These tips are based on a the Business Boot Camp for Wrap Professionals by Avery Dennison presentation given by Justin Pate (Amsterdam) and John Duever (Vinyl Images; Fenton, MO) at the 2019 ISA Sign Expo.
- Partial wraps can be more profitable than full wraps. Don’t turn up your nose at decals.
- Get a 50% deposit before you start printing. You can do 25% upfront and then 25% after design is approved if you like; just get to 50%.
- Always have a kill fee, either a percentage of the total or a set non-refundable portion of the initial deposit. You can use these with clients as well as freelance installers.
- Offering kill fees to freelance installers will build loyalty and create a reputation of professionalism.
- Charge a late fee plus a rush fee for late vehicle drop-offs. You could try $90 late fee plus a 20% mark-up on your standard installation fee.
- Have an installer certification clause in your employment contract if you cover all expenses for an employee s wrap certification. Installers pay back the cost if they leave within 12 months.
- If you make improvements to your building and your rent, ask if you can take money off the lease.
- If you have an established client and a new designer, consider cutting the design time in half. (The first two years for any designer are growth.)
- If you’re a freelance installer, check that the graphics are adequate first before doing any inspections. Charge a set fee if the job needs to be rescheduled (Pate has charged $350).
- Window tint work can be lucrative. Don’t dismiss it – it can be a charge of $200-250 for $40 of material.
- A rate of $120 per hour is a fair go-to for travel time, design time or vehicle cleaning time in many markets.
For a full recap of the 2019 ISA Sign Expo, click here.