Vinyl Pros Issue 1

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There’s a course for you!

Whether you’re looking to expand your business, brush up on your application skills, improve your sales and marketing pitching, or just fancy a taster for the products and opportunities in an exciting and innovative marketplace, we are the Academy for you.

FROM THE

Editor

Welcome to the very first edition of Vinyl Pros, we are so grateful to every single one of you that’s subscribed so far to come with us on this exciting new journey for the sign & graphics, architectural film and vehicle wrapping industries.

We’re kicking off 2023 in style with our unbelievable cover feature, The Wrap Pod, who it was a pleasure to spend time with back in September. So many of you featured in this edition were incredibly supportive of this new venture and between us, we will shine a light on the talent and exciting events happening up and down the UK.

Throughout the magazine, you will find links to all social profiles so you can connect to those who pique your interest. As reliable subcontractors are difficult to find, opening up a conversation with some of our featured profiles may open up new avenues for collaboration. Our hope for the future of Vinyl Pros is that we can help to build a community of likeminded, ambitious and skilled people who can join forces to raise the bar in our industries.

Whilst the economic outlook for 2023 is set to be bleak, we’ve got big plans for our community and after meeting with so many others who are preparing for a huge year ahead, we remain optimistic. There are more events to look forward to than ever before, a raft of training and development courses and a market that is set for explosive growth.

Thanks again from all of us at Vinyl Pros for reading, we’re excited to discover more about your businesses and how you’re making an impact in your industry.

- Rosie Christie

4 One’s to Watch

RGVA Vehicle Graphics @rgva_ltd

It will come as no surprise that RGVA Vehicle Graphics have focused solely on vehicle graphics since they first began trading back in 2001. Some of their most recent work for Dominos spans a fleet of 18 tonne lorries, but their Instagram feed shows off many eye-catching designs and installation skills for other companies that RGVA are clearly proud of.

@sneakytints ONES TO WATCH

Sneaky Tints

Sneaky Tints director, Matt Yousuf, has racked up an impressive number of Google reviews. 63 and counting at the time of writing. Customers of Sneaky Tints value the quality of the workmanship involved, and Matt uses only the best materials on his jobs. Sometimes he’s beaten on price, but not on quality and that’s how you get a review collection that’s up there with the best we’ve seen.

LDN Graphics have a passion for large-scale projects. With 15 years in the industry, their customer focused approach sees them working on an international level. Every project seems to be something a little different from the norm; a spiral staircase at the Tottenham Experience store, a rainbow tunnel wrap at the Dstassi Gallery and graphics at Burberry HQ to name a small selection.

Invotex @invotex_af

Skullhouse Wraps

@skullhousewraps

Wigan-based Skullhouse Wraps caught our ear before they caught our eye. Word of mouth had it that Kris and Dan, who have been friends since high school and created Skullhouse Wraps in 2019, had returning customers from all over their local area due to their top-notch work. We also had it on good authority they’re both cracking lads, proving that satisfied customers are the best business strategy of all.

SignTeck

@signteckukltd

Now this is a studio we wouldn’t mind visiting in 2023. SignTeck’s director, ‘bearded genius’ Ricky Walsh always seems to be one step ahead of the game, giving the business he’s been dreaming about since he was 14 the best competitive advantage he can. One thing that’s clear from SignTeck’s socials is that they’ve got a good sense of humour, the team are passionate about this company. The best thing about their socials? Every day they’re up to something new and it’s always interesting.

Sauce @printsauce

The team at Sauce have worked on branding, signage and vehicle graphics for some seriously impressive names. Creative design work is brought to life by Sauce and their cuttingedge in-house facilities. Currently standing at a 14-strong team, this powerhouse company is based in Caerphilly but has the capabilities to take on work on a national scale.

Invotex are a 3M endorsed installer of Di-Noc. Headed up by Chris Perkin, they hit the ground running using 3M in hospitality establishments after spotting an opportunity for architectural films at a buyer’s event. Seeing how his existing painting and decorating business could complement architectural films, Chris set up Invotex and the rest is history. Their social media photographs capture their work up close; Invotex are confident in the finish of their work.

Blu Banana Graphics

@blu_banana_graphics

Founded in 2017 by three ex-council workers with a vision, Blu Banana Graphics has experienced rapid growth. Jennie, Richard and Dave have amassed an Instagram following of almost 1800 with their regular content updates and standout designs. Their passion for supporting other businesses is evident in the reviews of their happy customers and their team brand just about everything from vans to uniforms and everything in between.

