Custom Apparel Startups

How much does it cost to start a t-shirt printing business?That machine is WAY too expensive.Why would I buy that when a cricut can do the same thing?It only cost that much to own a business? I thought it was so much more.What is the best t-shirt printer?These are the comments you will read on social media posts about the t-shirt business. As you can see, there are assumptions people are making or just a lack of in depth knowledge about the t-shirt printing business.In this episode we are going to jump into .. what does t-shirt printing equipment cost?This episode was inspired by an article, on ColDesi... which was inspired by the questions and comments from people above. (Click here to read the article)Keep in mind all of these prices and estimated financing costs are as of when we wrote this podcast and probably will change over time. However, for the time being we can assume all of this data will still be reasonably accurate for some time. Heat Transfer Vinyl BrandsGraphtecRolandCostStarting around $2400 o

How much does it cost to start a t-shirt printing business?That machine is WAY too expensive.Why would I buy that when a cricut can do the same thing?It only cost that much to own a business? I thought it was so much more.What is the best t-shirt printer?These are the comments you will read on social media posts about the t-shirt business. As you can see, there are assumptions people are making or just a lack of in depth knowledge about the t-shirt printing business.In this episode we are going to jump into .. what does t-shirt printing equipment cost?This episode was inspired by an article, on ColDesi... which was inspired by the questions and comments from people above. (Click here to read the article)Keep in mind all of these prices and estimated financing costs are as of when we wrote this podcast and probably will change over time. However, for the time being we can assume all of this data will still be reasonably accurate for some time. Heat Transfer Vinyl BrandsGraphtecRolandCostStarting around $2400 o

This episode is inspired by an article written on ColDesi.com. It's all about what you need to start a white toner transfer business. This episode is important if you are going to invest in white toner printer or have recently invested. Overall, though, a lot of this spills into what you need to start a t-shirt business in general too. A Basic PlanThe article doesn’t dive into this, because it's more about the printer itself. However, it’s an important part to mention. You should have SOME plan.Who do you plan to sell to?Nice markets?Local?What do you plan to charge them?How much money does this make per shirt?How many shirts do you have to sell to stay in business?Goal: How many shirts would you like to be selling a month in a year? Example:Local car / motorcycle clubs, members, organizations, storesAverage shirt retail $20, Average shirt cost $10Sell 50 shirts a month to pay for (machine, basic business costs (email, website, state fees, etc.)The goal is to get up to 300 shirts a monthSell to local clubs /

Part 3: What you need to do to GET THEREWhat will you need to do to reach your goals?If you need to sell 400 more shirts per month, how will you do that?Was expanding a goal? What will you need?In this series, we first took a look back at last year, (or if you are new maybe you did some initial research on the biz). Then we went through and created goals. These goals helped us work backwards.So if you wanted to make $50k in profit, you sell shirts for $20 and you profit $10 a shirt.... you need to sell 5000 shirts. This means you need to sell about 417 shirts a month. This is your goal.You have a profit goal = at least $50kYou have an annual shirt goal = $50k / $10 profit per shirt = 5000 shirtsYou have an annual revenue goal = 5000 shirts x $20 retail = 100kYou have a monthly sales goal = about 417 shirts for about $8340 and $4170 profitNow that you have a goal, how are you going to achieve it.What has worked in the past?If you are in business already this is great because you can look at what worked well be

Goal Setting for 2022This really depends on what you want from your business. Every business goal is going to be different, so it’s important to set your own goals, based on your dreams and personal lifestyle.Abstract Goal settingThis is something that's not necessarily measurable (but could be), but more of an idea or a dream.What is the fundamental thing you want?Vacations/Cars/House?Money to retire?A business to pass onto your family?Is it the freedom to do other things?Quit your day job?More time with family?You want to make enough money to support your family, you want to prepare for retirementTangible Goal SettingThis is the actual numbers, this is measurable through specific things.How much you want to make [Profits]?How much do you want to pay yourself?How much time do you want to spend with your family/friends/hobbies?How much money do you want to have in the bank for retirement by year end? (goals can be a step towards another goal, maybe THIS year you want to put away $10k)Example, you want to put

Direct to Film printers are the most talked-about new products from 2021 and are SURE to be the same for 2022!So the big questions are:- What is Direct to Film (DTF)?- What makes it different from other technologies- Screen Printing/Transfers- White toner Printing- Sublimation- DTG- What are the differences between different printers themselves?- What comments do you have about people who don't prefer to jump into new technology due to risks of something that isn't 'proven'. Should they wait? Is it time to jump in? Who should jump in?Resources and Links:DigitalHeat FX DTF-24H2 High Volume DTF PrinterDTF Printing White PaperDTF Compared to White Toner PrintersDirect to Film Printer Case Study | Girl Scouts Cookie Shirts - Digital Heat FX

