We sell a lot of signs at Kona Impact. Just last week we made the following
- 200 sq ft of foam core (rigid back) signs for a large gathering for a hotel in Waikoloa
- 20-some real estate riders
- 20-some realtor signs: “for sale” and “open house”
- several hundred square feet of banner for school and resort
- Cut vinyl for a store, a boat and two vehicles
- Printed graphics for a work van
- Some posters ….and more!
We go by “a reasonable profit” when we price things. That is, we never want to lose money on a project, though we occasionally do, but we also don’t want to be at a price point that is absurdly high. We want our customers to see good value in what we make, and we want to see them again and again.
I decided to see how price-competitive we are with realtor signs. They are 24″ x 18″, printed on vinyl, laminated and them adhered to aluminum. They are a standard product, so quality really does not vary by vendor.
We charge $75 for just a few and, if ordered in bulk, we go to $65/sign.
I just looked online for the same product. I choose one of the first companies, which I found at the top of the Google search results.
Here is the price quote, with five shipping tiers (Super Saver to Rush). The Total shows the same product we sell for $75 at $77.31 with Super Saver shipping to Hawaii the price doubles. The sign would arrive in two to two-and-a-half weeks and would cost $148.95! If I want one in one business day, it would cost $215.95, three times what we charge.
Our turn around time is a day! So, the direct apples-to-apples comparison (same product, same quality, same turn around time) is $75 for Kona Impact or $215.95 for buying online.
So, the next time you are going to buy anything online, check your local supplier. You might just find that you can get the same product much quicker locally.