LEADING SUPPLIERS SUPPORT WRAPFEST

WrapFest has announced 10 internationally acclaimed vehicle wrapping specialists are sponsoring its first ever event, demonstrating the industry’s excitement for the first-of-itskind show for the wrap industry.

Hexis, 3M, Avery Dennison, APA, Grafityp, Spandex, William Smith, Surfex, HP and Metamark will sponsor the event, running from 26-27 April at Silverstone, granting them a space in Silverstone’s iconic pit-garages. They will each deliver exclusive wrapping demonstrations and training-style content to attendees, as well as having a stand in the main exhibition area.

ROLAND DG REVEALS SUBSTRATE INDEX REPORT

WrapFest will feature 14 pit-garage spaces, each hosting at least four invaluable sessions per day from some of the industry’s most recognisable names, providing attendees to the event over 100 live demonstrations across the two days.

Duncan MacOwan, head of marketing and events, FESPA, said: "We are delighted to confirm that some of the industry’s biggest names will deliver live demonstrations at the first ever WrapFest. The pit garage area promises to be a vibrant feature where attendees can learn about new materials and pick up quality techniques that can be transferred to their business; we know from this community just how much attendees will benefit from witnessing experts first hand."

Source: www.whattheythink.com

Roland DG, the world’s leading provider of digital printing solutions, shares insights from its annual Substrate Index Report, revealing that UV printing is fast becoming an essential tool to support popular items created by the printing industry.

The annual survey of 140+ printing shops across the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain, provides a realistic outlook of the evolution of the UV printing market over time. This year, printers are continuing to print on the most popular material – Plastic, with 68% of those polled using it at least once (68%) closely followed by Metals (64%), PVC (60%), and Wood (58%). These same four materials came out top overall in last year’s report, with a small drop in popularity of Plastic (-7%) and Wood (-6%), while Metal (+10%) appears to have gained in popularity.

Acrylic is also still very popular, with 53% of PSPs in the UK reporting using it at least once. Other geographical markets, such as Italy and France, saw glass and tiles rising in the ranks. Less than 3% of respondents claimed to have printed anything on concrete in the last year.

Paul Willems, director of product management and business development at Roland DG said: "Our annual Substrate Index has highlighted that yet again there is growth in UV printing due to its versatility and functionality to be able to print on an array of materials, which has thus increased commercial opportunities for businesses.

"UV printing has opened doors for businesses to create a range of new products, some of which are not surprising, while others outlined in our report such as personalised shoe insoles, tennis balls and apples are more so. Taking the jump and investing in a UV printer provides businesses with the opportunity to create and experiment with printing to create an array of new products and help a business grow."

Source: www.largeformatreview.com

Key Findings:

- Paint protection films have a life expectancy of 5 to 10 years. However, once damaged, they need to be removed and replaced. Furthermore, there are several small inferior paint protection film products and knockoffs available in the market that have a low lifespan. Such films lead to constant replacement, which adds to the plastic film waste. Although the plastic recycling industry across the globe is witnessing significant growth, the recycling of plastic films still poses a significant challenge for plastic recyclers.

- Paint protection films made up of thermoplastic polyurethane are substantially more resistant to fading and discolouration. These TPU films’ adhesives have also been changed to make them simpler to remove. Together, these two elements do a considerably better job of protecting the original car paint than the paint protection films of the past.

Source: www.prnewswire.co.uk

CLIENT: J&S ACCESSORIES

VINYL DETAIL LTD

Project: Porsche 911 RSR

"Vinyl Detail were fantastic from start to finish. Their service was second to none, and nothing was too much trouble. We gave them extensive instructions on a big job, and they carried it out perfectly and efficiently in a record-breaking time!

The quality was fantastic. It did, and still does, look great –they kept us updated every part of the way – we have used them before and will use them again and have already recommended them to others!"

Project Overview:

To recreate an exact replica wrap of a model Porsche 911 GT3 RSR in 2 weeks with 2-3 installers. We used 35m of vinyl over the course of this project, wrapping the full car to create this transformation.

What was the outcome?

With this being 1 of only 9 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR’s in the world, we were thrilled to have been asked to undertake such a prestigious project. Replicating a wrap from a model was a challenge, but we rose to it as a team and were proud to hand over the finished article to the customer, who was thrilled. We can’t wait to see this on the track.

