Ray's Woodworking

For questions, comments or ordering please email ray@rayswoodworking.com. I would love to hear from you!

Marketing Guide

Tool Guide Tools

Have 4 - 6 standard sizes
- 4 x 18, 4 x 24, 6 x 18, 6 x 24, 6 x 30
- standard shapes
- sanded and / or sealed
- edges done

Pricing depends on the venue, the material costs and the detail involved

The faster the layout the more competitive your pricing can be.

Base price considerations

Inset / outset
- Inset is 1/2 the time of outset.
- Inset price can be reduces 10 ft2
- More cope = higher price
Delivery or customer pickup?
- Shipping is completely different
Who are you selling to?
- Don't know them
- Friends and relatives
- Neighbors and local markets
- Commercial businesses
- Charity / events
Free signs
- advertising at foot traffic locations
- Frequenting businesses gets your name out there
Bulk signs
- Multiple signs in one location; directories
- 10 - 12 signs, toss a couple in for free
Add for:
- Time & materials
- Photos, art work and paper tracings
- Layout complications and detail work
- Adjust scale for dealers and stores: sell at 40% so they can make a good profit
- Use pattern charges for extra art and detail work or postage
Do not give out pricing formulas
- They want to know how much for what they want
- Do not give pricing on the spot
  - I will take your info and get back to you later
  - Get contact information phone and email
  - Clear shipping address
  - Follow through

Take signs with you wherever you go as samples to show - proud of & great feedback suggestions
Take pictures of everything you do
Make a portfolio of work, examples, patterns, shapes etc.
Give out business cards or have available during carving sessions
Place signs in businesses of big ticket items for the customers
Use material that are copyright approved and indicate on the sign as "approved and licensed by..."
Relax - have fun & enjoy the work! Do what's fun for you
Wear relaxed clothing & always wear a hat for baldness and managing eye contact for those that just want to watch
Use eye protection / magnifier but no shades
Open occasional chances to have questions & answers every few minutes
Limit conversation to questions and answers
Keep chat easy to break off suddenly
Make and use business cards to expose what you do to as many people as possible
Watch body language and allow distance for those who only want to watch. Some people are shy and private
Keep the tools on and moving! Make blanks and dummies as demos

1/8 Birch Plywood

Live To Ride / Born To Ride:
- Font: Clarendon, Western
- SM; 4 or 5 x 9.75 = 15
- ME 6 x 15 = 20
- LG 8 x 20 = 25
Ribbons
- LG 5 x 23
- ME 4 x 16
- SM 3 x 12
Bones
- LG 3 x 10
- ME 2.5 x 9
- SM 2 x 6.5
- SM 1.5 x 4
Scrolls
- ME 2 x 9.75
- Scroll puzzles 1 - 9
Gone Fishing
- 7.25 x 14.25
Clock Face
- 6 x 6
- 12 x 12

Pricing has 3 or 4 tiers based on how much control the customer has over the design of the sign. (L x W / 144 = ft2) x charges

Pricing Categories

L x W / 144 x 40% - 50% puts small signs at about 6$ or 7$
Add for photos, art work and paper tracings, layout complications and detail work
Adjust scale for dealers and stores then sell at 40% so they can make a good profit
Use pattern charges for extra art and detail work or postage

Volume pricing = lower prices to move product - commissions to businesses etc.
Use pre cut patterns, letters & shapes
Use pre cut arches
Use templates and stencils
Level 1- Stock: = 30 - 50
- Least expensive
- The price is on the sign
- Anything made over and over and you can batch them out
- Impulse items
- Pre designed patterns
- No special wording
- bunches at a time
- Layout at a minimum - less time involved
Level 2 - Personalized - 50 - 65
- On site
- Their words on your standard sizes
- Customer adds name
- Artwork / pattern is on hand
Totally Custom: 65 + complexity
- Customer has most input on what you are doing
- Special sizes, shapes, materials, art
- Special wood>
- Power carvings, special effect and techniques
- Resin, paint, Specialty requests

This is what I do. If you have any need of .....

Businesses - take a sign and make one for them
Top Sellers
- Flower Boxes
- Window Boxes
- Live to Ride
- Ride On
- Let's Have A Hoot
- Welcome
- Another Day In Paradise
- My Favo(u)rite Hangout
- Name Ribbons
- Pet names on bones and ribbons
Mottos, sayings, titles
- Good friends, cold beer and campfire
- Welcome, Home Sweet Home
- Home owners with names
- Garlic Breath is Sexy
Top selling sign ideas:
- Tourists, camping, sales tables
- RV parks, unique camp sites (display in RV stores)
- Gifts, gift shops
- Restaurants, barter meals etc.
- Outdoors, hunting, fishing, rustic cabins, bait & tackle
- Clubs, lodges, sports
- Boat shops, docks - customers' boats
- Sports: softball teams, little league, team logos
- Bowling leagues, yacht clubs
- Business signs (Inset)
- Contractors, Landscapers for customers
- Military bases, platoon- entire personnel
- Schools, mascots, pennants, club logos, alumni
- Shows, pets, stables, kennels, dog houses, tack shops, feed stores, barns
- Families, pets, welcome, house warming
- State signs(outset) with names, animal stats - remember the catch
- Real estate agents as gifts to clients
- Car dealers for customers
- Bankers as unique gifts
- Weddings, anniversaries, (Always give them a gift of a sign)
- Gift and bridal shops etc.
- Etsy

Search 'funny signs'

Marketing Guide