Leave The Faucet Running

Growing Pains // Luc Michaud of Signtek Industries

Are you experiencing growing pains in your shop? Things starting to fall through the cracks? Listen in as the guys discuss the challenges of managing a growing shop. Luc Michaud, co-owner of Signtek Industries (http://signtek.ca/) in Prince George, British Columbia – joins us to talk about some of their own experiences with 25% growth year over year since 2012.In this episode, we discuss...Turning away money (08:05)Abandoning your vision you first had for your shop (09:59)The growth of Luc's company (19:44)Signtek's major roadblocks (21:09)The breakout of Signtek's current staff (24:56)Luc's growth strategy for the company (27:49)The bottlenecks of smaller jobs vs larger jobs (36:10)The benefits of systems-based shops and franchises like Fast Signs (43:37)All the different funny business names in Canada (54:23)The technician vs business owner personalities (55:37)Why Peter ACTUALLY got into the sign business (01:07:59)Why Luc is excited about the future of his shop (01:11:27)Links from the episodePablo Torres's book - Visual Identity (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B2HK724X/)FastSigns (https://www.fsfastsigns.com/own-a-fastsigns/)Better Sign Shop Mastermind (https://www.bettersignshop.com/sign-shop-mastermind)Follow the crusty sign guysBryant from Better Sign ShopBetter Sign Shop Website: https://www.bettersignshop.comBetter Sign Shop Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bettersignshop Better Sign Shop Community for sign shop owners: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bettersignshopmastermind/Michael from Letterbox Sign DesignLetterbox Sign Design Website: https://www.letterboxsigndesign.com/Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LetterboxsigndesignPeter from Sign Shop ConsultingSign Shop Consulting Website: https://www.signshopconsulting.com/ Have questions you'd like to hear us answer on the air?Email us at [email protected] in being a potential guest on the show?Fill out our guest form at https://airtable.com/shrXZebg0Ou7u5ovU

Pricing Problems

The Rapid Evolution of AI Tools: AI Part 2

In this episode, Bryant and Mike continue their deep dive into the ever-evolving world of AI, building on the discussion from the previous episode. They explore the rapid growth of AI models, highlighting both their incredible benefits and the challenges they pose within the sign industry. Beyond discussing the impact of AI, Bryant and Mike showcase some of their favorite AI-powered tools that they use daily, offering insights into how these innovations are reshaping workflows and creativity. Tune in for an engaging and thought-provoking conversation as we navigate the fast-paced changes AI is bringing to our world—and what the future might hold! In this episode... 00:00 Intro 00:32 "AI" Models Rapid Growth 07:48 Tools We Use 12:23 TypingMind 18:53 AI for SEO 25:43 Tools for Text Generation 36:27 Current AI Situation 47:20 "AI" in Everyday life 53:35 Deepseek 58:00 "AI" Thinks 01:00:25 Directus 01:02:25 Replicate 01:08:00 NotebookLM 01:12:00 Clay 01:14:15 Perplexity 01:17:50 Loveable 01:21:45 Replit 01:28:50 Takeaways 01:34:04 Outro

The Ominous AI Episode - Part 1

In this episode, Bryant and Michael take a deep dive into how AI is reshaping the sign and design industry. They explore its growing impact on the creative process, discussing whether AI is a helpful tool for designers or a force that could potentially harm the industry as a whole. From automating routine tasks to enabling innovative design solutions, AI offers exciting possibilities, but it also raises critical questions about originality, ethics, and the future role of human designers. To bring theory into practice, Bryant and Michael put one of Michael's banner designs to the test, leveraging AI tools to see how they measure up against traditional methods. Join the conversation as they weigh the pros and cons of AI, debate its long-term implications, and consider how designers can adapt to thrive in an increasingly AI-driven landscape. In this episode... 00:00 Intro 00:32 Catching Up 08:05 Last year's learnings 12:25 Creative but uninterested in the business side 15:11 The Ominous AI 16:25 Takes on AI 21:00 AI on a daily basis 25:40 AI Impact on Creativity 36:18 Dangers of AI 39:29 Dangers for Designers 42:20 Shift of designers 46:00 Using Claude to replicate Mike's design 51:40 Tool For Creativity 01:00:39 AI for younger generation 01:05:03 Takeaways 01:07:00 Outro

