TomTint

If you decide to get into FG, I have a few tips. First, examine your market. Are you looking toward residential or commercial. If you are green in FG, starting in resi is a better option. Commercial contractors won't give you the time of day if you can't perform, carry significant insurance, and have a problem waiting for money. With resi, first thing to do is clean up your act. Far too. Any "tinters" show up in some type of Honda of Toyota with wheels that look like they are on broken axles, Sterio blasting some Snoop Dog crap, and dress like they should be selling a 50 rock in some back ally. People don't want this on their property let alone in their home. 
 Dress like you are going to a job interview...where you really want the job. You must learn, know and understand your product, as well as every other product your competitors offer. Know the pros and cons of all of them and be ready to explain them  in a way a 5 year old can understand to the homeowner. Know what the different glass types are and how film effects them, know what your costs goin in are and what your costs going out will be. Be able to show the homeowner how the film will work and benefit them via some solar tool. IE BTU meter, heat lamp, UV card etc. Have nice, well laid out and glossy pamphlets that back up your sales pitch that you can give to the homeowner.. Bring pieces of film with you that you can actually install on the glass if needed so the customer can see it on their home. 
 This business is such a blind purchase transaction, what this means is that it is really no different than being a painter, carpet installer or even a mattress salesman. People are buying blind, they have no idea how paint, film, carpet of mattresses are made... And they really don't care. They just want someone to solve a problem. 
 I can go on for days about this but it's basic business sence and practices. 
 ..Now Commercial.... Which is our primary business, is a different animal entirely. On the front end making the initial contacts it's similar to resi. Meaning you need to show a strong knowledge of product and present your business in the most favorable light possible. But after that it's all about the numbers and performance. Commercial contractors don't give a shit if you are "the best" .. They want you to get in, get out, and not mess up their hair. Just do your job, quickly, as cheap as possible and without causing them any problems. 

A film handler would make your life easier, but you can also use a paper cutter. I don't like the style that was poster earlier, I like the rotary ones much better. I would cut them to the exact width you need and leave it long on the bottom, and only trim that 1 edge. Clean the glass better than you think you need too...then. Do it again. 

Reverse roll it... we do it all the time. Keep the glass extra wet and slippery. 

Reverse roll it... we do it all the time. Keep the glass extra wet and slippery. 

Reverse roll it... we do it all the time. Keep the glass extra wet and slippery. 

Find the local Hunter Douglas. Distributor near you. Set up a whosale account with them and go from there. I have a friend out here that owns one of the franchise shade and blind companies. Most of their stuff comes from China but he makes a nice living. Blinds of some sort are specd in on virtually every new commercial building. If you are familiar with the bid sites and process, there is a never ending opportunity....but sharpen your pencil. 

Anything with wheels. 

Switchable glass job we are working on

Switchable glass job we are working on

The past few years there have been countless reboxers pop up. Many of them will go tits up once their comebacks start to pile up and they can't cover the warranties. I have no experience with SolarFX and no idea how they plan for warranty reimbursement to dealers. 
  if I were ever to hitch my cart to a reboxers horse, I would want to see the bank acct they set aside for such warranty issues. .. 
If you are in this business for the long term......saving pennies now, will cost you dollars in the future. 

Anything with wheels. 

We have samples of both Hoho and Cool Vue.. color is identical and tested both under a spectrophotometer.....dead nuts the same... you make the call....

In our little corner of the world, business has been phenomenal. Our sales this year surpassed last years by mid August ..and last year was off the charts..  Our tickets per project were significantly higher overall ( larger and more complex ) than previous years. Virtually all of it deco and custom printed in nature. Having the equipment and capability to produce our own film has cut our costs by almost 75% in many cases. ..which is essentially a huge bonus to our net profits. .. 

We have bought from Sun Distributing, genuinely nice people and go out of their way to help. 

Llumar has a horrendous history of film curling off the glass. Their V14/18/28 line is miserable if you don't use X100. We actually stopped using it entirely due to the curling issues. Other mfrs have figured out how to get CDA to play nice, it's shameful that Eastman can't do the same. 

