Jumpstart Your Sign Business Without A Sign Printer

You heard it – 

You can start a sign company out of your pre-existing business without buying a single piece of equipment.  You can start offering signs & banners as an ancillary business immediately by following these few simple steps. If you are already fluent in design software such as Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator you can get started today. 

1. Get Familiar With A Contract Sign Printer.

There are a few great sign companies such as signs2trade.com,  signs365.com, or b2sign.com  that are fantastic outlets that turn around signs & banners in 24-48 hours.  You will need to verify your company before setting up an account, but their interface to upload print ready artwork is simple and easy to use. Try ordering yourself a banner for your business first to get familiar with the interface.  These companies can send you sample packs of different materials and offerings – just give them a ring. 

2. Add Items to Your Website.

You can find easy stock images of basic sign offerings and add them to your website.  You can add those for customers to see what offerings you have. The contract printers prices are very black and white so you can easily add your mark up and pricing.   Turn a portion of your website into a legitimate sign & banner business. 

3. Market. Market. Market.

Make the daylights out of it. Gather all your customer emails and use a tool like Mailchimp to let your customers know you have added a new element to your business. Make sure you create literature and present yourself as a legitimate business that can handle sign & banner printing. Don’t be afraid of it, it’s easier than printing t-shirts. Careful not to overextend yourself at first. Make sure everything you market is still manageable. You do not need to be an installer starting off. If you do plan to install, make sure you carry insurance that covers installations. Offer a free banner with your customer’s next purchase and have fun with it. 

After doing this for some time, you may be in the business for a banner printer. Now after you have acquired a solid book of business, and you have something sustainable, you may have a tax appetite for purchasing equipment. Use proper tax planning to depreciate your equipment at the end of the year.  You will find yourself venturing into a great new profitable business, that will allow you to offer more to your customers. 

Image source: signs2trade.com