# mistakes you made starting your business



## hendrix

im interested in knowing what mistakes you have made so i can possibly avoid making them. i'd like to start a home based business but im kind of fearfull being i'd have to get my own house plus the equipment and get website up.


----------



## FatKat Printz

Using your home address for registration purposes, if I could have used my PO BOX I would have but I couldn't know I am thankful to have a shop.

Last month, had a customer come to my home looking for an order 2 hours early because I was not at the shop and didn't answer the phone. 

If you can use an PO BOX from around your area. Deliveries are fine because its between you and the delivery carrier but posting information (website, state registration, etc) are public record and can be tracked to your home.


----------



## hendrix

im sure your website can be private without revealing any personal info to public. im not so sure about people being able to trace my address and stuff through government search or something.


----------



## selanac

There's already a similar thread you might want to look at: http://www.t-shirtforums.com/general-t-shirt-selling-discussion/t26786.html

They may have covered what you're asking.

Are you saying you share a house with someone or you don't want to use your home online?

You can probably get a pretty cheap shop. Something like an industrial shop. I rent a shop for about $300, and of course the owner wants to raise it to $400. 

Even if you're not making enough, you can get a part time job to pay for it if you had too.


----------



## FatKat Printz

hendrix said:


> im sure your website can be private without revealing any personal info to public. im not so sure about people being able to trace my address and stuff through government search or something.


try it.. 

-domain search (not necessary your website-your domain) whois.domaintools.com


-business search (State search)


----------



## UniqueTeez

I'm thinking of going back to the house doing biz from there. Rent=Overhead


----------



## hendrix

UniqueTeez said:


> I'm thinking of going back to the house doing biz from there. Rent=Overhead


yupp my feelings exactly. plus also as a first time home buyer i would only have to put 5% down payment. and i could buy a house for about 20,000 less than what i get the mortgage for. that means i can use that money to buy equipment and get setup. where as otherwise i would just use my savings for equipment, rent, supplies and then rent would kind of go down the drain. where as the mortgage, i'll own that house on day. its something to think about i guess.


----------



## irish

I think the biggest problem with almost any new business is being under capitalized. It really sucks when you don't have enough money to even advertise or buy supplies when you need them. Figure out how much you need and double or triple it.


----------



## dmfelder

I think the biggest mistake we made was not understanding our target demographic. 

About six years ago, before we started providing print on demand shirt fulfillment services, we sold funny shirts online. What we didn't really consider was that everyone wanted to be the next TshirtHell, and that competing on keywords like "funny shirts" was virtually impossible. We quickly realized that our core competency was actually process optimization (we're gear-head engineers), so we diverted our energies to building a system that could manage the intricacies of POD direct to garment printing. This obviously led us to where we are today, but we see history repeating itself over and over.

Our business is client-focused, not consumer-focused, so we see one strategy after the next. What is perfectly clear is that our most successful clients have one if not all of these three things going for them:

1) They are smart, organized, and/or they have a good business plan
2) They don't expect to become millionaires overnight and are very agile
3) They understand their target audience, and that audience is very focused

The most important is number 3. If you target a particular demographic with a targeted message, you'll be a lot more efficient with your effort and your spending. Our "big guys" chase topical subject matter or focus on a particular pastimes/hobbies/activities/organizations/social groups and leave the print on demand shirt fulfillment to us. The narrow focus helps them (and us) identify WHERE to spend their time and money.

Bottom line, if you expect to appeal to everyone, you probably won't succeed. It doesn't take deep pockets, either...just realism.

Best wishes.


----------



## selanac

A home is a big purchase. In order to purchase a home you have to be bringing them money in now. If you're planning on using this business to bring the money in then you need to get started first.

You can always find a shop to do the screen printing in then look for a home and move your shop into it.


----------



## Embroideredgear

Most places you cannot run a commercial business out of your home. Deed restrictions, home owners associations, city codes (zoning) are specifically in place to prevent your neighbor from opening things like a service business ( auto repair, hair salons, printing) etc. They are slightly more ambivalent on other work from home trades where there are no customers coming by. Also you may have difficulty getting commercial insurance. Residential Homeowners WILL NOT cover you if you burn the place down with the flash because THEY don't allow you to run a business from a residence.


----------



## cocothecat

hendrix said:


> im interested in knowing what mistakes you have made so i can possibly avoid making them.


You can read all day on this subject but it all comes down to you and how YOU run your business, the way WE do something is and will be totally different to the way YOU will do it.

I employed staff way to early and it cost me over a million and two business and a home, very bad mistake!

The best advice I can give you is be honest and realistic about you, your business and your goals! The $1000 you might bring in one month is not yours it the business! 

Work out what you need to keep your current lifestyle, how much you need to run the business and then a 25% retainer (for tax, problems etc) then. Work how much that is per month or per day and you will soon be surprised how much business you need to bring in not forget about daily expenditure with advertising etc etc

Plan, Research & Plan


----------



## BigBear

hendrix said:


> im interested in knowing what mistakes you have made so i can possibly avoid making them. i'd like to start a home based business but im kind of fearfull being i'd have to get my own house plus the equipment and get website up.


DMFELDER provided you with three critical facets of the most successful entrepreneurs. Here are three more that I have observed.

1) They are willing to spend a lot, in time and energy…to be successful.
2) They constantly seek to improve all needed skills…not just technical ones.
3) They develop a future vision…based on today’s attention to detail.

A Merry Christmas to you and a happy and prosperous New Year.


----------



## EnMartian

I think the single biggest mistake a lot of businesses make is not doing their research. Before you start your business figure out what you want to sell, where you want to sell it and to whom you want to sell it. Then do your research. You may find out what you want to sell doesn't sell well. You may find out that where you want to sell isn't legal or doesn't support your product. You may find out that people to whom you want to sell aren't interested in your product. Of course, you may find out the exact opposite of all this as well, but you won't know if you don't do your research.


----------



## SunEmbroidery

After you've formed a business plan and started your business I think its important to track all expenses and profits so you can identify potential problems. Once you realize something isn't working the tricky part is deciding if you haven't given it enough time, you need to make adjustments or you should drop it. For example, initially you decide to purchase a direct garment printer but after six months you realize the work of maintaining it doesn't offset the profits its generates. Its important to take the time to analyze the situation to see if you need to increase marketing for these type of jobs, change pricing, wait until your expected busy time to evaluate sales or sell this equipment.


----------



## SunEmbroidery

Another thing to remember is be balanced in your approach toward business. Starting a small business usually requires the owner to perform lots of different tasks that require a variety of skills. Unfortunately most people gyrate toward what they like or feel they are good at and shortchange the other jobs. As an owner its important to identify your personal strengths and weaknesses and develop a means of handling the problem areas. For example, if you hate dealing with accounting you either have to hire someone to do it or be tough with yourself and figure out a way that you can satisfy this job by setting aside a weekly time, developing simple format to follow or other means of accomplishing this labor.


----------



## ldelzer

Anything to do with money, reserves, cash flow. Most people start out with not enough money. They flat out don't understand how much cash it takes (and, no, there are not free grants that are going to give you money to start your business). If you think you need $10,000, you probably need more like $30,000. If I were to start up a physical business again, I would say the MINIMUM you'd need is $50,000- $100,000. Probably even more, depending on how many things you need to buy.

The amount of work you will do, with little compensation (or even promise of compensation) is mind-blowing. You need an understanding spouse that is on the same page and on the same team. 3 years into my business, I'm finally only working around 50 hours a week. It feels so EASY now. And, yes, I have two small children and another one on the way. And, yes, I am a woman so I bear the children, feed, etc. My husband is phenomenal and instrumental.

We started our business with nearly nothing but hard-headedness, stupidity, and the drive to see this through (and refusal to fail). My sales are now around $150,000/year which sounds like a lot. IT IS NOT. that's very small. I don't even know if I'll be happy until I hit $500,000 a year sales. Maybe not even then? I don't know. It's taken me three very dedicated years to hit $150,000, too. Do I think I can hit $500,000/year in sales? Yes. With a lot of luck, perserverance, and research.

Know everything there is to know about your field. then be prepared to change plans if needed. Research doesn't always equal reality (in terms of what people will buy).

I agree with the others that you need a very specific focus. Identify the gap in your area and pursue it with raw enthusiasm.


----------



## BigBear

I also thanked you for your post, on behalf of everyone that I hope will read it. The tone and tenor of your post is spot on, especially the mind blowing amount of work required to stay on the road to success.

Actually, you should give yourself a pat on the back for your progress. In 46 business years, I've owned a service, retail and, currently, a wholesale supply company. I'm still working towards a 50 hour week.

What I most enjoyed was the very succinct, no-nonsense and hard-working picture you drew of a very persistent and pragmatic business person.

I personally rate persistence as a most desireable and invaluable trait for anyone. 

For what it's worth, to the readers of this thread, here's an excerpt from one of my websites, about the subject-

*"Persistence*

Developing an even better, *persistent*, *"never give up" attitude*, is probably the best gift you can give yourself. No matter if your business takes off like a rocket or moves slow as a snail, persistence will make the journey easier.​ 


It is impossible for anyone to stay "up" all the time. Everyone has "down" times of days or sometimes even weeks. In the "not fun times", *persistence will help you keep moving forward.*

Persistence is not just a philosophy, it is a practical business need.​
When you have made six unsuccessful sales calls, *good persistence* encourages you to make six more. *Great persistence* encourages you to call the first six back at a later time, with a different idea or product.​



If you fail at doing something (and we all do), because of a lack of knowledge or skill, persistence help's you learn more and try again. There are very few business problems or opportunities that cannot be dealt with, if you have persistence."​ 
I wish you and yours the best, as you advance your dreams.​


----------



## jim55912

One of my customers has a small plaque on his desk that reads, "tomorrow doesn't always equal yesterday".

So, once you get established never forget that failure is just around the bend. This is why it is so common for 2nd and 3rd generation businesses to fail. 

We were very thankful to have the amount of cash in reserve that we did for the past couple years. Now that business is picking up we are determined to build our reserves even higher.


----------



## BigBear

jim55912 said:


> One of my customers has a small plaque on his desk that reads, "tomorrow doesn't always equal yesterday".


Here is one of my own, taped to my monitor- "What have I done today, to inrease my opportunities for success tomorrow"?


----------



## bpfohler

If your in an area that allows it for me it was cheaper to put an out building on my own property. Just be shure to post your business hours so they don't come knocking at your door.



UniqueTeez said:


> I'm thinking of going back to the house doing biz from there. Rent=Overhead


----------



## PhillyApparelJoe

NOT using the 'Help' desk or link offered by the Host Company I use for my website.

Being stubborn, and hate to ask for help, I wasted more time trying to figure out how to build my website, when I should have called the help desk. I can't beging to tell you how many hours I wasted.

NEVER be afraid to ask for help. Time is money. Fortunetly I found 'T-shirt Forums' and obtained priceless information by visiting it daily.


----------



## lindseypaige27

I just started writing weekly, about my mistakes and tips to starting a business. You can read last weeks here

psrclothing.tumblr.com/post/2771913751/starting-a-clothing-line-tips-tip-1

hope you enjoy the article and get much use from it


----------



## regpaq

Hey lindseypaige, good to see that you're on TSF as well.

Reggie from PopCultureTees


----------



## ShirtStudi0

Don't you use the website with all the transfers from ProWorld? The ART4MYSHIRT. I think it would be really handy to have.


----------



## taglessthreads

Do not do anything "cheap". To make money , you have to spend money.


----------



## SEWORIGINALEMB

hendrix said:


> im interested in knowing what mistakes you have made so i can possibly avoid making them. i'd like to start a home based business but im kind of fearfull being i'd have to get my own house plus the equipment and get website up.


Sometimes I think the biggest mistake I made starting my business was starting my business.


----------



## BigBear

SEWORIGINALEMB said:


> Sometimes I think the biggest mistake I made starting my business was starting my business.


I had to grin, while reading your comment. I could well identify with the sentiment. There are some days, you do wonder.

However, on any day, I would rather be Captain of a tugboat, than first mate on an ocean liner.


----------



## ShirtStudi0

I got one >snicker<

*I'd rather sit on a pumpkin* and have it all to myself *than* be crowded on a velvet cushion ~Henry David Thoreau


----------



## zachhulk

It's sometimes hard to separate work from home. I think you have to set up a schedule to keep yourself from being distracted, and you have to have the willpower to stick to it. Good luck!


----------



## wraven

As much as I hate to admit it, I don't know everything. My biggest mistake was thinking I could do everything myself. I am a designer - not an accountant or attorney. I hired a consultant to take care of my books and that freed up time to make more money with my own skills than I was paying out for her bookkeepers skills. A good business attorney is also a good investment. Save your advertising dollars and stay away from the print advertising. This seems to bring more price shoppers than buyers. Join a local networking group.


----------



## PhillyApparelJoe

ShirtStudi0 said:


> I got one >snicker<
> 
> *I'd rather sit on a pumpkin* and have it all to myself *than* be crowded on a velvet cushion ~Henry David Thoreau


Good quote. Great Author. Excellent book, "Walden and Civil Disobedience".


----------



## binki

Here is a list of things that get most in trouble:

Business Plan: If you don't have one you are just pretending to be in business. You have no clue where you are going or what you are doing. It is just a guess. What do you do if you are not successful or, even worse, are too successful? Well, without a plan you don't know. 

Cash flow: without it you will always struggle.

Under funding: Same as cash flow. You need to have enough scratch to get you to profitability

Home based: If you are selling local then home based = amateur to most customers. If you are selling online then not having a physical address may scare away some customers. 

Sales Force: Don't have one? How are you going to get sales?

Business cards: Cheapest form of targeted advertising 

Sign on your vehicle: Cheapest form of non-targeted advertising


----------



## muneca

wow, great post all. this information would have been of great use when i first started out. i am sure it will help the new comers. the outline/business plan is so important, along w/having the right amount of funds. i wish i had realized that when i started off back in the day. however, when you're young you think that you can do it all and be all things to everybody. that fact of the matter, is that it's tough on you mentally, physically and in the end the growth of your business suffers. in turn the rate of success is SLOOOWER! you can achieve your goals a lot faster if you start off the right way (business plan/funding/research customers, etc.). don't be afraid to ask for help & admit that you can't do it all & have the success you want...when you want it!


----------



## ShirtStudi0

muneca said:


> wow, great post all. this information would have been of great use when i first started out. i am sure it will help the new comers. the outline/business plan is so important, along w/having the right amount of funds. i wish i had realized that when i started off back in the day. however, when you're young you think that you can do it all and be all things to everybody. that fact of the matter, is that it's tough on you mentally, physically and in the end the growth of your business suffers. in turn the rate of success is SLOOOWER! you can achieve your goals a lot faster if you start off the right way (business plan/funding/research customers, etc.). don't be afraid to ask for help & admit that you can't do it all & have the success you want...when you want it!


Amen to that....especially mentally, physically~ a nervous breakdown and cancer of the breast. Okay now. Had a shop from 1990 until 1999; I overextended myself. Just be careful and start out SMALL and don't borrow so much money. Keep your day job, you won't be able to pay yourself until you are in the black and out of the red. But.....this forum is a lot of help and I too wish it was here back then. Listen and good luck to the beginners.


----------



## Bbamseattle

selanac said:


> There's already a similar thread you might want to look at: http://www.t-shirtforums.com/general-t-shirt-selling-discussion/t26786.html
> 
> They may have covered what you're asking.
> 
> Are you saying you share a house with someone or you don't want to use your home online?
> 
> You can probably get a pretty cheap shop. Something like an industrial shop. I rent a shop for about $300, and of course the owner wants to raise it to $400.
> 
> Even if you're not making enough, you can get a part time job to pay for it if you had too.


Printing out of home is definitely a money saver, but be careful if you have carpets and are using a DTG printer...bad things may occur!