This is actually a series of 3 episodes to discuss how you can plan your business for 2022. It's important to be 3 parts because planning isn't just about setting goals, but it's also about looking back and then implementing action items so you can hit those goals. That breaks it down into 3 parts: looking back, setting goals and implementation.Today's part is about looking back!Part 1: How to look BACK so you can Look forward - evaluating last yearWhat were your total sales?What was your total profit?Most popular item/typeMost PROFITABLE item/type per pieceBest ordersBest customersWhat didn't you like?This might be the opposite of the aboveWhat items were low in profits?What were least popular items? (specifically ones you thought should be popular)What were your worst orders?What were your worst customers?The above can help you learnWhat was a waste of time?What can you improve?What opportunities do you know exist?Once you have this information you should be able to narrow down where you should focus in 202

It's 2021. Things STILL aren't normal. All over the world, we are running into shortages and production delays. You have heard the news about computer chips for trucks, container shortages and productions shut downs from Covid outbreaks.... and that's just 1 of 1000 examples. The custom t-shirt and promotion business is feeling the same issues.We have even seen shortages in equipment, inks, t-shirts.... its touched everything.Well, we have a formula we have learned from MANY successful businesses on how YOU can deal with this, and be more successful than ever.Talking to customersThe first thing to address is you are going to find a product you need is out of stock. It might not be today, it might be next year, but it will happen.Prepare your customers - if you have regular customers, let them know. He normally orders this shirt, it's been fine, but I've heard rumors. I want to let you know this might not happen, but could."I'm sure you've heard the news about the "chip" shortage, shipping container shortage,

How to hire an expert:- Accountant CPA- Business Consultant  - Ad Agency- Marketing Guy- Social Media Pro Make sure you have a good reason to hire someone or a company. First 3 things: 1. What problem are you solving? or What are you trying to accomplish?2. Why are you hiring outside for this?3. Statement of work/Job description Choosing a Vendor: 1. Send each prospective vendor your SOW2. Ask them to respond in writing how they can help3. Ask them to say your SOW back to you (be sure they actually understand it) Get referrals: - Good reviews are great, but a referral from a successful business owner (your trust) is worth the most.   Pricing: - How do you know you are getting a good deal?- Get quotes from other companies- Ask them to explain their value for their pricing General tips for hiring contractors/companies/ outsourcing: - Don't let price dictate your decision. Expensive doesn't equal good, and cheap doesn't mean it's the best value.  - The best salesperson doesn't mean they offer the best service.  

Planning:We all try to brainstorm together about what videos we need or think yall want to see, sometimes we ask!We get blanks ordered and prepare artwork for the video. We have lots of equipment so we like to get artwork that is great for that process (example, embroidery = digitized logo, DigitalHeat FX = colorful graphic with negative space, sublimation = colorful photos and portraits) One common factor = LOTS OF COLORTesting:We do a test run which usually results in bloopers, we aren't making t-shirts or sublimating mugs every day or even every week, so mistakes happen. We often do new things in our videos so we don't have solid instructions to follow so trial and error happens.We also experiment with different pieces of equipment which can alter the process. example - using the galaxy press instead of the hotronix, etc.We have been saving bloopers and documenting mistakes, because ultimately they happen and any apparel decorator is going to have mistakes.Equipment:Currently using iPhone 11 proring light

How to Start an Embroidery BusinessIn many ways, it's just like starting any other custom apparel business. Or any business at all. But we DO suggest that you look at your business backwards, or at least in a kind of reverse order from what many experts suggest.Some suggest you start with buying an embroidery machine - and that seems just wrong, though we do have some very high quality embroidery machines for sale

You mess up an order, upset a customer, make a huge mistake, how to handle them and WIN It's a good policy to just figure out what you're going to do IN ADVANCE. What will you do when you or an employee makes a mistake? Don't wait for someone to be angry or disappointed, figure it out now. Don't Panic! 1. Just like the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy - “I like the cover," he said. "Don't Panic. It's the first helpful or intelligible thing anybody's said to me all day.” 2. If you Panic you will make an irrational decision. 3. Panic will yield an emotional response and you want to make a business decision, not an emotional one. Be nice to yourself 1. You aren't stupid or a fool. You made a mistake, all humans do every day. 2. You will make another mistake tomorrow, probably later today. It's ok. Figure out a plan 1. You will have to address this mistake, what the plan? 2. What could you do? 3. Print wrong logo on shirts - you have to order new ones and reprint 4. You ordered wrong color shirts - will cus

Why $75,000?Because according to the article "how much is enough" and the Princeton study they reference there, for most people $75K/year is enough to be worry free. They surveyed people at different income levels and by and large, the people that made less reported to be less happy and happiness didn't increase much at larger amounts.Depending on almost everything of course - location, family size, etc.And the $75K is also right in the middle of what is typically considered "middle class" in America.These articles are talking about top line income - and we'll do that too, but we'll also talk about how much PROFIT you'll make at various sales levels.Because I think that knowing these numbers will help you figure out your own.So - if you buy into all this - what do you have to do in the customization business to make $75K?First - we'll run a few scenarios for you - having to do with sale price, cost of goods sold, et.Most of our digital t-shirt makers make $12 or MORE for every shirt they sell. Here's how the

