Custom Apparel Startups

When you think of your business you may think:Maria does the printingJohn does the artMark does the writing and websiteEtc.But how do you manage that as you grow? or if Maria is sick?Do you also think about how Maria does maintenance? Or how Mark answers chats on Google? Or how John posts to Facebook and answers comments?Further, as you grow, and art goes from 5 files a day to 15 files a day, WHAT are tasks that John could take off his plate? IS there something Mark can do instead of John? Is there something you can hire a part-timer to do, or outsource to an agency?When considering the inner workings of your business, think about all the tasks, not the people.List EVERYTHING that the business needs to do.This should be anything your team can think of, and the list needs to grow over time.e.g. maybe Mark makes sure your website domain renews every year, but he doesn't remember that when making the initial list.List the talents and skills of your teamWho can do what?One team member does the website now, but ca

One of the biggest challenges for businesses is keeping up with all of the 'tasks' that can bog you down. These things may seem redundant or not as important as your daily duties, but avoiding them will absolutely cause trouble.Review pricingIs everything still available?has pricing gone up?SHOULD pricing have gone up?Is there an opportunity for a SALE or Discount?Marketing check-inPromotions for next month or the NEXT month?Does your phone number work?Does your contact form work?New/replace products?Planning for eventsWebsite updates and changesCheck your voice mail messageSocial media review (links in profiles, contact info, posts)Financial ReviewLook back at the prior monthRevenues Profits ExpensesLessons and changesInvoices and billsTaxesFees/DuesSales ReviewHow many new customersLost customersBest sale of the month / worst sale of the monthMost profitable ordersLegal StuffTax filingsCertificatesLicensesOrder legal languageHOA?Clean Up!Make sure your work area is clean and safeCheck your computer - are al

One of the struggles and causes of anxiety for small businesses is the competition. It's either the reality that you'll lose deals to the competition, OR just the anxiety because you might (or when will you?)"I can't make any money in my area""No one can sell for that price"One of the best ways to combat this is by getting in front of the knowledge. When you know your competition, you:Can get ahead of customers who shopImprove your products and servicesBe sure you are actually charging enoughKnow your strengthsSteps To Competitive AnalysisIdentify ThemAll competition - This is anywhere your customer might buy a similar product. For example, Walmart and Bass Pro Shop might be on this list.Close competition - These are businesses that do close to what you do, but not the same. These might be screen print shops if you do embroidery.Direct competition - Companies that do almost exactly what you do, such as a company that sells DTG one-off shirts, when you offer the same thing.Make A List And Categorize ThemGather

The space in your shop, retail store or warehouse is essential to how much money you can make. Not surprisingly there is an entire field based on workspace optimization and customer experience. How fast you can get things done, how comfortable your customers feel and the overall space you work on can heavily impact your success.Examples:Customer walks into two shops, which one do they buy from?A - Cool art on the walls, music playing, samples on the walls.B - No decorations, loose thread on the floor, and ink stain on wall, and something sticky.Production - who can produce shirts faster?A - Neat and clean workstations, equipment nearby, labeled shelving.B - Boxes of shirts shoved under a table, 20 ink carts all various filled stacked up, heat press in the corner away from everything else.So how can you make your workspace make money for you?Know Your StyleIf your workspace is a pleasant place to be, you will work better in it.First design your space to fit your style and brand.You want it to feel good to work

How To Make Your Brand Stand OutThere are tons of t-shirts shops, sign shops, restaurants and insurance companies everywhere. The world is a busy place. How do you make YOUR brand stand out? How does something emerge amongst the noise?If you want to learn about standing out, watch some nature documentaries. You can see how birds spread their wings, sing or flash bright colors.It's not just about standing out though, it's about building an audience, and trust and a desire to do business with YOU and YOUR COMPANY.Be Original / You - Pick a style or a theme that fits your niche, personality.Be Sincere - this brand should be sincere. If you are fake or try to be someone you aren’t, people will pick up on it.Tell a story - share the dream of your business, your personal dream.Be consistent - stick with ideas, colors, styles, etc. Don’t try to be business professional on your website, then be quirky and cool on social media. Make sure it all ties together.Action Items - SuggestionsGet celebrities / Influencers - Kn

