# So...my business plan was accepted.



## Jamey (Dec 22, 2008)

Yes. My business plan has been accepted and they are allowing me $9000 to get started.

I want to sell shirts, hats, and decals to my 8000+ members at my websites by making my business a sponsor. I would start to go to events in the summer.

Here is my list of equipment to do it so far. Tell me what you think.

24" Roland GX24 Plotter $1,500
Vinyl $400
Application Tape $80
Okidata C8800N Printer $1,600
Hotronix STX20 16 x 20 Auto-Open Shirt Press $1,400
Hotronix Auto-Open Hat Press $800
Transfers $450
120 Shirts $480
72 Hats $432
Misc Hand Tools/Office Supplies $508
Intuit Quickbooks Pro $150 
1 Year Yellowpages $1,200

TOTAL: $9,000.00 
*
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## out da box (May 1, 2007)

Might want to rethink the yellow pages, I and many others have not had success with yellow page ads, and it's expensive.


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## lost1 (May 12, 2007)

Skip yellow pages, used hat press at approx $250 may be more than you need. Quick books pro is currently available at Sam's club for $97 if you are/know a member.
Now where is your marketing & branding money? Lets say everyone at your website buys a shirt & hat (that ain't gonna happen), where are you going from there?


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## greyhorsewoman (Jul 19, 2007)

Assume you have additional resources for your other starting expenses? Like tables to place your equipment on? Shelving for your blanks, etc.? Packaging materials for shipping? A separate all in one printer to produce your invoices, shipping labels, etc.?

I second the yellow pages. Maybe some targeted local advertising instead.


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## Jamey (Dec 22, 2008)

I live in a small town. There are only a few screen printers here. It is to my understanding that they do not offer low quantity runs which fall under their minimums. They get a lot of calls for these types of jobs and have nobody to refer to.

I figure that I will develop working relationship with these screen printers by having them do some of my stuff. In turn, they will send those customers that fall under their minimums to me. We have already talked about this.

By having my ad in the yellow pages and advertising that I have no minimums, this should help to deter those customers to me.

I will have to rethink the yellow pages and look more into advertising.

Good mention about the tables...I will rework the list right now.


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## Jamey (Dec 22, 2008)

The List has been changed...here it goes...

*Items (Bought Online)*
1 Roland GX24 Plotter
Vinyl Media ($450 Worth)
48" Roll Application Tape (Cut To Sizes)
Big Squeegee 32" Cut Vinyl Tool (Will cut down and have a 24" and a 8")
Okidata C8800N Printer
Hotronix STX20 16 x 20 Auto-Open Shirt Press
Hotronix Auto-Open Hat Press
Transfers ($450 Worth)
108 Shirts
60 Hats
1 Year Vonage Business Line w/Fax 

*Items (Bought locally)*
Intuit Quickbooks Pro w/Learning Pack
2 Easel Presentation Binders
2 Binder Tab Deviders
4 Packs Of Sheet Protectors
Phone Message Book
Exacto Knife Set
Exacto Replacement Blades
Post-It Despensor Value Pack
6 Sharpie Retractables (Red/Blue/Black)
24 Pack Of Marks-A-Lot Markers
25 Pack Of Oxford Folders
Fiskars 8" Non-Stick Scissor
Fiskars 8" Office Scissor
Newspaper Ad 8 Lines/Day (3 Months Paid)
Newspaper Front Page Stick-On (The launch!)


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## lost1 (May 12, 2007)

Get 5yd rolls of vinyl, only about 5 colors to start, buy it as needed fellers.com will get it to you next day in most locations.
Easy on the transfers, wanna buy some.
Less hats, they are easy to get.


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## proworlded (Oct 3, 2006)

I think you can save $300-$400 by going to a manual hat press. You probably won't have near the volume on hats that you will have on t's. Other than that, you're pretty much on target. I like the newspaper front page stick on idea.


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## Jamey (Dec 22, 2008)

Points taken...

*Item (Bought Online) * 
Roland GX24 Plotter $1,518.00 
GT5 Vinyl Media $450.00 
48" Roll Application Tape $96.00 
Okidata C8800N Printer $1,587.00 
Hotronix STX20 16 x 20 Auto-Open Shirt Press $1,309.00 
SunIE Combo Press $369.00 
Big Squeegee 32" Cut Vinyl Tool $65.50 
Transfers $450.00 
120 Shirts $480.00 
36 Hats $216.00
1 Year Vonage Business Line w/Fax $600.00 

*Items (Bought Locally)*
Intuit QuickBooks Pro w/Learning Pack $171.44 
2 Easel Presentation Binders $37.44 
2 Binder Tab Dividers $7.28 
Phone Message Book $11.88 
Exacto Knife Set $28.08 
Exacto Replacement Blades $36.72 
Post-It Dispenser Value Pack $27.00 
Sharpie 6-Pack Retractable $12.48 
Marks-A-Lot 24 Pack $20.52 
Oxford Folder 25 Pack $21.06 
Fiskars 8" Non-Stick Scissors $18.90 
Fiskars 8" Office Scissors $7.02 
4 Sheet Protector Packs $44.06
Carry-On 4' x 8' Trailer (Mobile Ads) $377.99 
Newspaper Ad 8 Lines/Day (3 Months Paid) $68.40
Newspaper Front Page Stick-On (The launch!) $349.99 
*TOTAL: $8824.32*


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## midwaste (Apr 8, 2008)

You should be able to get shirts cheaper than $4 apiece, especially in case qty (72).

