reasons why people sell sublimation businesses

[GoonerGary]

OK I'll confess, about 14 years ago I saw a guy on ebay with about 4 pages a day of positive feedback selling mugs for £10 including postage and I was like ...wooaah, I can do that. So I had to try and figure out how they were printed. Had no business plan and bought my £800 mug press probably on a credit card. It was a good way to improve my Photoshop skills, but the rest of the skills required for this business I had already I suppose. I didn't have time for my real lecturing job!

NB Don't follow my experience anyone.

[AlanD]

I bought the mug pressing equipment so I use mugs as a marketing tool for my proper business as a signmaker. I am selling a few but mainly to people who are coming through my door anyway, I have them on my website but not to sell from my website. The margins are low and if you try and match some of the ebay prices non existant. I use Corel Draw for all the origination and it works as well as anything else I've used and much easier than Photoshop. I try and sell on design content not price but I do have the advantage of having their logo on file anyway and I am familiar with my software.
Looking at some prices on ebay or the web they are making next to nothing and it doesn't seem worth the effort unless they are selling hundreds a day

[Quinsfan]

I am a year down the line and have made back my initial outlay and have had a nice christmas. Most of the kids presents were from my sub and sign work. I work full time as a sign fitter so the sub work and private signage is all a welcome extra. I am currently having a young person ( I am to old to understand all this web building stuff) look at my website, instagram and Facebook to try and build my local presence. All we want is enough work to maybe pay for a nice holiday. I know that Mr Taxman will need to be informed but as it is all cash at the moment the floor boards will be used. I am happy to slowly build my reputation and client base and if one day down the line my wife or I can give up working for some one else then all well and good.

I am enjoying the big learning curve and the friendliness of this forum.

[rossdv8]

It is interesting the number of us who got into sublimation or decorating as an adjunct to an existing business. After being in computing off and on since 1971 I moved in 1981 to a different part of the country where I think there were only two computers in the city. By 1984 I was back in computing among other things and helped a mate start a computer generated sign business. In 1984 I think our colour printer that printed 13 inches wide was one of five in the country. By 1991 I had the first portable vinyl sign cutting system in the country that could be taken on site in my sports car and produced vinyl signs 17 inches high.

All this was before MS Dos and Windows or Mac. So when the sublimation accident happened to me, I was sort of prepared to do unusual stuff. It has been interesting and fun. But I don't like competing by price cutting. My answer all my life has been 'they have it cheaper? great - buy it from them'.

I base my product pricing on the prices at this crowd BEFORE they are crossed out for the discount. So, the prices are in black with the line through them. I find that gives me a nice comfprtable margin.
http://www.vistaprint.com.au/personalis ... nav=TopNav

Then I just add a bit extra for the personal touch.

[bigj2552]

if it wasn't for this forum...we would not have started anything within the sublimation field...

i seen some samples on here and youtube and thought...Hmm...that looks like a challenge and interesting....
looked more into it on here.....then went n bought the equipment ( mug & flat swing away press ) and about £300 of stock to practice on.....
3 months later after more reading on here and more practice, we set up web site.....months after that we were live....

only got the odd sale here n there cause no one had heard of us......then we thought about ebay - perfect way to get our products out to the masses....

it took another 4/5 months for that to really start bringing in decent sales....another 6months or so of ebay ( 1 yr total ) we started looking more into promoting web site seriously...

the rest....is well, history now

its def not a get rich quick business, but if you have the head for business and patience,and a real liking for the sublimation business, no reason why you cant succeed....

but.....

the sub market has gotten more n more saturated since we started start of 2012....as many on here will prob agree.....and you really need your head screwed on now....you cant just sit back and list your stuff on ebay and web site and wait for the orders to come in ...na na....marketing has a very , very big play in this now a days...and getting your name out there is vital if you want the exposure and to succeed ....

[AlanD]

Absolutely agree, you have to tell the world and his wife you are about and what you sell. if you don't - the competitors will.

[rossdv8]

An essential part of any business plan is a marketing plan. Sadly I think some of these sub businesses that people are trying to get out of had neither in place. Obviously there are also a few that are simply sold due to lack of time or due to ill health.