neW TO THE iNDUSTRY

May 23, 2008

So I Started doing residential about a year ago hasent really taken off yet because I didint have my name in any of the phonebooks im sure u are all like not another person moving into the industry but come on we all now there is a lot of money to be made in it. I was just wondering how to cutt down on some of the waste on some of these jobs I have been to cheep to buy a cutter yet and my salesman knows nothing about tinting residential or commercial windows. I went with llumar film seemes pretty nice so far. just wondering what the average price you guys think ppl in the midwest are charging and if anyone knows how to reverse role and could tell me how I really want to learn how I feel like after reading everyones posts I need to learn some things and fast before I start loosing money.

Roach · May 23, 2008

I was just wondering how to cutt down on some of the waste on some of these jobs I have been to cheep to buy a cutter yet and my salesman knows nothing about tinting residential or commercial windows.

You gotta spend money to make money. The only way to cut down on waste is to use less film. A cutter would do just that.

But, if your salesman knows nothing about tinting windows, then that is a problem to start with.

Reducing waste is all about using the best choice in film sizes. If the windows are 32" wide, get a 36" box. And so forth. If you have to, get a couple different size boxes for a job. ie. If most of your windows are 32" wide, but you have a couple that are 55"... get both a 36" box and a 60" box. You'll be buying more film then you may need for that one job, but looking at the bigger picture the end result will be using the right size box for the right size window.... at the same time limiting your waste.

May 23, 2008

k thx man yeah I mean my salesman knows a little but I mean right now im slapping some film on a window and cutting it 3 times and I feel like im just wasting time and money with thoese scraps of film do you pre-cutt everything with a cutter before you get to a job? and if you dont mind me asking what kind of film do you guys like to use I know I cant get vista because the guy down the street has the rights to it

Cuttingedge · May 23, 2008

Where you from? Also there are other Film Companies who offer a pre-cut program for smaller business guys...where you can order by the piece with a $25 limit and offer a wide variety of films. LLumar is pretty expensive if your small time or just starting out. I live 20 minutes away from a LLumar Distributor and hardly use them for that reason.

Roach · May 23, 2008

k thx man yeah I mean my salesman knows a little but I mean right now im slapping some film on a window and cutting it 3 times and I feel like im just wasting time and money with thoese scraps of film do you pre-cutt everything with a cutter before you get to a job?

No matter what you are going to have waste... it all comes down to order the best sized box for the windows you need. And that's just a matter of knowing the exact size of the windows and what size boxes your film comes in.

I personally do not pre-cut anything but when I have individual pains. Everything else I cut onsite.

The last thing I want to do is pre-cut a bunch of film, show up at a job, and have the person decide either on a different film, or not to do all the windows. Then you have all this film that you can't use anymore.

But others pre-cut... For me, it doesn't take that much time to cut on site, so that's what I do.

May 23, 2008

gacha im in Toledo Ohio I compete with a 3m guy and a vista guy and we have a formula one dealership for car film so I kinda wana keep in the same class of films as thoese other guys I would say right now im only netting about 3500 a month but like I said I just got my add in the paper a month or 2 ago so that should help. so do u use a cutter when you get on the job or do u cutt all 3 edges like I do and when you guys cutt your edges what kinda tool do u use im just using a hardcard right now

Roach · May 23, 2008

I don't have a cutter yet... so I cut three sides w/ a hard card.

You're questions about price... you should get that info from your rep. He should know how you should price your jobs.... but more then the film cost factor would be how good a job you do. You're not selling a product... you are providing a service.

May 23, 2008

yeah right now im goin at $- a sq foot than $- for DR fillms but yeah I am double majoring in marketting and sales so the selling point is not hard for me it is the fact that I am very slow at doing the actual job the other guys around here are the kind of ppl that dont return peoples phone calls and stuff like that so because I dont have the experiance tinting im trying to make up for it in customer service. but do you use the reverse role on any of your windows and if anyone has any advice on some cleaning techniques for windows all im doin now is scrapping the window witha 4 inch scrapper than spraying it down and squgeeing it off.

Roach · May 23, 2008

You should remove the prices you charge... we don't really discuss prices here since they vary depending on many, many factors. (Which is why I suggested talking to your rep)

I RR on larger windows.. on windows like normal double hung windows, no. Takes too long.