----------



## doskalata

Dont think i could have spent more time doing research over the last 7 months, and i still feel like i dont know enough to get started.

good place to be?


----------



## ShirtStudi0

doskalata said:


> Dont think i could have spent more time doing research over the last 7 months, and i still feel like i dont know enough to get started.
> 
> good place to be?


mmmm. Find just one someone who would help you from A to Z instead of going all over the map; pehaps that would help u. (forum).

I had been collecting pages, answers, tips that I like and put it in a special folder named TShirts in the favorites.

But of course, I already have experience with tshirts but not the technology. It is just as hard 4 me but perhaps with no experience, it is harder 4 u. I feel you, dawg. 

If u feel comfortable with me, I'd be happy 2 help with whatever I know.


----------



## doskalata

oh im getting it just fine, i live for this **** now. just kind of wish i had a real press to practice what i read, soon enough...


----------



## Optiq

wow... where do I begin?... lol... one thing I had to learn was just because I'm a jack of all trades doesn't mean I should try to do everything myself... I'm dominantly an artist but I am proficient at quite a few things and thought I could save money doing everything myself.... That NEVER works because any one single thing involved in running a business is deep enough to become an all day task... so if you try to do everything there isn't enough time in the day to do it all... You just wind up spending a couple minutes doing this, a couple minutes doing that, and you spend an entire week doing a whole lot of nothing. There are ways you can kill two birds with one stone depending on which things you're trying to juggle but they don't always work with one another. First and foremost I would suggest finding people who specialize in marketing and sales, they will be the bread winners of your company because their job is to bring you money. If you get people who are trained and experienced YOU WILL MAKE MONEY!!!... Once you start making money you can afford to pay people to handle certain tasks which in turn pays for itself and even feeds back into paying your sales reps and marketing specialists. But before you go through that... continue to do what you're doing now... which is finding out what works and what doesn't in general and build upon your business plan and decide who you want to hone in on as potential customers. Cutting corners and trying to take on everything by yourself will only suffocate you and prevent you from being able to give the dedicated focus needed to really take things off the ground.... Trying to be cheap never makes anything work, it just hinders you from being able to make money because you never have enough time and you get what you pay for... which may not impress anyone enough to purchase... You should also embrace your competitors and rather than being a "competitor" become a FRIEND.... You'll be amazed at how much info they'll share with you when you show them respect. If you put yourself against them and attempt to "take their customers" they'll turn against you as well and help you run yourself into the ground.... the main thing that will make them do this is being the cheapest in town because by lowering the bar you're devaluing the industry as a whole which trickles over on to them. So just keep learning and take heed to what you discover and you'll be fine.


----------



## TwistedLogik

I guess thinking I could do everything myself, Im only just realising this now though so Im learning to let go bit by bit lol


----------



## Dante2004

The biggest problem I have faced / do face / will face is keeping my emotion out of business decisions.

When you invest in a business idea...
- website
- printer
- employee
- book
- computer
- press
- store front
- whatever

If it isn't working - get rid of it!

Too many times I've fallen into this trap "I spend a lot of money on this...we need to make it work". Use this philosophy in your personal life. If you bought a nice 60" HD TV last year and now you see that Best Buy has a 72" tv that you just "have to have" because you don't like the picture on your 60"...relax. You can live without it. But, if you go out and buy a direct to garment printer and you don't like it - for any reason. Sell it. Cut your losses. You cannot afford to be held back by inefficient equipment, sub par quality or worse yet a piece of equipment you spent a lot of money on and it just sits in the corner.

When we bought our last business the website sucked. It looked like it hadn't been updated in 5 years. The first thing I wanted to do was purchase a new website. We generated all our sales through out website so I thought it was a critical fix. My wife was attached to the current site because "part of the money we just spent on this business was the website". True..but it sucks. We need something new.

Same thing is true with ideas...

Let's say you come up with what you think is the greatest idea ever. Check it out...see if it works. But if it doesn't, dump it! Don't be blinded by your emotion.


----------



## muneca

oooh...i know what you mean. the more you research...the less you feel like you know. i researched for over a year before i started. and i am a hell of a researcher...if i must/have to say so myself!!! LOL!!!


----------



## BigBear

Dante2004 said:


> The biggest problem I have faced / do face / will face is keeping my emotion out of business decisions...
> 
> When you invest in a business idea...
> If it isn't working - get rid of it!


That is really sage advice but one of the most difficult things to do. It has been proven, many times, that people fear loss three to four times more than they feel pleasure at gain.

In regards to your website, perhaps you could present some ideas to just add some content or tweaks "in addition to".

Consistently do that enough times and you can change much.

Just a thought.


----------



## Recover Clothing

The best thing is learning from yours or other peoples mistakes.


----------



## mattdtx

One of our biggest mistakes was not buying equipment that we could grow into. After 6 months or so, we were pushing the limits of how much we could produce. Not that you a full auto shop to start, but we should have got a nicer manual press, bigger flash, and faster dryer. Just something to consider.


----------



## quantum_MC

muneca said:


> oooh...i know what you mean. the more you research...the less you feel like you know. i researched for over a year before i started. and i am a hell of a researcher...if i must/have to say so myself!!! LOL!!!


i feel exactly the same... and then some.


----------



## hendrix

well since im planning a home business to sell online. would customers be cautious or afraid to buy from me? im people sell on eBay dont they. plus i plan on working nights at my current job while i persue this. even tho i dont have a lot of cash saved up i think the fact that im keeping my job and my overhead low, i should be ok.


----------



## Optiq

hendrix said:


> well since im planning a home business to sell online. would customers be cautious or afraid to buy from me? im people sell on eBay dont they. plus i plan on working nights at my current job while i persue this. even tho i dont have a lot of cash saved up i think the fact that im keeping my job and my overhead low, i should be ok.



If you're planning to be online the best thing you can do is focus on the kind of site you have..... You have to make it feel like the other big sites online to companies they know are huge and successful. Not saying you have to "look like them" or try to mock them... but look at a bunch of different sites to big named retailers and just take note of how it's structured, what each page has on it, the kinds of banners and advertisement that pops up, everything.... Then figure out how you can incorperate those elements into your site and what kind of flow you can give the navigation. 

That will make people trust you easier and take you more seriously.... One lesson I learned is to NEVER give the image of "just starting out trying to get popular and expand".... when you give that kind of feel that's how people treat you no matter how long you're in business... If you give that impression for 5 years guess what.... everyone is going to treat you like you're just a "small guy" for those whole 5 years. Go big and present yourself as a big billion dollar company would and emphasize on your qualities.... make them feel like this is something huge that they've been sleeping on, that way they'll want to "catch up with everyone else".... 

As far as your overhead, I don't know exactly what it is you're doing, but you can feature A LOT on your website without having to actually have a thousand of them sitting in your house ready to ship. I personally outsource my work for DTG which is good for everything from 1 shirt to bulk orders. so when someone decides they want to place an order they pay for it.... so I now have the money to get it done for them, so I just send the design to my printer and they run it off and ship it... simple as that.... 

Another good lesson I learned... which is obvious but not as common as it should be... is business is suppose to put money in your pocket... not take money out.... A lot of people crash and burn because they started getting successful, I've done it quite a few times . What happens is you have a mindset of putting your money into the business but because you're "just starting out" you don't think about getting anything out of it until later on once you get "big".... When you get going you do get sales, but because you short yourself you're not covering anything, when you listen to that crap people talk like "I know a looooooooooooooot of people and can bring you business blah blah blah" who are only trying to take advantage of you... you wind up running out of stuff when you do things for dirt cheap and aren't getting the resources to replinish it. So later on when you do start getting more serious customers you're not capable of catering to them because you don't have what you need... or you have to over charge them as a way to try to replinish yourself but even when you make a decent profit it doesn't make up for what you've given away and can't get back... so everything falls apart...

In reality you would be better off just keeping everything and if needed re-organize yourself and take a different approach on different people who may appreciate what you have to offer, and seeing that you haven't given it all away you have it to give them. Don't get me wrong it's good to give some freebies away or special discounts, but use that sparingly and STRATEGICALLY!!!.... don't be random about it.

Another thing that may sound kind of crazy but is vital, is to prepare yourself to eventually kick the job to the curb.... Of course you want to get your company going and have it generating something before you do so... but don't try to be so "safe" about it... Doing something on the back burner with minimal focus and dedication gives minimal results. A few hours here and there throughout the week isn't enough to keep something going... you have to stay consistent with it. Besides that there's so many aspects to keep up with that any one thing alone can be an 8 hour job in itself... and you have to work all those different positions which could normally employ ten people to do all day every day. If your job is the main number one focus in your life you're just not going to have the time to put towards your business.

You may only work 8 hours at your job, which leaves 16 hours left in the day, but say you get up an hour and a half before you gotta be there so you can get ready and drive, you're down to 14 1/2 hours, you have another hour worth of errands to run, 13 1/2 hours, you have to do your regular routine with cleaning cooking, getting ready for work, another 2 hours, now you're down to 11 1/2 hours, if you go off of just 4 hours of sleep you're now down to 7 1/2 hours... which is a half hour short of a work day to really focus on your business.... if you stick to 8 hours of sleep you'll be down to 3 1/2 hours to dedicate. If you put this last on your list of priorities it will come after everything else is done, right before you wind down to go to sleep, which means you'll be all burned out, impatient and flat out drained.

Having a negative attitude combined with not having the energy to function will have a terrible effect on your business... you won't be as creative with your ideas, because you're so pressed for time that your main goal is to just get done with the task, so the quality isn't really as good, because you don't have any more patience left for the day you may make mistakes that you won't catch until one day a week or two later after you put money into it somehow and are now pushing something totally wrong and possibly destructive... like say you didn't notice that you missed a 0 on a price.... now instead of $350 it's $35... that just creates more work you don't have the time to do that you gotta go back and do over.

If you were to have a good night's rest and wake up fresh and full of energy and put the best of your of potential towards this instead of your job it will be a lot more effective. Think about when you first got hired, you learned your job and did it for a few weeks and now that you're familiar with what needs to be done you start finding ways to make your day more productive.. You see that if you do things in a certain order it goes smoother and you can get more done... You notice that if you handle this task at this part of the shift and take care of a different one now instead you can get them both done quicker... due to what's going on at those points of the day and what the task requires you to do.. You'll discover these same things about your own business and start structuring and perfecting it. It's just something you gotta do....


----------



## MAYBTMRW

Wow, this has been a great thread and consumed a ton of my time today haha. I have run my business for the past year out of home as a part time job on the side of doing construction and grossed $24,000 *as a side business. The year was overwhelming with trial and error which only perfected my products by staying cool with the will to succeed where most would give up. I totally agree with the keeping the "failure is NOT an option" notion at the tip of your game. I have developed a very well established name as a local guy that provides great prints with ultimate customer care. 

Here's the problem:
Juggling a day job and growing a business is incredibly stressful and wears you down FAST. Getting frustrated with all the aspects of business I don't understand such as taxes, accounting, booking, etc.. I have decided to shut my business down at the end of this month where I will be moving back to New York. I have grown a business from nothing more than the passion of doing what I love and am happy doing. So I have begun writing a business plan where as if you don't.. you have no goals, no idea where you're supposed to be, or what you're supposed to be doing with the money. Once all this plan is written out and refined I will hopefully be partnering with a good friend and reopening shop in New York as a creative service provider on top of printing.

So I guess my input is start out small within your means in a comfortable setting to see if it's really what you want to do. Then if it is, write a Business Plan to strategically lay out where you would like to go and how you're going to get there with this new found love.


----------



## bibuchi

this info has been really great thanks so much but i am still confused in where to start this is a business me and my husband want it to do for so long but unfortunately we both have full time jobs and not much time to dedicate to our future business and we dont want to fall in big mistakes so could you tell me where to start? should i start printing just a few and see how it works ? or just go directly with the legal side of this? like trademarks ? we have the designs please help us


----------



## Posylane

Put a dot at where you are (equipment, finances, designs, inventory, skills) and put a dot marked "Selling something".

Ask youself what the shortest line between these two points is. This will help you filter out not so important things like "legal" and focus on more important things that might be designs or equipment/traning or marketing.

You will fall into mistakes, mistakes are how you will grow from no business to a big business. Don't make mistakes that can kill the business, learn from your mistakes and try to learn from other people's mistakes.

At some level no one can tell you how to be successful. I only know the specific things that make my business successful. To one degree these specific things are irrelevant to you because odds are you don’t do exactly what I do, and do it where I live, and to another degree I can’t tell you everything that makes me successful because it is that specific informationi that is the true value of what I have. And if I did do that, it would not do you any good. You and 1,000 people would try to copy what we do, and we would all fail. You have to find your own path.

Put another way, the real value of the company you eventually build is not your equipment/inventory because anyone can buy that. It is the non-public actual knowhow of how to turn your equipment/inventory/ideas into money. So people can give you general pointers, but we can’t give away the actual value of what we do.

It is by getting in there, getting your hands dirty, and making mistakes that you start to build the non-public knowledge that gives your business value.




bibuchi said:


> this info has been really great thanks so much but i am still confused in where to start this is a business me and my husband want it to do for so long but unfortunately we both have full time jobs and not much time to dedicate to our future business and we dont want to fall in big mistakes so could you tell me where to start? should i start printing just a few and see how it works ? or just go directly with the legal side of this? like trademarks ? we have the designs please help us


----------



## bibuchi

thank you so much Posylane i will start to put our ideas in practice and i will let you guys know how is it going
thanks again


----------



## Posylane

Good deal. Remember, not all mistakes are negative. Sometimes mistakes lead to things different but better than you set out to do. Opening a retail store was a mistake for us. But it lead to a website I would not have otherwise, which more than makes up for the store mistake. In hindsite I could build what I have right now for 75% less money and 90% less time than it took me. I probably am being very conservative with those numbers. The reality is that is the time and money it took me to get where I am.


----------



## februaryson

Very insightful topic. Although our line hasn't launched yet, I think my biggest piece of advise would be to take your time, don't rush into anything and do your research. Also say your prayers and take your vitamins.


----------



## bibuchi

thanks for that advice too we are doing our research now specially if it will be best to buy the shirts in a different place or just get the deal of getting shirt and printing in just one place


----------



## SunEmbroidery

It depends. If you can order so that you get case pricing and free shipping then you'll most likely be better off if you order the shirts and have them drop shipped to your printer. But, if you can't get that pricing and your printer does then it will depend on how much profit your printer makes by providing the shirts. If his profit is less than what it would cost you to order then that should be better for you. 

One thing to ask about ahead of time is spoilage. What happens if a few shirts are misprinted? If your printer provided the shirts will he replace them? If you provided them are you expected to either provide more or make do with what was printed?


----------



## sadokun

Thx so much for the tips everyone.. really make me thinkin in a new way b4 starting my tshirt biz...


----------



## Mike63

My biggest mistake was trying to grow too big too fast. We started as a screenprinting shop printing small jobs for individuals and businesses. We did this for 2-3 years. My partners and I were all talented artist so we came up with a cartoon character and started printing it on t-shirts. We slowly built up recongnition of the character and began to increase sales. After 2-3 months of solid sales we developed a solid business and Marketing plan for the character and started implementing it. We made $6,000 - $10,000 in the following 3 months. At that point we wanted to go national. Found investors and exhibited in the MAGIC Show in Las Vegas. We recieved interviews with 2 of the biggest store chains in the world and the biggest sports Club in the world. But we were not successful because we were too cheap to hire a professional to make the presentation and we did not spend enough time selling the product in the market before making the leap to the big times. Lesson well learned. It cost us possibly several million dollars if not more. But it was a hell of a lesson learned. So the moral of this story is not to get ahead of yourself. I will get back to that point again but it will be different this time.


