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Team & Operations

Stop being the bottleneck in your own shop. When you're stuck doing everything yourself, both you and your business suffer. Learn how successful shop owners build reliable teams, create systems that work, and escape the daily chaos of production – so you can finally work on your business instead of in it.

Team & Operations

The best Team & Operations articles, podcasts, and videos

The 10 Sign Shop Commandments - Part 2

The 10 Sign Shop Commandments - Part 2

In this engaging podcast Series, Peter shares his 10 Sign Shop Commandments—a comprehensive set of principles designed to drive your sign shop's financial success. These commandments aren’t just generic advice; they are presented in a unique percentage-based format, offering clear and actionable insights to help you stabilize, optimize, and elevate your business operations.Bryant and Peter delve deep into each commandment, unpacking the strategies and steps necessary for implementation. They discuss how these rules can fix sign shop owners' challenges and difficulties. Whether you're just starting out or looking to take your business to the next level, these ten commandments serve as your roadmap to success.##-##In this episode...00:00     Intro.00:50     Sign Shop Yoda.04:40     Recap of first five commandments.06:44     Advertising Budget Query 11:17     6th Commandment: Total Payroll 21:36     7th Commandment: Average Payroll26:08     8th Commandment: Lead Conversion33:37     9th Commandment: Hourly Rate44:39     10th Commandment: Quote to Sales Order53:58      Outro##-##Are you a sign or print shop owner?Join the Better Sign Shop Community - our exclusive Facebook group for shop owners and managers. Connect and learn from peers at https://www.facebook.com/groups/bettersignshopmastermind.

Podcast
The 10 Sign Shop Commandments - Part 1

The 10 Sign Shop Commandments - Part 1

In this engaging podcast Series, Peter shares his 10 Sign Shop Commandments—a comprehensive set of principles designed to drive your sign shop's financial success. These commandments aren’t just generic advice; they are presented in a unique percentage-based format, offering clear and actionable insights to help you stabilize, optimize, and elevate your business operations.Bryant and Peter dive deep into each commandment, unpacking the strategies and steps necessary for implementation. They discuss how these rules can fix sign shop owners' challenges and difficulties. Whether you're just starting out or looking to take your business to the next level, these ten commandments serve as your roadmap to success.##-##In this episode...00:00      Intro00:32      Catching Up06:20      Year-end and sign-shop09:05      10 Sign Shop commandments11:40      1st Commandment: Gross Profit Margins15:09      2nd Commandment: Direct labor percentage18:13      3rd Commandment: Material cost26:10      4th Commandment: Operating expenses32:35      5th Commandment: Advertising budget42:20      Jason’s Question on Marketing Vendor46:23      Ride the wave (ridethewave.info)48:18      For Introverts53:33      Social Sponge (socialsponge.biz)57:03      Recap58:32      Outro##-##Are you a sign or print shop owner?Join the Better Sign Shop Community - our exclusive Facebook group for shop owners and managers. Connect and learn from peers at https://www.facebook.com/groups/bettersignshopmastermind.

