What should I ask about a sign shop’s backlog of quoted but unsigned jobs?

A pile of outstanding quotes can look reassuring, but a quote is a request for pricing, not a commitment. Ask the seller to separate quotes into groups: recent and active, stale, and one-off tenders. Ask which customers send quotes often and which just compare prices.

Look at the shop’s history of turning quotes into jobs. If the owner tracks it, ask for the rate over a long period. If not, sample a few months of old quotes and see how many became invoices. This gives you a more honest picture than the current list.

Check the pricing. Were the quotes written at current material and labour costs? A quote sent months ago may already be underwater, and honouring it could cost the new owner money. Ask whether any quotes carry price guarantees or deposits. Finally, ask whether the owner is the one who closes these sales. If so, the backlog may not follow the owner out the door. Ask also whether the shop follows up on quotes that go quiet, and who does it, because a quote nobody chases tends to lapse without anyone noticing.

Key takeaways

• Split open quotes into active, stale and price-shopping groups.
• Test the history by checking how many past quotes became invoices.
• Review old quotes for costs that have since risen.
• Ask who follows up on quiet quotes and how often.