----------



## T11

Our biggest mistakes were:

Relying on a vendor to give us orders
Moving into an expensive warehouse literally weeks into our new operation
Not having all the necessary equipment
Starting off with essentially no capital


----------



## schoonover77

hendrix said:


> well since im planning a home business to sell online. would customers be cautious or afraid to buy from me? im people sell on eBay dont they. plus i plan on working nights at my current job while i persue this. even tho i dont have a lot of cash saved up i think the fact that im keeping my job and my overhead low, i should be ok.


Your customers won't know that you're working from home. The biggest obstacle small business start ups face is a lack of capital. I think you are being very wise to keep costs down and another source of income until your business can support you.


----------



## uni-tee-designs

I like to think of mistakes as something positive. Mistakes are learning opportunities. When I make a mistake, I take note of it in a project log. I record the customer for whom the project was for and the details of the project: quantity, if the graphics were supplied, when the order was placed, when I finished the order, when it was picked up or delivered, and then I make a list of the things that worked and the things that didn't.

The next time you make the same mistake, make note of it again but put it in all caps or underline in your project log. Then put a sticky note next to your computer monitor if you have to. Don't beat yourself up about the mistake, though; that'll just make you angry and frustrated, and then you might make more mistakes. Just think to yourself, or even affirm in the morning while making your coffee, "I made X mistake, it's a learning opportunity. I won't do X again so that I can get better and make a better product."

This strategy won't work for everyone, but I think if you're starting out you should DEFINITELY keep a project log. I've been printing for about three years and I still consider myself new to it. I started out part-time while finishing my M.A. (Talk about stress!) The first mistake I made was NOT keeping a project log, but after three years I still keep one for my larger projects (not so much for one-off custom prints anymore).

I think I learned the "mistakes are good" mentality from my mother. I first noticed myself applying it my essays when I started university. My writing was atrocious (as it is for most students starting university in Canada--they don't teach us proper writing in high school anymore!); I only got better by looking at every essay and making notes about the mistakes I made when I got them back from my professors. My writing started improving at incredible rates. For a full year course I was getting B-/Bs for my papers, but by the end of the year I was getting A/A+s. You can do the same with your business by using mistakes as learning opportunities. I know I've been able to make a better product for my customers this way.

Sorry for rambling...


----------



## Eileen

This kind of goes along with Optiq's point about putting money in your pocket versus taking it out, one mistake I made that can apply to most any business is that I bought Google Adwords ads but didn't target my keywords narrowly enough.

My small budget was spent in less than a day.

Tip: don't just use "T-shirts" as a keyword unless you really have the budget for it, specific words work much better


----------



## jennie1977

This post inspires me. I am just doing research before taking the leap of starting my own t shirt business.I am very scared but i am willing to work very hard. I am currently on mat leave and my partner is very supportive too. I hope I do as well as you.


----------



## DS Sports

The best advise is to keep your overhead low. Establish a well thought out business plan and be able to ride the highs and lows. If you really want to succeed in this business be prepared for occasional set backs, but don't let that discourage you. Identify your target customer and pursue that sector. Provide the optimal customer service and offer a competitive price. Do not finance expensive equipment that will not generate immediate return but consider once you have established a solid customer base. If you have space work out of the home, expand once your customer base gas grown. Always maintain contact with your customer base and initially do not commit yourself to high advertising costs.


----------



## Swisha

This post was really helpfull. I got a lot of insite out of this. Just wanted to say thanks!!


----------



## Wearhouse9

Hi There.

I started as a home based business 6 months ago and its the best decision i ever made. I design and print t-shirts to order for small and large groups and also have my own designs for sale through ebay.

I worked on and won the supply for SKY 1 Pineapple Dance Studios and STARMAN and it comes from the determination to make it work.

If your a t-shirt fan your half way there as its your passion for the designs and always having your own unique approach that will make it work and its surprising when you look how many people and groups in your local area could benefit from your services, that even before you go out looking for business.

As part of my business i offer a business start up including websites (very affordable and quick solutions) plus business print and uniforms etc so if there is anything i can help with please let me know.
Chris


----------



## monchi0917

Well im sure i made a mistake but i dont know how to fix it. My father in law and i bought a tjet blazer express and we have a problem printing anything out seeing that the paint doesnt come out anymore, does anyone have any suggestions or maybe have anyone that can help us hands on in the chicago area? please some one help us!


----------



## T11

HEY , HERES A BIG ONE, 

HOW ABOUT NOT BRANDING!

We have been in business for over 4 months now and are still not branding ourselves. I guess thats the biggest difference between us and the larger guys, we do not brand our selves.


----------



## SunEmbroidery

Jose, you should post your question in the "Direct to Garment" section. You'll be more likely to get help there.


----------



## JeanneMeier

hendrix said:


> im interested in knowing what mistakes you have made so i can possibly avoid making them. i'd like to start a home based business but im kind of fearfull being i'd have to get my own house plus the equipment and get website up.


Oh my! That's horrible, borderline creepy! This is something I had never thought of, very good advice!!


----------



## JeanneMeier

Swisha said:


> This post was really helpfull. I got a lot of insite out of this. Just wanted to say thanks!!


Hi Chris,
What ecommerce software are you selling/using? I am looking.


----------



## banga

This is all great reading.
I am just about to go into business on a part time basis (I am going to keep my current job and if things expand to a point where I need to concentrate on my garment business I will just take my long service leave and figure something out after that).
A lot of my concerns about mucking up are the exact things in this thread.
There are still plenty of things I need to do, but I am not in a hurry. Main aims for the next week will be to get my name (I currently have one, but I need to change it), complete a business plan and map out a budget that includes organising financing.


----------



## SeanDougi21

dmfelder said:


> I think the biggest mistake we made was not understanding our target demographic.
> 
> About six years ago, before we started providing print on demand shirt fulfillment services, we sold funny shirts online. What we didn't really consider was that everyone wanted to be the next TshirtHell, and that competing on keywords like "funny shirts" was virtually impossible. We quickly realized that our core competency was actually process optimization (we're gear-head engineers), so we diverted our energies to building a system that could manage the intricacies of POD direct to garment printing. This obviously led us to where we are today, but we see history repeating itself over and over.
> 
> Our business is client-focused, not consumer-focused, so we see one strategy after the next. What is perfectly clear is that our most successful clients have one if not all of these three things going for them:
> 
> 1) They are smart, organized, and/or they have a good business plan
> 2) They don't expect to become millionaires overnight and are very agile
> 3) They understand their target audience, and that audience is very focused
> 
> The most important is number 3. If you target a particular demographic with a targeted message, you'll be a lot more efficient with your effort and your spending. Our "big guys" chase topical subject matter or focus on a particular pastimes/hobbies/activities/organizations/social groups and leave the print on demand shirt fulfillment to us. The narrow focus helps them (and us) identify WHERE to spend their time and money.
> 
> Bottom line, if you expect to appeal to everyone, you probably won't succeed. It doesn't take deep pockets, either...just realism.
> 
> Best wishes.


what a great post mate. Makes alot of sence. You really cant apeal to everyone, but my idea is kinda universal even though I do have a target market in mind, but I think naturally it will to apeal to all.

What do you mean that your target market should be focussed? Focussed on what?


----------



## SeanDougi21

selanac said:


> A home is a big purchase. In order to purchase a home you have to be bringing them money in now. If you're planning on using this business to bring the money in then you need to get started first.
> 
> You can always find a shop to do the screen printing in then look for a home and move your shop into it.


Yes a home is a huge decision and theres no way in HELL I could afford that. I'm wondering if I could just use my apt. as my business location and just sell my product online and also try and market it to re tailers. 

How do I get a p.o box?


----------



## SeanDougi21

taglessthreads said:


> Do not do anything "cheap". To make money , you have to spend money.


Im not sure I completely agree with this. I think you shoun't buy the most EXPENSIVE equipment on startup but also not garbage. Im going to be starting a business maybe here in a few months or so and im only going to invest maybe.. say 800 at most. I think thats a reasonable range. What do you think?


----------



## SunEmbroidery

You can get a post office box at any US Post Office. Fees can vary depending on location (more rural offices can have lesser fees) so if you have a choice (closeness-wise) you might want to price around. I would also take into account the name of the address if that makes a difference. I would also check into renting a private mail box at a Post Net, Mail Boxes Etc or similar store. Then you'll have a regular street address and the ability to receive UPS/ Fed Ex shipments at a commercial address rate.


----------



## Posylane

> _Do not do anything "cheap". To make money , you have to spend money._


Yeah this is not blanket true at all. When you are new or new at something, do it as cheap as you can! Once you know you have a market and you know what you need, come back with bigger bucks as makes sense. As time goes by I see more and more people putting huge investments of time and money into what end up as failures, some times before they even launch. If they did things faster and cheaper at the start, they would have had more time and capital left to adapt as they learned.


----------



## stix

Mistakes to avoid.

1. Getting a financial partner that will not do any work.
2. Starting too big.
3. Not knowing your target market.
4. Being most concerned about your competition instead of your business.
5. Thinking that your business will take off based on your ideas.


----------



## HM-1 Addict

I had a grand worth of liquid capital...after I had made all the large purchases like the machine, the press, everything i needed to print, photoshop, etc...I still had a grand left.. I was so concerned with getting my costs per piece down to realize a greater margin that I spent my last grand all on ink...got a great price of course...only to have my printhead clog while I waited for the ink to come in the mail.

Well that was when I first bought my used machine and rebuilt it two years ago...haven't had any extra money since so now here I am with two jobs looking forward to rebuilding my machine and upgrading to bagged ink...learning all over again...


----------



## TShirtKingau

Biggest tip would be investing in quality and reliable machinery and not cutting corners when it comes to price. You get what you pay for! It will pay off in the long run.


----------



## relo

Firstly I'd like to thank everyone of you who have contributed to this thread, whether it was a question, answer or just general input. I have really read all of it and learnt a lot even though it's one thread, everyone who commented eventually lead to me registering on the site. 

Anyways why I began reading: I'm a 21 year old South African, studying marketing and PR. 
Although the way businesses are created in the States, Asia, Eu and Africa are all different from each other I took to heart what everyone has posted on these forums and have made copious notes on it all, as I feel that experience would be almost the same across the board, whether it was success or failure. 

What I'm about to post are more comments I have on the above posts as well as some questions that I feel still have been unanswered to me personally. 

I am going to be starting my own business with my friend, how it is setup at the moment (please bare in mind that this is just the beginning and the basic setup - all constructive crit is more than welcome). We do not plan to buy our own equipment at the moment, at the moment we are thinking of having an outside company (which we trust obv. and are reputable) do the printing - whatever it may be. What I did find really informative is the post about getting samples - keeping one aside (brand new) and washing the other 20 times any which way you can think of, of how people could possibly wash it. This to me was genius, that way you can grade the quality of the printer you are using, as well as the shirt quality etc, props to who ever posted that. 

I also enjoyed the post about creating a portfolio, not only for reference, but also to show potential customers what you have done and who it has been for. 

Now what I'd like to know is: We are starting a T-shirt company for men and women (aimed at 14-25) These will include funky designs, that will be hot* enough for high schoolers to wear, but also trendy enough to wear to clubs for varsity students etc. - anyone who has experience in this field please could you comment and maybe post what you found to be successful. And yes, I did read above about - there is no written rule for success, but I'd like to know what worked and what didn't for you? 

A major question on my mind is, (provided this happens) would you suggest I try to get our label stocked at premium stores, that stock brands such as nike, puma, david & goliath etc, (which in turn could create a status for the label giving potential customers a mind set of "well if it's next to a name brand like Puma it must be big/trendy". However it might deter the customer with them thinking that it must be expensive because it is around such huge name brands)

Or would it be better to sell online (which isnt really preferable as shipping in SA can become costly). 

Our designs, who can/should we trust, and how can I ensure no one can steal them from us . Say I approach a retail store asking if they could stock the label and they in turn, turn us away and use the design. How could we go about keeping it our property? And what is the best way to approach a company - should we take our business plan, and samples or just ideas and wait for feedback?

It would be much appreciated if someone who has had experience with any of the above topics can help. I'm really passionate about getting this off the ground and need all the help I can get from people who have been there, or are doing it. 


Thanks so much
re*L*o


----------



## nametagsky

Ok,,,here's my 2 cents. 
1. Find out what people want, not what you think they want. Talk to everyone you can. 

2. I bought various shirts to give out for samples. This done on the advice of experienced others. But, I bought cheap stuff. I shouldn't have. If you give out cheap quality, thats what they judge you by. Spend a little more for quality, just don't give away as much. 

3. If you give samples, give them out selectively. Make a strategy for them. If you give one to a boss or owner, give one to the staff,,,you're likely to get orders that way much faster in my experience. 

4. Salespersons are there to sell, and only sell. Take them with a grain of salt. Research everything first. 

5. Always ask for a better deal,,,,,prices are never set in stone. If they say they are, then they'll give other perks to sell to you,,,like hoops, thread, ink, extras. 

6. Use your advertising dollars wisely. Be very tight with them, and remember the salesperson is there to sell the ad, not buy from you. 

7. Keep good track of every dollar you spend in the business,,,,it's all tax deductible. 

8. Form a LLC corp right off. You can upgrad later if you want, but it's the cheapest way to start. 

9. Make sure you have friends and family pay for their items,,,,no freebies,,,,they'll eat up your profit and cash flow.

10. There's more, but, I'd say you're tired of reading. 

Good luck to all.


----------



## relo

awesome reply thanks so much. I'd love to know more if uve got the time?


----------



## nametagsky

,,,,,,more,,,,ok,,,you asked for it.
1. Don't go into business with friends without a detailed list or responsibilities and jobs you each will do. 

2. Read #1 above, and don't do it to start with. 

3. Designs, they're going to steal them no matter what, so get used to it. Unless you copywrite it, quit worrying.

4. Stay within your means. You can can handle small to medium orders. If you were to get a large one, sub it out. 

5. Make sure you make a profit, no matter how little, on every sale. 

6. If you quote a job, stay with it. If they come back to you and give you the :"so and so said they'd do it for this price, can you beat it", usually means you're the cheapest, they just want you to drop your price even more. 

7. Starting out, you have to give a better deal, and even better service. People don't know you, so make them remember you. 

8. NO CREDIT! Unless you know them personally, and know where they live, make individuals pay a deposit up front, as much as you can get. 

9. Make sure you ask every customer, "Who is paying for this". This is big when you sell to ball teams or other groups where you're dealing with many people. 

10. Be up front on returns for wrong sizes. You're not a LL Bean of JC Penny's. If they order a medium, and they really needed a large or XL, and they come back to you with "it don't fit", make them pay for the new item, any shipping charges, and the return shipping, etc. 

11. Regarding #10, develop a sales sheet that the customer will sign, detailing that and other issues when they order. Make sure they get a copy. 

12. Sales Tax: it's the law. Don't try to give someone a break by not charging them tax. You're the one that will suffer, not them. And, if they're tax exempt, be sure and get that certificate.

13. Don't trash talk your competitors, and if they trash talk you,,,,,think before you speak. 

14. Become a dealer for as many companies as you can find. Usually you only need your tax numbers to register. This way, you'll find your better dealers after awhile. It'll also give you a wide scope of companies and items. 

15. Branch out from your main product somewhat, and look to see what's out there. You may find extra markets you didn't think you would use. 

16. Any profit you make, put back into the business. Be it in inventory, equipment, supplies, debt repayment if necessary, etc. Nothing goes into your pocket yet, until at least 3 years, maybe even longer.

17. Don't hire someone to help until you really have to. Overhead kills you, and no one will work as hard as you do, or as hard as you want them to.

And, to end this long post from a rookie himself, most of all, you'll be fighting the very type of competition that you are yourself. You're a 'mom&pop' business, operating out of the home, one machine or press, limited cash flow, just trying to make a few bucks. There's many before you, and will be many after. Longevity will tell the tale. In the almost 17 months we've been in business, I know of 4 M&P's before me that has quit, 3 that has started and quit, and only 1 other that started after me and is still working. Quit looking for the 1000 shirt order. Don't listen to the folks that tell you of all their huge orders and success,,,they're usually fibbing. There are success stories out there, maybe 1 of 50. You could be one of them too. I want to be. But,,,you have to start somewhere. 
Thanks for listening.