Keep in mind that even though you have a 48" plotter, you can use vinyl smaller than that to practice on. I recommend getting a couple cheaper rolls of 15" wide to do basic 4-6" stickers with. I would get a smaller roll of clear application tape too.

Damn, how many Xacto blades does 36.72 buy??

Cool idea on the newspaper sticker. I'll have to see what that costs around here.

Good luck!

These are handy.

You will need some smaller squeegees, just cheapo gold/orange, whatevers. They are nice to give to customers too.
A bigger garbage can.


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## taglessthreads (Sep 16, 2006)

Yellow Pages are not going to get you the feeback/response you want. We did it at first and consider it the biggest "advertising" mistake so far ! I know you already took the advice but I just wanted to put in my 2 cents !


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## Jamey (Dec 22, 2008)

midwaste said:


> You should be able to get shirts cheaper than $4 apiece, especially in case qty (72).


Where do you suggest to get colored Gildan's in all different sizes?



midwaste said:


> Keep in mind that even though you have a 48" plotter, you can use vinyl smaller than that to practice on. I recommend getting a couple cheaper rolls of 15" wide to do basic 4-6" stickers with. I would get a smaller roll of clear application tape too.


A GX24 is a 24" plotter. I have some sample rolls of vinyl coming also. I will be having that 48" roll of application cut down (free) into many different sizes. As far as a clear, what kind do you use?



midwaste said:


> Damn, how many Xacto blades does 36.72 buy??


Tell me about it. You get 100. Adjusted price ($30.99). Oops.



midwaste said:


> These are handy. You will need some smaller squeegees, just cheapo gold/orange, whatevers. They are nice to give to customers too.
> A bigger garbage can.


I will add some rolling scissors and giveaway squeegees too. Thanks for reminding me.


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

Jamey said:


> midwaste said:
> 
> 
> > _You should be able to get shirts cheaper than $4 apiece, especially in case qty (72)._
> ...


The $4 was for GILDANS? I just assumed you were using American Apparel or similar.

As for where to get them cheaper... anywhere! San Mar, Broder Bros, Alpha Shirt, Virginia Ts, TSC Apparel, and all the other wholesalers I'm forgetting.


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## Jamey (Dec 22, 2008)

Solmu said:


> The $4 was for GILDANS? I just assumed you were using American Apparel or similar.
> 
> As for where to get them cheaper... anywhere! San Mar, Broder Bros, Alpha Shirt, Virginia Ts, TSC Apparel, and all the other wholesalers I'm forgetting.


That was a basic price I just threw in. Here is an updated (there are different sizes and colors involved also) list...

*Items (Bought Online)*
Roland GX24 Plotter $1,518.00 
Vinyl Media $450.00 
48" Roll AT-60 Clear Application Tape $107.52 
Okidata C8800N Printer $1,587.00 
Hotronix STX20 16 x 20 Auto-Open Shirt Press $1,309.00 
SunIE Combo Press $428.00 
Big Squeegee 32" Cut Vinyl Tool $78.25 
Transfers $450.00 
175 Gildan G2000 Tees $574.15
40 Anvil 325 Ladies Tank Tops $189.80
40 Gildan G2000L Tees $105
16 Gildan G18500 Hoodies $192.96
25 Harriton M880 Basic Hats 41.25
Signcraft Magazine Subscription $39.00 
Logo Design for Small Business Book $28.67 
Logo Design for Small Business 2 Book $28.67 
Mastering Layout Book $33.62 
Pack of 500 Poly Mailer Bags $61.00 
1 Year Vonage Business Line w/Fax $600.00 

*Items (Bought Locally)*
Intuit Quickbooks Pro w/Learning Pack $171.44 
2 Easel Presentation Binders $37.44 
2 Binder Tab Dividers $7.28 
Phone Message Book $11.88 
Exacto Knife Set $28.08 
Exacto Replacement Blades $36.72 
Post-It Dispenser Value Pack $27.00 
Sharpie Retractable 6-Pack $12.48 
Marks-A-Lot 24 Pack $20.52 
25 Pack of Oxford Folders $21.06 
Fiskars 8" Non-Stick Scissors $18.90 
Fiskars 8" Office Scissors $7.02 
4 Packs of Sheet Protectors $44.06 
Carry-On 4' x 8' Trailer (Mobile Ads) $377.99 
Newspaper Ad (8 Lines/Day for 3 months) $205.20 

*Total $8,848.96*


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## midwaste (Apr 8, 2008)

I use TransferRite 1510 clear tape, but I use basic PerfecTear Maintape for big stuff. It's a waste of money usually to use clear for large stuff, its mainly nice for layering multi-colors or for selling pre-made decals, so the customer can see the color/design better.

