Ray's Woodworking

All Guides - Start Here

Beginning

Marketing Guide

Tools

Wood

Sign Designs

Methods

Pricing Levels

• Have 4 - 6 standard sizes; 4 x 18, 4 x 24, 6 x 18, 6 x 24, 6 x 30
• standard shapes
• sanded and / or sealed
• edges done

Pricing:

• Depends on the venue
• The material costs
• The detail involved
• The faster the layout the more competitive your pricing can be.
• Base price considerations
• Wood and materials used. More for special wood
• Glued / laminated boards
• 2x4, 2x6 = 50 and up
• Large = 150

Amount of copy

• Base price includes ? letters
• Over = .50 to 1.50 per letter
• Artwork
• Logos; let them supply it to you
• Base = 25, bigger or difficult = 75 - 100
• Painting = 10 extra or ..
• Multiple colors and intricate = 50 minimum or
• Finishes; Standard finish = base
• Epoxy or resin = 20 ft2 more
• Inset / outset; Inset is 1/2 the time of outset.
• Inset price can be reduced 10 ft2
• More copy = higher price

Delivery or customer pickup?

• Shipping is different; see shipping guide

Who are you selling to?

• Don't know them
• Friends and relatives
• Neighbors and local markets
• Commercial businesses
• Charity / events

Free signs

• advertising at foot traffic locations
• Frequenting businesses gets your name out there

Bulk signs

• Multiple signs in one location; directories
• 10 - 12 signs, toss a couple in for free

Add for:

• Time & materials
• Photos, art work and paper tracings
• Layout complications and detail work
• Adjust scale for dealers and stores: sell at 40% so they can make a good profit
• Use pattern charges for extra art and detail work or postage

Tips

• Take signs with you wherever you go as samples to show - proud of & great feedback suggestions
• Take pictures of everything you do
• Make a portfolio of work, examples, patterns, shapes etc.
• Give out business cards or have available during carving sessions
• Place signs in businesses of big ticket items for the customers
• Use material that are copyright approved and indicate on the sign as "approved and licensed by..."
• Relax - have fun & enjoy the work! Do what's fun for you
• Wear relaxed clothing & always wear a hat for baldness and managing eye contact for those that just want to watch
• Use eye protection / magnifier but no shades
• Open occasional chances to have questions & answers every few minutes
• Limit conversation to questions and answers
• Keep chat easy to break off suddenly
• Make and use business cards to expose what you do to as many people as possible
• Watch body language and allow distance for those who only want to watch. Some people are shy and private
• Keep the tools on and moving! Make blanks and dummies as demos

Sign Stocks

1/8 Birch Plywood

Live To Ride / Born To Ride:

• Font: Clarendon, Western
• SM; 4 or 5 x 9.75 = 15
• ME 6 x 15 = 20
• LG 8 x 20 = 25

Ribbons:

• LG 5 x 23
• ME 4 x 16
• SM 3 x 12

Bones:

• LG 3 x 10
• ME 2.5 x 9
• SM 2 x 6.5
• SM 1.5 x 4

Scrolls:

• ME 2 x 9.75
• Scroll puzzles 1 - 9 Puzzles are 2 pieces both inset and outset

Gone Fishing

• 7.25 x 14.25

Clock Face

• 6 x 6
• 12 x 12

Pricing

Pricing tips

• Do not give out pricing formulas
• They want to know how much for what they want
• Do not give pricing on the spot
• I will take your info and get back to you later
• Get contact information phone and email
• Clear shipping address
• Follow through

Pricing has 3 or 4 tiers based on how much control the customer has over the design of the sign. (L x W / 144 = ft2) x charges

Pricing Categories

• L x W / 144 x 40% - 50% puts small signs at about 6$ or 7$
• Add for photos, art work and paper tracings, layout complications and detail work
• Adjust scale for dealers and stores then sell at 40% so they can make a good profit
• Use pattern charges for extra art and detail work or postage
• Volume pricing = lower prices to move product - commissions to businesses etc.
• Use pre cut patterns, letters & shapes
• Use pre cut arches
• Use templates and stencils

Level 1 - Stock: = 30 - 50

• Least expensive
• The price is on the sign
• Anything made over and over and you can batch them out
• Impulse items
• Pre designed patterns
• No special wording
• bunches at a time
• Layout at a minimum - less time involved

Level 2 - Personalized - 50 - 65

• On site
• Their words on your standard sizes
• Customer adds name
• Artwork / pattern is on hand

Totally Custom: 65 + complexity

• Customer has most input on what you are doing
• Special sizes, shapes, materials, art
• Special wood
• Power carvings, special effect and techniques
• Resin, paint, Specialty requests

Sales

Business Cards

This is what I do. If you have any need of .....

• Businesses - take a sign and make one for them

Top Sellers

• Flower Boxes
• Window Boxes
• Live to Ride
• Ride On
• Let's Have A Hoot
• Welcome Signs
• Another Day In Paradise
• Carved Christmas Trees
• Name Ribbons
• Pet names on bones and ribbons
• Mottos, sayings, titles

Top selling sign ideas:

• Tourists, camping, sales tables
• RV parks, unique camp sites (display in RV stores)
• travel wit portable sign shop: they will sell for you
• Gifts, gift shops
• Restaurants, barter meals etc.
• Outdoors, hunting, fishing, rustic cabins, bait & tackle
• Clubs, lodges, sports
• Boat shops, docks - customers' boats
• Sports: softball teams, little league, team logos
• Bowling leagues, yacht clubs
• list of team players and some proceeds donated back to clubs
• Business signs

(Inset)

• Contractors, Landscapers for customers
• Military bases, platoon- entire personnel
• Schools, mascots, pennants, club logos, alumni
• Shows, pets, stables, kennels, dog houses, tack shops, feed stores, barns
• Families, pets, welcome, house warming
• State signs(outset) with names, animal stats - remember the catch
• Real estate agents as gifts to clients
• Car dealers for customers
• Name of new owner on the front, dealer on the back
• Bankers as unique gifts
• Weddings, anniversaries, (Always give them a gift of a sign)
• Gift and bridal shops etc.
• Etsy