----------



## firedrake

Great read, some really good advice , just looking to start out and this has helped a lot thanks.


----------



## DeStewart

Biggest mistake I made was choosing bad partners. I had two people who were initially on board but who quickly lost interest once the equipment was in place. Luckily, I made all capitol investments so I didn't loose any money but now I'm running the business alone. Not as much fun as I had envisioned.


----------



## T11

nametagsky said:


> ,,,,,,more,,,,ok,,,you asked for it.
> 1. Don't go into business with friends without a detailed list or responsibilities and jobs you each will do.
> 
> 2. Read #1 above, and don't do it to start with.
> 
> 3. Designs, they're going to steal them no matter what, so get used to it. Unless you copywrite it, quit worrying.
> 
> 4. Stay within your means. You can can handle small to medium orders. If you were to get a large one, sub it out.
> 
> 5. Make sure you make a profit, no matter how little, on every sale.
> 
> 6. If you quote a job, stay with it. If they come back to you and give you the :"so and so said they'd do it for this price, can you beat it", usually means you're the cheapest, they just want you to drop your price even more.
> 
> 7. Starting out, you have to give a better deal, and even better service. People don't know you, so make them remember you.
> 
> 8. NO CREDIT! Unless you know them personally, and know where they live, make individuals pay a deposit up front, as much as you can get.
> 
> 9. Make sure you ask every customer, "Who is paying for this". This is big when you sell to ball teams or other groups where you're dealing with many people.
> 
> 10. Be up front on returns for wrong sizes. You're not a LL Bean of JC Penny's. If they order a medium, and they really needed a large or XL, and they come back to you with "it don't fit", make them pay for the new item, any shipping charges, and the return shipping, etc.
> 
> 11. Regarding #10, develop a sales sheet that the customer will sign, detailing that and other issues when they order. Make sure they get a copy.
> 
> 12. Sales Tax: it's the law. Don't try to give someone a break by not charging them tax. You're the one that will suffer, not them. And, if they're tax exempt, be sure and get that certificate.
> 
> 13. Don't trash talk your competitors, and if they trash talk you,,,,,think before you speak.
> 
> 14. Become a dealer for as many companies as you can find. Usually you only need your tax numbers to register. This way, you'll find your better dealers after awhile. It'll also give you a wide scope of companies and items.
> 
> 15. Branch out from your main product somewhat, and look to see what's out there. You may find extra markets you didn't think you would use.
> 
> 16. Any profit you make, put back into the business. Be it in inventory, equipment, supplies, debt repayment if necessary, etc. Nothing goes into your pocket yet, until at least 3 years, maybe even longer.
> 
> 17. Don't hire someone to help until you really have to. Overhead kills you, and no one will work as hard as you do, or as hard as you want them to.
> 
> And, to end this long post from a rookie himself, most of all, you'll be fighting the very type of competition that you are yourself. You're a 'mom&pop' business, operating out of the home, one machine or press, limited cash flow, just trying to make a few bucks. There's many before you, and will be many after. Longevity will tell the tale. In the almost 17 months we've been in business, I know of 4 M&P's before me that has quit, 3 that has started and quit, and only 1 other that started after me and is still working. Quit looking for the 1000 shirt order. Don't listen to the folks that tell you of all their huge orders and success,,,they're usually fibbing. There are success stories out there, maybe 1 of 50. You could be one of them too. I want to be. But,,,you have to start somewhere.
> Thanks for listening.




He hit it right on the head, very very good advice. 

I started out fishing on craigslist and still do. 

MY BEST ADVICE FOR ANYONE IN THE PRINTING INDUSTRY, 

***Work with the end result in mind. Do you want to labor over the press? Do you want to do a bunch of graphics everyday? Truly think about it. 

DESIGN YOUR BUSINESS WITH THE WORD **AUTOMATION** IN MIND. Work to automate as much as you can, make your order form complete, have pricing, use other services to save you time & money. Update your frequently asked questions section. MUST HAVE A WEBSITE!!!! If your truly looking to profit, realize that it starts with the system. Work on having return customers. 

There are a lot of people doing this tshirt thing. Find a way to maximize your time so you don't burn yourself out. Find a really small nich, and become the big dog in it. 

1. Automate
2. Duplicate your Automated system for expansion
3. If its your first year in business, work towards getting 1 new client, every 3 days. Thats 100 clients. Execute each order to the best of your ability. And next year, they will come back, making it just a lil bit more easier on yourself.


----------



## artztrish

Wow, thanks for all of that information. It's very good information for those of us that are start ups.


----------



## SherSher1

ShirtStudi0 said:


> mmmm. Find just one someone who would help you from A to Z instead of going all over the map; pehaps that would help u. (forum).
> 
> I had been collecting pages, answers, tips that I like and put it in a special folder named TShirts in the favorites.
> 
> But of course, I already have experience with tshirts but not the technology. It is just as hard 4 me but perhaps with no experience, it is harder 4 u. I feel you, dawg.
> 
> If u feel comfortable with me, I'd be happy 2 help with whatever I know.


Hi Shirley,
I'm also new to the business of t shirts and the technology. I like your advise. I just feel so flustered sometimes with all the info I read, although very helpful. I'm in the process of doing my business plan and a little capital. I'm starting off small. I just need someone to talk to sometimes.


----------



## Dejavu

Great info in this post as I am looking to start my business. Thank you all so much for sharing!


----------



## smartartgraphics

That is great advice. I have all three, but the emphasis helped me determine where I need to devote most of my marketing aggression. There are only 168 hours in a week, and 52 weeks in a year. Each moment is precious, and I need to spend time doing things that are most profitable.


----------



## smartartgraphics

ldelzer said:


> Anything to do with money, reserves, cash flow. Most people start out with not enough money. They flat out don't understand how much cash it takes (and, no, there are not free grants that are going to give you money to start your business). If you think you need $10,000, you probably need more like $30,000. If I were to start up a physical business again, I would say the MINIMUM you'd need is $50,000- $100,000. Probably even more, depending on how many things you need to buy.
> 
> The amount of work you will do, with little compensation (or even promise of compensation) is mind-blowing. You need an understanding spouse that is on the same page and on the same team. 3 years into my business, I'm finally only working around 50 hours a week. It feels so EASY now. And, yes, I have two small children and another one on the way. And, yes, I am a woman so I bear the children, feed, etc. My husband is phenomenal and instrumental.
> 
> We started our business with nearly nothing but hard-headedness, stupidity, and the drive to see this through (and refusal to fail). My sales are now around $150,000/year which sounds like a lot. IT IS NOT. that's very small. I don't even know if I'll be happy until I hit $500,000 a year sales. Maybe not even then? I don't know. It's taken me three very dedicated years to hit $150,000, too. Do I think I can hit $500,000/year in sales? Yes. With a lot of luck, perserverance, and research.
> 
> Know everything there is to know about your field. then be prepared to change plans if needed. Research doesn't always equal reality (in terms of what people will buy).
> 
> I agree with the others that you need a very specific focus. Identify the gap in your area and pursue it with raw enthusiasm.


Whats your target market? What do you specialize in? What's your primary market? What products do you offer? And what area of the country are you in? I'm in the setup phase, purchasing equipment. Trying to estimate how long before I'm profitable.


----------



## smartartgraphics

PhillyApparelJoe said:


> NOT using the 'Help' desk or link offered by the Host Company I use for my website.
> 
> Being stubborn, and hate to ask for help, I wasted more time trying to figure out how to build my website, when I should have called the help desk. I can't beging to tell you how many hours I wasted.
> 
> NEVER be afraid to ask for help. Time is money. Fortunetly I found 'T-shirt Forums' and obtained priceless information by visiting it daily.


What host company did you use for your site? I'm trying to build one as we speak.


----------



## Ballyhoosp

We underestimated the amount of working capital that we would need. You really need to over estimate considerably. Especially if you have a shop or a storefront. I'm not sure that we could have been prepared for the "real" operating costs.


----------



## ryan barker

perhaps it's not a perfectly apt example, but one my area's largest screenprinter for sport apparel recently bit the big one. they were backed well financially, had a 20+ year customer base from the previous owner, seemed to conduct business in a very professional manner, had a great location... essentially it was theirs to screw up. and they did.

from what i can tell, some reasons they failed were because:

they under-priced a *lot* of their product. when you have a woman that's paid a whopping $20/hr. to assemble trophies, you can't afford to price an $8 trophy for $5. something's gotta give. their customers are typically in sticker shock mode when we give them a quote for the same stuff, but the kicker is our prices are probably some of the cheapest they'll find in town *or* online. they were just used to paying next to nothing for a product. you can actually make a profit and go out of business.

they paid too much for the business. financing $600K+ is a lot different than financing what the place was actually worth, which was closer to $400k at most.

they kept too large of a staff. too, when your sales staff is your son that would rather play on facebook all day than go out and drum up business, that's an issue.

they carried far too much inventory. the owner had a problem with passing up on a bargain. inventory control, to me, is a major deal. that's just the convenience store owner in me, i guess. 

there are a million ways to sink yourself, a relative few that leads to success. no one way is best, imo, else we and everyone else would do it.

i haven't read all the pages (yet) so i don't know if it's been mentioned, but also consider sharing retail space. one screenprinter i know shares her shop with a computer repair guy. as mentioned, not all places are too hep on home businesses (which is bs, imo, but it is what it is), though the bright side is just space to operate often is more affordable than you might think as long as you stay out of a mall. if you plan on doing mostly internet sales, it probably won't kill you not having a brick and mortar on the corner of the most heavily trafficked road in town, no? 

one thing i wish i hadn't done? have friends and family work for me. it's great at first, but too often it just winds up one giant hassle.


----------



## tee09

ryan barker said:


> as long as you stay out of a mall.


Why stay out of a mall?


----------



## dan13

wow!!glad i pass by this thread..very helpful and a lot of insights to ponder specially for beginners. thanks guys!


----------



## Tshirtgang

Make sure you have the production side of things perfected before you look into growing your company to the next level. Always make time to anaylize your competition so you know where you stand. Never under estimate your customers feedback. 

**No plan is a plan for failure.**


----------



## ryan barker

since i didn't see the entirity of my reply, i'll post what i copied of it yesterday. there was more to it.

i say stay out of a mall just to keep your overhead as low as possible when first starting out. presumably, you're making your own shirts, so it would be absolutely insane to pay mall rent to produce your shirts on-site, imo. maybe if you had a transfer system (we use magic touch with an oki printer. spacewise, that wouldn't be a problem at all, just a little room for your printer and heat press) or direct-to-garment you could do it, but otherwise it's not as if you're going to be power-washing out your screens in the backroom. obviously, malls are for retail space, not for assembly line production, lol.

as far as renting out retail space, as i mentioned you might find a 'partner' to go in with. otherwise that's a lot of shirts and hats and such to move. of course it can be done, and if you've not a problem hiring employees, it could be well worth it. a mall's big benefit as far as i'm concerned is the traffic that goes by, and that traffic is, i assume, predisposed towards shopping for garments lest most of them probably wouldn't be there. that said, i've considered the idea of a kiosk before, though i've never seriously asked around about it. 

you can sell licensed wear at your shop, too, but if you did that in a mall, why bother being a screenprinter at all? that is, you may find that the items your produce don't sell as well as the pro team apparel and might quickly figure out that it's not worth your time and retail space. on the other hand, you can have your own line of apparel and basically hope for the best. stay on top of the trends and you may do great (for example, right now in dayton, OH, where i'm at, the hot thing for urban guys is anything with scarface on it. why? who knows. but, you betcha i'd be all on that). perhaps you could be a vendor for an already established store. that's why i think it's important to consider your options, and why i feel one business formula/model doesn't necessarily suite every business owner.

since i don't rent retail space in a mall, someone that does is the one to talk to. i do know it's very expensive (i used to have some prices years and years ago, nothing current) in relation to other kinds of store fronts you could use. t-shirt exclusive shops i see tend to be these narrow, cramped little stores. i'm all about getting the most bang for my buck, so before i put money into a mall shop, which i'll never own and can't run production in, i'm going to have to be convinced up, down, left and right that it's a viable thing to do. then again, i'm always on the look-out for opportunities as opposed to your average run-of-the-mill deals i could get any day of the week. 

something else i think is important, which i'm sure has been touched on so i apologize if i'm repeating it, is deciding what kind of product you plan on producing, for whom, and by what method/s you plan on selling the stuff. for me, i'll be doing a lot of little league shirts and hats, that's where my focus will be, catering to that clientele (my wife and i own a small convenience store/trophy shop), so i'll have racks of shirts, hoodies, bleacher cushions, etc., with local mascots. one thing i'm in the process of doing is finding an embroiderer to outsource work to, because a lot of my customers are businesses. were my focus to be a vendor to a mall retail shop, that's a different gameplan. either way, i say it's good to have a little hustler in ya.  that's seasonal work, however, so in the meanwhile i'll figure out alternate ways to sell stuff.

i'm completely open to being convinced having mall space is a great idea.

i basically ended my reply asking the 500+ members how many of them had retail mall space right now. if none, i rested my case pending further input, though i re-begged to be convinced.


----------



## RoadCruising.com

FatKat Printz said:


> try it..
> 
> -domain search (not necessary your website-your domain) whois.domaintools.com
> 
> 
> -business search (State search)


Standard registration for domains will show your information, but places like godaddy.com and superpriceddomains.com have an option for private registration for about an extra 2 bucks a year. A little late if you already made that mistake though.


----------



## OTRPrinting

never turn down a job. you can research, on the forum! how to complete any job


----------



## Reboot1

Mistakes from past businesses:

- Partnering with a 'friend'
- Charging too little
- Attempting an order/job with at short deadline that you have very little skill or knowledge in
- Not saying 'no' when you know you should
- Offering too many services too soon
- Partnering with a 'friend'

Reboot


----------



## ryan barker

i took my first order yesterday. it's due monday. it's only 14 shirts, one colour, two sides, so it's nothing ridiculously complicated. my screenprinting area isn't set-up quite the way i would want it, but it's functional as of last night. fortunately i have a guy that knows his stuff, so i should be okay. 

my mistake *would* have been to so say okay to the order with never having printed a single shirt personally.


----------



## TwistedLogik

Im still making mistakes, I think its the only way you really learn. One thing I have realised though is be decisive, whatever decision, route, path or choice you make, stick to it and give it 110%. I have bounced ideas around in my head for months about which direction to take and spent hours pondering situations but its only recently I decided to follow a specific path.


----------



## nametagsky

ryan barker said:


> i took my first order yesterday. it's due monday. it's only 14 shirts, one colour, two sides, so it's nothing ridiculously complicated. my screenprinting area isn't set-up quite the way i would want it, but it's functional as of last night. fortunately i have a guy that knows his stuff, so i should be okay.
> 
> my mistake *would* have been to so say okay to the order with never having printed a single shirt personally.


Ryan, that would be big,,,,taking an order with no practice under your belt,,,good advice for others to follow.


----------



## ryan barker

thanks, name, but i know my situation is special. i already have a storefront and customers who know us from doing trophies and awards, space in the basement part of the store, got my equipment from an auction for a song and even nabbed the guy that worked there on that actual equipment (*and* he lives about two blocks away from us!). 

btw, they picked the order up and loved it. were it just me trying to figure this out on my own i'd probably have sticky emulsion all over my exposure table's glass by this point, lol.


----------



## nametagsky

ryan barker said:


> thanks, name, but i know my situation is special. i already have a storefront and customers who know us from doing trophies and awards, space in the basement part of the store, got my equipment from an auction for a song and even nabbed the guy that worked there on that actual equipment (*and* he lives about two blocks away from us!).
> 
> btw, they picked the order up and loved it. were it just me trying to figure this out on my own i'd probably have sticky emulsion all over my exposure table's glass by this point, lol.