In our little corner of the world, business has been phenomenal. Our sales this year surpassed last years by mid August ..and last year was off the charts..  Our tickets per project were significantly higher overall ( larger and more complex ) than previous years. Virtually all of it deco and custom printed in nature. Having the equipment and capability to produce our own film has cut our costs by almost 75% in many cases. ..which is essentially a huge bonus to our net profits. .. 

In our little corner of the world, business has been phenomenal. Our sales this year surpassed last years by mid August ..and last year was off the charts..  Our tickets per project were significantly higher overall ( larger and more complex ) than previous years. Virtually all of it deco and custom printed in nature. Having the equipment and capability to produce our own film has cut our costs by almost 75% in many cases. ..which is essentially a huge bonus to our net profits. .. 

Tint school.....where to begin.. . . I would start by looking for more than some guy who is going to teach you which side of the film is sticky and then give you the number to the customer service desk so you can order film at retail plus 30% prices.. 
  A good "tint school" should involve several days of marketing and sales traning. Also your chosen school should invest time in you and  do some research into your area and demographic ..and offer a tailored plan of action for you. ..No need to try and open a auto tint shack if there are already 40 of them in a 5 mile radius. .. A good school should also inform you of ALL the brands available on the market and supply  you with the reps names and numbers for your area. A good school will help you formulate a sales strategy for gaining business ....and keeping it. They should help inform you what it takes to keep the business successful and how to scale for growth.. I could go on and on... But there are thousands of guys who can show you how to stick plastic on glass... That's the easy part. 

Tint school.....where to begin.. . . I would start by looking for more than some guy who is going to teach you which side of the film is sticky and then give you the number to the customer service desk so you can order film at retail plus 30% prices.. 
  A good "tint school" should involve several days of marketing and sales traning. Also your chosen school should invest time in you and  do some research into your area and demographic ..and offer a tailored plan of action for you. ..No need to try and open a auto tint shack if there are already 40 of them in a 5 mile radius. .. A good school should also inform you of ALL the brands available on the market and supply  you with the reps names and numbers for your area. A good school will help you formulate a sales strategy for gaining business ....and keeping it. They should help inform you what it takes to keep the business successful and how to scale for growth.. I could go on and on... But there are thousands of guys who can show you how to stick plastic on glass... That's the easy part. 

Tint school.....where to begin.. . . I would start by looking for more than some guy who is going to teach you which side of the film is sticky and then give you the number to the customer service desk so you can order film at retail plus 30% prices.. 
  A good "tint school" should involve several days of marketing and sales traning. Also your chosen school should invest time in you and  do some research into your area and demographic ..and offer a tailored plan of action for you. ..No need to try and open a auto tint shack if there are already 40 of them in a 5 mile radius. .. A good school should also inform you of ALL the brands available on the market and supply  you with the reps names and numbers for your area. A good school will help you formulate a sales strategy for gaining business ....and keeping it. They should help inform you what it takes to keep the business successful and how to scale for growth.. I could go on and on... But there are thousands of guys who can show you how to stick plastic on glass... That's the easy part. 

Global is a solid film. Virtually the only film manufacturer that produces its own product from start to finish. 

Global is a solid film. Virtually the only film manufacturer that produces its own product from start to finish. 

I don't know where they source their film these days, I would be weary of these type of chain store types. It's a little like going to McDonalds.... A quick meal but you will probably feel like crap a little later. 

Well than you already know the ropes. I would suspect that if you presented them with your own draft of a contract and expected them to sign it... they wouldn't. I also believe the "exclusive" teratorry you believe you have solidified..is only safe as long as another shop does not want in and is able to stroke a large check to do so. 

It depends on what customer you are looking for. IMO FB is the flea market of advertising,....lots of people..lots of crap... And the people have no money. .. Banners can be effective If you have a high traffic flow I front of. Your shop..and better if its a high flow with regular passerbys so they see your flag several times, then pull in on they way home some night. A flag flapping in the breeze at a highway on ramp for window tinting... Not worth the material it's made from. If I were to open a auto tint shop.. ( and I never would ) ...I would get a really nice vehicle, all pimped out and lettered...and frequent car shows as well as cars and coffee type gatherings. These are places where you can expect to get higher quality customers and likely many of them have several cars.