Custom Apparel Startups

Here's a GUARANTEE: You're wasting your time doing either one of these 5 things, or every close it. You don't realize how much of your time is being wasted. As a business owner, your time is the most valuable thing in the company. How you use this time absolutely affects your business growth and how much money you will make. You set on a journey to live a dream, don't waste time getting there. Let's go through some wasters and winners! Solving a Problem using Google Waster: Youtube, searching, forums and Facebook to try and resolve a machine issue. Winner: Contact support FIRST. You may find your answer online, you also might not and make things worse. Waster: Searching all over for 'how to do XYZ in photoshop Winner: If an art project is out of your reach, pay to get it done right. Waster: Filing business / tax paperwork when you have no clue what to do Winner: Get a CPA or use an online service. Its not too much money and it will be done RIGHT. Catering to needy clients Waster: Being at the beck and call of

Thinking like a big business is going to change the way you act and run your business. This change is going to allow you to adapt to changes & reach your growth goals. What thinking like a big business can do for YOUR Business What does it mean to ‘think like a big business.’ This means you are planning things out, standardizing practices, preparing for troubled waters, documenting everything and adopting SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) for essentially everything. Think Strategically Often times small business just think job-to-job. When is my next order, when it is due, etc. Often times the thinking strategically is left out. You have to think with your long term and short term goals in mind with every decision. Some decisions today are really frustrating to make, but you know its one you have to make for a long term win. e.g. We just did an experiment with cheap vs premium digitizing service. Basically $10 vs $100. Spoiler: the cheap digitizing had 10k more stitches, took 20 min longer to sew out a

Welcome to CAS Mini-Cast! These short tips, tricks and messages from the hosts of the Custom Apparel Podcasts are all about snack-sized, useful action items you can apply to your business right away. Here’s the things you should take a look at: Privacy Statement Contact Info Correct Product Descriptions Ordering Information Up to Date Test Your Contact Form Check Your Phone Message Is Your Auto Response Correct Out of Stock or Discontinued Item All The Download Links Work Check Every Page on Mobile Are All Menu Links Working

GREAT graphics are extremely important to your business. They save you time, money and make you look good. Poor quality graphics hinders everything in your business. How good graphics and digitizing makes a difference: Save time Better graphics are more efficient for your equipment (Thread breaks and # stitches) ACTUAL design time - The time YOU spend working on art vs other tasks. Cost in materials Less mistakes - every bad print, sew out, etc wastes supplies. Paper, Toner, Ink, shirts Less Supplies used - Better designs are more efficient. Less ink and toner Avoid tech support issues Your equipment outputs as good as the art you put in it. 25-75% of support requests are art issues It's not how cheap you can get it, it's how much money you can make with that graphic. 3 Options for Graphic Arts You do it Hire in house Farm it out You do it - Why would you do it yourself? You love it It's WHY you got into the business You have super high standards (artists are never happy) It's PART of your messaging

Picture this... close your eyes... (not if driving) You pull up to your beach hotel for a vacation. As you pull up you notice the big palm trees, flowers and a big driveway to pull up to a grand entrance. As you arrive, someone is there to greet you and open your door. You enter into the lobby and smell the fresh scent of flowers with a hint of mint. You are guided to your room and when you walk in there are fresh flowers, some water and drinks on ice. Throughout your stay you get doors held for you, chocolates put on your pillow and smiles everywhere. How would you rate this hotel vs the EXACT same hotel without all the extras and fluff? This is exactly what creating a memorable customer experience is all about. Give your customers an experience that sets you apart from everyone else: They will like you more They will remember you They will perceive your product as being of higher value (more $$ for you) According to a study done by Oracle: Customer experience impacts willingness to be loyal Customers wil

