[indartwm]

I found out today that two more of my competitors are closing up and moving on, and one of these sign companies have been around since the 1980's.

This is a concern for me because for every shop that closes, at least two more open with those employees deciding to go it alone.

The end result is saturation in the marketplace, causing prices to drop well below what the product is worth, people go broke and the cycle starts again.

I had to find a specialist field to combat this saturation. We invested in a CNC Router and after 12 months I am happy to say it was one of the best decisions we have made, although in those first 6 months I have had alot more downs than ups trying to get it off the ground, bugs with the machine and getting my head around CAD programs. We are now developing custom braille signs for a local council, if they are happy with the end product after 12 month trial we will be targeting all local councils.

We also launched Little Bird Decor - a specialist market in wall decals using existing equipment and years of experience in this industry.

What I am trying to say is you really need to find a niche market and keep going at it. When there is saturation, that niche market could well keep you afloat.