Podcast
Carving a Niche // Jim Dawson of Synergy Sign & Graphics

Carving a Niche // Jim Dawson of Synergy Sign & Graphics

Jim Dawson owns Synergy Sign & Graphics in Strasburg, OH. From humble beginnings in his basement 20 years ago, he has built a business that thrives on challenges and innovation. In this podcast, he shares his experiences with creative architectural signage.##-##This episode is sponsored by:GCI Digital ImagingYour partner for large/grand format trade printing. Known for exceptional customer service, GCI Digital Imaging is the go-to for banners, coroplast signs, vehicle wraps, and other digitally printed graphics.Discover more in Episode #9 or visit https://gci-digital.com.Jaco Wholesale Sign ProductsLooking to enhance your clients' impact and boost your profits with flat-cut acrylic letters and logos? Jaco Wholesale Sign Products delivers laser-cut acrylic letters and signage with quick turnaround times and excellent communication. They offer a wide range of mounting options, Pantone matching, several acrylic thicknesses, and nationwide shipping.Visit https://sign.supply/bss/ for a quote and $50 off your first order.##-##Links:Dan Sawatzky Episode: https://youtu.be/QHOBWzf-5QYSynergy Signs Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/synergy_signs/##-##Key Points Discussed:- Business and Personal life: Jim shares his business and personal life and how he and his wife manage it all together.- Jim's Journey: Jim shares his journey and how he ended up with signage from an animator and cabinet shop. -Architecture Projects: Jim shares with us his amazing architecture Projects and shows us the workflow of working with architecture Projects.-Client Expectation: We dive deep into this conversation, discussing the importance of knowing and fulfilling clients' expectations and how to let clients know what we expect from them.- Pricing Methods: Jim discusses his pricing method and how he decides or adjusts his pricing and profit margins.- Changes in the industry: We discuss the positive and negative aspects of the industry's changes and how they will affect the market and the future of signage. -Jim's Workshop: Jim talks about his workshop, which they conduct a few times per year. Y http://www.synergysign.com/sign-alchemy-workshops/-Sign Shop School: Jim and Peter discuss their future plan to open a sign shop school and give back to the industry.##-##In this episode...00:00            Intro 00:38            Sponsor 01:27             Catching Up 04:40            Winning a Lottery 09:12             About Jim 10:25             Working with Wife 13:55             From Animator to cabinet shop to signage 19:12              The Progression. 22:12             Storefront walk-in traffic 28:07             Inflection Point  31:12              Jim’s architecture projects    33:12              Fulfilling Client Expectations 36:25             90-day Terms 38:18              Equipments 43:20             Fire Prevention 46:02             Workflow with architecture Projects. 52:30             Pricing Method 57:05             Changes in the Industry 01:02:42        Jim’s Workshop 01:12:12          Sign Shop School##-##Are you a sign or print shop owner?Join the Better Sign Shop Community - our exclusive Facebook group for shop owners and managers. Connect and learn from peers at https://www.facebook.com/groups/bettersignshopmastermind.Interested in being a guest on the show or have questions for our team? Reach out to us at hey@bettersignshop.com.

Podcast
Chill The F$&k Out // Dan Yoder of Sign Art Studio

Chill The F$&k Out // Dan Yoder of Sign Art Studio

In this episode, we're joined by Dan Yoder - the owner of Sign Art Studio, a killer sign shop with 30 people near Madison, Wisconsin. Dan has been in the industry since 2005 and gives us valuable insights on various topics such as the business and art side of the industry, the importance of systems and processes, hiring and managing employees, and more.##-##This episode is sponsored by:GCI Digital Imaging - Your partner for large/grand format trade printing. Known for their exceptional customer service, GCI Digital Imaging is the go-to for banners, coroplast signs, vehicle wraps, and other digitally printed graphics. Discover more in Episode #9 or visit https://gci-digital.com.##-##Key Points Discussed:- Dan's Origin Story: Dan has always been interested in art and fell in love with this craft early in his life. Making mistakes, learning from them, and growing forward continuously. He started his own business in 2005 and now has a team of about 30.- Team Management: Dan discusses Sign Art Studio, how he started the business, and how he tackled all of its problems. He tells us the structure of his team and how it works. He also shares the importance of Teamwork and how he manages his team to gain efficiency.- Hiring Question: Dan answered one of the most asked questions about hiring. He shares his thoughts on hiring somebody with no experience or someone with some signage experience.- Business and Art: We dive deep into this discussion where we all share our thoughts on the "Business" and "Art" side of the industry, which one has more importance, and how both can be managed.- Processes and Systems: We discuss processes and systems, layers of processes, flexibility with systems, having processes to set or change processes, and much more. Dan shares the Sign Art Studios' way of working and how they have set up their workflow.- Right Type of Clients: Working with the right type of clients is a different experience, as it is much more collaborative and engaging and brings out the best in everyone. Dan gives solid advice to shop owners on finding the right type of clients and shares how they qualify and classify their clients. - Dan's Podcast: Dan does his own Podcast, which you must listen to. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m41OxFQbSPo##-##In this episode...00:00       Intro00:38       Sponsor02:28       Welcoming Dan05:30       Dan’s Journey09:55       Sign Art Studio16:50       Team management and working21:30       Hiring People25:30       Last 10-20 years of the industry32:20       Process of onboarding a new employee    36:00       Business and art47:40       Focus on Entrepreneurial Operating Systems55:25         Motive         01:04:30    Processes and System       01:26:30    Future for Dan01:29:05    Working with the right type of client01:35:30    Dan’s Podcast01:41:50    Rapid fire takeaways01:46:20    Outro##-##Are you a sign or print shop owner?Join the Better Sign Shop Community - our exclusive Facebook group for shop owners and managers. Connect and learn from peers at https://www.facebook.com/groups/bettersignshopmastermind.

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

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.

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

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.

Podcast