Maybe you never want to really grow bigger, just grow more profitable. For some people the idea of a big business with hundreds of employees and a big building with a huge sign is a dream.For others it's just to have a business for themselves. Maybe it's a small family business. A business on your terms. It could be you just want to keep it as a side hustle.But how do you make this business THRIVE and generate the income you want to live, to retire, to pass on to the next generation.If you want to GROW while staying small, you need to optimize the business.Ways to grow a small business, while also staying small.What's the dream?To have a side hustle that makes 40k profit a yearTo have a family business that profits 250k a yearTo have a business to retire in, eventually replacing your day job incomeJust like with everything, you have to have defined goals to know how and when you've reached them.Track your timeHow much time do you spend taking to customers?Delivering orders?Running production?Maintaining equip

Can you guess how success in your customization business is like success in a fitness, financial, or weight loss program?If your goal is to lose 20lbs by September 30th, you can't start working on that on the 25th and expect to be successfulIf your financial goal is to save up $20K for a down payment on house, or pay cash for a car, you're probably not going to pull that money out of that week's budget to make the purchase.Because with your health and your finances you've got to do small things right on a regular basis - or BIG things on a regular basis - in order to succeed. You're not very likely to win the lottery OR wake up with 6-pack abs after buying a scratch off and doing sit-ups one morning.BUT, if you save and invest over time, every day, do some ab work every day, you're very likely to end up in the place you want to be.Let's apply that to your Business Life and talk about the habits that will help you reach your goals:Regular Habit/OrganizationHave a calendar. Use it. Live by it.Billing schedulePr

Being a business owner means you wear many hats.Project Manager. Production Manager. Financial Officer. Customer Service.And yes… Sales Person.Chances are you aren’t starting your business with a full time sales person on staff. You might be fortunate and be a natural born sales person. Or maybe your business partner is the sales person for your company (husband, wife, sibling, friend).However, if you don’t come from a sales background there is a lot to learn.One of the core parts of sales is Closing Deals, in other words, getting customers to say yes and pay you.It’s easy to fumble the close. Saying the wrong thing, letting customers always postpone the deal, losing out to competition.Today we are going to discuss traditional closing techniques and how you can use them.The Now or Never Close (Create Urgency)This is a close where you offer a special deal or limited offer based on signing up right now.Right now my vendor has X shirt on sale. If you buy it today I can save you 10% or $200.I’ve got 50 of these s

While we're not always running an advertised promotion, they ARE a powerful tool for increasing sales, creating awareness and maximizing contact with current and future customers.But if you're not IN the promotion business - where do you start?During this episode we'll break down some simple approaches to great promotions and how to get them up and running. First, let's run through the basics:Who is your Audience?If you haven't done this yet, you need to develop a clear idea of WHO you're selling to. That way you can design something that fits that "sample" person. That will also lead you to what kind of promotion you might want to run.Example 1: Blue collar worker in a small town working for an electrician, single mom who loves to spend money on her kidsExample 2: Local parents of elementary and middle school childrenDeciding What to Promote:Do you have inventory of something you'd like to sell off?Is there something in particular you'd love to sell MORE of ?What NEW product would you like to test in your ma

Oftentimes when people are shopping to start their t-shirt, embroidery or other customization business, the mind is one track. Which machine do I buy? How to I get the best one? How to I get the best deal? How fast can I get it?But after this decision, many are left with a 'what's next?' mindset, unsure where to go. Further, others get frustrated that there might be more money to invest because they didn't get it all with their machine (didn't want to overspend, or trying to stay within a payment budget.)So what's next? What do you need to start a customization business (besides a printer)?Accessories & Add-onsFinishing SheetsHeat Temp Probe for heat pressTeflon SheetsHat / Mug heat pressScissors, tweezers, knifeVinyl Removertemp / humidity (so important)Business Set upState LicenseEINTax certificatesAccountantAttorneyAccounting / Invoice / Credit CardsA way to take credit cards - stripe, square, paypal, local merchant service providerManaging the money - quickbooks, freshbooks, etcBusiness Bank accountBu