Since you are running through this series, you are going to stumble upon sales opportunities. It's important to do 2 things when an opportunity arises: Recognize the potential for opportunity Take actions when the opportunity is presented. So how would you go about doing this? Let's jump into some ways to recognize a potential customer and how you could take the next step into getting them closer to being another satisfied customer. Look for visual clues: They stop at your booth or eyeball the shirt you're wearing They are wearing custom branded apparel - like for a business Facial expression when you show them what you do Come by your shop/booth or visit more than once They are obviously IN your niche market target wearing cheer, business logo, bicycle shorts They're USING promotional products Listen for verbal clues: Oh yea we always get custom shirts made Where do you get them now? What could they do better for you? Do you customize ............ hats, bags,etc Discuss all the things you

Now that you have gotten someone's email address. what do you do next? We have compiled a list of 4 very important emails you should be sending ... and WHY. We will go through what the emails mean, why you would send them and some methods for delivery. Email 1: Intro/Welcome After someone gets on your email list, the basic first email should be an introduction. This would include: Delivering information you promised (if you promised something.. like a free download or coupon) Thanking them for visiting you, purchasing, signing up. How to contact you in the future A very brief summary of who you are and/or what you do. Links to your website, socials, etc Email 2: New Product This is an email that goes out to your list in a batch and blast. This is to gather interest and catch attention. You might send out things like: There is a new style of shirts you like from Fruit of the Loom you think works great with your decorating method. You just added an Avance embroidery machine or DigitalHeat FX Printer or Compr

You’ve selected your target market – Episode 101 – and you’ve put a marketing and advertising plan in place – Episode 102 – but tied up into both of those things, and something that will absolutely make a difference in your long term success is Lead Capture. Simply put: How do you get people’s information so you can market to them? What do you do with that information.. so you can market to them? But first, YOU have to embrace the reason you want to collect people’s name email address. It’s so you can email them. Why do YOU want to email them? So you’ll be more successful and make more money. Because you understand that email marketing is what drives a huge amount of retail success. Look at your own email inbox and think about how often that’s inspired you to buy something. Why do THEY want you to email them? Because they’ll save money. (Sale) They’ll learn about the latest products/options (exclusivity, prestige). So they won’t forget.. something. (Holidays/Gifts/Occasions) Gut Check: Go back to your e

In this CAS Podcast episode, you will learn how to advertise and market to your niche. Episode 17 https://customapparelstartups.com/episode-17-know-numbers-value-customer/ LTV spreadsheet is a lead magnet. Intro Knowing your numbers Episode 17 we're going to cover the very basics Actually Marketing and Advertising you have a niche, how do you reach them First, we'll divide between reaching them locally or online, then we'll discuss ways to reach them in each. Off-line Marketing and Advertising + Local Customers: Number 1 Goal of this is that everyone in your niche, in your area, knows who you are and what you do. Networking in the niche - including events Where what you do - all the time Actual Sales - Active Word of Mouth Like approaching the owner of an archery range/store Visiting your niche directly - if you sell to hair salons, for example Advertising locally In Print Facebook Marketplace Craigslist Local FB Groups and Meetups Online Advertising Free: GoogleMyBusiness Facebook Page/Group Marke

This is Part 1 of ”t-shirt business marketing plan” series and we talk about how to pick a niche that is going to be successful for your custom t-shirt business. The action steps we share apply for people who are just getting started or are already in business and want to learn how to take advantage of other profitable niches and grow their business. What is niching down? Outdoor Life Hunting Bow Hunting Female Bow Hunting Deer Bowhunting Geographical Bow Hunting: FB – multiple groups with 5-10k+ Reddit – 15k+ Instagram – 1.6 million posts Outdoor Life: Fishing Freshwater Fishing Noodling Noodling: Youtube – numerous accounts with 100k + subscribers and videos with 100k views. Instagram – 37k posts with # Facebook – largest on FB 1400 – ding against the idea Reddit – no subreddit How do you know it’s a good niche: -Passionate community Big enough to support you Not over-served You have some affinity for (best if you’re a “member” but you definitely can’t hate it) Have money to spend Search online e.g

