Dano

Also that was the last retail shop before I moved out west and went strictly wholesale. I still keep a shop space but not a storefront. Growing in retail was a pita when you get to a certain volume. I ended up babysitting on a margin while watching my installers and mgrs burn film and make halfass efforts because they had no skin in the game.

Brokers are a waste of time for the small players. Drive around the areas you want to be in. Take some biz cards with you and ask folks if they know of a suitable space, you can usually make new connections and wrangle up some work while you're at it. Older buisnesses often have space but don't think of listing it because they don't really need to. Keep your eyes open for anything that looks useful. Craigslist/Marketplace can give you an idea of pricing. If you spot something that's not listed negotiate for what you can afford. Used car lots will often have a bay and might like to have the extra draw to their lot. You may be able to trade tint on the lot cars for a partial rent reduction. You can find gold anywhere as long as you're willing to get in the dirt.

Satin is a happy medium between gloss and matte. It looks like matte but has more uv inhibitor, doesn't hold so much dirt. Also seems to last longer/easier to keep clean. I think Avery has the best satin films from an installers perspective.

Find anyplace you can to get started. Next to a tire shop/bodyshop/audio shop/car lot...whatever you can find that is being underused. I've been offered space just due to the cross traffic that I can generate. If you run as a wholesaler the shops you service can carry the overhead and mark up your services.

Thanks TD. Shop for paint/prep/base coat...1day Blend colors and project/stencil...1day Cut cardboard template/air brush diamonds/clean up...2days About 30hrs total, most of it after installing all day and early beforehand.

This is from almost 20yrs ago. 15gal of paint, $300 of vinyl, old classroom projector and a stack of cards. Everyone can do it if they are motivated. Wash, rince, repeat.

The installers are not demanding it or don't have a spine to allow them to walk out and set up next door. Why on earth would a good tech work for McMinimum wage under someone else? Installers owe them nothing. WTH is wrong with these installers? If someone has skills, buy a roll of film and get busy. Are these guys just beat into submission? Lazy? When I opened my first shop I literally went out on foot with a stack of biz cards to every buisness in a half mile radius, made local connections and 9/10 came back with a car to tint. Pounded on every dealership, rock lot and auto brokers office. Bought a used plotter and made my own store graphics, then started making them for others. No reason to be hungry or under a bad owner.

That is good advice if you're dealing with respectable owners. If not, then leverage is the only way to pry your worth out of their pockets. A top notch installer can command up to 40% on a w9 in most markets and often more on wholesale/fleet work. 35% is average for retail and maybe 30% if you have a base minimum guarantee of say 400wk. I would personally begin preparing to open independently. Buy your own film and start laying it every minute you're not scheduled. When you build enough workflow go find a good space and put your name on the door. Problem permanently solved. I always say there is no such thing as "side money" or "jobs". Making money is my job and I get all that I'm able to daily.

You would need to see it done properly. Maybe find a CK vid of him wrapping a mustang fender or something of similar shape to witness how to glass it and where to start laying it down. He does some good bumper and inlay work as well.

Looks like you started at the wheel edge on used too much heat...way too much. Satin films don't need alot. I would recommend that you "glass" the film, as in try to streach it as flat as you can on the whole panel before you squeegee it. Also start your squeegee strokes in the middle and work your way towards the edges, over lapping your strokes as you go. CKwraps on youtube has some excellent, straight ahead install vids if you want to see it made simple.

I tack it horizontally about 8" in the middle first, then use my free hand to streach tension towards the center side while making my initial squeegee strokes. After its streached in I re-wet the film for a second pass, followed by a hard pass on the edges with a black & blue conqueror. The film is more pliable than you might think. You can accidentally push the slack into one area and cause a bunch of fingers.

The shop is correct. Windshields were never part of standard pricing and until recently not even permitted in most states. Some people don't want anything on their front glass at all, not even an upper visor strip. Now that these types of installs are becoming more popular and the industry is catching up in regards to product offerings, the shops need to change how the sale is presented. It would help prevent any shock and give the sales team an opportunity to educate the public about the changes. As part of the education I always tell my clients to notify their insurance company about the windshield film to make sure it will be covered during replacement. Tint has been around long enough that insurance will replace it on side glass no problem but the front is new to them as well and can double their cost of replacement. I think the bmw pricing is fair and maybe slightly discounted since the owner has brought multiple vehicles into the shop. The pricing that you were quoted is in line with pricing in my area as well for the reputable shops.