Easy! There is not "best". There's only best for you. 1. Best for your plan2. Best for your products3. Best for your budget Lets break this down by first determining: 1. What do you want to sell?2. Who do you want to sell to?3. Where do you plan to fulfill orders? Things we aren't asking yet: 1. What is your budget?2. Which technology have you 'heard' is best? what are others doing?3. What do i need to invest in besides a printer? e.g. heat press, etc Now based on the above here are the facts on printing technology DTG (like the G4 and Epson F2100) 1. Quality of print 10/10 - colors, feel, wash, etc2. Works on Light and Dark garments3. Dark shirts - cotton only, Light shirts -cotton & poly (ish)4. Full color digital prints (tons of colors)5. Essentially Fade to nothing gradients6. Prints WHITE7. Space Requirements - Printer, heat press, table and pretreat8. Production Cost - very low White Toner Transfers 1. Quality of print 8/10 - colors, feel, wash, etc2. Works on Light and Dark Garments3. Works on cott

In Today’s episode, we talk with Vik Patel, Director of Global Marketing for Sawgrass Inks about what sublimation is, the opportunity for business growth and why working with Sawgrass and ColDesi makes financial sense for almost any business.

We are on the cusp of a customization boom. Public places are re-opening at different speeds and events are being scheduled. These parks, festivals, sports, etc are all being scheduled. What does this mean for YOUR business? There is an opportunity for a surge in custom shirts, hats, mugs, etc. It's up to you how to evaluate that opportunity and how to benefit from it. Restaurants Sports School Camps Festivals Tradeshow premarketing for specific events How to outreach to customers so they know you are there when they are ready. Which one are you? What are the next steps? Identify opportunities in your area. What will be the next big event or series of events by you? Sports, school events, concerts, Renaissance Festivals, business openings (restaurants, paint ball, mini golf) What is your opportunity? Do you sell something that would be for these potential customers? T-shirts, Mugs, signs, etc. What risks / plans are you willing to make? There are 3 strategies to have here. A. The financially conservat

As a small customization business are you poised to have your greatest year ever in 2021. In this episode, we will discuss WHY this is true and HOW to make it work for you. Trends stack the cards in your favor. What do we expect to trend in 2021: 1. Working remotely - 42% of the US workforce is working remotely now (Stanford University Study) - Many businesses will bring employees back in in 2021, but many will not. (it saves them money, they might see more efficiency, etc etc) 2. Small shopping - it's VERY cool to shop and support small businesses (59% of consumers surveyed in Salesforce’s report would rather buy from a small business than a large corporation) 3. Largest online sales ever - online sales are surging for all the obvious reasons. Its been growing year over year for 20 years and this year creating a new shift. 4. Social Media - Love it or hate it, social media is still growing and being adopted in all age ranges from kids to boomers. How do these trends specifically mean a customization business

We’re going to divide this podcast up into 2 sections today. First, we’ll talk about Contact Pages themselves, which ARE important. Then we’ll talk about Thank You Pages – often overlooked but even MORE important, we think, than ty pages. So – what’s a contact page and why do people use them? Or more importantly – why do YOUR customers use them? If you have an ecommerce site they probably use them: When they have a question about a product while shopping They are looking for something you don’t provide or they can’t find They’re looking for a deal or additional discount They also might want to discuss (complain) about a current order If you aren’t selling online, the contact form is even MORE important because: They may be shopping while you’re closed and have questions They could want to schedule a call about a BIG deal Or – they’re trying to sell YOU something – which is why having Captcha is important. You can use your contact form to do more than just capture information so you can call someone back. Yo

How important IS the Product Page on your website? If you're relying on eCommerce for your income, and are running ads to pages OR relying on organic search, they're a big part of why your business will succeed - or not. So, Marc - what IS the product page? If you are going to spend the time and money online, do your best to make it RIGHT. If you want to create a good product page, you HAVE to follow everything on this list. Here are the 10 (plus one bonus) things you should do for every product page on your website. Know your goal - When someone lands on this page, what do you want them to do? Tell them what it is - Big and Bold, then short and sweet. Explain the product in a glance. Ask them to take action - clear and obvious - buy now, call in, live chat, complete form. Offer more info for those who want it - for many people the short and sweet isn't enough... so after the above. add more text, add videos, additional images, bullet lists of features. Address their concerns - If you know your customers, or

It's time to start getting ready for 2021 - Most businesses use these last 3 months of the year (Q4) to start choosing their goals, deciding what targets they want to hit, new markets they'll text - listing out their business plans for the next year. But we know THIS is the busy season for many of you! So the best way you can start prepping for next year is to take time each day to pay attention to the slightly bigger picture of what's happening NOW in your business. So you can use that perspective and experiencing this busy season to better take advantage of the next. Here are a few things to take note of, and set aside for planning next year: 1. What's wasting your time? Every year you probably take orders for the same kinds of things that you know just take WAAAY too long to do. The way you know that is by looking at how much you're charging for everything, how long it takes you, and what it all costs in materials. But really - you probably kind of FEEL it right now anyway... Custom stockings? Table ru