Signs of Balance // Shane Durnford of Jayce Fox Studio

You’ve seen his work even if you didn’t know his name. Legendary sign crafter Shane Durnford joins us for a mindblowing conversation about our chosen craft. 🤯 Shane opens up about his personal experience with burnout. And he also shares invaluable advice for those looking to venture into high end signage – revealing a little bit about his secret sauce. Another can’t miss episode!---This episode is sponsored by:GCI Digital ImagingYour large/grand format trade printing partnerOwner T.J. Bedacht and his team focus on providing old-school customer service. You can check out Episode #9 to see for yourself.  So if you're looking for a wholesale print provider for banners, coroplast signs, vehicle wraps, and other digitally printed graphicsLearn more and place your first order at https://gci-digital.com.---In this episode...00:00:00 Intro00:01:30 Catching up00:04:20 Bryant’s Appendix surgery 00:09:00 Guest intro00:13:00 Shane’s backstory00:16:10 First high-relief carving 00:17:25 Shane’s designs / Emotion and commerce00:24:00 Shane’s not a sign guy00:34:18 Stepping away from the industry00:41:10 Avoiding burnout00:50:15 Obsession to detail 00:56:25 Creative Process  01:07:45 Advice for sign shop 01:15:40 Future Plans01:19:29 What Shane wants to be remembered for01:24:07 Shane’s workshop01:27:02 Outro-##-##-Links from the ShowRecommended Books------The Old Way of Seeinghttps://www.amazon.com/Old-Way-Seeing-How-Back/dp/039574010X/Shane’s Work------It speaks for itself… Check out his websitehttps://jaycefoxstudios.com/environmental-sign-designShane’s Workshop------If you’re at all interested in furthering your design skills and becoming a better sign maker, check out the details and join Shane’s in-person workshop.https://jaycefoxstudios.com/sign-design-workshopOther Signmakers to Follow------Dirk Ramplinghttps://www.dirkssigns.com.au/Roger Coxhttps://houseofsignsco.com/carved-dimensional-signs-colorado/Dan Sawatzkyhttps://www.imaginationcorporation.com/attractions-##-##-Ready to systemize and scale your shop?Start by creating your free account on the Better Sign Shop platform at https://my.bettersignshop.com/Are you a sign or print shop owner?Join the Better Sign Shop Community - our free Facebook group exclusively for shop owners and managers (https://www.facebook.com/groups/bettersignshopmastermind)-##-##-Want to follow the crusty sign guys?Bryant from Better Sign Shop- Better Sign Shop Website: https://www.bettersignshop.com- Better Sign Shop Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bettersignshopMichael from Letterbox Sign Design- Letterbox Sign Design Website: https://www.letterboxsigndesign.com/- Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/letterboxsigndesignPeter from Sign Shop Consulting- Sign Shop Consulting Website: https://www.signshopconsulting.com/-##-##-Interested in being a guest on the show? Have questions you'd like to hear us answer on the air? Reach out to us.

