Why selling t-shirts? Simple; because everyone wears them! They can be part of a pajama set or a casual outfit; be artistic, plain or promotional; made of polyester, cotton or a blend of multiple materials; and come in every size imaginable, even animal size. T-shirts are easy and versatile, that’s why everybody from new-borns to business tycoons wears them.
The t-shirt industry is an enormous market to venture into. Valued at close to 400 billion dollars and counting, you are almost guaranteed to make a cool profit even if you start your business off at home.
If you’re still wondering how to start your own t-shirt business, start by considering this special guide from Tshirtprofessional blog, discussed below-
What do you need?
If you have a keen sense of fashion and a knack for artistic design, you should be utilizing your skills to make some money by owning a t-shirt business. This business can be run from home with minimal funding, equipment, and supplies. While it isn’t hard to start this business, considering the initial requirements will help you plan better and succeed.
- Legal business structure: depending on where you live, you might need a business license to legally operate your t-shirt business.
- Original designs: don’t copy designs from anyone or try to follow the footsteps of your competitors. You will only succeed with unique designs in this highly saturated industry.
- Equipment and supplies: you don’t need to have a lot of equipment on hand. There are cheap t-shirt wholesalers and bulk printers to help you print your designs.
- Marketing: you must meet your target market where they live. In this modern age, that certainly means owning and maintaining a website and social media pages you will use for marketing. Local print and publications might work if you will be selling from a physical store, but digital marketing and SEO will be your business’ best friend.
- A store: you can sell online or from a physical store depending on your strategy. Your start-up cost will be drastically cut down when you sell online. This is also the preferred choice if you intend on servicing an international market.
How to proceed
Anyone can get into the t-shirt business. It is possible to set up shop and begin selling in as little as 24 hours. Whether you will be selling online or from your backyard, follow these easy steps to start and grow your t-shirt business at home.
Step 1: Choose a niche and determine your target audience
Because starting a t-shirt business is so easy, the industry is already heavily saturated. Take advantage of untapped markets and choose a niche for your business that is unique to stand out from the crowd. Once you have established your niche, you will know the target audience to serve.
Step 2: Pick a name and write a business plan
Selling t-shirts is pretty straightforward, but if you don’t have a plan, you will be wasting time and money. Write a business plan that outlines your products, goals and financial objectives. If you intend to make a steady living out of your business, choose a business name that reflects your brand.
Step 3: Design and test designs
Create high quality, original designs that will resonate with your audience. Make sure to make high resolutions that will look good when printed in different sizes. Avoid using trademarked and copyrighted material in your designs. Test your designs with members of your target audience until you find what they want.
Step 4: Consider overhead cost and price your merchandise
Review the costs your new business will need to stay afloat. You might not need to pay for rent but you might have to fund a website or e-commerce platform to sell from. You also need to consider the cost of sourcing, printing on and distributing your t-shirts. This way, when you put a price on your merchandise, it will cover all overhead costs and still leave a profit.
Step 5: Choose a printer
Direct garment printing, screen printing, and heat printing are the three methods of creating t-shirt designs. If you don’t have the machines and skills for any of these techniques, you can print with your local printer or from online vendors. Outsourcing will save you money, time and space.
Step 6: Market the product
You’ve set up your business, created fantastic designs the market loves and you’re ready to sell at a competitive price. Now you need to make a buzz about your amazing product so that people know it’s available for purchase. You can market to your target audience through Facebook, a live launch event at your house or other forms of PPC advertising.
Step 7: Sell and repeat
The customers will start trooping in soon enough. You will begin to sell your merchandise and make a profit. Make sure your payment processing, packaging, delivery and customer service is always on point. You won’t please every customer, but you can try. In the process of selling, note all the negative and positive things about your process so you can work on changing and/or improving them.
Tips to consider before taking off
You must be excited to run off and start right away but make sure to consider the following points before you take off.
- Protect your design: take measures to protect your brand and designs. You can get copyright and trademark to keep your property safe from pirates.
- Don’t spend what you don’t have: you don’t need to invest a lot of capital to start a t-shirt business but you should be careful not to spend unnecessarily. Don’t buy anything you don’t need or pay for redundant services.
- Monitor and evaluate: keep tabs on and measure the success or failure of every part of the business from design to marketing and sales. Take steps to improve on what is successful and tweak the failures for better results.
With a small budget, some original designs, a little research and time, you can launch your own t-shirt business and start earning profit. It’s okay to start your business from home and grow into a company that employs hundreds with time. You have all it takes to start your business now, what are you still waiting for?