Carving a Niche // Jim Dawson of Synergy Sign & Graphics Better Sign Shop Podcast

Jim Dawson owns Synergy Sign & Graphics in Strasburg, OH. From humble beginnings in his basement 20 years ago, he has built a business that thrives on challenges and innovation. In this podcast, he shares his experiences with creative architectural signage.
##-##This episode is sponsored by:
GCI Digital Imaging Your partner for large/grand format trade printing. Known for exceptional customer service, GCI Digital Imaging is the go-to for banners, coroplast signs, vehicle wraps, and other digitally printed graphics. Discover more in Episode #9 or visit https://gci-digital.com.Jaco Wholesale Sign ProductsLooking to enhance your clients' impact and boost your profits with flat-cut acrylic letters and logos? Jaco Wholesale Sign Products delivers laser-cut acrylic letters and signage with quick turnaround times and excellent communication. They offer a wide range of mounting options, Pantone matching, several acrylic thicknesses, and nationwide shipping. Visit https://sign.supply/bss/ for a quote and $50 off your first order.
##-##Links:Dan Sawatzky Episode: https://youtu.be/QHOBWzf-5QY
Synergy Signs Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/synergy_signs/
##-##Key Points Discussed:
- Business and Personal life: Jim shares his business and personal life and how he and his wife manage it all together.
- Jim's Journey: Jim shares his journey and how he ended up with signage from an animator and cabinet shop. 
-Architecture Projects: Jim shares with us his amazing architecture Projects and shows us the workflow of working with architecture Projects.
-Client Expectation: We dive deep into this conversation, discussing the importance of knowing and fulfilling clients' expectations and how to let clients know what we expect from them.
- Pricing Methods: Jim discusses his pricing method and how he decides or adjusts his pricing and profit margins.
- Changes in the industry: We discuss the positive and negative aspects of the industry's changes and how they will affect the market and the future of signage. -Jim's Workshop: Jim talks about his workshop, which they conduct a few times per year. Y http://www.synergysign.com/sign-alchemy-workshops/
-Sign Shop School: Jim and Peter discuss their future plan to open a sign shop school and give back to the industry.
##-##In this episode...
00:00            Intro
00:38            Sponsor
01:27             Catching Up
04:40            Winning a Lottery
09:12             About Jim
10:25             Working with Wife
13:55             From Animator to cabinet shop to signage
19:12              The Progression.
22:12             Storefront walk-in traffic
28:07             Inflection Point 
31:12              Jim’s architecture projects   
33:12              Fulfilling Client Expectations
36:25             90-day Terms
38:18              Equipments
43:20             Fire Prevention
46:02             Workflow with architecture Projects.
52:30             Pricing Method
57:05             Changes in the Industry
01:02:42        Jim’s Workshop
01:12:12          Sign Shop School
##-##Are you a sign or print shop owner?Join the Better Sign Shop Community - our exclusive Facebook group for shop owners and managers. Connect and learn from peers at https://www.facebook.com/groups/bettersignshopmastermind.
Interested in being a guest on the show or have questions for our team? Reach out to us at hey@bettersignshop.com.