Your Success is on You // Brad Rapone of Trade Wraps and TORQ

This episode is sponsored by:GCI Digital ImagingYour large/grand format trade printing partnerOwner T.J. Bedacht and his team focus on providing old-school customer service. You can check out Episode #9 to see for yourself.  So if you're looking for a wholesale print provider for banners, coroplast signs, vehicle wraps, and other digitally printed graphicsLearn more and place your first order at https://gci-digital.com.---In this episode...00:00      Intro02:00      Mike’s nickname  03:00      Guest intro04:40      Corel draw Mac and PC 08:20      Brad’s Backstory09:00      Experience in the sign business and the failures15:30       Getting back after the failure.  20:10       Hitting a million dollars22:20       Steps to make a big change27:10        More about the business and change32:20       Cash flow quadrant 36:15        Why trade wraps38:00       Why Brad over Dan43:45       Developing TORQ48:00       Getting into different Industry54:50       Pricing for TORQ58:00       Business through text messaging and E-mail 59:55       Building your own system or buying01:03:20  Enjoying the business side now or miss the old days01:08:05  What does Brad wants to be remembered for 01:10:20   Outro ##-##Brad’s Wrap BusinessTradeWrapshttps://tradewraps.com/Brad’s CRMTorqCRMhttps://www.torqcrm.com/Ready to systemise and scale your shop?Start by creating your free account on the Better Sign Shop platform at https://my.bettersignshop.com/Are you a sign or print shop owner?Join the Better Sign Shop Community - our free Facebook group exclusively for shop owners and managers (https://www.facebook.com/groups/bette...)##-##Want to follow the crusty sign guys?Bryant from Better Sign Shop- Better Sign Shop Website: https://www.bettersignshop.com- Better Sign Shop Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bettersignshopMichael from Letterbox Sign Design- Letterbox Sign Design Website: https://www.letterboxsigndesign.com/- Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/letterboxsig...Peter from Sign Shop Consulting- Sign Shop Consulting Website: https://www.signshopconsulting.com/##-##Interested in being a guest on the show? Have questions you'd like to hear us answer on the air? Reach out to us.

How to Lose an Employee in 10 Days: Lessons on Building A Killer Team // Jeff Sherman

Are you struggling with finding and keeping good employees? Learn what it really takes to onboard a new employee and how to keep valuable team members motivated and engaged.An old friend with an epic beard – Jeff Sherman – joins us for a conversation on employees and building a solid team. Jeff has 20+ years of sign industry experience and 10+ years of running operations at a fairly large shop.We cover a lot of topics related to building a killer team. You won't be disappointed.In this episode...Jeff's new nicknames for Mike (01:25)Origin of the sign shop Yoda (06:14)Jeff's sign industry backstory (08:45)The biggest struggle for shops nationwide (15:20)Building up your people (16:32)Developing employees takes time (23:40)To grow as a business and an owner... (32:00)Onboarding time (33:33)The standard for industry training (40:35)Don't just learn from mistakes... (51:40)How to keep employees long term (53:23)Give employees enough space to fail (59:18)What caused Jeff to leave his position (1:05:09)Follow the crusty sign guysBryant from Better Sign ShopBetter Sign Shop Website: https://www.bettersignshop.comBetter Sign Shop Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bettersignshopBetter Sign Shop Community for sign shop owners: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bettersignshopmastermind/Michael from Letterbox Sign DesignLetterbox Sign Design Website: https://www.letterboxsigndesign.com/Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LetterboxsigndesignPeter from Sign Shop ConsultingSign Shop Consulting Website: https://www.signshopconsulting.com/Interested in being a potential guest on the show? Have questions you'd like to hear us answer on the air?Email us at [email protected]

Elevating Our Craft // Interview with Tom McIltrot - Founder of SignCraft Magazine

Join us for an interview with sign industry legend - Tom McIlltrot – one of the founders of SignCraft magazine. Michael described this episode as his "Christmas" – given how much of learned so much from SignCraft over the years. Tom tells us the history of SignCraft and shares a few amazing stories. He gives us his take on the future of the industry and shares some advice on how to compete as a modern sign shop.---This episode sponsored by:GCI Digital ImagingYour large / grand format trade printing partnerOwner T.J. Bedacht and his team focus on providing customer service the old-school way. Check out Episode #9 to see for yourself.  So if you're looking for a wholesale print provider for banners, coroplast signs, vehicle wraps, and other digitally printed graphicsLearn more and place your first order at https://gci-digital.com---In this episode...------Ready to systemize and scale your shop?Start by creating your free account on the Better Sign Shop platform at https://my.bettersignshop.com/Are you a sign or print shop owner?Join the Better Sign Shop Community - our free Facebook group exclusively for shop owners and managers (https://www.facebook.com/groups/bettersignshopmastermind/)---Want to follow the crusty sign guys?Bryant from Better Sign Shop- Better Sign Shop Website: https://www.bettersignshop.com- Better Sign Shop Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bettersignshop###Michael from Letterbox Sign Design- Letterbox Sign Design Website: https://www.letterboxsigndesign.com/- Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Letterboxsigndesign###Peter from Sign Shop Consulting- Sign Shop Consulting Website: https://www.signshopconsulting.com/---Interested in being a guest on the show? Have questions you'd like to hear us answer on the air?Reach out to us.