 
LOLOL,,,,,you nailed it,,,good job,,,hope it really works out for you. But your story is a good one for this thread,,,,,


----------



## ryan barker

thanks again, name.


----------



## Thacrudd

Thank you all for your time. No matter how you cut it everyone's situation and approach is different. Your input is priceless to those who read it!


----------



## Geneva2011

In order to purchase a home you have to be bringing them money in now


----------



## pallicedax

This post is fantastic! This is most complete explanation of these new capabilities that I’ve seen yet. Thank you for this very timely explanation.
______________________
partnership marketing agencies


----------



## inkyfingers11

hendrix said:


> im interested in knowing what mistakes you have made so i can possibly avoid making them. i'd like to start a home based business but im kind of fearfull being i'd have to get my own house plus the equipment and get website up.


*In my opinion the #1 mistake is believing that the main part of a screen printing business is knowing how to screen print!*

If you are going to run a business, you have to know how to run a business. You can be the best printer in the world, and utterly fail if you don't understand how to keep clients, price, sell, and pay your taxes.

Most community colleges offer entrepreneur classes - I think that is the best place to start.


----------



## wormil

True, I've been on both ends of the spectrum. I worked for a screenprinter that was a superb printer but a horrible businessperson and he went bankrupt twice, that I know of. I worked for another guy whose standards were inconsistent and sent many crappy looking projects out the door but he made money hand over fist because he was a great businessman. Had the latter guy knew how to run a shop and been more interested in quality, I'm sure he would have one of the most successful shops in the area.


----------



## nametagsky

I want to add another issue to this thread, one I'm still confronting now, after being in business a year and a half. 

RESEARCH your area for others that do what you're wanting to do. 

I've found, and am still finding, other home operations that embroidery, transfer, screen, and buy 2nd market and resell, T shirts and other items. That' will be part of your biggest competition sometimes, as they don't care if they make $5 or .50 per item.

They don't have tax numbers, they buy from the "blanks.com" sources for their apparel, and get buy with the other items needed, and then sell it at cost or barely above, just to sell to their special groups; PTA groups, teams, church's, fund raising groups. And that's it. 

And, you usually won't find or hear of them till AFTER you've invested in your shop. These are small groups, but, they're taking possible sales from a legitimate shop like yourself. Not that it's against the law or anything, as it's the free enterprise system at work 100%, but, if YOU"RE going to invest in this type of business, you need to know what you're up against. 

One way I've found to seek them out is to ask people in general, "Hey, do you know anyone that does t shirts,,,,I need a few made?" That's when I find the folks that work mainly at home just doing smaller jobs. 

You got to know what you're up against.


----------



## nametagsky

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and another thing just hit me when I hit send. 

Check all the schools out there, as in my area, there are several school systems thinking about doing the screening and pressind and embroidery themselves, buying the equipment themselves, and making it an elective class for school, and doing their own stuff. 

Yes, it's expensive, and time consuming, but, teachers are volunteering to learn and then bring in students to learn it as well, to run the machines, learn the art programs, etc. The schools are thinking about it, and it's been discussed, but, so far, none has actually purchased yet.


----------



## inkyfingers11

Good points there Nametagsky - I operated a "Garage Shop" in that it was in my garage, but, having worked in printing my whole life, I think I was fortunate enough to see firsthand that underpricing spells hard work for nothing (and, I had a retail business license!)

While these inexperienced businesspeople can cut your throat, they die off over time. There's always a new person stepping up to mess it up for you again though. I think this is why it is important to be persistent. Don't be pushy, but keep stopping in and saying hi, dropping off a monthly sale flyer, etc. with the businesses, churches, and schools you really know you want to work for.

Don't ever criticize their current printer or their work - I used to just smile, and say "If you're happy with your current printer, don't leave them. I just like to stay in touch with the local businesses so they know I'm here if they need me." Eventually, I won over businesses even with my higher prices, because they had inconsistent results and a couple of times, their fly-by-night vendors disappeared or dropped the ball.

It stinks, but you just have to wait for some customers to realize that cheaper isn't better. You can win this fight though, because if the other way really worked, everyone would be doing it that way.


----------



## ryan barker

yeah, actually it *can* be against the law to run your own shop out of your house in some places. some run without licenses (in which case they can't wholesale) and obviously aren't paying taxes, and that's illegal any place. if you live under a fascist home owners' association, that could be an issue. and your community just may have home-based business provisions in place. best bet is to check first and do it right. cripes, a freakin' vendors license is only like $25, these guys are idiots for not getting one just to avoid the hassle. 

first, check with your zoning board. you may have to apply for a home occupation license, then go before the zoning and planning boards. you're likely to have restrictions on your signage, delivery methods (no massive semis parked out front, maybe only two UPS deliveries a week max), no walk-in traffic, you can have no employees and even may have to get a commercial water meter. worse, there may merchandise storage restrictions.

suffice to say whatever crazy restrictions you're forced to eat, it all depends on where you live. the abovementioned restrictions apply to a few cases i've read about, but those seem pretty extreme, imo. the point is, no, you legally can't just set up shop in your garage and begin working. you're likely to get away with screenprinting if all you've got is word of mouth that generates a few 'visitors' and an internet 'store,' while other businesses, like daycare, are much more regulated, and some you might as well not even think about running out of your house, like chroming. 

and, i think, their prices *can* *technically* be against the law in terms of anti-trust. that is, it could be argued that their prices are so low that their intent is to force other businesses into bankrupcty. this is one reason how wal*mart got to be so big, by undercutting the local competition until only the big boys in town had control over, say, the pharmacy racket. note that no one said anything about it, but, yeah, pricing does have some rules to it to protect businesses and consumers from undercutters and price gougers. technically. 

most of these local laws exist because of past issues. some are stupid whims of committee thinking. some are flat-out designed to aid in corruption, used, abused and ignored by the people in authority. if you ask me, all zoning boards, HOAs, and city attorneys are going straight to hell, bypassing purgatory, do not collect $200. 

cuz that's all you need is one uppity neighbour getting a whiff of your stinky screenprinting operation at tea time and buzzing johnny law, then finding out the city attorney's brother in law is supplying the city with shirts at hugely inflated prices. see how fast you get shut down then, lol. don't worry about that unlicensed brother in law, however, he'll get all the permissions he needs tomorrow morning, bet on that. 

makes me wish government corruption would fall under treason. 

anyhoo, the sole reason i'm able to do screenprinting right now is because of a guy's bad business practices. he was the largest trophy/screenprinter supplier in the area. he paid his son a lot of money to basically play on facebook all day and barely do any sales. he paid an employee who had been there from the last owner over twenty bucks an hour to assemble trophies. basically, he simply had no cost controls in a lot of areas. they eventually outsourced all of their engraving to us, but how swift is that when you have an engraving machine sitting there and paying someone way too much to put trophies together *except* doing the engraving? shoo, i could drop that person and spend half my daze in a massage parlour for what she cost me to do simple work!


----------



## mrbigjack50

Trusting a Tech. to do there job properly and trusting clients to pay bill.

Learned people typically = s**t


----------



## nametagsky

Good points "inky" and "ryan". 

Ryan, your last paragraph is hitting home in our area now, the two biggest vendors are heading down the big road of out of control costs and overhead. 

The third vendor is only open whey they want to be, and not when their customers need them. They also get most of the ball team business, but only because they sell so close to cost no one can compete with them. 

Great replies to both of you,,,


----------



## biketrial100

Before you even buy your printing equipment print small bunch of your t shirt designs somewhere else. Then take these t-shirt to your potential customers and start asking questions. Do it with as many people as you can. If you ask right questions you will learn a lot about what t-shirt people want to buy. I haven't done it and I paid high price for this lesson.


----------



## namakuide

I think you should first determine your desired market. Because, if you are wrong in determining the market for your business, you will not focus.

Start a business, and do not be afraid of anything. Good luck.


----------



## ryan barker

selling too cheap is a slow path to ruin, as your competitor will eventually find out, bike. we've siphoned off several of that business' customer and they're sometimes taken aback at how much we charge. the truth is that we're *very* competitive when it comes to our core business (trophies and awards), even beating out the online versions of trophy wal*marts. but, it's a shock to them because they're used to paying prices so low i can't understand how that business stayed afloat for as long as it did. when i explain the price difference to the customer, i always say that's why we're still in business and they're not, and that effectively ends that discussion. 

we've even had a few customers tell us we need to raise prices! and that, ironically, was something else they had always done wrong, they priced certain items waaay too much. when you price everything on boths ends of the spectrum, you're not inspiring your customers with confidence. 

good point about finding your target market. i've seen it before where a shop tries to be all things to all people, and i like to keep an eye open for any news of them going out of business. they just over-extend themselves and have no real business focus. my wife and i bought a turn key trophy shop that did more sports trophies than having a corporate awards focus, and with the screenprinting set up we recently got operational, our focus will still be on sports and local business. of course we'll take on any work that comes our way, but we do have main focus.


----------



## yesha

thanks everyone for the inputs. somehow scary reading all the bad experiences but at least i have hint on what to do.

been planning to start my own business since July of this year and am truly glad being able to find this forum...indeed a great help.

am planning to buy equipments by the end of the year..not rushing things and am still on the process of learning as much as i can before taking the plunge.


----------



## Amberdee75

Say NO to unprofitable jobs

Create RUSH fees


----------



## 65 PONTIAC

Wearhouse9 said:


> Hi There.
> 
> I started as a home based business 6 months ago and its the best decision i ever made. I design and print t-shirts to order for small and large groups and also have my own designs for sale through ebay.
> 
> I worked on and won the supply for SKY 1 Pineapple Dance Studios and STARMAN and it comes from the determination to make it work.
> 
> If your a t-shirt fan your half way there as its your passion for the designs and always having your own unique approach that will make it work and its surprising when you look how many people and groups in your local area could benefit from your services, that even before you go out looking for business.
> 
> As part of my business i offer a business start up including websites (very affordable and quick solutions) plus business print and uniforms etc so if there is anything i can help with please let me know.
> Chris


 If you cannnot mention your service how could I find out more about your ecommerce?


----------



## soCALkid

Pressure washer. Reclaiming old screens without a pressure washer is a b*tch!


----------



## BigRigGrafix

hendrix said:


> yupp my feelings exactly. plus also as a first time home buyer i would only have to put 5% down payment. and i could buy a house for about 20,000 less than what i get the mortgage for. that means i can use that money to buy equipment and get setup. where as otherwise i would just use my savings for equipment, rent, supplies and then rent would kind of go down the drain. where as the mortgage, i'll own that house on day. its something to think about i guess.


 Not only that, but using you home as a business, you can still write off a portion of your utilities (gas, electric, water, taxes, phone, cable/internet, insurance). You don't have to go far to work (so you save on gas) and get to write off your vehicle, gas, insurance and repairs. Now the down side, is if anyone wants to come to your place of business.


----------



## gapipkin

nametagsky said:


> ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and another thing just hit me when I hit send.
> 
> Check all the schools out there, as in my area, there are several school systems thinking about doing the screening and pressind and embroidery themselves, buying the equipment themselves, and making it an elective class for school, and doing their own stuff.
> 
> Yes, it's expensive, and time consuming, but, teachers are volunteering to learn and then bring in students to learn it as well, to run the machines, learn the art programs, etc. The schools are thinking about it, and it's been discussed, but, so far, none has actually purchased yet.


This is EXACTLY what I do. I started in the industry because I teach graphic design. Now I've started my business and I'm thinking about a storefront but we do the shirts for a lot of the clubs and classes in the area. Our prices are really low because its students doing the work. We focus on small orders 12-50 shirts, and do just about everything except burn our own screens. I see this as being the biggest competition to my personal business, but I'm making contacts that should help me in the future once I set up my own shop. 

One of the largest hurdles i'm finding out is that as a small startup shop, people don't care about my size as much as they do about price. I get inquires all day long from people expecting $3 tees. They ask for 10-12 shirts at $3 each. They also want vnecks and other items at that cost, not just gildan tees. 

Awesome thread by the way.


----------



## soCALkid

gapipkin said:


> This is EXACTLY what I do. I started in the industry because I teach graphic design. Now I've started my business and I'm thinking about a storefront but we do the shirts for a lot of the clubs and classes in the area. Are prices are really low because its students doing the work. We focus on small orders 12-50 shirts, and do just about everything except burn our own screens. I see this as being the biggest competition to my personal business, but I'm making contacts that should help me in the future once I set up my own shop.
> 
> One of the largest hurdles i'm finding out is that as a small startup shop, people don't care about my size as much as they do about price. I get inquires all day long from people expecting $3 tees. They ask for 10-12 shirts at $3 each. They also want vnecks and other items at that cost, not just gildan tees.
> 
> Awesome thread by the way.


This is very cool, what's the name of your company? I have contracts with quite a few cities and schools in southern california so I do a lot of school t-shirts. I hope that they don't implement this in every school because I'd be outta business! lol


----------



## gapipkin

soCALkid said:


> This is very cool, what's the name of your company? I have contracts with quite a few cities and schools in southern california so I do a lot of school t-shirts. I hope that they don't implement this in every school because I'd be outta business! lol


 
I started Suburban Tees and Sports. www.suburbantees.com


----------



## Dtag1971

For me it was basically giving the stuff away. Do your homework on how to price the items you will be selling. And thats no easy task because you talk to 10 different people about this subject and more than likely you will get 10 different answers!!


----------



## joshpogi123

Thank God I landed in this forum and in this specific topic!

I just dodged about 50% of all problems that I would have to encounter if I hadn't read this thread. All your posts make perfect sense. I know that I'm still going to encounter my own set of trials and mishaps but reading all of your messages inspired me to push through and to never give up. You guys reaffirmed me that I can do this and that I am not alone.

Thank you.


----------



## 65 PONTIAC

Dtag1971 said:


> For me it was basically giving the stuff away. Do your homework on how to price the items you will be selling. And thats no easy task because you talk to 10 different people about this subject and more than likely you will get 10 different answers!!


No easy task is right. And the homework is never ending...as it should be.


----------



## Alan Buffington

In the beginning your sales and fulfillment skills to me are #1. Without sales followed by on time delivery your business is a hobby or will become one quickly. I agree completely with focusing on a segment of the business in the beginning, yet if I had done that I would still be printing for surf shops and would never have gotten into juniors fashion printing, like the Pawn Stars show 'you never know who will walk through your door'.


----------



## 65 PONTIAC

Alan Buffington said:


> In the beginning your sales and fulfillment skills to me are #1. Without sales followed by on time delivery your business is a hobby or will become one quickly. I agree completely with focusing on a segment of the business in the beginning, yet if I had done that I would still be printing for surf shops and would never have gotten into juniors fashion printing, like the Pawn Stars show 'you never know who will walk through your door'.


hey, Alan. Just what is "juniors fashion printing" and how DID you get into it?


----------



## Alan Buffington

Juniors refers to girls clothing in sizes 7-14 that are not t-shirts but cut and sew. Basically your typical teenager that also covers a lot of college age girls. They spend more than anyone in the industry. 

We got into it through perseverance of the major dept stores. It took years of growth in contract screen printing, mastering waterbase and discharge helped since juniors is not plastisol friendly. Today most of this production is done offshore, that doesn't mean you can't participate but you will be selling to smaller chains or higher end chains. The Walmart biz is only for major capital players no matter how good your line is. Typically apparel companies with cut and sew capabilities have an edge, our company eventually sold our print equipment and sourced out the print. New York and LA are the main hubs of apparel in the US. Go to the merchandise marts for apparel if you want to print for them, or if you have the bucks hire a rep who lives in these offices. They are both a salesperson as well as merchandisers who have the ears of the buyers and know what the trends are and what is selling. They only take you on if they know your product is hot. Be prepared to ship Fed Ex boxes regularly and sample like a mad man and be happy to sell 1 out of 10 designs, (the rest can be recycled to lower retailers and can still be viable downline.) It pays to have a steady business and realize this a roll of the dice. You can have huge sales one year and suddenly they don't like you the next so your design sense has to be way ahead of the game, plus to keep any name brand line going takes advertising, trade show appearances and promotional work.

