# Pricing t-shirts for elementary school field day



## ab8ta (Jun 11, 2012)

I have been approached by a friend who is a coach at a fairly large, but low income level elementary school, to print shirts for their field day. He is talking in the range of 200-300 shirts which for me would be my biggest job to date. 

I want this job because I need/want bread & butter type clients like this to support my fledgling screen printing business. I am a one man shop so it would be just me printing that many shirts up. I am confident I can do it but where I lack confidence is pricing. I am not one of these huge shops that bangs out mass quantities of shirts for schools at the lowest possible price. I need to be able to put money back into my business AND put some food on the table for my family. 

What do I charge in a situation like this?


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## Olperez1 (Feb 24, 2013)

I am not a screen printer, but strongly suggest not charging full price. I always believed getting your foot in the door of any kind of school will get you a lot of "word of mouth" promotion. Not only are you helping a school with lower costs (think of the kids...  ) but you are also being helped by him when all other coaches, teachers and staff are asking him where he got them from. So charge him to make enough profit but not so much where you scare him off the next time he wants more shirts and it will pay you back in the long run.


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## binki (Jul 16, 2006)

Add a couple of bucks to the cost of a basic t shirt and do a one spot color design. Slam dunk.


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## Hegemone (Oct 18, 2011)

Make sure your making a reasonable per hour rate after you pay your expenses. Don't underestimate the amount of time this will take you. How quick can you print and maintain excellence. As good as this is for exposure just think how bad it could be if it's bad exposure. You will win customers like this by making it as EASY as possible for the client. Go to them dont make them come to you, delivery, constant communication, sorted and folded shirts, decent price (but remember you won't be able to increase your price easily after this) invoices that meets the book keepers requirements, flexibility with getting paid etc.. In other words don't treat them any different then any other customer and you won't have a problem building your biz.

Just my two cents. Toss them in a well and make a wish.


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## Cindylou (Jul 10, 2009)

I also give a discount to put my logo on the back (small) for advertisement....


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