Word-of-mouth marketing is still one of the most effective ways to generate leads and salesHow to generate Word of MouthLabel your shirtsDo great workBe the "I met a guy/lady/ the other day that does this"Ask for referralsEncourage your customers to refer their friends and family members to your businessFriends and Family PlansThere's a reason that you recognize that phrase. And a reason that Multi-level marketing is a bajillion dollar business..Because there may be no better advocates for you and your business. You just need to systemize your plans.Tip: every time you meet someone, make sure they know what you do!Create a referral program that rewards customers for referring their friends and family membersRefer a Friend Programs WorkHere are a few things you can try:Refer a friend and get discountRefer a friend and get cashRefer a friend and get a unique gift e.g. custom monogrammed bagGive $20, Get $20Use social media platforms, such as Facebook, TikTok, or wherever you "social", to promote your referral m

Having a website for your business can be very important. We aren't saying every business needs a website, but most will.So how do you go about getting a website made for you? Should you make it yourself?These questions are answered by going through the list below. Once you have gone through all of this you will be in the right position to either get one made for you, or do it yourself.Its VERY important to not call a website company or start building one yourself until you listen to this podcast and answer the below questions / understand the below statements.Understand that websites are complicated.Getting a website up and running can go from EASY to HARD very fast. There are things like DNS Records, and Site Security and Privacy and setting up your email to go under your domain.Take some time to research the basics of the anatomy of a website. You can do this by looking through training videos on places like Wix or Shopify, watching Youtube videos or even taking an online course.Why do you need a website?Y

So you want to start a t-shirt business on a budget. The two cheapest / lowest cost ways to start are with sublimation and HTV (Heat Transfer Vinyl).But what is the difference between Sublimation and HTV?Which is better: Sublimation or Heat Transfer Vinyl?Which is cheaper?In this episode we are going to deep dive into both Sublimation and HTV to help you pick the best for your new business.Why is HTV or Sublimation right for you?First we will start who should get either of these.You want to customize t-shirts (or mugs or tumblers or more)You want to be able to operate in a small footprintYou don't want to be concerned about special electricity or venting etcYou want something relatively easy to learnYou want to get something that's versatileYou want to start on a small budget.SublimationWhat is sublimation?This is printing with an inkjet printer to a specialty paper. This paper and ink combination reacts with certain 'sublimation blanks' to transfer the print to the substrate. This process works on t-shirts,

Guaranteed Success Plan for your Side Hustle / Small BusinessYou are getting ready to start a side hustle, or maybe you haven't pulled the trigger yet. (Actually, even if you have already started there might some things to learn.)This Episode is really for those just getting started or looking to get started on a shoe-string budget.Many small business owners and side-hustle permutations have 2 things in common.They never start out of fear of failure.They start and immediately give up. Don't even make it past the first month.By the way, there is nothing abnormal about this. We are 100% guilty of it. Our friends are, our family is.So we have put together a plan based on our experience, knowledge from the industry and lots of other sources around the web. This plan works, all you have to do is follow it.Know what you plan to offer and who will pay for it.This is often what we have described as niche marketing. You should have an idea of which markets you will sell to, what they will buy, how much they will spend

The recent price increase for Etsy sellers has got a lot of their long time customers looking for alternatives (from 5% of everything you sell to 6.5%) - and it's reminding others of Etsy's other money-making practices, like selling advertising for your store and charging you a big % of THOSE sales too.https://www.geeky-gadgets.com/etsy-seller-fees-25-02-2022/First, let's take a look at what that price increase means to a business like yours.Then do some math to see if it's actually WORTH moving.Explore alternative platforms or additional platforms.And finally, map out a few options you might want to explore.Who should move FROM Etsy?If you have a brand new start up, and are not willing to invest cash into advertising elsewhere, Etsy / Ebay type of sales are probably still your best way to be found. It will cost you a lot more (potentially) but you don't have to pay big $$ for ads, plus the time to learn ads or hire an expert.If you have a brand people know, a following, or a way you get people to buy online