Art Department Automation // Brian Saetre - Founder of TaskOS and ArtworkIQ

Join us as dive into automating your art department with automation guru Brian Saetre. Brian founded an artwork services company before creating his latest proejct TaskOS – which is focused on making your designers more effective and efficient. We also touch on artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT and MidJourney during this interesting discussion.You'll walk away with some helpful tips and tricks on automation.---This episode sponsored by:GCI Digital ImagingYour large / grand format trade printing partnerOwner T.J. Bedacht and his team focus on providing customer service the old-school way. Check out Episode #9 to see for yourself.  So if you're looking for a wholesale print provider for banners, coroplast signs, vehicle wraps, and other digitally printed graphicsLearn more and place your first order at https://gci-digital.com---In this episode...------Ready to systemize and scale your shop?Start by creating your free account on the Better Sign Shop platform at https://my.bettersignshop.com/Are you a sign or print shop owner?Join the Better Sign Shop Community - our free Facebook group exclusively for shop owners and managers (https://www.facebook.com/groups/bettersignshopmastermind/)---Want to follow the crusty sign guys?Bryant from Better Sign Shop- Better Sign Shop Website: https://www.bettersignshop.com- Better Sign Shop Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bettersignshop###Michael from Letterbox Sign Design- Letterbox Sign Design Website: https://www.letterboxsigndesign.com/- Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Letterboxsigndesign###Peter from Sign Shop Consulting- Sign Shop Consulting Website: https://www.signshopconsulting.com/---Interested in being a guest on the show? Have questions you'd like to hear us answer on the air?Reach out to us.

The Importance of Customer Experience // TJ Bedacht - GCI Digital

We hate buzzwords. And “customer experience” is one that everyone one the internet seems to SHOUT about as a key driver for growth. But once you wade through all the gimmicks and hype, it is a very important concept to apply in your shop.Tj Bedacht from grand format trade printer GCI Digital Imaging – talk about customer experience and coming through for customers day in and day out.//////////////////////////////////////In this episode...-//////////////////////////////////////Links from the EpisodeGCI Digital Websitehttp://www.gci-digital.com?ref=bettersignshopThat Rusty Bus Facebook Pagehttps://www.facebook.com/thatrustybus///////////////////////////////////////Follow the crusty sign guysBryant from Better Sign Shop- Better Sign Shop Website: https://www.bettersignshop.com- Better Sign Shop Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bettersignshop- Better Sign Shop Community for sign shop owners: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bettersignshopmastermind/Michael from Letterbox Sign Design- Letterbox Sign Design Website: https://www.letterboxsigndesign.com/- Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LetterboxsigndesignPeter from Sign Shop Consulting- Sign Shop Consulting Website: https://www.signshopconsulting.com/Have questions you'd like to hear us answer on the air? Email us at [email protected] in being a potential guest on the show? Fill out our guest form at https://airtable.com/shrXZebg0Ou7u5ovU