Alan Buffington
Murakami Screen USA


----------



## 65 PONTIAC

Alan Buffington said:


> Juniors refers to girls clothing in sizes 7-14 that are not t-shirts but cut and sew. Basically your typical teenager that also covers a lot of college age girls. They spend more than anyone in the industry.
> 
> We got into it through perseverance of the major dept stores. It took years of growth in contract screen printing, mastering waterbase and discharge helped since juniors is not plastisol friendly. Today most of this production is done offshore, that doesn't mean you can't participate but you will be selling to smaller chains or higher end chains. The Walmart biz is only for major capital players no matter how good your line is. Typically apparel companies with cut and sew capabilities have an edge, our company eventually sold our print equipment and sourced out the print. New York and LA are the main hubs of apparel in the US. Go to the merchandise marts for apparel if you want to print for them, or if you have the bucks hire a rep who lives in these offices. They are both a salesperson as well as merchandisers who have the ears of the buyers and know what the trends are and what is selling. They only take you on if they know your product is hot. Be prepared to ship Fed Ex boxes regularly and sample like a mad man and be happy to sell 1 out of 10 designs, (the rest can be recycled to lower retailers and can still be viable downline.) It pays to have a steady business and realize this a roll of the dice. You can have huge sales one year and suddenly they don't like you the next so your design sense has to be way ahead of the game, plus to keep any name brand line going takes advertising, trade show appearances and promotional work.
> 
> Alan Buffington
> Murakami Screen USA


Thanks, Alan. That's what I thought you meant. I'm going about this sideways in that I'm a sales rep developing my own wholesale/retail graphic tees but too a much older market, men and women 25-55. While there is money there, I'm not absolutely sure of the interest level in this age group for a $26-$30 graphic tee with the exception of better contemporary and denim based stores. Although Lucky Brand still sells at Nordstrom as does the brand Red Jacket, which is primarily licensed MLB, NFL and NBA, I'm gambling a bit as too whether this niche customer would still buy a tee for more than $10-$15?


----------



## ryan barker

not that it means much, 65, but i like $22 a lot better.  i'm 42, i generally wear just boring old t-shirts, but i like having a couple of nice ones, and i know the ones i like are at the moment are at that price.


----------



## Alan Buffington

Price for 'fashion' whether it is men's or women's commands a price. Affliction, a promoter of UFC fights and MMA commands almost a hundred dollars per t-shirt. However that shirt has custom size specs, special yarns, a great lay flat knit, has been dyed, possilby hand treated, enzyme wash, print, a silicone wash, distressed, and just about any treatment possible to make stellar artwork have that subtle worn effect and soft, soft feel.


----------



## 65 PONTIAC

ryan barker said:


> not that it means much, 65, but i like $22 a lot better.  i'm 42, i generally wear just boring old t-shirts, but i like having a couple of nice ones, and i know the ones i like are at the moment are at that price.


I hear you, Ryan. I have a tough time forkin over $30 for a tee no matter how cool it is. And knowing the older I get, The less I care worries me a little. BUT, on the other hand, some folks still have a need to sport a cool tee no matter how old they are. Sometimes its the only thing that screams out, "I may be an old dude, but I'm a happenin old dude."


----------



## 65 PONTIAC

Alan Buffington said:


> Price for 'fashion' whether it is men's or women's commands a price. Affliction, a promoter of UFC fights and MMA commands almost a hundred dollars per t-shirt. However that shirt has custom size specs, special yarns, a great lay flat knit, has been dyed, possilby hand treated, enzyme wash, print, a silicone wash, distressed, and just about any treatment possible to make stellar artwork have that subtle worn effect and soft, soft feel.


True, Alan. After 5+ years of being in the marketplace, and having a huge impact in the t-shirt fashion pantheon, Affliction has found yet another market to eek out a few more years of life. And more power to them. But I think there is still much merit to finding a comfortable (whether you like 'em loose or snug) tee with a great hand and a "cool" graphic at an affordable price that speaks value without compromise. Sometimes I think people have forgotten what it's like to discover something that, in their mind, was just too cool to pass up and then to find out, wow,and I can afford this, I could even buy two!


----------



## Alan Buffington

I have a lucky job. I get to see many shops all year long and it is quite amazing the creativity and enthusiasm that exists in this industry. No matter where I go in the US, Central America or the UK I come across people who create incredible art. I just had to have a 1 color Jimi Hendrix shirt of one of his show posters on a recent trip, sometimes great art doesn't need all the bells and whistles and just becomes as you point out, just too cool to pass up. A t-shirt is perhaps the only media where you can create fashion from a 3 pack of blank t-shirts printed in your garage and go on to become a major source of clothing to the world. My business started with air dry inks printing on a 3 color DYI wooden flip flop in my back yard. Four years later we owned multiple automatic presses and printed for Disney and other major retailers thanks to a great artist who could draw better than Walt himself and a garmento salesman who knew the marketing end well. If I have learned anything it is that art drives our business and a lot of you out there have ideas that will take you far. In tough times like these a t-shirt is the most economical form of fashion trend for a do it yourselfer or a major print company.


----------



## 65 PONTIAC

Alan Buffington said:


> I have a lucky job. I get to see many shops all year long and it is quite amazing the creativity and enthusiasm that exists in this industry. No matter where I go in the US, Central America or the UK I come across people who create incredible art. I just had to have a 1 color Jimi Hendrix shirt of one of his show posters on a recent trip, sometimes great art doesn't need all the bells and whistles and just becomes as you point out, just too cool to pass up. A t-shirt is perhaps the only media where you can create fashion from a 3 pack of blank t-shirts printed in your garage and go on to become a major source of clothing to the world. My business started with air dry inks printing on a 3 color DYI wooden flip flop in my back yard. Four years later we owned multiple automatic presses and printed for Disney and other major retailers thanks to a great artist who could draw better than Walt himself and a garmento salesman who knew the marketing end well. If I have learned anything it is that art drives our business and a lot of you out there have ideas that will take you far. In tough times like these a t-shirt is the most economical form of fashion trend for a do it yourselfer or a major print company.


Well said, Alan.


----------



## ArmandoG

Trust but Verify everything.


----------



## 321go

im still very very new to t shirt printing, im actually not in production yet thanks to quite a few stupid mistakes that iv made over the past 3 months. My first mistake, not discovering all routes before choosing one. I decided to go with inkjet transfers, bought a 19x24 inch heat press, even though i dont need one anywhere near that big, I bought JPSS sofstretch paper, decided i didnt like the quality on the first print, so gave up on it and worked overtime as a chef for 3 months to pay for a load of screen printing equipment as i thought that would be the best route. I finaly got everything i needed for screen printing at the beginning of last week, built myself a one colour press, done the whole exposure process and drying and whatnot, and realised that the whole process takes far too long for short runs. I thought i had researched thoroughly, but obviousley i hadnt, so the screen printing equipment is now on ebay with a low reserve. Iv now discovered dye sublimation, i read a little about it before but for some reason was put off by it. Right now i am sooo pissed off at myself for working all those hours when all i needed was about £350 to start dye sub printing. Today i bought the epson A3 b1100, and ciss and ink will be ordered next week. 
My other mistakes are ordering boxes and boxes of T Shirts without ordering samles first. I bought a box of gildan heavy cotton T's and after washing at 30 degrees C they shrink and feel very rough. 
I Also set up my website far too early, Iv been paying £25 a month for my site for the last 4 or 5 months, and its just sitting there gathering virtual dust, waiting to be submitted to google when i can finaly start production. The £200 i would have saved would be very much appreciated right now. 

Im glad iv made these mistakes early on though, I know that from now on ill be much more careful, and plan in alot more detail. Even though iv not sold one T Shirt yet, I know that my determination to succeed in this business will eventually lead me to success. even if it takes me years of working all night while im still sweating my little bollox off in the kitchens on barely above minimum wage in the daytime.

Dan


----------



## LEVELMAN1

HANG IN THERE DAN, daylight's not too far off!!


----------



## 321go

LEVELMAN1 said:


> HANG IN THERE DAN, daylight's not too far off!!


Thanks man! its good to have the support, its encouraging.

I do have to add, people will always shun your dreams and ideas, tell you it wont work and you cant do it, you gotta ingore those ****ers, and carry on. Even my own family told me it was a silly idea and to stick to being an underpaid chef, but thankfully my girlfriend has been behind me every step of the way and is very supportive and encouraging, even if i did cancel the direct debits to the TV licence, phone company, water supplier, even the gas supplier so we now have a pre pay card meter with a weekly debt on it.. all to pay for this start up. haha
You gotta believe in yourself.


----------



## LEVELMAN1

I believe in the end results. I have changed my plans since conception, with the same outcome in mind. Everyone I talk to about this acts like I've lost my mind, or I get that, "times must be really tough" look. I have to admit, I've come up with some hair-brained ideas before, but my wife actually likes this idea of printing and selling shirts!!! 
I too have spent money I really couldn't afford. But if it's not worth a little sacrificing, it's not worth having, right?


----------



## 321go

Yeah, my previous attempts at business have not gone down too well with the missus.. the best one being buying crap loads of dvd's, ipad cases and books from the 99p store, and trying to sell them on ebay at a profit, not realising that with a basic account i could only sell 10 items per month! of course, when postage is added, I never made a profit, i made one sale i believe and i lost 5p due to the postage costs, then ebay suspended my account due to "suspicious activity" and i could not provide them with the proof of adress and whatnot that they were asking for (id just moved into my girlfriends house and had no bills in my name). So still to this day 2 drawers of her precious clothes chest are full to the brim with unsellable crap ahaha. 
And then there was the time i bought 100 iphone cases from china and couldnt sell those iether, and had to travel on the train for an hour and a half with the box to sell them at a £25 loss to a kid that funnily enough makes a good living from selling iphone cases! Thank GOD iv finaly found my calling with t shirts. I always wanted to do it but didnt know how. now i do


----------



## LEVELMAN1

It's a good thing you don't live around here, if we had ever gotten together, both of our families would be broke, hahahahaha


----------



## 321go

LEVELMAN1 said:


> It's a good thing you don't live around here, if we had ever gotten together, both of our families would be broke, hahahahaha


Lmao Partners in crime. Or partners in poverty ahaha


----------



## SoapBoyFresh

“If you work just for money, you’ll never make it, but if you love what you’re doing and you always put the customer first, success will be yours.” – Ray Kroc, Entrepreneur”

@Dan Keep going and don't give up..
And find a new web hosting company $25 a month is to much I use bluehost $70 a year and Big Cartel cart $10 a month. (thanks to everyone on this forum for the above info).


----------



## LEVELMAN1

Thanks for the web info, I'll have to check that out. Frontier is suppose to be working on one for me, but I've not heard from them since friday. Don't know what that is suppose to run. Looked at Vistaprint, they have a deal, but it would end up being over $28 a month.


----------



## 321go

SoapBoyFresh said:


> “And find a new web hosting company $25 a month is to much I use bluehost $70 a year and Big Cartel cart $10 a month. (thanks to everyone on this forum for the above info).


I use EKM powershop, i chose that because it has good templates and built in shopping carts, im not very computer minded, i know nothing about html or css codes, so i chose them for the ease of use. But i will certainly give those two a look, any pennys saved will be great in these hard times. thanks


----------



## 65 PONTIAC

321go said:


> im still very very new to t shirt printing, im actually not in production yet thanks to quite a few stupid mistakes that iv made over the past 3 months. My first mistake, not discovering all routes before choosing one. I decided to go with inkjet transfers, bought a 19x24 inch heat press, even though i dont need one anywhere near that big, I bought JPSS sofstretch paper, decided i didnt like the quality on the first print, so gave up on it and worked overtime as a chef for 3 months to pay for a load of screen printing equipment as i thought that would be the best route. I finaly got everything i needed for screen printing at the beginning of last week, built myself a one colour press, done the whole exposure process and drying and whatnot, and realised that the whole process takes far too long for short runs. I thought i had researched thoroughly, but obviousley i hadnt, so the screen printing equipment is now on ebay with a low reserve. Iv now discovered dye sublimation, i read a little about it before but for some reason was put off by it. Right now i am sooo pissed off at myself for working all those hours when all i needed was about £350 to start dye sub printing. Today i bought the epson A3 b1100, and ciss and ink will be ordered next week.
> My other mistakes are ordering boxes and boxes of T Shirts without ordering samles first. I bought a box of gildan heavy cotton T's and after washing at 30 degrees C they shrink and feel very rough.
> I Also set up my website far too early, Iv been paying £25 a month for my site for the last 4 or 5 months, and its just sitting there gathering virtual dust, waiting to be submitted to google when i can finaly start production. The £200 i would have saved would be very much appreciated right now.
> 
> Im glad iv made these mistakes early on though, I know that from now on ill be much more careful, and plan in alot more detail. Even though iv not sold one T Shirt yet, I know that my determination to succeed in this business will eventually lead me to success. even if it takes me years of working all night while im still sweating my little bollox off in the kitchens on barely above minimum wage in the daytime.
> 
> Dan


I give ya high marks, Dan, just for hangin in there. Not everybody would persevere at this point. I always dig a good Nobody's Gonna Stop Me story. So, at the end of the day, maybe you should give your bollox credit.


----------



## BigRigGrafix

321go said:


> Yeah, my previous attempts at business have not gone down too well with the missus.. the best one being buying crap loads of dvd's, ipad cases and books from the 99p store, and trying to sell them on ebay at a profit, not realising that with a basic account i could only sell 10 items per month! of course, when postage is added, I never made a profit, i made one sale i believe and i lost 5p due to the postage costs, then ebay suspended my account due to "suspicious activity" and i could not provide them with the proof of adress and whatnot that they were asking for (id just moved into my girlfriends house and had no bills in my name). So still to this day 2 drawers of her precious clothes chest are full to the brim with unsellable crap ahaha.
> And then there was the time i bought 100 iphone cases from china and couldnt sell those iether, and had to travel on the train for an hour and a half with the box to sell them at a £25 loss to a kid that funnily enough makes a good living from selling iphone cases! Thank GOD iv finaly found my calling with t shirts. I always wanted to do it but didnt know how. now i do


Buddy, I have been there...and done that. A-LOT of us have! The best advice I can give you is research, research, research. If you are persistent and do NOT quit, you can make money buying and selling. Like anything, if you do it more and more, you will get it mastered and make money but if you listen to those doubting Sarra's (IE: your missus), who would rather you take her to dinner and a movie than "waste your money on a foolish venture", you will never get the edge to succeed.


----------



## Saul Joy

Getting a space that was too large for our needs


----------



## Saul Joy

Not being organized from the beginning was my biggest mistake, cost me a lot of money and grief


----------



## Accurate

Not being clear on staff and employee areas of reasonsability!


----------



## ryan barker

the mistake i'm making right now is not marketing the fact my established business now does screenprinting, but i simply don't have the money as i'm in the midst of paying my house off. 

we all must have priorities, even if we have to put one on the back burner for the nonce....