FEATURED PROJECTS

Project Overview:

To bring the sports, performing arts and English departments to life by incorporating subject matter from the syllabus to create a stimulating work environment. 420metres of vinyl was used with a team of 4 installers over 4 days.

What was the outcome?

Our team worked closely to create the conceptual ideas and liaise with the teachers to bring their ideas to fruition. From here the elements were produced by our team ready for installation. A mix of fabricated circus signs, neon lights, doors wraps and huge one piece wall murals we utilised to bring their vision to life.

"This has created a real sense of impact as soon as you enter the space. It is great to really enhance the learning environment for our students to enjoy"

ENV GRAPHICS & SIGNAGE LTD

Project: SnapFitness Parr Bridge

Project Overview:

This was a roll out of new branch of Snap Fitness, Parr Bridge. The brief was to complete the signage from concept to installation in 7 weeks. Our first meeting took place in a building site. Over the course of this project, we used bespoke exterior signage, neon lighting, LED lighting, fabric wall graphics, printed window etch, acrylic signage & vending machine wraps.

What was the outcome?

The outcome was that we achieved what we promised, completed the project on time and made our customer extremely happy. We are very lucky have such fantastic customers who trust in our abilities.

This project used all our team’s knowledge and expertise to complete, from our amazing designers to our experienced installers, this install has been an absolute pleasure.

FEATURED PROJECTS WAHOOTI LONDON

Project: Samsung Flip and Fold Series

Project

Overview:

Wahooti were asked to create a unique display to promote the Samsung Flip and Fold phones. This display included roller banners, branded pillows, a stretched fabric backdrop and a huge chair that needed to look like the flip phone and a table to look like the Fold.

We designed, manufactured and wrapped the final products based on phone photos and sizes supplied. We were asked to design create and deliver the whole project within a 3-week deadline and used materials from fabric popup stands to printed vinyl on the wooden chair and tables.

What was the outcome?

The final outcome exceeded clients’ expectations! We delivered on time and on budget. The display created a lot of buzz on social media and physical interaction.

CLIENT: SAMSUNG

"A huge thank you to you guys who have literally smashed it out of the park! We really appreciate your hard work and look forward to working with you on all our future projects!"

It’s no secret that across the Sign & Graphic industry, a significant portion of work is outsourced to subcontractors. Whether a business needs help with a large project, or simply because they want to avoid long-term commitment and legal obligations, the number of companies drafting in subcontractors is on the rise.

Also on the rise is the number of available subcontractors out there; many installers left employment either during or after the pandemic to become sole traders or retrained to take up a new career path. A recession is one of the best times to use outsourced labour, as the economic pinch puts a strain on companies, stunting their growth plans and forcing them in a new direction. Done right, this is how your company can benefit from outsourcing more labour in recessionary conditions...

OUTSOURCING SUCCESS FOR

CREATING FLEXIBILITY

If you’re already outsourcing at least some of your labour, you may be breathing a sigh of relief if your revenue stream looks uncertain this year. You can increase or decrease labour resources as needed without needing to have the dreaded redundancy conversations. Laying permanent staff members off will help ease any financial woes, but it is undoubtedly the most unpopular strategy.

COST SAVING EXPERTISE

A subcontractor, by definition, is hired to perform part or all of the obligations of another’s contract. Assuming that the subcontractor in question is timeserved in their craft, you are relying on them for their expertise; a high standard of workmanship that won’t cause you any headaches further down the line. There should be no costly training or, perhaps, more importantly, no costly mistakes involved with subcontractors. Whilst more expensive on average per day, over the course of a project, the costs should be controlled and not spiralling into more expense to the detriment of your profit margin.

MORE TIME

The aforementioned expertise that is expected of subcontractors should equate to you being able to focus on the core activities of your business. Many of our readers are small business owners, and with this comes many hats to wear. If you are on-site, physically carrying out the work yourself, there is little time left to work on a business strategy, never mind managing a team of employees if you also have any on payroll.