A lifetime ago I would hand a box of film to an installer and payout 20-30% depending on the difficulty. Sales would get another 15-20% based on material and labor inputs. I would gross net about 25% after sales/labor/film and then start winding down my internal expenses like accounting, advertising and cost of waiting for payment. This was all on a w9 and subs had to carry their own liability with a cert proof before going on site.

I wouldn't trust any of the 'white box' films if I had to warrant them or wanted to stay in buisness with referrals. For the bottom feeders they get the same HP with no warranty. Saves me time in handling crap film and when it holds up over time they won't have any incentive to shop elsewhere. I won't even tell the client what I'm using, just that I have a cheapskate option. Please satisfy my curiosity, is there any reason that Global is not an option in your lineup?

Sounds like too much soap and not enough pressure. That area can be tough to get good even pressure on. The marks are likely water that trailed off the edge of the squeegee and dried in place. For good lower pressure I start with the Short Cut and finish the deepest eges with the Conquerer. Notice how worn the tip is on the Conqerer. They work great once they get thinned down from use and can slide in for good edge work. You can break em in with a piece of denim. For super deep areas and behind tail lights I'll break out one of these. Wayyyy back in the day tinters would use these turds repurposed from drywall and screen printing. The yellow tool came out a few years later. To this day the clear blade on this hammer is still my favorite. I think it's sold as a flat glass blade these days. Extra thick clear max-ish. The first one I remember seeing was from a screen print shop. Same with the black and white card. Those would usually get cut into an angle for reaching and cut smaller for 1/4glass.

Wow, I haven't seen anyone reach that far down in the barrel in quite a while. I'm pretty impressed over here.

Pics please

Gold card with banana strip and water on the film surface while working. These heatguns are the best adjustables on the market. Pure analog with rubber grips. I could work all day with just these after surface prep.

Maguires products are pretty good for what they are. Use the quick detailer spray if you're worried. I've never wasted a dollar or the 'wrap care' products. Plenty of markup and hype sold to fragile egos. Ive used about every chemical I've had within reach over the years. Stay away from any solvent or harsh degreasers, including alcohol, and you'll be fine.

Correct. You wouldn't be the first to pull a piece off and replace it. Those things happen. I pulled a piece off yesterday because I thought I had dirt/dust under the film. Turns out that it was dirt nibs in the paint, on a new car even. If you want some really good vids on color change, CKwraps on youtube has about the best without any bs. I think some of the older vids were a little more detailed. Sometimes I'll put one on in the background just to see some different install theories.

That looks like a scar from a squeegee stroke. The spot over the handle looks like it was preheated unevenly or over heated when sinking the door cup area. You might use some liquid carnuba to condition the film and diffuse the appearance. SprayAway glass cleaner has some silicone like product in it that works decent. Film likes to be warmed evenly just a bit after taking off the liner to relax it, but it doesn't need to get really hot. That will help keep the surface texture more uniform. Over all it looks pretty good if that's something you don't do everyday.

All shot, no chaser. You're welcome. The shop I was trained in,1995, folded from an absentee owner and I still needed to eat. I literally would roll up into a parking lot with a 20"roll and hustle the first guy I could in an old beater for $75 or whatever I could get and do it on the spot with a small torch, triming the patterns on my own car. That lasted until I could find the next better gig. That next gig lasted until I could find a crappy garage and up the ladder I went. If I ever stop climbing that's my fault. Hustle and build relationships, never have to be hungry if you have enough trees to shake and you are willing to shake them.

If you post up some pics here I'll diagnose it. I've been wrapping for 20yrs.

The guy you work for sounds like a chief manipulator. Not a chance would I stay anywhere for that crap. If you write the checks you can keep the rest and he can find another bitch to starve out while he pretends to give a fuk. If you leave tomorrow the dealers still need an installer. Become a vendor, don't line up to be someone else's workslave because you're scared you can't write the checks, when the money runs out he won't write one either. Selling you fear is manipulation. It's how D-bag's get you to stay subservient. My answer was always 'fukit I'm already hungry, I'm going to put a roll of film in the car and shake the trees. Whatever I find is mine and I'll do it again tomorrow until I can find a shop space thats disused next to a garage or tire shop. I have a friend local who just did exactly that a few days ago leaving the absentee pimp...er...owner to let him find another set of sweetcheeks to leave a handprint on. Please read or even watch 'your next five moves' from Patrick Bet David on youtube. Best 10min you're going to spend today.

That's one of the reasons I'm not always a fan of running a keg. I like to change the mix on the fly. Big swings in weather combined with a few euro cars in the schedule doesn't always suit one mix. With that said I do tend to run 7th Generation Free/Clear dishsoap in the winter and switch to JnJ for more slide in the summer.