am I really alone ?

[Inkworks]

I'd say if you are busy with a manual, then get an auto as soon as you can. The sooner the better. It was one of the best decisions I made, and when I bought my auto, I was in a shop that it would have not fit in.

When you start looking at 400pcs. as "I can fit that in this afternoon in a couple of hours start to finish including film and screens" it changes your whole business in a very positive way.

[mimosatexas]

I'm basically there.  I got deposits for 2 200 piece orders today and have a 300 piece order that will probably fall into place by the end of the week.  One is 6 color fronts and a 2 color sleeve, one if a 3 color front, one is either 4 or 5 color fronts and a 1 color back.  Those 3 orders will take me pretty much all week when I factor in client communications, artwork and seps, setup, printing, cleanup, boxing, etc.  With an auto, maybe a day and a half all told and I could fill in other stuff during any down time.  A second guy wouldn't be nearly as efficient....

[tonyt79]

I like reading this thread. Good sounding advice. I'm in the same boat. My shop by myself, and my press is going non stop from 7 to at least 7 every day. Need more time in the day. Have been getting quotes on an auto. Scared to buy used! Even had a online meeting today about an s. Roque. It's a very scary decision to make but one I need to pull the trigger on. Also I can get a high end press for less that what it cost to bring on an employee that will call in sick and or sit around doing nothing during down time

[Gilligan]

When you start looking at 400pcs. as "I can fit that in this afternoon in a couple of hours start to finish including film and screens" it changes your whole business in a very positive way.

EXACTLY!

We just had a call from a friend (thanks ) and it was to knock out a 500 pcs job (2 color front and back) that would need to be done by Weds (two days).  I said "no problem".  Went tell my guy to give him the heads up (it's not solid yet) and he started panicking a little bit.  I said "man, that will take us 4 hours TOPS... if you can't stay calm about stuff like this I won't tell you till it's time to get it done!"

He still isn't used to how fast that we can knock out jobs compared to the past when we were manual.

[Anatolhelp]

You might be surprised how affordable a new Automatic Press can be.   For the price of two cups of Starbucks coffee a day you can step up your business with a Auto Press.  If your business is not green and growing it's brown and dying.

Example:   25K leased

60 month payments
$562.75 per month
or $11.26 per day (based on a 30 day month.)

BTW, the above is an estimate, and final numbers are based on credit scores and other factors.   

[GraphicDisorder]

I would  buy a auto before hiring a employee in most cases.  The nice thing about having a auto but no employee over head is if you can always call up a buddy and be like man can you come help me print this 1000pc job ill buy beer and pizza.  But when your  manual shop and adding another employee wont really speed up the printing much unless you had another manual press. 

Obviously you need to have the business to support the auto cost but if you got that id go for it.  You will increase your output, decrease your set up, increase your quality of product and quality of life.  Leaving yourself more time to do other tasks or sell more jobs.  Eventually you can hire someone to do the printing and you can move into selling more or another part of your business. 

Shelly and I added an auto as a 2 person company doing just roughly 300k a year in sales. You wont believe how fast you grow at that point.

[royster13]

You might be surprised how affordable a new Automatic Press can be.   For the price of two cups of starbucks coffee a day you can step up your business with a Auto Press.  If your business is not green and growing it's brown and dying.

Sadly it is not about the affordability of the new press, it is about being able to finance it...I have looked at the numbers for many small screen printers trying to buy an automatic press.....In many instances their existing work load and cash flow will support it but their credit score kills the deal....

[Anatolhelp]

You might be surprised how affordable a new Automatic Press can be.   For the price of two cups of starbucks coffee a day you can step up your business with a Auto Press.  If your business is not green and growing it's brown and dying.

Sadly it is not about the affordability of the new press, it is about being able to finance it...I have looked at the numbers for many small screen printers trying to buy an automatic press.....In many instances their existing work load and cash flow will support it but their credit score kills the deal....

You are correct....but we can look at each shops situation and perhaps get a lease for them.  Never know till you try.  Even in these market conditions we have provided leasing for shops that might not believed they were able to get leasing.   Never know till you try.

[GraphicDisorder]

Shitty credit can really screw it up for people but I highly suggest getting credit corrected sooner than later.  If you are a growing shop its likely you will need credit be it for a building or some machine along the way.

Check out Geneva, we like them.  Use them for 2 Embroidery machines and our auto set up.  We own everything else.

[bulldog]

I would  buy a auto before hiring a employee in most cases.  The nice thing about having a auto but no employee over head is if you can always call up a buddy and be like man can you come help me print this 1000pc job ill buy beer and pizza.  But when your  manual shop and adding another employee wont really speed up the printing much unless you had another manual press. 

Obviously you need to have the business to support the auto cost but if you got that id go for it.  You will increase your output, decrease your set up, increase your quality of product and quality of life.  Leaving yourself more time to do other tasks or sell more jobs.  Eventually you can hire someone to do the printing and you can move into selling more or another part of your business. 

Shelly and I added an auto as a 2 person company doing just roughly 300k a year in sales. You wont believe how fast you grow at that point.

300k sales with a manual? Damn no wonder you got an auto, your arms must have been ready to fall off.

[Sbrem]

From your last description, it sounds like time to go for it; it's a little hard to pull the trigger, but once your in the groove it'll be worth it. But I do sense from some a reticence in having to add employees, and it is hard to find quality employees, but if you're going to grow, you will eventually have to get some. As someone else said in an earlier thread, hire by their attitude, train them your way, and let them go do the work while you grow the business. Not everyone you hire is going to have your work ethic, but you have to weed those folks out until you have good ones, which, like me, might eventually leave and start their own place across town.

Steve

[GraphicDisorder]

300k sales with a manual? Damn no wonder you got an auto, your arms must have been ready to fall off.

300k sales total, which included embroidery, artwork, business cards/flyers and such.

[Prosperi-Tees]

If you have about 50k in income you shouldn't have a problem leasing. I had lease approvals one year after a home foreclosure so don't let credit history stop you. These people want to lend money that's how they make money.

[Gilligan]

Example:   25K leased

60 month payments
$562.75 per month
or $11.26 per day (based on a 30 day month.)

BTW, the above is an estimate, and final numbers are based on credit scores and other factors.

Hey man... I'll take 10 of those leases if you always do your math like that.

I just hope your engineers are better at math than you (Sorry, couldn't help that dig).

But seriously, your math sucks.

11.26 x 30 = 337.8 x 60 = 20268

On a 24,000 lease you just LOST 4k.

[mimosatexas]

me too! sign me up   That math also omits interest and other peripheral monthly fees.

To put it in some perspective, I just went through and counted my active screen printing jobs that are beyond the "just sent out a quote and waiting to hear back" phase and I have 22 jobs in queue, with about 16 of those "due" by the end of the week.  Now about half of those are under 50 units or are one color jobs in the 50-150 range, and about half of them supplied finished or nearly finished art, but I am SWAMPED.  I will probably end up working Saturday and a few nights this week.  I have spent the first 3 hours this morning at the computer and on the phone, emailing customers, placing orders, and working on art.  The next 6-7 hours will be all printing and prepping.  Rinse and repeat for the rest of the week, and it will still be tight to get everything done.

That doesn't even count a few outsourced embroidery jobs (which still require art and communication time etc. and some web work I do for another business on contract.