How To Choose Your Sign Shop Management Software

This is definitely the song that never ends 🐑. Right up there with pricing questions – "What sign shop management software are you using?" is asked weekly in every sign industry forum, Facebook group, and any other place sign folks gather. Shop management software is a foundational piece of running a successful sign shop and can truly help you scale, grow, and manage your shop. Listen as two sign shop management software nerds talk through our advice and recommendations for every shop owner.We cover:- Using generic tools like Trello, Airtable, and others as your shop management software- Using off the shelf sign and print shop management software- Estimate (http://www.estimatesoftware.com/)- Sign Tracker (https://www.sign-tracker.com/)- Cyrious (https://www.cyrious.com/products/control/)- shopVOX (https://www.shopvox.com/)- Corebridge (https://corebridge.net/)- Square Coil (Formerly V-Sign Software) (https://squarecoil.com/)- Must have advice for implementing sign and print shop management software---This episode sponsored by:GCI Digital ImagingYour large / grand format trade printing partnerOwner T.J. Bedacht and his team focus on providing customer service the old-school way. Check out Episode #9 to see for yourself.  So if you're looking for a wholesale print provider for banners, coroplast signs, vehicle wraps, and other digitally printed graphicsLearn more and place your first order at https://gci-digital.com---In this episode...------Ready to systemize and scale your shop?Start by creating your free account on the Better Sign Shop platform at https://my.bettersignshop.com/Are you a sign or print shop owner?Join the Better Sign Shop Community - our free Facebook group exclusively for shop owners and managers (https://www.facebook.com/groups/bettersignshopmastermind/)---Want to follow the crusty sign guys?Bryant from Better Sign Shop- Better Sign Shop Website: https://www.bettersignshop.com- Better Sign Shop Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bettersignshop###Michael from Letterbox Sign Design- Letterbox Sign Design Website: https://www.letterboxsigndesign.com/- Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Letterboxsigndesign###Peter from Sign Shop Consulting- Sign Shop Consulting Website: https://www.signshopconsulting.com/---Interested in being a guest on the show? Have questions you'd like to hear us answer on the air?Email us at [email protected]

Outsourcing Your Way To Freedom // Jeremy Siegers - Sharp Mill Graphics

Michael and Bryant discuss the benefits of outsourcing and the lessons they learned. The guys are joined by guest Jeremy Siegers from Sharp Mill Graphics. Jeremy recently completely transformed his entire business by ditching his shop and letting his production staff go to work 100% remotely. He's changed his business to fit his ideal lifestyle.In this episode, we discuss...Mike's nutty catalytic converter story (01:10)Post Malone and Country Singers (04:54)Mike's take on outsourcing (6:00)How much outsourcing the guys did in their shops (9:14)Why not to buy that new equipment (11:56)Don't underestimate the maintenance and service (16:45)What you should outsource (21:52)Outsourcing overflow is OK (23:50)Intro to Jeremy and Sharp Mill (26:30)The tipping point for Jeremy (38:00) How Jeremy is vetting vendors (48:15)Rapid fire takeaways (57:00)Links from the episodeSharp Mill Graphics (https://sharpmill.com)Follow the crusty sign guysBryant from Better Sign ShopBetter Sign Shop Website: https://www.bettersignshop.comBetter Sign Shop Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bettersignshop Better Sign Shop Community for sign shop owners: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bettersignshopmastermind/Michael from Letterbox Sign DesignLetterbox Sign Design Website: https://www.letterboxsigndesign.com/Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LetterboxsigndesignPeter from Sign Shop ConsultingSign Shop Consulting Website: https://www.signshopconsulting.com/ Have questions you'd like to hear us answer on the air?Email us at [email protected] in being a potential guest on the show?Fill out our guest form at https://airtable.com/shrXZebg0Ou7u5ovU

Design Like Lives are at Stake // Dan Antonelli of KickCharge Creative

Industry legend – Dan Antonelli of KickCharge Creative joins us to talk about his new book Branded Not Blanded and to discuss why you're playing with fire if you're not educating your sign shop's customers on the importance of design and branding.Make sure you pick up a copy of Dan's latest book – Branded Not Blanded – at https://www.kickcharge.com/books/---This episode sponsored by:GCI Digital ImagingYour large / grand format trade printing partnerOwner T.J. Bedacht and his team focus on providing customer service the old-school way. Check out Episode #9 to see for yourself.  So if you're looking for a wholesale print provider for banners, coroplast signs, vehicle wraps, and other digitally printed graphics Learn more and place your first order at https://gci-digital.com---In this episode...- -- ---Ready to systemize and scale your shop?Start by creating your free account on the Better Sign Shop platform at https://my.bettersignshop.com/Are you a sign or print shop owner?Join the Better Sign Shop Community - our free Facebook group exclusively for shop owners and managers (https://www.facebook.com/groups/bettersignshopmastermind/)---Want to follow the crusty sign guys?Bryant from Better Sign Shop- Better Sign Shop Website: https://www.bettersignshop.com- Better Sign Shop Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bettersignshop###Michael from Letterbox Sign Design- Letterbox Sign Design Website: https://www.letterboxsigndesign.com/- Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Letterboxsigndesign###Peter from Sign Shop Consulting- Sign Shop Consulting Website: https://www.signshopconsulting.com/---Interested in being a guest on the show? Have questions you'd like to hear us answer on the air?Email us at [email protected]

