DSF

You can make a very good living out of sublimation or you can sell a few mugs now and then and never cover the cost of the set-up equipment, let alone make a profit. Doesn't really matter how many people are in the market, it comes down to your ability to create sales. If you want to make a real living out of it then it will be more to do with how you can develop your own business strategy. This is the hardest part and not the actual printing. There is a huge amount of work out there at all different levels. If you do well on the business side then you can jump a level quite quickly and no longer compete with the masses. Where you go from there is upto you.

Exactly right Andrew; its the sales or spotting a 'business opportunity' that will get me on the road to riches...

Russ;50498 wrote:Exactly right Andrew; its the sales or spotting a 'business opportunity' that will get me on the road to riches...

Find your nitche and the world could be your oyster

It's not always about niche's, just know your target market and do it better than your competitors. A combination of price, service and added value should get you some way.

Andrew;50510 wrote:It's not always about niche's, just know your target market and do it better than your competitors. A combination of price, service and added value should get you some way.

if you get all your marketing right, your price should echo the quality of your product. I can understand poor quality needing cheap pricing. But good quality good marketing to your target audience in your niche should more than do the job.

Question why is everyone trying to beat every opne elses price, get in on that game and your well on the way to bankruptcy.

Charlie_;50511 wrote:But good quality good marketing to your target audience in your niche should more than do the job.

Question why is everyone trying to beat every opne elses price, get in on that game and your well on the way to bankruptcy.

In an ideal world price wouldn't be a major factor and people would pay what value you place on an item. Trouble is the market dictates the price largely and for many price is the be all and end all. Once you start doing it as a business, then a customer will expect good quality as standard. I am not saying you have to be the cheapest but you have to be very competitive to gain new customers. I am talking mainly about moving to the next level here and not just friends and family sales. Establishing in areas where you are not known is what gets you on the way to becoming a business. The further you want to climb up the ladder then price will become more key to this. It's the way life is out there. Look at Tesco, Asda and the others, mostly price lead with offers on bogofs etc. Price is always one of the leading factors when it comes to capturing your share of the market. Added value and service will help keep you there but it's hard to clinch a deal on this as they wouldn't have experienced what you have to offer. Keen pricing is needed to get you in through the door........ and half the time that's not enough. I then resort to persistant nagging until they give in or I eventually accept it as a lost cause.

All just my opinion but done okay by it so far.

Andrew;50513 wrote:In an ideal world price wouldn't be a major factor and people would pay what value you place on an item. Trouble is the market dictates the price largely and for many price is the be all and end all. Once you start doing it as a business, then a customer will expect good quality as standard. I am not saying you have to be the cheapest but you have to be very competitive to gain new customers. I am talking mainly about moving to the next level here and not just friends and family sales. Establishing in areas where you are not known is what gets you on the way to becoming a business. The further you want to climb up the ladder then price will become more key to this. It's the way life is out there. Look at Tesco, Asda and the others, mostly price lead with offers on bogofs etc. Price is always one of the leading factors when it comes to capturing your share of the market. Added value and service will help keep you there but it's hard to clinch a deal on this as they wouldn't have experienced what you have to offer. Keen pricing is needed to get you in through the door........ and half the time that's not enough. I then resort to persistant nagging until they give in or I eventually accept it as a lost cause.

All just my opinion but done okay by it so far.

Well if it was down to price alone we wouldnt have butchers bakers greengrocers clothes shops shoe shopes etc etc as tesco asda morrisons and co would have put all out of business. a lot have true to say, but then did they go just because of price I think not.

This dye sub is new to me, but i will run this the way of all my businesses my price is my price. Let the compition fight ten at 10%them selves with prices. I would rather sell one at 300% profit than sell Ten at 10%

Jusy my opinion of course.

Charlie_;50515 wrote:Well if it was down to price alone we wouldnt have butchers bakers greengrocers clothes shops shoe shopes etc etc as tesco asda morrisons and co would have put all out of business.

The Butchers and Greengorcers are disappearing from our High Streets, not growing. It's both price and convenience killing them off. I know it's a very different scenario but for most consumers and businesses price will be a major factor in their purchases. Can't think of an industry where it's not currently. Wish it wasn't as life would be easier.

It's quite easy to become well off through sublimation, just import blanks and become a supplier. They all seem to survive quite nicely There's plenty of nice cars parked outside the offices and you don't usually have to be bothered if you give a good service or have a good product as there is nowhere else to go Is there a sublimation equivalent of OPEC!? All to be taken slightly tongue in cheek, but only slightly

I tend to agree with you Andrew in the issue of price. But, and it's a big but, there is a reverse side to this as well. Service and selling skills "cost" and have a price attached to them in the final sale price of an article. I "sell" my time and never try to compete with the "cheap as chips" people in the same market, and still manage to make an income. Yes I do loose out in the short term but remember the old rule of selling 20% of your custom delivers 80% of your business. It's still as true today as it was when it was first worked out !

regards

Tony