Of course, there can be drawbacks to subcontracting. Whilst you outsource labour to others who are specialised in these areas, putting your trust in another party can be daunting. Many skilled fitters are reliable, trustworthy and consistently produce high-quality work. These are often time-served installers with a background in the industry and a ton of experience. As these subcontractors fill their diaries months in advance, companies may have to look elsewhere if they require the manpower at short notice. This can lead to a multitude of problems for any business owner. Here are our top tips on the qualities to look out for when choosing the right subcontractor for your project:

EXPERIENCE

What kind of projects have they worked on before? If the individual or team haven’t been recommended to you by a trusted source, you need to find out directly from them. As one-day courses surge in popularity, so does the number of subcontractors whose only experience is that one-day course. Whilst many of these courses are invaluable as an introduction or to expand an existing skillset, they cannot replace on-site experience.

RELIABILITY

Look out for the red flags early on. Terrible communication before a project starts doesn’t bode well if you are reliant on the person turning up on time, on the correct day.

TRUSTWORTHINESS

You are counting on your subcontractors to perform their job to a high standard as it’s your reputation on the line if they don’t. Gathering as much information as you can beforehand is essential. Check out portfolios of work and reviews, it’s not difficult to find the answers to a lot of your questions online or through word of mouth.

The bottom line is that you won’t always know what kind of quality of work you’re going to receive until you give someone a chance to show you. You should always set an expectation, a standard of work that must be adhered to. Not every subcontractor will be the right fit for you and your business. But done right, with the right people on board, you should reap the rewards of outsourcing labour.

THE WRAP POD

Nestled away on an industrial estate on the outskirts of Wakefield, one unit immediately stands out. The only unit to have branded their roller shutters and entrance door. Inside, I’m not disappointed; The Wrap Pod’s owners Bradley Nixon (27) and Dominic Price (30) have paid the kind of attention to detail to their unit that you would expect from a team whose customers describe them as ‘sensational.’

Today, under the honeycomb LED suspended lighting, a £90,000 BMW X5 is stripped down and parked on the carpet undergoing a colour change. After making sure we were all suitably caffeinated, we talked all things vehicle wrapping, business goals, and what these two Yorkshire lads have planned for 2023.

WHERE

IT ALL

It’s been three years since Bradley and Dom became selfemployed after working together for another vehicle wrapping company nearby. Both set up on their own, with Bradley trading as That’s A Wrap and Dominic as Stealth Skins, and the two were inundated with subcontracting work. "Dom had work lined up for me as soon as I left [my previous employment]," Bradley says as the pair pin the material over the bonnet together. Is it difficult to fill the time subcontracting in the saturated market of vehicle wrapping? Not according to Dom.

"We could fill 7 days a week subbing out, as many hours as you wanted, there’s so much demand." In August of 2021, after taking on so many other jobs together, Brad and Dom decided to join forces and The Wrap Pod was born.

With the HQ being an impressive 1700sqft of space and yet nothing more than an empty shell when they got the keys, the unit has undergone some serious changes in little over a year. From the mezzanine - or man cave as Bradley refers to it- to the waiting room and even the flooring, I can see why their customers are impressed even before they’ve seen their work.

BEGAN VINYL PREFERENCES

If there’s one thing they’re not keen on here, it’s chrome. Thicker than 3M Di-Noc and steam applicated, Brad and Dom count a full wrap of a Jaguar F-Pace as one of their most timeconsuming jobs to date. It’s actually described as "horrendous, like wrapping with cardboard," and with a few expletives thrown in. Would they do it again? "Now we’ve done it, we could do, but it’d be a lot more expensive!" Dom quips, laughing as he shakes his head. Bradley continues, "you just know if someone asks for chrome that it’s going to be hard work but the customer knows that the price will go up. If they’re ok with

that, we’ll do it for them." Today they’re using Oracal, their material of preference. "Value for money, this is the best you can get. It’s perfect for cars too. You have to be careful because some brands won’t offer a guarantee if you wrap cars in it, so this is something customers need to be made aware of."

GOALS

Whilst the New Year and much dreaded impending recession may mean that other businesses are worried about 2023, Dom is upbeat. "We’ve got another company moving in upstairs that we work with for design and printing so we can do everything in-house. Towards the back end of the year, we want to be in here 5 days a week and we are looking to build another mezzanine floor above us for the design team". Currently, the time spent in the unit is around 2-3 days a week with subcontracting work filling up the rest of their diaries, although booking dates in for subcontracting is looking more and more difficult as they outline their marketing strategy for the next year. "We are going to go to more car shows, national and local ones, set up a marquee with The Wrap Pod’s branding and take some of the cars we’ve wrapped.