Top 10 CAS Podcast episodes: Episode 76 – How to Build Your Online Store – The Right Way! Episode 87 – What to Do When Bad Things Happen Episode 83 – Insights From The Apparel Geek – Monty Mims From Sanmar Episode 86 – What Success Looks Like in DTG Printing and More! Episode 85 – 12 Steps to Grow Your Home Based Business Episode 73 – Copyrights and Trademarks in the Custom T-Shirt Business Episode 81 – Today’s Best Marketing Opportunity FACEBOOK With Manuel Suarez [Facebook Blueprint Certified] Episode 84 – Good Better Best (Sales Strategy) Episode 82 – Lessons Your Kids Can Teach You About Owning a Business Episode 90 – Your Cricut Based Business Next Steps We've got over what the most popular of our previous 99 episodes have been - but here are the ones that we think are the most IMPORTANT. The ones that are most valuable and we wish all of you would listen too. Mark S.'s most important episodes: Episode 67 – How to Add $$ to Every Sale Episode 68 - Re-Upselling | Making the Most of Current Customers Epi

In this CAS Podcast episode, we share 9 important things on how to be an amazing business person. If you follow them it can massively improve your business like never before! First in – Last out As your business is growing, it’s all you. You put in the time to get things done. You make sure every order is perfect. You ensure every customer is happy. You make sure all the bills are made. You know your staff is doing the job. You’re on pace for goals. Relationship building expert Your employees want to work for you. Your customers like giving you money. Your vendors want a long relationship with you. Your partners see value in you. Crisis Management Adept Know how to handle an upset customer Prepared to work through financial issues Have a plan for equipment downtime Inventory management problems Working through staffing problems Financial Acumen Ability to make a good judgement on financial decisions Know what you have coming in and out Having knowledge of cash-flow Making quality quick decisions that h

After listening to the past two episodes you might find you have a few competitors that are clearly going to be long term struggles for you. They might have a great formula down for business practice, production, sales, pricing, etc. These competitors might be right in your vertical market or maybe is a market close to yours. You may sell spirit wear, and they focus on sports uniforms. You might deal with dance, and they deal with ice skating. You may sell corporate wear, and they do as well but offer a different decoration method. Screen printing vs embroidery. Either way, they are here to stay and you might have to go head to head with them on some sales. What else can you do? Turn your competitor into a partner So first why should you? Aren't they the enemy!? It makes you look like a good company/person If you and your competition are friendly, customers will trust you are a good business/person. "Oh, yea... Marco from The Print Shop. Yea I know him, we have worked together on projects..." If yo

After listening to Episode 96 you should have a great insight on your competition. Chances are there are many custom apparel shops in your area, but only a few seem to be direct competition. Holding tight to your business structure and running a great business should put you on the path to leading the pack. These include: Mastering your craft Having awesome customer service Delivering orders correctly and on time Balancing the right price for the right product Have a solid sales / marketing plan The above are essential to leading the pack of your competition. If you are lacking in any of the above, spend the time and effort to take things to the next level. (you can try listening to more podcasts first, as we cover all of these topics) However, sometimes it's not that simple. What happens when the competition is so much better at all of the above? For example, imagine you own a small donut shop. You make some delicious glazed donuts and people line up every morning to get their coffee and breakfast. One day

Another store has opened up or YOU are the new store. Business is slow and you really feel its because of that competition. Their prices are too low, or they seem to draw in all the big accounts. Whatever it is, you suspect it's them and they are holding you back from success. Here is the catch.. how do you really know? What evidence do you have? In this episode, we are going to take a dive into your competition to figure out a few things. Are they actually taking business from you? Are you competing in the same market, for the same customers? Are they targeting your business/customers? A step by step guide to answering the above and more. Step 1 - Identification This step is crucial. You may have an idea who your competition is, but it's important to dig deep and find out all of your potential competitors. The shop down the street with the big sign might feel like your biggest competition, when in fact they don't deal within your niche. So it's important to dig deep. Online - Google, Bing, FB, Instagram,