Navigating Your Shop's Legacy // Taylor Kraenzel of Vizion Signs

Taylor Kraenzel of Vizion Signs (https://www.vizionsigns.com/) joins us to talk about what it's like to take over and modernize the family business while still trying to retain the craft and eye for artwork that they were known for. Taylor's grandfather started the shop way back in 1966. And they're still going strong. Just a heads up – this one runs a bit long but we had a blast. We cover a ton of great topics and we even get to flip the script a bit at the end.In this episode...Mike dies from laughter (01:45)Mike - the Sign Chimichanga - tries to give Bryant a nickname (02:40)Peter shares some big news about his future (09:56)Taylor shares his backstory (19:09)Taylor's takeaways from success in the real estate industry (26:16)Balancing the art focus and the commerical side (38:21)In a competitive market, how does Vizion stand out? (46:08)The profitability of the business (01:07:15)How to outsource installation (01:10:05)Is focusing on vehicle wraps a good avenue for growth? (01:28:20)Takeaways for Taylor (01:40:00)---Ready to systemize and scale your shop?Start by creating your free account on the Better Sign Shop platform at https://my.bettersignshop.com/ Are you a sign or print shop owner?Join the Better Sign Shop Community - our free Facebook group exclusively for shop owners and managers (https://www.facebook.com/groups/bettersignshopmastermind/)---Want to follow the crusty sign guys?Bryant from Better Sign ShopBetter Sign Shop Website: https://www.bettersignshop.comBetter Sign Shop Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bettersignshopMichael from Letterbox Sign DesignLetterbox Sign Design Website: https://www.letterboxsigndesign.com/Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LetterboxsigndesignPeter from Sign Shop ConsultingSign Shop Consulting Website: https://www.signshopconsulting.com/---Interested in being a guest on the show?Have questions you'd like to hear us answer on the air?Email us at [email protected]

Happy Hour with Jeff Sherman

We're joined by Jeff Sherman for this special happy-hour episode. Be warned 🤣 – we're a little loose.An old friend with an epic beard – Jeff Sherman has 20+ years of sign industry experience and 10+ years of running operations at a fairly large shop.We discussed about shifting from vinyl to fab and electrical, safety protocols, managing growth and many other interesting topics.This episode is sponsored by:GCI Digital ImagingYour large/grand format trade printing partnerOwner T.J. Bedacht and his team focus on providing old-school customer service. You can check out Episode #9 to see for yourself.  So if you're looking for a wholesale print provider for banners, coroplast signs, vehicle wraps, and other digitally printed graphicsLearn more and place your first order at https://gci-digital.com.---In this episode...00:00 - Intro02:25 - Mike's new name05:25 - Jeff's intro08:00 - Peter's question on having a full time trainer14:00 - Shifting from vinyl29:10 - Mike on installation and its importance43:20 - Mailbox question on safety protocols46:40 - Peter's two incidents on safety protocols and learning58:05 - Training staff to not let customers run your business01:07:12 - How to manage growth01:33:20 - Peter's question to Bryant01:42:12 - Rapid fire takeaways and outroReady to systemize and scale your shop?Start by creating your free account on the Better Sign Shop platform at https://my.bettersignshop.com/Are you a sign or print shop owner?Join the Better Sign Shop Community - our free Facebook group exclusively for shop owners and managers (https://www.facebook.com/groups/bette...)---Want to follow the crusty sign guys?Bryant from Better Sign Shop- Better Sign Shop Website: https://www.bettersignshop.com- Better Sign Shop Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bettersignshop###Michael from Letterbox Sign Design- Letterbox Sign Design Website: https://www.letterboxsigndesign.com/- Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Letterboxsig...###Peter from Sign Shop Consulting- Sign Shop Consulting Website: https://www.signshopconsulting.com/---Interested in being a guest on the show? Have questions you'd like to hear us answer on the air?Reach out to us.

