For years there has been a critical demand within the sign industry for a book on the structural engineering of signs. This comprehensive text more than meets that demand -- it exceeds it. Sign companies, ...
Neon-pricing strategies
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Pricing is always a critical subject, especially in the relatively small neon industry. Every neon shop is vulnerable to cutthroat low bids, negative word of mouth and numerous additional pitfalls. Perhaps this explains why few books and publications address this subject. Only one how-to pricing guide serves the beginner; ST publishes the Neon Cost Data Guide, which should be used as a rough guide only.
Despite limited discussion, accurate estimating may determine life or death for many small neon shops. If your bid is too low, you won't turn a profit; if your bid's too high, your competition will get the job. This excerpt from the aforementioned guide rings true: "Good pricing is a cornerstone of any company. The entire direction, possibly even the existence, of your company rests upon the accuracy of your...pricing."
Two approaches
Good estimates must be based on experience; they can't be pressed into simple schematics. Every sign job is different. Experience helps you foresee most potential problems that standard schemes would miss.
For neon, two price-quotation methods are common. Most commonly, quotes are based on the straight length of tubing, which falls under three bend categories -- straights, block letters and curved scripts. Further, there's the choice of clear or colored glass. With six resulting base prices, you merely multiply by the straight length.
Some beginners in the trade follow the Neon Cost Data Guide's simple approach of quoting each character based upon height and typeface. You'll achieve a more appropriate total by pricing materials and labor separately. Just imagine having quoted a sign by the footage of straight length without examining the actual pattern, and then recieving a pattern with 11/2-in. tall, script letters or a tube with a different color (read: splice) every four inches.
Meeting client needs
Problems usually arise long before you begin pricing. Clients provide different sketches and reference materials. One client might present a business card and say, "Make my logo in neon to fit my shop window," which requires a different strategy than the client who steps in with an actual-size, reverse-glass drawing on heavy paper. Often, "neonizing" a font or logo requires more work than the actual fabrication (see ST, August 2001, page 24).
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