Any [cars] that stand out or are a bit unique or zany. Most of our work now comes from word of mouth so going to these events will probably get us where we want to be by next year."

I’m keen to ask, would they take on an employee? Brad says not yet, "we’re a few years away from that yet. We have a specific process for everything and we know that when a car goes back, it’s spot on." Reputation is everything at The Wrap Pod. They’ve collected over 40 5*Google reviews so far, with almost every customer commenting on the quality of the work and the customer service being ‘top-notch.’ They know they could make more money by hiring someone. They know they could take on more work with an extra pair of hands. But even with the temptation, Brad and Dom won’t sacrifice the quality that their customers rate them so highly on.

"Customer Satisfaction is key"

Remember the attention to detail I mentioned? The X5 is still sitting without its doors as Bradley talks me through how this job has just got a whole lot bigger. This customer wants the shuts and returns wrapping, meaning it’s going to be a 4 am start for the lads tomorrow or Bradley will have to miss his upcoming holiday to South Africa in the name of customer service. He talks me through the different ways companies choose to wrap the more intricate details, and unsurprisingly, The Wrap Pod cover the back quarter and inserts in one piece for a seamless finish. Their customers don’t want a jigsaw puzzle, Bradley explains. "Some of the big-name car wrappers, their work is all pieced in. They’re marketing geniuses but they aren’t the best at what they do." Don’t believe everything you see on Instagram then? Apparently not. Dom says, "we try and photograph as much of the detail as we can to show the quality, but people need to see it up close and personal, that’s why car events will be the way forward. We don’t make cuts where we can wrap around. A lot of places will make a cut here where we take all the bolts out of the wing. It’s more time-consuming to take everything apart but we try to go that bit further than most."

As with everything else, you get what you pay for. Prices for a full wrap start at £1800 at The Wrap Pod. They know they can’t compete on price with some of

the other wrap shops nearby, but they are confident that the work they turn out couldn’t be of better quality and won’t cause their customers any problems. It’s not a race to the bottom on price here, there are plenty of ‘pop-up’ wrap shops that will charge a lot less and nobody can compete with some of the prices on offer. "There’s no point being busy idiots," Bradley notes. "We can’t compete with someone offering a full wrap for £999, it doesn’t make sense". Early on in their journey, they are confident that the calibre of their work will set them apart and the right customers will value this above price.

With so many of their reviews referencing their customer service, what is different about the handover process at The Wrap Pod? "We cover the car and do a big reveal, just to make it a bit more special for them when they pick it up. It’s the small things like that that we like to do for people," Bradley explains. You might think these touches are standard protocol across the board but Dom tells me he’s worked at places where the car has been waiting outside in the rain for the customer when they pick it up. There’s certainly nothing wrong with a car sitting in the rain, after all, that is what’s expected of any car in the UK weather, but the experience that you get when choosing The Wrap Pod seems to be what people value and remember.

GROWING THEIR FOLLOWING PROS AND CONS OF SELF-EMPLOYMENT

There are very few businesses run by millennials that aren’t using social media in some form. Platforms such as Instagram and Facebook are flooded with photographs, reels, and stories for potential customers to consume. A search for car wrapping will generate thousands of results, companies, and locations. The Wrap Pod, who have grown their following to almost 1800 in a short space of time, aim to keep up the momentum by keeping their audience engaged. Bradley takes over the running of the Instagram and Facebook accounts, whilst Dom works on the Google Business side of things. Both are highly responsive to customers on all platforms, and whoever you get in touch with is who you will deal with from start to finish, keeping consistency throughout. Something that is immediately obvious from The Wrap Pod’s social media channels is that their audience is

engaged. The kind of audience you want, ones that comment on and share your work with others. I ask if there’s any way they’d want to level up their marketing like some of the others and put themselves in the foreground instead of the cars they’ve wrapped. "I don’t think anybody would want to follow me round with a camera," Bradley says, "they’d have to film me doing boring things like eating my tea whilst I’m watching the telly,"

The security of full-time employment is something many are afraid to leave, despite the many downfalls it can come with. Sometimes you don’t always get the luxury of leaving. "I once ended up on a course with the same guy that sacked me," Dom tells me. "I think at the time, they shouldn’t have taken on another member of staff. They didn’t have enough work on. The way some people go about things though, it’s wrong." At least when you’re self-employed, the only person you have to worry about is yourself. Being micro-managed as a way of pressuring someone out is all too common a practice but it couldn’t have turned out better for Bradley and Dom who went on to meet at Dom’s next employer. This employer still uses both members of The Wrap Pod for subcontracting work now, showing that remaining on good terms can have perks for both parties.