----------



## ashly228

ldelzer said:


> Anything to do with money, reserves, cash flow. Most people start out with not enough money. They flat out don't understand how much cash it takes (and, no, there are not free grants that are going to give you money to start your business). If you think you need $10,000, you probably need more like $30,000. If I were to start up a physical business again, I would say the MINIMUM you'd need is $50,000- $100,000. Probably even more, depending on how many things you need to buy.
> 
> The amount of work you will do, with little compensation (or even promise of compensation) is mind-blowing. You need an understanding spouse that is on the same page and on the same team. 3 years into my business, I'm finally only working around 50 hours a week. It feels so EASY now. And, yes, I have two small children and another one on the way. And, yes, I am a woman so I bear the children, feed, etc. My husband is phenomenal and instrumental.
> 
> We started our business with nearly nothing but hard-headedness, stupidity, and the drive to see this through (and refusal to fail). My sales are now around $150,000/year which sounds like a lot. IT IS NOT. that's very small. I don't even know if I'll be happy until I hit $500,000 a year sales. Maybe not even then? I don't know. It's taken me three very dedicated years to hit $150,000, too. Do I think I can hit $500,000/year in sales? Yes. With a lot of luck, perserverance, and research.
> 
> Know everything there is to know about your field. then be prepared to change plans if needed.  Research doesn't always equal reality (in terms of what people will buy).
> 
> I agree with the others that you need a very specific focus. Identify the gap in your area and pursue it with raw enthusiasm.




I cannot agree with everything you say. the money you talk about is a bit silly, and all you are going to do is put people off. i mean, come on...50k-100k to start off? stop dreaming. 99% of people starting business will not have this cash flow. so silly


----------



## nametagsky

IMO, some of the info Idelzer refers to is realistic. 

Everyone understimates the money needed to start, and move forward with your new business. The amount could be changed, depending on your scope with regard to a home operation vs. a storefront. And employees vs. no employees. 

I'd like to know the % of the $150k is profit. 

To go from $150k to $500k is nice, but, it would seem to involve more brick and equipment investment, as well as true 100% dedicated employees. 

I think all of our mistakes we made starting out, is that WE know what others didn't, and in reality, we knew less, or nothing. 

I'm 2 years in,,and we're ahead of our business plan. But in our geographic region, there's 10+ others doing what we do, and has been doing it longer. 

From reading posts on this site in "general T shirt selling" , we're all looking for the next "smiley face" T shirt, or "Where's the Beef" logo, but, those success stories are rare. 

The biggest single comment I hear from folks getting into screening, embroidery (as we did), and related areas, was "I can sell to the schools". Those days are gone,,,,taken up by the dozens of US that thought that, and the internet mega houses that cater to them with more resources. 

My advice now, in retrospect, is think about your target customers, and DO NOT include any schools or school groups in the mix. Then see how it pans out. 

Schools in our area, have bought screening set ups themselves, and are making their own shirts. They've even hired part time staff to run them.

They've bought embroidery machines too, and the only thing holding them back in that area is training and available work time. Kids won't dedicate the time it takes to do embroidery orders. And teachers don't have the time to offer as well. They didn't know some designs takes as much as 20 minutes or more per garment,,,,,that's only 3 per hour. 

They've bought heat presses, but again,,,they're having problems with workers time, and keeping their equipment up to snuff. 

I compare T shirts and such for quick business success today, with, in our area, stump grinders of 20 years ago. One person found they could make decent money grinding tree stumps from people's yards, and charging by the inch of the size of the trunk, to make money. Many seen this, and in a short time, you had 50 stump grinders working in our area,,,,,changing from "by the inch" to "by the job". They ran each other out of business, and now,,,,,,there's no one left. Even the originals went out,,,,as they lost their income base to pay for their equipment. ( I hope my point came across with that,,,,if not,,,sorry!)

Still, do not try a venture out of fearing to fail, just plan well, and watch your debt,,,,. 

We don't regret our decision, it'll just take longer than we thought to do what we wanted it to do for us.


----------



## amandahansen

lol, hope not like that


----------



## 321go

you dont need $50 000 to start a business, thats utter bull****. I started my clothing label with less than £1000 ($1500) and alot of that was wasted, so i could have done it with just £700. 
Heat press-£250
JPSS papers- £50
White T Shirts, 10 of each size- £100
large printer-£100
ink system-£50
labels,packaging and finishing-£30
monthly website fees-£25


----------



## BigRigGrafix

ryan barker said:


> the mistake i'm making right now is not marketing the fact my established business now does screenprinting, but i simply don't have the money as i'm in the midst of paying my house off.
> 
> we all must have priorities, even if we have to put one on the back burner for the nonce....


 If this was Facebook, I'd "LIKE" that comment. Only if everyone set their priorities and stood by them.


----------



## ryan barker

thanks, dru.

regarding doing schools, you can go for them, though that's a real tough gig. i would see if any area trophy shops need screenprinting services. if you're industrious enough, and willing to take a little less, you may be able to work out doing some outsourcing of little leagues and such even if they do screenprinting. 

another problem i had was i didn't think big enough.


----------



## wormil

nametagsky said:


> My advice now, in retrospect, is think about your target customers, and DO NOT include any schools or school groups in the mix. Then see how it pans out.


Schools generally want very, very, low prices and that's if you can get in there. Most of those jobs either go to someone who knows someone or are bid out and won at prices few starting up can afford. General govt jobs are even worse and often full of corruption. So many of those jobs involve kickbacks it's ridiculous. We tried bidding on local govt printing when I was running a multi-million dollar/yr shop and most all of them were awarded to bids higher than mine to out of state firms even though they had a policy of in-state businesses getting preference. There is no way that should happen without something hinky behind the scenes.


----------



## danarkett

adding a comfy couch and tv in my printing (hobby) room.


----------



## 321go

danarkett said:


> adding a comfy couch and tv in my printing (hobby) room.


hahaha Iv got a frikkin GYM in mine! ahah


----------



## amandahansen

lol, sounds really cool


----------



## LEVELMAN1

Two months in, and I have realized SOME of my mistakes already. Mostly not thinking and planning EVERYTHING through. My original plan was to spend about $500 on shirts and printing my designs and selling them at gun shows. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, I got up with a few of the people that put the shows on and got approved to sell at their shows. (only because of the type of shirts and designs) then I found out that getting my local screen shop to do the work would be too expensive for what I had in mind, so then I figured I could just do stock transfers to start with, So I ordered all the equip, shirts, transfers, etc. (add another $750), I get the transfers and find out half of them won't stick. (BTW, thanks to ALL the people trying to help me in this part especially Rick and Wormill you guys are great) So I decide to go ahead and buy a printer, some JPSS and try it that way, (looking good, again) Then I try to get in on the gunshows only to find out the ones I wanted to get into close by are booked up and the local flea mkt is closed for the winter. Traveling a long distance to sell is not cost effective so I get a web site, advertise my web on Craigslist and Facebook, got over 450 hits but, I have not sold a shirt yet. Discouraged, NOT A BIT. Got my first order for some work shirts from a roofer that I use to do my roofs in my construction bus. and got accepted to do a couple of gun shows in Jan and Feb. And a "promise" of my truss company buying their next ones from me. Back on my original plan but with delays and quadruple the start up capital.
Woooo Hooooo!!!! Patience is a virtue. You got to keep on trucking and adapt.


----------



## MarStephenson761

Hi Mark,

You're really doing a service other people starting out by laying out your trials and successes here!

I have the advantage of having dozens of successful entrepreneurs in the business stop into my office to pick supplies and talk to new machine owners from our Coldesi sister company coming in for training. The ones that are most successful seem to be to the ones that either have found a niche they love..gun shows is actually one good example..and have either strong ties in that community or the willingness to get out and meet or call people. 

Sometimes it's less about the product you sell than the fact that you SELL it.


----------



## ryan barker

this happened once for our trophy business, but it's appropriate, i think: lady comes in and asks for a 'donation' of trophies for a small tournament with the promise that we'll be listed as a sponsor on their advertising (big deal even if they did it), with the added incentive of 'next year we'll get our trophies from you guys.' yeah, right. 

don't work for 'free' sponsorships or the promise of future work.


----------



## Alan Buffington

In today's difficult lending environment, cash is king. Deposits from customers is a necessity today. However repeat customer's often will look elsewhere if pushed for deposits all the time. Building cash reserves is crucial to retain credit worthy customers who will bolt when pressured for deposits. Being creative with your credit cards and paying the balances immediately when your solid customers pay you helps. Zeroing out cards every month gives you a small credit line that can grow with quick payments. Taking on large customers however requires terms, 30,60,90 that can often render you insolvent with no maneuvering room. Being able to offer terms can bring in some solid large orders on credit worthy accounts, however it only takes one non payment and you can wind up scrambling for months to get back on your feet. A rule of thumb that prevents this is to always have 1.5 to 2x cash reserves in the bank above your receivables. That way if a large credit customer winds up paying late, or worse not at all, you can still operate. Too often companies grow too quickly and think that a large customer with great credit is not going to stiff you. Trust me, you must be more cautious of taking on large credit customers like a dept store or name brand clothing line than a small customer, they have lots of staff to make your life miserable with charge backs, slow pay, and any number of stall tactics to not pay you while you may find you can't meet payroll due to their tactics. Always ask yourself when giving credit: What is the worse that can happen? Assume it will and have reserves to meet those days. When they pay it is golden and you will grow, when they don't pay it is too late to look for loans from your bank, friends (soon to be enemies) or a white knight to save you.


----------



## gerryppg

This was posted elsewhere but thought it fit here as well.

Hope this helps some people just starting out.

Like I tell the people that take our 1 day crash course on screen printing - "Do not rush out and buy anything!" You need to educate yourself about this business and you need to ask yourself where you want to be in 2-3-4-5 years. Trust me if you only look to distributors and manaufacturers for advice you are selling yourself and your pocketbook short. Find a mentor that has been in the business and has made the mistakes of a start up screen printer.

My mistakes are as follows although this is not all inclusive!

1) Bought the $999 starter kit from Ryonet and used it for about a month and realized there is no way this will support my family.
2) "Upgraded" to what I thought was commercial printing equipment again from Ryonet. Riley Hopkins 6/4 Win series press with "joystick" registration. Realized after moving this press a few times that things never go back together just right and just gave a frustrating printing experience.
3) Bought an 18" "little buddy" dryer. Great if all you want to produce is 50 shirts an hour. "Upgraded" to a 24" belt and really not that much better. Buy twice as big as u think.
4) Moved into a 900 sq ft warehouse/office. Should have moved into one at least twice that size! Also not enough electrical capacity and no gas lines.
5) Bought a used 96 Workhorse Javelin 6/8 Automatic. Best money I ever spent but the combination of #3 and #4 really limits the production capacity to about 150 shirts an hour.
6) Bought a barely used Ingersol Rand 5hp air compressor to run the automatic which is great but it has to be indoors and is loud as hell. Should buy a rotary screw compressor if the compressor has to be inside a small space.
7) Should have bought retensionable frames from the get go.
8- Should have bought a single point light source exposure unit from the get go.
9) Should have bought a quality vinyl cutter from the get go.
10) Should have bought a quality heat press from the get go.

So please if you are new to the business do not rush out and buy things just because a distributor or manufacturer tell you thats what you need. If I had to do it all over again I would have the best equipment from the start and not have such a frustrating experience dealing with equipment that just cant handle the business. So first thing is to figure where you want to be in this business and then look for a mentor to guide you not a distributor or manufacturer. Research, research, research and when you think you have it figured out go ahead and do more research!


----------



## headfirst

SoapBoyFresh said:


> And find a new web hosting company $25 a month is to much I use bluehost $70 a year and Big Cartel cart $10 a month. (thanks to everyone on this forum for the above info).


Only if you don't have many visitors.


----------



## KabirC

headfirst said:


> Only if you don't have many visitors.


That is BS. I have sites that get well over 1000 visitors a day and I pay $6 a month for reseller hosting (it was a deal), that should be at most $15 a month for RESELLER hosting which most people don't need unless they are running another business that requires as I am. There is no way you should be spending more than that a month unless you are getting in the tens of thousands of visitors a day.


----------



## headfirst

KabirC said:


> That is BS. I have sites that get well over 1000 visitors a day and I pay $6 a month for reseller hosting


$6 reseller hosting? You get what you pay for. I wouldn't use it. Do they have an SLA? what do they do for you if the server goes down? Is their liability limited to $6?

Do they do nightly backups, malware scanning, cache your content through a CDN?

What do you get for $6


----------



## KabirC

headfirst said:


> $6 reseller hosting? You get what you pay for. I wouldn't use it. Do they have an SLA? what do they do for you if the server goes down? Is their liability limited to $6?
> 
> Do they do nightly backups, malware scanning, cache your content through a CDN?
> 
> What do you get for $6


It was a deal down from $15 for the holidays, they do have an SLA. They always send out an email and will prepare me in the even their server needs to go down for maintenence. In general over the 720 hours in a month, they are down for 30 minutes at the max. They back up every server every single day. They have a virus scanner that goes through all the servers. Never bothered to check if they cache content because it really isn't needed. 


Standard Features
Unlimited Domains
Unlimited Subdomains
Unlimited MySQL Databases
Unlimited Email
100Mbsp Uplink
Multiple Backbone Connections
cPanel & WHM

Technical Features
PHP 5.2
Curl
Perl / CGI
SSH (aka Shell Access)
SSL
Ruby on Rails
White Label Hosting

Support & Convenience
24 / 7 Support
99.9% Uptime
cPanel w/Fantastico
WHM Reseller
White Label Hosting
End User Support


Their basics and this is the package:
25GB storage and 250GB of bandwidth a month.


----------



## Alan Buffington

Gerry's point is crucial if you want to make a living. Too many products fall into a 'craft' business that borders on hobby quality. These are entry level machines that can hold a screen and allow you to make a print. Commercial quality printing that you can charge for requires commercial grade equipment. Walk through any dept store and the majority of prints are done on higher end automatics designed for decades of production. For local business, corporate and school printing it pays to invest in a 6 color rotary load press with large precision bearings to hold register, adjust for off contact, micro registration to tweak the print into register, all pallets leveled to one another and all heads leveled. Ovens, exposure units, flashes should be bought with growth in mind. 5k lamps, 48"x6 or 10 foot gas ovens, 24" exposure units, Newmans or high quality stretch and glue frames with quality mesh that holds tension are wise upfront investments. Selling off hobby presses and equipment is often pennies on the dollar that could have been saved by buying commercial equipment up front. There is a niche for the start up equipment, but as you have found out 'hobby' equipment will not make you a living.


----------



## ElratonPrinter

My greatest mistakes were:

Never made a real study the marker. I assumed I was ready to do just about anything up to what my equipment allowed me to do. Actually I was learning (practicing) as I was doing customers orders, namely, I started too early, but worked out as I was going along. 

Even though I opened a website, it was very under developed. Websites are very time consuming, and I got fatigued after a couple of hours a day, and left it half built.

Even though I was getting calls every day when most, I failed to make at least one of those calls one sale a day, I think due to the lack of preparation I had with my price lists and other stuffs. I didn't sound like someone who knows their business well sometimes.

Even though my business was home based and nothing really registered, and I had a lot of room for making money, I never saw the real profit cause my accounting was awful, I never kept track of my expenses and what profit was on sales. My personal finances got mixed with the business'.

Didn't compare many tshirt suppliers, so I guess right there was a big waste of money.

I had a lot of happy customers, but didn't manage my business the right way, it was more a hobby where I could make some cash, than a business itself. I finally had to stop for personal reasons, but I'm doing my homework to start off on the right track, and follow a plan that like most, is not written on stone and will have to be modifying, tweaking and changing as I see what works and what doesn't.

And a good advice I have seen in this thread quite a few times, don't partner with someone (friends, relatives) who along the way is going to get discouraged cause the business is not the gold mine they thought it was going to be, some friendships end that way. Have some friends who know that I got this business going and hear me talking about sales and numbers and want to participate, but know nothing about what it takes to print a t-shirt, my answer to all of them is the same, sorry right now I don't need any help. It's better to say no before, than having to say no after. I'm not too good with words as to explaining my thoughts and feeling in a technical and somewhat educated manner, but I hope what I wrote here has made some sense. Thanks.


----------



## steelbathgraphix

most of the time when someone registers a domain in their name, their information is searchable on the internet. if you type in steelbathclothing.com into a search engine, you'll get my name, address, and phone number. one of the links is the actual domain registration company, and it tells you everything about me, when I purchased the domain, what company I purchased it from, my address, etc. i complained to the website, but they said its public information, tough.