Wordpress makes up a huge portion of websites... way more than you would expect. About 25% of all websites are built on the WordPress CMS (content management system) What is Wordpress? Wordpress is an online website creation tool. It allows you to create and post web pages and blog posts without needing to know any code. AKA a Content Management System Who should use Wordpress? -You want to build a website with limitless possibilities that can be altered or changed to your personal preferences at any time. -You aren't sure if you want an eCommerce store -You are considering posting articles/blog posts -You'd like to manage your own pages/blog posts without knowing code. -You don't want to pay the huge fees and maintenance costs of custom coding an entire site. What are the downsides? Wordpress will require some maintenance. You are going to have to update the websites software regularly. When doing updates, there is a risk you can 'break' something. So have help handy. How to build your first website with Wor

You can create amazing marketing content. Creating an effective marketing plan is the goal of all entrepreneurs, but the execution is often lacking. In this episode of the CAS podcast, we are helping you get set up to create a successful marketing campaign. As a custom apparel business owner, your success in marketing not only depends on having good ideas, but also executing those ideas to make sure you have measurable success. Stage 1: Make a Plan Define your Brand - what is your business personality? One exercise would be selecting 3 words that describe how you want to be seen to your customers. Examples: Professional - Funny - Masculine - Feminine - Edgy - Witty - Artistic - Soothing - Rustic - Retro - Mature - Jolly - Glamorous - Graceful - Rebellious - Youthful - Urban - Country - Vintage - Active - Intense - Lush - Inspiring - Religious - Hip - Fun - Timeless - Contemporary - Casual - Athletic - Classic Do you have a plan/strategy for what this marketing will do? Specifically. What is your GOAL Brand a

Small business owners ask a ton of questions, a lot of great ones too. Yet, there are a handful of really important questions that rarely get asked about marketing. We have put together the most important marketing questions you should be asking to help drive your business towards your dreams. Here are the questions you should be asking: What’s the best marketing for my business? Understanding your options How much should I spend? Should I do it myself? Should I be Email marketing? What KIND of website do I need? If any! before asking “How should i build my website?” What should I be doing on social media? Is what “Bob” does right for my business? How do I LEARN ABOUT MARKETING? Types of marketing we discuss: Internet marketing SEO Social Media Print Search Engine – PPC Video Relationship Marketing Having a plan for marketing and knowing what you are talking about sets your business up for success. Be sure to listen to the rest of the episodes to learn all you can about marketing and setting your business

Why should you validate your new products? You should know if your new product meets a few standard criteria. You want to be able to: make money with it, understand the market, know the competition and understand the business of this new product. If you jump on something because it's an impulsive idea, you might find out it's not what you expected. So HOW do you validate a new idea or product? The steps are simple and deliberate. 1. Who is the target market? This is defining who will purchase this product from you. Is it new mothers, motorcycle crews, adult recreational sports players, etc HOW: Attend events where these people go. Visit their stores. Get to know the industry. takes notes on everything you can learn. Age, gender, interests, style, income, etc 2. What are the problems, wants and needs in this market? Understand the personality and lifestyle this market of people live in. Are they very busy or retired? Do they have a lot of disposable income? Do they prefer a certain style of apparel? If you und

In this episode we have put together a formula to follow step-by-step that WILL get you more customers through the power of networking. This formula combines working hard, being personable and a little touch of psychology to give you that extra edge. Here are the steps to making money with networking: Attend Social Events Meetup.com Local Business & Commerce Groups Events for kids where parents socialize (Kids B-day parties) Church events Go with intent to meet people (not to sell) In discussion ask what someone else does first Show interest in them. The more likely they are a prospect, the more you talk about them. You can pitch your ideas or business later. Mention what you do, and see how they react. (they may ask you to talk about it) Having cards is important, GETTING cards is more important. You have control of making contact, rather than waiting. You can archive people into your contacts Write notes on cards whenever possible No card is even a great excuse to contact people (actually I don’t h