There’s a lot to be said for being self-employed, although it comes with a downside. As every other business owner knows, at the top of the list of cons is invoice chasing. Apart from that, The Wrap Pod owners can’t come up with many others. Dom says, "the work-life balance that you get from being self-employed is good. But having

your own business means you can be face-to-face with customers, you get to see their faces when they pick their car up which I never did before when I was in the workshop. I missed out on the handover and that’s really important to us here. It’s nice to be able to meet people and talk to them from the beginning right to the end." By the sounds of it, customer reactions are not something they’d want to miss. "We had two customers in two weeks crying when we revealed their cars. Tears of happiness, I should add," Bradley laughs. I ask if that’s the ultimate goal, and Dom jokingly tells me they have a tally chart for the tears.

Although relatively early on in their business journey, a lot is going right at The Wrap Pod. A combination of skilled wrapping, outstanding customer service, and realistic yet ambitious goal setting. Both are great conversationalists that put you at ease, something their customers must appreciate. Passion for what they do and for the future of their business is evident. Some companies will be fearing the predicted financial woes of 2023, but I have a feeling The Wrap Pod won’t need to lose any sleep over it.

THE ULTIMATE CUTTING TOOLS

BUSIN ESS TOOLK IT

2022 was rough for almost everyone – energy companies aside. Between Liz Truss, the pandemic, and the cost of living reaching soaring heights, it’s astounding that anyone with a business has made it to 2023 at all. With the new budget looking to squeeze us even more, there has never been a better time to work on your business to ensure not only its survival but also its success. We sat down with respected business mentor, Gary King, to gain some insight into how businesses can weather the economic storm that we are currently living in.

Have a plan that will help them navigate through the muddy waters ahead. Underpinning a business plan should be a financial cashflow forecast and I believe it is now more important than ever to maximise profit and working capital. Having good working capital will allow a business to weather the storm for a period should they have a tough trading period and allows them to make wise investments in systems, people and marketing as and when needed.

A good plan should provide alignment across the business to ensure everybody is pulling in the same direction. It should also provide clarity and focus so everybody knows what they are doing, when, why, and importantly, how they will be measured. A good plan will also articulate who the ideal customer is, why they should buy from you and what your product and service offering is. This may change to suit customer and market demands as the economic environment evolves.

How

build the right team at this crucial time?

This should always be based on company values or character. A high-performing team trusts each other and is value-aligned and working towards a common goal and vision. Once you are clear on your values, assess your existing team to understand who is and isn’t aligned. The ones who are not will some support in becoming aligned. Once you have the existing team locked in, presuming you have the right culture and rewards in place, you can look to identify any gaps in the team based on what your future team needs to be to deliver your future goals. Start recruiting 4-6 months before you want a role filled and always use values to hire and fire.

What are the most important things businesses can do now to prepare themselves for the upcoming year?

can companies

Why is it important for businesses to have a plan?

"Success rates for businesses with a mentor are significantly higher than those without"

Customer service. In this day and age, most businesses have competitors either online or not and therefore the only real differentiator for many is service levels. Ensure you set clear expectations with clients, exceed them and ensure you communicate regularly. Make sure your customer touchpoints are mapped out and that the whole team understands how they need to be delivered to ensure a ‘wow’ experience. A happy customer will remain loyal and become an advocate for your business.

Gary King is a straight-talking Yorkshireman who has spent over 30 years in business, tackling just about every issue you’re likely to encounter.

With three successful businesses under his belt and having mentored hundreds of SMEs as well as performing at MD level with large global corporates, what he’s learned along the way is what matters to business owners – and he believes that to be having the freedom to choose. The freedom to choose when to work, when to spend time with their family and friends, and how much to pay themselves to deliver the lifestyle they desire.

After Founding Tendo in 2010, Gary has since built three successful businesses and mentored hundreds of small business owners. He is also part of The Association of Business Mentors (ABM), raising the standards of business coaching and mentoring through his role as Regional Head for the North and his position on the exec team.

To find out if Gary could help you, visit www.tendo-uk.com for more information.