Those letters - ROI - are thrown around a lot in almost every business.Technically, it's Return on Investment - but just what does that really mean?What is an ROI?When you put money into a business endeavor, ROI helps you understand how much profit your investment has earned. Looking at potential ROI numbers, and going back to review them over time helps you to make solid business investments.So WHY should you care? Why figure out ROI at all?Businesses look at ROI a few different ways, and they're all helpful in figuring how profitable your business might be based on how much money the equipment cost.ROI - How long will it take to make in profits what your equipment cost you?For example : let's say you bought at $10,000 t-shirt transfer printerAnd you project you'll make $10 for every shirt you sell using itSell 200 shirts per month and you'll make $2,000, which means your machine is "paid back" in 5 monthsSell 500 shirts per month and it's paid back in 2.If the expected life of the printer is 5 years and it

Why Nobody's Visiting Your Online Store for Custom T-Shirtswith @Marc Vila - eCommerce ProWe got this question in the Group a few weeks ago and again just yesterday. It was some variation of: "What's wrong with my website?" and then it's eitherHow can I get people to visit the site?Why isn't anyone buying anything on the site?Since almost all of these businesses are in the custom t-shirt, embroidery or customized items business and are trying to sell directly to consumers online - who better to answer those questions than Marc Vila - the brains behind ColmanandCompany.comThere are two things to consider when asking about your online store:Why isn't anyone coming to my store?Why aren't the people who visit buying?This means we can break down the episode into 2 sectionsHow to get people to come to your online storeHow to get people to want to make a purchase when they visitHow to get people to come to your online store:Do the basicsListen to our episode on how to get found onlineGoogle my businessBing placesSoc

You want to invest in some "new" equipment for your shop or maybe start a new business. Often times the way people save money is by purchasing things that are 2nd hand or used or preowned.But how do you go about buying used equipment?In this episode we will help you answer the following questions:Why would you want to buy used equipment?Save Money?Opportunity came knocking (e.g. a shop down the road is retiring)What are the risks involved?WarrantyRepairTrainingTech support?PartsChecklist of what you need with equipmentInk, Paper, Toner, Thread, Needles, BackingSoftwareWarrantyTraining & SupportHoops, Platens, AttachmentsWhat is the true cost of purchasing pre-owned?DTG Horror StoriesPick up / Shipping / Inspection of equipment?How do you know if you are getting something good?See it runHire an expert to inspect itHow do you handle training / support / etc?What are the risks and rewards in general?Finally.... is used equipment right for you?

Once a year you go to the Dr for a check up. What do they do? They will listen to your heart, check your lungs, have you do a blood test. They are looking for anything out of the ordinary, even if you don't notice it. If anything is out of the ordinary, you take action to fix it... before it's a bigger problem.This is the purpose of a Marketing Check UpHow healthy is your marketing? Is anything broken ? Is there any information incorrect? Is there something that isn't a big deal now, but could be if not addressed?Mark's Story & Inspiration for this episode: Here's what I run into on a very regular basis. ESPECIALLY if a company relies on word of mouth of some kind for new business and they want to grow using digital marketing - everything, or the most important things, are broken.Out of the last 4 businesses I reviewed their "marketing" presence:3 had contact forms that didn't work. - didn't record or send a lead.2 didn't have google my business profiles4 didn't have content devoted to seo only1 didn’t ha

Read in-depth article clicking here: https://coldesi.com/2021/08/digitalheat-fx-roland-versastudio-bn-20-sawgrass-sublimation-printer/ ColDesi is in a unique position in the marketplace. Because we get people started in such a wide variety of businesses with so many different - and competing - kinds of technologies, we have to be advocates for each one. When fit the use case.Basically, you tell us what you want to do and we'll match you up with the equipment/software that we think is best.But that conversation is often limited by what your initial interest was - what sparked your imagination and caused you to call in, etc. So we do things like that article and this podcast to educate, compare and lay out real pros and cons.Do here we are going to compare the Roland BN-20 with it's 2 biggest internal competitors, DigitalHeat FX and Sublimation:First - Let's Define each one:Roland BN-20: Print and CutIt's a cutterAnd an inkjet printerRolls of vinylHTV ++++$6K-8KDigitalHeat FX - White tonerLED/laser style printe