, makes them feel apart of it if they are a customer, makes them want to be apart of it if they aren't.
We don't talk to customers on the phone or in person really. All internet/email.
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Don't buy an auto suited to what you are doing today, but for what you'll be doing once you grow....because you will grow once you have an auto!
Such good advice. Many people buy or hire just enough to get them through current business levels which I find only logical if you want to stay at that level. Which to me makes little sense. Remember when you get real busy you can't make a manual print faster, but that auto your running at 1/3rd speed can run faster if you get a buddy to unload for you.... Which will turn into a part time employee unloading, which will become your full time unloader, and so on.
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I wish I could dump it all back into the business. I would be a lot further along than I am, but having a kid is expensive as hell... :D
Yeah, we are fortunate to have other business that are doing so well. I have a 4 year old myself.
You seem like a good candidate for ReWork.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307463745/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307463745/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
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Don't buy an auto suited to what you are doing today, but for what you'll be doing once you grow....because you will grow once you have an auto!
Such good advice. Many people buy or hire just enough to get them through current business levels which I find only logical if you want to stay at that level. Which to me makes little sense. Remember when you get real busy you can't make a manual print faster, but that auto your running at 1/3rd speed can run faster if you get a buddy to unload for you.... Which will turn into a part time employee unloading, which will become your full time unloader, and so on.
True, true. I'd probably look at a 10 color min.
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I have worked for a small outfit since hs (though its been 10yrs since i printed and me and boss were the only printers.. now he has passed and an old employee bought the buisness about 5 yrs ago which he ran by himself till he found me but we are it now just refreshing with all the new tech