Deliver greater value. There are many businesses still looking to invest in growth and in any recession in history, there are always huge opportunities for those that look hard enough. During Covid, I had an e-commerce gift business working all hours because people couldn’t go shopping but still needed to purchase presents. By listening to your current and prospective customers, they will share their problems and from this, you can develop services and products to solve them. Make sure you are solving all the problems your customers have rather than just one or two so they will spend more with you. Delivering high service levels as discussed earlier will cause your clients to refer you when your competitors are not stepping up.

By delivering greater value, it provides an opportunity to increase prices and therefore gross profit. Increasing volume by selling more to existing and new clients will also deliver a higher gross profit. You can also increase profit margins by reducing overhead costs and material cost by renegotiating contracts, changing suppliers, or simply stopping spending.

All business owners with an aspiration to grow would benefit from a Business Mentor. Success rates for businesses with a mentor are significantly higher than those without and if a mentor with sufficient experience, credentials, and expertise is chosen and matches with you anything is possible. Tread carefully though, many are not able to deliver the necessary results so doing your homework is critical before deciding on who to work with.

How can businesses ensure they stand out from their competition in a saturated market?

At a time when spending looks to be cut, how can business owners increase their revenue?

Are there ways of businesses becoming more profitable this year during difficult trading conditions?

Who are the business owners that should look to invest in mentoring in 2023? What will the benefits be?

"Have a plan that will help navigate through the muddy waters ahead"

Gary King

C REATIVE

OWNER: JOHN GRAY

kitchen kitchen

WRAPS

What is your background working with vinyl?

I began working with vinyl around 30 years ago. My family owns a large coachbuilding business and my uncle and I created a graphics department. We did all sorts of lettering and vinyl graphics on a range of commercial vehicles including vans, trucks, trailers, and plant vehicles. This then led onto wrapping and we wrapped fleets of trucks and vans for various companies.

How did this lead on to interior film?

As a natural progression. I’ve always been fascinated with vinyl wrapping. I love the instant change that can be made to a surface when vinyl is applied to it. When I discovered all the different effects that can be achieved by wrapping in interior film I was hooked.

Why do you think your customers choose you?

I think they trust me to do the job and do it properly. When I respond to their inquiry, I always make it clear I’m trying to help them as much as possible. Everything I do is to benefit them, not me. I think they appreciate the knowledge and experience I have in the industry and book me as their best and most trusted option. I ask my clients when the work is done for feedback on the work and booking process. People book me because they like me and know they’ll get an awesome job for a great price.

Do you work alone or as part of a team?

I mainly work alone but if we have a larger job to do I have very skilled fitter friends who can help me when needed.

What are the best parts of the job?

Seeing the look on the client’s face when they see the completed work. We’ve had so many people in tears when they see the transformation. I have a family myself and love it when the work I’ve done has helped a family save so much money. I also love chatting and meeting people from all different areas of the UK.

Worst parts of the job?

Cleaning dirty kitchens. We always ask our clients to give their kitchen a clean before any work is undertaken. Sometimes one person’s idea of “clean is completely different from ours.

Any tips you’d give to installers starting out?

Ask, ask and ask again. Ask fitters who’ve been in the industry for many years how they would do things. Experienced fitters have already learned from their mistakes. You’d be surprised by the knowledge and expertise experienced fitters give to others. The simplest things can completely change the way you work. Always use good quality materials and don’t just go for the material that’ll make you the most money.

"We cover the whole of Scotland and the North of England. However, we have worked all over the world including in Australia, China, Portugal, and Mongolia"

"Kitchen Wrapping is only going to get more and more popular

How long is the average kitchen install?

I can usually do a whole kitchen myself in one day depending on the size of it. If it’s a larger kitchen it can take two or sometimes three days. We also have a service where we manufacture, wrap and fit new modern slab doors in any size so if this service is required it takes an extra day to manufacture and wrap the new doors.

Which interior films would you recommend for kitchens?

I use lots of Metamark CC for colour changes. This is if we’re wrapping the kitchen just to change the colour. We also use lots of CoverStyl’. We’ve been using this for years and love all the different colours and finishes. We’ve also just started using the Vion range of material and are really impressed with it. We’ve used LG [now LX] material in the past too.

Any interior films you would avoid?

Cheap monomeric vinyl I suppose. I’ve known companies use digital print media for colour changes. That would be a big no-no for me.

What effect do you want to have on your industry with your work?