Shop Owner Q&A - August

Instead of riffing on a single topic, we answer three important questions from podcast listeners. If you're a shop owner, you've got answers to these at some point – so listen in and see if you agree with our recommendations.1. How do you address minimum orders and how to handle the walk-ins requesting $50 lettering/signs? Also how minimums might apply to large accounts that frequently request small orders in between larger orders?2. How much should you be paying yourself as the owner of a sign shop3. How can I get new leads for my sign company? What’s worked well for you all?In this episode, we discuss...How to address minimum orders (09:13)The importance of qualifying customers (13:05)Locking the doors and going appointment only (14:46)Walk-in customers get shown the door for $50 (16:37)'Shop minimums' creating poor experiences for customers (19:21)How to use a minimum order amount to upsell (22:28)What to do when large accounts need small orders (29:07)The difference between a large account vs a good account (33:53)How much should you be paying yourself? (35:08)Are you a key employee as well as an owner? (38:17)Importance of having financial experts on your team (42:07)How can I get new leads for my shop? (43:37)Who's your customer (46:34)Using pay-per-click ads (49:04)Don't ignore face-to-face marketing (51:13)Rapid-fire takeaways (57:01)Links from the episodeSign Shop Talk Facebook Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/signshoptalk)Better Sign Shop Mastermind (https://www.bettersignshop.com/sign-shop-mastermind)Follow the crusty sign guysBryant from Better Sign ShopBetter Sign Shop Website: https://www.bettersignshop.comBetter Sign Shop Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bettersignshop Better Sign Shop Community for sign shop owners: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bettersignshopmastermind/Michael from Letterbox Sign DesignLetterbox Sign Design Website: https://www.letterboxsigndesign.com/Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LetterboxsigndesignPeter from Sign Shop ConsultingSign Shop Consulting Website: https://www.signshopconsulting.com/ Have questions you'd like to hear us answer on the air?Email us at [email protected] in being a potential guest on the show?Fill out our guest form at https://airtable.com/shrXZebg0Ou7u5ovU

Stop Fumbling The Handoff

Most mistakes in a sign or print shop are made during the handoffs. When a job is handed from sales to design, from design to production, from production to install. It's important that you manage the handoff well in order to ensure things are completed on time and customers stay happy.In this episode, we discuss...Peter has a crisis over Disney's power bill (02:30)Mike's fixer upper (04:28)Mike's football knowledge (09:35)Where do most breakdowns happen (11:54)It's all about communication (14:20)Fast Signs sing-along (15:44)Importance of meetings once per week (17:15)Using tools like Slack to communicate internally (21:16)Bryant gives his favorite email / team communication tool (26:57)What are some symptoms of poor handoffs (34:11)Blame the sales team (38:58)Don't blame the sales team (43:20)Job shadowing as a way to improve teamwork (52:00)The meat and potatoes (54:50)Rapid fire takeaways (59:59)Links from the episodeSlack - team group chat tool the guys discussed (https://slack.com/)Missive - Bryant's recommendation for a shared inbox tool (https://missiveapp.com/?ref_id=E9E18DBF7CBA)Many Requests - Mike's recommendation for managing client submitted design jobs (http://manyrequests.com/)Jim Justice Memes (https://giphy.com/search/jim-justice)Money Pit - 80s movie with Tom Hanks and Shelley Long (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091541/)Mike's home remodeling blog (https://oursomedayhouse.squarespace.com/)Follow the crusty sign guysBryant from Better Sign ShopBetter Sign Shop Website: https://www.bettersignshop.comBetter Sign Shop Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bettersignshop Better Sign Shop Community for sign shop owners: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bettersignshopmastermind/Michael from Letterbox Sign DesignLetterbox Sign Design Website: https://www.letterboxsigndesign.com/Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LetterboxsigndesignPeter from Sign Shop ConsultingSign Shop Consulting Website: https://www.signshopconsulting.com/ Have questions you'd like to hear us answer on the air?Email us at [email protected] in being a potential guest on the show?Fill out our guest form at https://airtable.com/shrXZebg0Ou7u5ovU

