Car Wrapping Business: How to Start, From the Experts

As you drive around, do you often see vehicles that are wrapped as an advertisement for a brand? These vinyl wraps are actually quite an effective marketing technique, and a growing trend in outdoor advertising. Stats show that vehicle advertising generates 30,000-70,000 daily vehicular impressions, more than two times the attention from a static billboard, with as much as a 97 percent recall rate. These impressive metrics have the attention of advertisers and people looking to be part of a lucrative industry.

Defining a Vehicle Wrap

A vehicle wrap is a digitally-printed mobile billboard. The ad is created with an entire vehicle to use as an artistic canvas. Once the creative part is complete, the ad is printed on a vinyl film and applied onto the vehicle. There are partial wraps or full wraps that cover the whole vehicle including windows. A quality application can last three to five years.

Starting a Car Wrapping Business

If you are thinking about starting a vehicle wrap business as a full- time job or side hustle, the vinyl wrap business can be costly to open due to the price tags on equipment and materials. You could explore a vinyl wrap business for sale, but either one will require high up-front figures.

Like with any business opportunity, you will need to write out a business plan, complete with company name, logo, the cost, financing, target audience and marketing plan. Word of mouth and social media are effective ways to advertise a car wrapping business since its visual appeal is eye-catching on all platforms. Car shows are another way to get the word out about your business and display your work.

Once you have a plan you need to determine whether you will produce your own wraps and graphics or design them and order from a dealer.

Costs include buying your own plotter, printer and lamination equipment with all of the related accessories. That price tag will hit upwards of $40,000 or more. The equipment needs proper training to operate. You can become a certified vehicle wrapping expert for about a thousand dollars depending on materials included in the class. Most of the instruction is hands-on with expert installers who train you with computer programs along with cutting and installation techniques.

You will also need a garage or large building to lease or purchase for installation. Prices may vary depending on the area, but it’s a necessary cost to include. The building needs to be large enough to house vehicles being worked on, plus at least 14 feet in height to allow for tall vehicles like trucks that you could potentially wrap. The building needs good cross-ventilation because of the fumes emitted from the lamination machine and adhesives being used and climate controlled for the best results using vinyl materials. To save money and improve profits, you may want to work from your own garage. However, that will limit the number of vehicles you can work on, slowing down profit opportunity.

While annual income may vary depending on overhead costs, labor, etc., the average charge for a single vehicle wrap is $2,000-$5,000.

Image360 Franchise Option

You could go through all those steps without a guarantee that you will get your business off the ground, or there’s always the option of a brick-and-mortar franchise like Image360– a car wrap franchise and more. We can install full or partial wraps on cars, trucks, trailers, buses, vans or any other vehicles, customizable to your customer’s needs and specifications.

But vehicle wraps are just one of the fine services you will offer in your Franchise Center.  You will help businesses in your community with all their graphics, signage and display needs. From start to finish, collaboration and consultation are our priorities. Our greatest strength is working with clients from project inception to installation, designing and producing quality work within budget and on deadline.

By diversifying and providing more than just vehicle wrapping services to expand your offerings, you grow your profit potential.

Plus, you have the benefits of training and on-going support using the proven model and respected Image360 brand name. You won’t have to go it alone setting up your business. We have industry experts guiding you through the steps to set-up your Center along with critical and comprehensive instruction in business operations, marketing, management, customer service, staffing and of course, sign-making. We provide our Franchise Owners with on-going assistance, keeping you up-to-date with the latest technology and innovations.

If you are interested in this lucrative opportunity, submit this form to find out how you can purchase, convert to or add-on to an Image360 Center.