I’d like people to be inspired by our work. We like to think we’re the best and most experienced vinyl wrapping experts around so it would be great to work with other like-minded companies from around the world to help grow and increase awareness of the industry in the future.

Which areas of running a business do you think you could improve on?

I don’t have a lot of spare time to do good things on social media. We have four kids and two with autism so any spare time I have is spent watching Peppa Pig with my baby daughter and football with my sons. I’d like to improve our content and interactions on social media.

think this is?

Absolutely. The increase in the demand for our services has been massive. I think it’s due to more and more people discovering the benefits of kitchen wrapping over traditional fit-out methods. We say the same thing to all of our clients - if your kitchen is in good condition it would be crazy and very expensive to rip it to pieces just to change the colour. Why spend thousands on a new kitchen when it isn’t required? Wrapping it will save you a fortune; it’s so much quicker and easier, it’ll look amazing and it’s so much kinder for the environment.

What do you think the future holds for kitchen wrapping?

It’s only going to get more and more popular. In fact, within the next few years, I can say for certain it’s going to go through the roof. I don’t think there are many people in the world who aren’t concerned about climate change. We’ve just had the hottest summer on record in England (not Scotland where I’m from). Slowly but surely more people are seeing the benefits of vinyl and interior wrapping so choosing to wrap a kitchen rather than throwing it in landfill will make a massive difference to our carbon footprint. Even if we only wrapped 200 kitchens a year as a small company - that’s 200 perfectly good kitchens saved from being thrown in a skip.

What are your goals for the next year?

I’ve always been a person who likes to be better at what I do. One of my goals is to further improve what I do. I’d like to expand our business and I’m liking the look of the 3D wall panels on the market at the moment. This is something I’d like to explore. I’d also really like to do more commercial work for places like hotels, shops, etc. I follow companies that wrap yachts. This looks cool. The sky is the limit when it comes to vinyl wrapping so I’m super excited for the future.

Has there been an increased interest in kitchen wrapping in your area? If so, why do you

As their name suggests, William Smith Group was established in 1832 and is now being led by its 7th generation of the Smith family at their base in Barnard Castle.

Over the years, they’ve constantly grown and developed their business to meet the changing needs of our industry and now, 190 years on, the company continues to go from strength to strength. They currently have 115 employees working across the business in areas from production/ fabrication and the warehouse to sales, marketing, purchasing, IT, and accounts. Being the UK’s oldest sign maker with decades of trade manufacturing experience makes William Smith unique as they have an in-depth understanding of the materials they supply. William Smith’s Marketing Manager, Lindsay Appleton, attributes their success to the way the company has been able to adapt to the ever-changing demands of the Sign and Graphics industry and believes that William Smith are at the forefront of new technology and emerging markets.

Although a well-known distributor of materials, the William Smith Group 1832 is an umbrella company for three other brands. William Smith – the distribution arm of the business - have thousands of materials available through distribution from all the leading brands; 3M, Avery Dennison, Arlon, as well as their own VION brand. You can find everything from sign-making vinyls, application tapes, digital print, and vehicle wrap films, to specialist ranges such as Contra Vision perforated window films, reflective sheeting, tools, and accessories. If you are looking for architectural film, William Smith stock the largest range in the UK, with over 1000 patterns on the shelf available by the metre. Their growing portfolio includes leading brands 3M DINOC, Cover Styl’, Decal All Décor PVC Free, VION Décor, and now the LX Hausys BENIF range. The rise in popularity of these films has meant William Smith has a separate team by the name of Architextural who deal with the marketing, sales, technical, training, and creative aspects of architectural films. Finally, Smith is the brand that covers the trade-only fabricated signage business and they make anything from tray signs to chevron kits.

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SPOTLIGHT

William Smith Group 1832

Over the years we’ve been experts at adapting and diversifying our business to meet the changing needs of our customers; investing significantly when required - that’s why we’ve been around so long!

Something that is evident from visiting William Smith is how much their staff enjoy working there. The retention rate of staff is incredibly high, with many team members being there for decades. Lindsay attributes this to the company being a family business, saying,

"Our friendly and relaxed working environment means that many of our team members choose to stay and develop their careers with William Smith. That means our customers get to know our staff well and have confidence in their expertise and knowledge. Customer service is all-important to us and we’re proud of the great working relationships we’ve built with our customers that keep them coming back to William Smith year after year. The company genuinely cares about its staff, which is why there are so many loyal employees. We’re all part of the William Smith family."