How To Start A T-Shirt Printing Business

A t-shirt printing business is one that involves creative printing on t-shirts.

It could either be a design based on the request of individuals or a ready-made design.

Note that the t-shirt business is one that is lucrative as it involves sale of clothing but focuses only on t-shirts.

It is a business that gives individuals the opportunity to put a preferred inscription on their wares; it is also used as a form of advertisement in the corporate sector.

T-shirt business like every other business must however be managed properly so as to start well and make profitable returns.

Take note of the following tips when going into a t-shirt printing business.

BEFORE YOU START A T-SHIRT PRINTING BUSINESS

Before starting your t-shirt printing business however, you must decide if you want to be running your business from home or you want to get a space specifically for your business.

You should also decide if you want to start your business from the scratch or you want to run a franchise.

Note that it is best to keep your costs minimal when launching your business and you can expand as your t-shirt printing business grows.

RESEARCH AND PLAN ADEQUATELY FOR YOUR T-SHIRT PRINTING BUSINESS

Ensure you are well educated concerning the t-shirt printing and the clothing industry as a whole before you start off your business.

Have an adequate perceptive of how the t-shirt printing business works. You will also need to have a solid business plan, to ascertain that your business is profitable.

A business plan will also let you focus and map out how you will run your business.

Research other successful clothing business brands for tips and strategies on how they succeeded; this will help you a great deal.

It is imperative that you ascertain your budget before choosing to plunge too deep into the business.

This is as a result of the fact that your budget might be too small for your plans, it is ok to have big plans but ensure that your budget can cover it.

You can trim down your plans and start small if you discover that your budget cannot fulfil your expectation. There is always room for expansion as your t-shirt printing business grows.

DECIDE THE T-SHIRT PRINTING METHOD THAT IS SUITABLE FOR YOU

Consider your neighbouring market to settle on which t- shirt printing method is suitable for you.

If you reside in a tourist neighbourhood, digital t-shirt printing or heat-transfer machines as this will aid printing of small orders with various designs rapidly and effortlessly.

If your region is one that has many schools, sport teams, corporate firms and businesses, and you know you want to be printing on a large scale; consider screen printing as it will allow you to print larger orders.

IDENTIFY YOURSELF AS A BRAND

Create a brand for your t-shirt printing business is certainly one of the most significant fundamentals of your business, so must give lots of attention at this aspect as your brand symbolizes the image of your business as a whole and how customers and the general public perceives your business.

Identify your brand’s mission, values, objectives, long term vision, goals and strategies.

Your brand should communicate your distinguishing personality and it must be unique.

Your t-shirt printing business brand should be one that stands out from other t-shirt printing businesses and it includes the name of your business, the logo and the tagline.

Let people appreciate your business and let your brand speak for you.

Figuring out your goals and target market will also assist in determining what your brand will be focusing on.

Ensure your t-shirts are of good quality as this contributes to your brand, you could get honest opinions from your target market with a sample of your t-shirt prints.

DECIDE WHAT TYPE OF T-SHIRTS PRINTING YOU ARE INTERESTED IN

Before you get started, you need to define your niche.

Settle on who your target market is, what kind of t-shirts are really needed by your target market, if your t-shirts printing will be available online or in retail stores, method of payment and delivery.

REGISTER YOUR T-SHIRT PRINTING BUSINESS

It is imperative that you register and run your t-shirt printing business legally and legitimately.

However the form of business you have decided to open will determine the process for registration.

For instance the process for registering Limited Liability Company will be different from that of a sole proprietorship or a partnership.

CREATE YOUR GRAPHIC DESIGNS FOR YOUR T-SHIRT PRINTING

Graphic designs are a significant part of a t-shirt printing business.

Find out about the latest trend in the t-shirt industry before deciding what to get printed.

After you have decided you will need a graphic artist if you are not one.

Ensure you hire a graphic designer that is trustworthy, reliable and creative.

You can get some talented designers on freelance sites like Guru, Odesk, Elance or on t-shirt competition sites like, Teetonic, TeeFury or DesignByHumans.

You could get the technique that suits you.

Check the artists pasts job before you choose.

If you however have a low budget, get the cheapest option for yourt-shirt printing business: procure royalty free vectors and generate your own unique designs.

KNOW YOUR COMPETITION

Always monitor your competition (other t-shirt printing design companies).

Check their kind of designs, pricing and promotions.

However note that you are not to copy them, you are only to learn from them.

They should be a form of inspiration for you to do better, if they came out successful so can you with your own fresh ideas brought to the table of an old market.

Check their prices and compare with yours, you can make your slightly less to call in more customers but ensure that your price covers cost incurred before producing the t-shirt and this includes:

printing,
material,
bagging,
labelling,
tagging
shipping materials and
storage boxes.

Specifically watch out for competitors in your own kind of t-shirt printing business and keep abreast of the various designs and labels. Keep tabs on them to know the latest trend in their business. This will help you to be up-to-date in your line.

HAVE A PROMOTION/ADVERTISING STRATEGY

Find a reliable way to spread the word to others about your t-shirt printing business, one that will include spreading of the word by those that discover your brand.

For instance, your strategy can be through PPC ads, blogs especially one that has to do with clothing, social network sites, websites among other options.

You could also give out free t-shirts with your logo.

This form and other forms of promotional items and guerrilla tactic could have a remarkable impact on the growth of your t-shirt printing business.

However as your business grows, spending some money on promotional tactics will be profitable for your business.

You could sponsor a remarkable event that is not too large but however makes an impact or use paid online ad system.

Chart a marketing strategy that engages both paid and free advertising techniques in order to get your brand at the frontage of your target market.

Ensure you strike a balance between free promotion and paid promotion.