Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/370309
S I G N & D I G I T A L G R A P H I C S • September 2014 • 35 just had to invest in this technology; and the easiest way to do it was to sell output to my competition. Back then, digital printing was young and the demand for resellers was very high. Today, you are not a full-service sign shop if you don't have a 60" print- ing device. Depending on your market, the demand for wholesale output is based on the equipment that the other shops do not have. Find Markets that Need You The wholesale market for us consists of very large output of up to 16', or very inexpensive output that only production machines can compete with. After all, it is difficult to wholesale what your cus- tomers can accomplish in-house. It is the basic laws of business: you need to find an area you can compete in that has less supply and more demand. Before moving into the wholesale world, be sure to analyze the need in the marketplace for the device you are buying. I suggest investing in a device that isn't commonplace in your market. Pricing and the level of quality are going to be very important to your suc- cess as well. You need to be able to work fast, cheap, and accurately to do well in a wholesale model. After all, you are now entrusted with someone else's reputation to get it done right and on time. The standard of your quality now needs to be higher than the end client's standard. It will also need to meet the quality level offered by your competition. Quick, Efficient, Behind the Scenes You think end users want it fast? Put a wholesaler between you and the end user and you will have a new understanding of what pressure really means. A broker is always going to ask for you to push the limits of what you can do. Why not impress their client with a speedy turnaround if all it will cost them is your sweat? Plus, they can now leverage the other work they give you in order to get you to agree to unrealistic timeframes. After all, the volume they are bringing to you includes multiple clients with multiple jobs, making the word "No" even harder to utter. Once you finish that great project that was wholesaled to you, your first reaction is going to be, "Let's show off our work on our website, on social media and in our newsletter." Guess what. Your cus- tomer is likely not going to want your name anywhere near their story. Your ability to stay behind the scenes and keep your name off of your work is going to be demanded by the wholesale client crowd. We love to publicize our work It is the basic laws of business: you need to find an area you can compete in that has less supply and more demand.