When To Invest In Your Shop

Michael, Peter, and Bryant are back with more answers to listener questions. They cover...When should you invest in your shop? How do I handle a client that's NOT happy with their vehicle wrap even though they approved the proof ?What should my markups on materials be?In this episode, we discuss...Mike's panic about his upcoming wedding (01:59)Diving into when to invest in your shop (06:57)Peter's reason why he bought his first printer (09:21)Should you buy a new piece of equipment if you don't have time to learn how to use it (15:50)Why training is as important as any equipment you buy (20:10)Other types of investment into your team (27:51)The importance of simply paying your team well (31:15)How to handle un-happy customers (35:27)The situation is never black and white (39:15)Handling the situation (43:37)What to set your material markups at (51:40)Links from the episodeTopaz Labs (for enhancing pixelated images) https://www.topazlabs.com/Wrap Institute (for video courses on wrapping vehicles) https://wrapinstitute.com/Follow the crusty sign guysBryant from Better Sign ShopBetter Sign Shop Website: https://www.bettersignshop.comBetter Sign Shop Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bettersignshop Better Sign Shop Community for sign shop owners: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bettersignshopmastermind/Michael from Letterbox Sign DesignLetterbox Sign Design Website: https://www.letterboxsigndesign.com/Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LetterboxsigndesignPeter from Sign Shop ConsultingSign Shop Consulting Website: https://www.signshopconsulting.com/ Have questions you'd like to hear us answer on the air?Email us at [email protected] in being a potential guest on the show?Fill out our guest form at https://airtable.com/shrXZebg0Ou7u5ovU

Remodeling Your Business // Maggie Harlow - Signarama Downtown Louisville KY

We're joined by Maggie Harlow – the successful owner of Signarama Downtown in Louisville KY. She's a leader in the industry and also a columnist for Signs of The Times. We talk about her journey in the sign industry – from jumping into ownership without any industry experience, through managing large national projects for clients, and then to completely "re-modeling" her business when the old model no longer fit. There are lots of great nuggets and advice in this episode.This episode is sponsored by:GCI Digital ImagingYour large/grand format trade printing partnerOwner T.J. Bedacht and his team focus on providing old-school customer service. You can check out Episode #9 to see for yourself.  So if you're looking for a wholesale print provider for banners, coroplast signs, vehicle wraps, and other digitally printed graphicsLearn more and place your first order at https://gci-digital.com.---In this episode...00:00 - Intro01:21 - Welcome04:41 - Welcoming Maggie06:20 - Signarama vs FastSigns07:30 - Maggie's story10:20 - What is perfect about the sign industry?15:15 - Love/hate relationship with the industry17:43 - 1st full year as a franchise owner and doing a million23:30 -  90 buses in 90 days?26:20 - Other managed projects31:00 - The time frame for the transition37:10 - Picky about doing projects38:50 - Saying NO to customers42:40 - Favorite type of sign to make44:00 - Advice for shop owners  45:55 - Present trends and the future of the industry48:45 - Future of Maggie's business50:00 - Maggie's leadership team58:00 - Thanks to Maggie01:02:23 - Rapid takeaways Ready to systemize and scale your shop?Start by creating your free account on the Better Sign Shop platform at https://my.bettersignshop.com/Are you a sign or print shop owner?Join the Better Sign Shop Community - our free Facebook group exclusively for shop owners and managers (https://www.facebook.com/groups/bette...)---Want to follow the crusty sign guys?Bryant from Better Sign Shop- Better Sign Shop Website: https://www.bettersignshop.com- Better Sign Shop Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bettersignshop###Michael from Letterbox Sign Design- Letterbox Sign Design Website: https://www.letterboxsigndesign.com/- Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Letterboxsig...###Peter from Sign Shop Consulting- Sign Shop Consulting Website: https://www.signshopconsulting.com/---Interested in being a guest on the show? Have questions you'd like to hear us answer on the air?Reach out to us.