I would be cautious about buying 175 shirts, hoodies, etc, up front, unless you plan on printing all of them right away. It makes sense to find a supplier close to you that will get to you next day with no extra charge. Almost all of those that Solmu listed above have warehouses all over the US, so you don't end up with a bunch of sizes/colors that you don't need. If it was me, I'd buy only enough to practice on to get the hang of the press and cutter, then use the money I had left over to purchase exactly what I needed later.
I take it you have additional capital to fund shirt purchases, replenish supplies, etc? If not, I would be very careful about spending every nickel of your grant on up-front costs. Just my 2 cents.


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## Jamey (Dec 22, 2008)

They are the ones who wanted me to order more on the apparel side. I am set up with Broder, Alpha, and Sanmar. This is a one time shot.


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## jmlopez8 (Jan 25, 2008)

if your gonna ship out items i'm gonna suggest getting a DYMO labelwriter (they come with one roll of labels -220). also what about your local business fees? do you plan on having a website, business account?


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## Jamey (Dec 22, 2008)

jmlopez8 said:


> if your gonna ship out items i'm gonna suggest getting a DYMO labelwriter (they come with one roll of labels -220). also what about your local business fees? do you plan on having a website, business account?


Sorry for the late reply...

I have a site up. I'm still working on it though. Been busy with another project lately.

I have business accounts. 

I have local fees and advertising figured in as well.

The list has changed a lot. I will post latest now. Just waiting for orders now.


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## thefactionist (Jan 17, 2009)

I would skip the QuickBooks and use GnuCash unless you have an accountant who demands you use QB or you have some experience with QB. GnuCash works just as well and is free.

Also, I think you're making a big mistake with the newspaper ads. I'll tell you that your personal networks, online social media, heck even search advertising are going to do you a lot better than $400 of old-school newspaper ads. Don't use newspaper ads as an "excuse" for marketing and instead think about the best way to contact your market rather than "I have $X to spend on 'marketing' what should I do?" This s tough though - reccomend you read up on your marketing.


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## Jamey (Dec 22, 2008)

Just an overdue follow up...

Ended up with the stuff in my sig. Real nice stuff.

And...

Got just over $400 worth of Thermoflex plus. Got VectorArt Mega Collections 1-3 and JRG Ultimate Collections as well. Got a bunch of 11 x 17 Imageclip and Laser One Opaque too. Also did a 4 month sponsorship to a couple major forums...hehehe. Acting as a fulfillment company for another major site too.

I know I forgot a couple things....hehehe.

Business name is... *BE SEEN GRAPHICS*.

*ps...BIG thanks to Renee at Beacon Graphics for beating the others' prices and hangin' in there with me*.


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## HM-1 Addict (Aug 21, 2009)

Hey man,
Very nice...I was wondering how in-depth your business plan was? I have almost everything I need for my DTG business, I funded it all myself, I was doing really well for my first week with potential for massive growth when I ran out of personal cash (traffic ticket, court costs, and lawyer was $800) just in time for my printhead to clog on my HM-1. I know it sounds really stupid but that's how it played out. I kind of need a small loan but I don't have a relationship with a banker or anything. I have 12K of personal cash into my set-up at the moment and a 5K loan would be nice.

I know that I can do anything I set my mind to and all of that, but I didn't grow up around people who thought that way. So I really don't have the first clue about going and talking to a bank or anything like that. I'm totally confident about a lot of things in life except for when it comes to things like this.

I wouldn't even consider the thought (I'd rather just do it all myself) if I wasn't between the rock and the hard-place that I am now. I am semi-confident about it because I have so much personal money into it already. I've made a shorthand list of all my purchases so far, as well as a 'things I need' list.

What next?

Thanks for the info.


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## Nancy08 (Sep 22, 2009)

More ideas here...
Thanks guys.

Actually, me and my co-workers were planning to design new polo shirt for our uniform.



___________________
inspirational quotes || motivational quotes


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## MYDAMIT (Jan 14, 2007)

Wow, nice... i just starting a business too and looking for a good invoice software i only used paypal but know that i'm aleady license i need to get a proper way to track my sale but i don't know about any kind of software that's why i search GNUCASH and this thread pop up. I just finished building my website custom-teeshirt and go to fivver to pay for advertising. I also join in sanmar and broder to get wholesale price of shirt. My question do i need to calculate all my supplies and equipment when i pay tax. I'm not really sure what to included in filling tax. I just only start for a month now.


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