----------



## ryan barker

welcome to the age of no privacy, charles.


----------



## steelbathgraphix

hendrix said:


> well since im planning a home business to sell online. would customers be cautious or afraid to buy from me? im people sell on eBay dont they. plus i plan on working nights at my current job while i persue this. even tho i dont have a lot of cash saved up i think the fact that im keeping my job and my overhead low, i should be ok.


I have an Ebay store selling my shirts. Ebay is good because they create a trusted and safe environment that people feel comfortable buying/selling. BUT they eat away your profits. Listing fee, final value fee, (new) shipping percentage fee, monthly store fee and paypal fee. I sell my shirts for $16.00 plus $3.50 shipping, and with Ebay knawing at you at every turn I make about $8, instead of about $12 if I were to have sold it on my own website.
The major thing that Ebay has done bad in the recent years is their exposure tiers. 5-6 years ago you could put anything on ebay and get 300-400 views of your listing, now they tier everything based on your profitability and popularity. My one shirt gets hundreds of hits a week, and I sell about 9 a week. I have other shirts that I've had listed for 2 months straight and got 11 views total. And its not like the shirt that gets no hits isn't a popular item, it has the words "skull" "guitar" "metal" "shirt" "rock" in the title, those are heavily searched phrases (I've done the research)

Using Ebay is a fantastic marketing tool. Everytime you sell a product, include brochures, stickers, business cards, and links to perhaps your other websites or products.


----------



## jones01

I think the first step is to write a business plan including a market study, you have to know exactly who are your customers and how will you find them. Then never abandon! Work again and again  Good luck!


----------



## wormil

steelbathgraphix said:


> Using Ebay is a fantastic marketing tool. Everytime you sell a product, include brochures, stickers, business cards, and links to perhaps your other websites or products.


I believe that is what most people selling shirts on ebay are using it for since most sell at $5.00 and they can't be making any money on the product.


----------



## 321go

wormil said:


> I believe that is what most people selling shirts on ebay are using it for since most sell at $5.00 and they can't be making any money on the product.


here in the uk alot of the best t shirts on ebay are selling at £7.99 with free P&P. I cant understand it, a blank gildan is £2 at bare minimum, allow £0.50 for ink/vinyl at bare minimum, then standard royal mail postage is £1.95, add the cost of postage bag/tag/labour, then ebay insertion fee of 0.80, final selling fee of 10% which is 0.79, and then paypal fee... How the feck are they making any money?? and alot of these sellers dont have their own website, this is their only selling route. It baffles the hell out of me, and leads me to not want to sell on ebay because I cant compete with that.


----------



## Loroman

Mistake: Ordering a $834.00 t-shirt "bundle package," back in March, 2011 from Cartess Ross of TshirtRiches.com. Decided to get into the t-shirt business and I came across Mr. Cartess Ross on youtube. I was basically sold on Mr. Cartess Ross sale pitch (too excited). The only thing I received in late April, 2011 was a 16x20 Gecko heatpress and an online start-up course. Cartess Ross/tshirtriches payment site was not working so Cartess/Staff pushed my payment through on their end after I gave them the info they needed. Till this day I am still missing items. Make sure you get a checkout number so you can get a refund back. Cartess Ross wants his customers to pay extra just to get a darn phone number.

Too bad I didn't run into everyone here at tshirtforum. Since then, I have been learning and studying here in this forum. I will be making a purchase soon. Never again will I order from TshirtRiches and Cartess Ross and his manipulating company. Ross Cartess and staff, I will get what is owed. If anyone here has any extra legal advice for me, I'm all ears. Tshirtforum is definitely my new a forever family. Thank you all.


----------



## ryan barker

i suppose about all you can do is get an attorney and see if you can take legal action. sorry that happened, though, that sucks. of course, if all else fails there's always the e-mail virus....


----------



## jdaniels68

What shirt Brand would you recommend for a high clas client?

Thanks,


----------



## headfirst

Loroman said:


> Mistake: Ordering a $834.00 t-shirt "bundle package," back in March, 2011 from Cartess Ross of TshirtRiches.com. Decided to get into the t-shirt business and I came across Mr. Cartess Ross on youtube. I was basically sold on Mr. Cartess Ross sale pitch (too excited). The only thing I received in late April, 2011 was a 16x20 Gecko heatpress and an online start-up course. Cartess Ross/tshirtriches payment site was not working so Cartess/Staff pushed my payment through on their end after I gave them the info they needed. Till this day I am still missing items. Make sure you get a checkout number so you can get a refund back. Cartess Ross wants his customers to pay extra just to get a darn phone number.
> 
> Too bad I didn't run into everyone here at tshirtforum. Since then, I have been learning and studying here in this forum. I will be making a purchase soon. Never again will I order from TshirtRiches and Cartess Ross and his manipulating company. Ross Cartess and staff, I will get what is owed. If anyone here has any extra legal advice for me, I'm all ears. Tshirtforum is definitely my new a forever family. Thank you all.


What didn't he ship? I thought it was a downloadable infoproduct with a starter heatpress. What else comes with it?


----------



## tprimack

I do my business out of my house. I just don't post my address on the website or business cards. I just list the City and the State on both. Be careful with the UPS or Mailboxes Etc, etc street address PO Boxes. Do your research the contracts with these things have crazy policies and terms.


----------



## TinyRivals

I was going to get a private mailbox from UPS for my business. Can you tell me more specifically what issues you ran into with private mailboxes?

Thanks!


----------



## MarStephenson761

Hey Tiny, I've used The UPS Store for a primary business address for at least 5 years and haven't had any issues. Just make sure everyone puts the Box number as well as the physical address and you should be fine. You don't even need to say "box number 1221212", but could use "suite #" or just "#"


----------



## Loroman

I apologize for the late response. The missing items are as follows: 50 t-shirts, pre-made transfer designs, and the transfer catalogs.


----------



## pnnc0133

FatKat Printz said:


> Using your home address for registration purposes, if I could have used my PO BOX I would have but I couldn't know I am thankful to have a shop.
> 
> Last month, had a customer come to my home looking for an order 2 hours early because I was not at the shop and didn't answer the phone.
> 
> If you can use an PO BOX from around your area. Deliveries are fine because its between you and the delivery carrier but posting information (website, state registration, etc) are public record and can be tracked to your home.


Unless it is different from state to state I didn't think you could use a PO box when registering your business.


----------



## VeeLove

pnnc0133 said:


> Unless it is different from state to state I didn't think you could use a PO box when registering your business.


Our local post office just announced that we could change the way we list our POB address to use it as a "street address" to accept packages and whatnot. Check with your branch to see if this is possible. 

Good move on their part.


----------



## Garage Cotton

When we launched in January 2011 we thought we needed a custom made website. We're now in year two and we're paying to have our backend completely revamped because we simply didn't know enough when we started..and now we do. I would recommend starting off simple until you know all of the basic requirements you will need from your website. There are many services out there that allow you to create a low cost starter website...use this for a year, learn, then spend the money on the site you want. Good luck!


----------



## 65 PONTIAC

Garage Cotton said:


> When we launched in January 2011 we thought we needed a custom made website. We're now in year two and we're paying to have our backend completely revamped because we simply didn't know enough when we started..and now we do. I would recommend starting off simple until you know all of the basic requirements you will need from your website. There are many services out there that allow you to create a low cost starter website...use this for a year, learn, then spend the money on the site you want. Good luck!


What services might those be that allow me to create a low cost starter site?


----------



## DropkickJaxx

wow guys, this thread is fantastic thank you! 

I had to quit my job last August due to being pregnant and quickly jumped on top of a second hand heat press, blank tees and transfer papers that just happened to come up for sale at that time. Am very arty farty and have wanted to concentrate on my skills for a long time and this was the perfect opportunity.

Am way too trusting of people tho it seems. Just because i have a conscience doesn't mean that everyone does. 

Followed the ladies instructions to a tee but the transfers never held up in the wash. Found these forums and spent hours researching and then more trial and error but nothing seemed to work. Emailed the lady i purchased the gear off and she said she never had a problem, that i just wasn't doing it right.

Then i discovered some of her tees that she had printed in with the blanks so i put them through the wash and they came out worse than mine! My lordy was i pissed off! Months down the drain trying to do something that wasn't ever going to work! 

Sooooo...i kept on trucking and ordered a Jet Pro Opaque sample pack and havn't looked back. It's taken me seven months of hard work but i'm getting there. Just completed an order for a mates band of 24 shirts along with a few tiny orders which was awesome and gave me the funds to put back into getting more blanks and papers. 

Also have around 40 shirts in a friends retro/vintage type shop (on consignment) which suits my style fine as for starters i'm mainly printing pinup girls and hotrods.

Social networks for me are the BEST advertising EVER. Am ex Navy and have a LOT of friends all around Australia that i stilll keep in touch with on good old Facebook. They all know that i always had a sketchbook with me (even at work) and know my art well. By sharing my ups and downs on there with them all they know exactly where i am with my shirts and now that i've got it right i get a message every other day asking how they can get Shirts by Jaxx shirts now! Love it! 
Also had another business name but they kept saying "Shirts by Jaxx" and it just stuck so i figured if thay all know it, why change a good thing...

Have got a notebook and from the start have listed every single item that i have purchased and sold so i know where every cent has gone. Have spent 3 grand for my entire setup which i think is fair considering i sort of just jumped in and had no plan other than to print shirts! After reading this thread tho am definately going to sit down and write a business plan.

Still got a tonne of work ahead of me but am enjoying it. The ladies lies didn't stop me, if i want something bad enough i'll get there and what i want is to be a stay at home mum that can make her own pocket money instead of fully relying on the fella.


----------



## 65 PONTIAC

DropkickJaxx said:


> wow guys, this thread is fantastic thank you!
> 
> I had to quit my job last August due to being pregnant and quickly jumped on top of a second hand heat press, blank tees and transfer papers that just happened to come up for sale at that time. Am very arty farty and have wanted to concentrate on my skills for a long time and this was the perfect opportunity.
> 
> Am way too trusting of people tho it seems. Just because i have a conscience doesn't mean that everyone does.
> 
> Followed the ladies instructions to a tee but the transfers never held up in the wash. Found these forums and spent hours researching and then more trial and error but nothing seemed to work. Emailed the lady i purchased the gear off and she said she never had a problem, that i just wasn't doing it right.
> 
> Then i discovered some of her tees that she had printed in with the blanks so i put them through the wash and they came out worse than mine! My lordy was i pissed off! Months down the drain trying to do something that wasn't ever going to work!
> 
> Sooooo...i kept on trucking and ordered a Jet Pro Opaque sample pack and havn't looked back. It's taken me seven months of hard work but i'm getting there. Just completed an order for a mates band of 24 shirts along with a few tiny orders which was awesome and gave me the funds to put back into getting more blanks and papers.
> 
> Also have around 40 shirts in a friends retro/vintage type shop (on consignment) which suits my style fine as for starters i'm mainly printing pinup girls and hotrods.
> 
> Social networks for me are the BEST advertising EVER. Am ex Navy and have a LOT of friends all around Australia that i stilll keep in touch with on good old Facebook. They all know that i always had a sketchbook with me (even at work) and know my art well. By sharing my ups and downs on there with them all they know exactly where i am with my shirts and now that i've got it right i get a message every other day asking how they can get Shirts by Jaxx shirts now! Love it!
> Also had another business name but they kept saying "Shirts by Jaxx" and it just stuck so i figured if thay all know it, why change a good thing...
> 
> Have got a notebook and from the start have listed every single item that i have purchased and sold so i know where every cent has gone. Have spent 3 grand for my entire setup which i think is fair considering i sort of just jumped in and had no plan other than to print shirts! After reading this thread tho am definately going to sit down and write a business plan.
> 
> Still got a tonne of work ahead of me but am enjoying it. The ladies lies didn't stop me, if i want something bad enough i'll get there and what i want is to be a stay at home mum that can make her own pocket money instead of fully relying on the fella.


Touche! and Congrats.


----------



## jim55912

My biggest mistake. For 25 years when asked for a quote I stuck my finger in the air to see which way the wind was blowing. I finally switched to a spreadsheet and formula. So far so good. If you don't get beat on price once in a while, you are too low.


----------



## buffalove607

good info here. Thanks all.

Wish I would have read this last year before we started out sba


----------



## printkeg

I don't even know where to start....lol


----------



## Leachcd

Start out buying used stuff and work your way up from there.. You might want to go ahead and buy a 6 color or more to start because you will soon need one. I started with a 4 color 1 station and out grew that in 3 weeks..


----------



## outstanding

The biggest mistake I made was spending too time on things of low importance. There is always a ton of work to be done but I had to learn to focus on the things that lead to a profit and focus on making things "perfect" later.


----------



## atomicpress

jim55912 said:


> My biggest mistake. For 25 years when asked for a quote I stuck my finger in the air to see which way the wind was blowing. I finally switched to a spreadsheet and formula. So far so good. If you don't get beat on price once in a while, you are too low.



Words of wisdom!


----------



## atomicpress

outstanding said:


> The biggest mistake I made was spending too time on things of low importance. There is always a ton of work to be done but I had to learn to focus on the things that lead to a profit and focus on making things "perfect" later.



Efficient management of one's time is key!


----------



## PsychoChild

read a couple pages alot of info on here will continue to read up on this


----------



## darkgreendesign

I know this is maybe down the road a bit Choose the right employees when it's time of coarse.
They can be a great asset or your worst nightmare.
I've had both. Reward the good (That's not all ways the one that agrees with you). send the others packing before they cause to much damage.


----------



## LimeBomb

dmfelder said:


> I think the biggest mistake we made was not understanding our target demographic.
> 
> About six years ago, before we started providing print on demand shirt fulfillment services, we sold funny shirts online. What we didn't really consider was that everyone wanted to be the next TshirtHell, and that competing on keywords like "funny shirts" was virtually impossible. We quickly realized that our core competency was actually process optimization (we're gear-head engineers), so we diverted our energies to building a system that could manage the intricacies of POD direct to garment printing. This obviously led us to where we are today, but we see history repeating itself over and over.
> 
> Our business is client-focused, not consumer-focused, so we see one strategy after the next. What is perfectly clear is that our most successful clients have one if not all of these three things going for them:
> 
> 1) They are smart, organized, and/or they have a good business plan
> 2) They don't expect to become millionaires overnight and are very agile
> 3) They understand their target audience, and that audience is very focused
> 
> The most important is number 3. If you target a particular demographic with a targeted message, you'll be a lot more efficient with your effort and your spending. Our "big guys" chase topical subject matter or focus on a particular pastimes/hobbies/activities/organizations/social groups and leave the print on demand shirt fulfillment to us. The narrow focus helps them (and us) identify WHERE to spend their time and money.
> 
> Bottom line, if you expect to appeal to everyone, you probably won't succeed. It doesn't take deep pockets, either...just realism.
> 
> Best wishes.


Your post reminds me of a quote I've heard a time or two: "There are riches in niches."

I wholeheartedly agree.


----------



## 65 PONTIAC

I just want to thank Rodney for having the website in the first place and for all the help I've gained from it so far...and hope to gain in the future. I just "soft launched" my own label of graphic tees last week. Here we go!
Thanks again, TSF and hope to see you at one of the next ISS shows.


----------



## cookie99

Yes, my mistake is selecting universal keywords to promote the website when using adwords, this clicks brought by the ads using the wrong keywords I paid did not bring us sales. wasted a lot of money.

Now I only use the keywords that maybe will bring us sales, not the keywords just asking for answers.


----------



## GN

Not sure if it's been said but so far my biggest mistake has been buying inventory. I "thought" I liked a certain type garment and bought a whole bunch of them.. only to change my mind later and now they are basically garments I will never use for my brand. I did this a FEW times lol ugh!! Then I ordered a few samples from different ppl - smart(er) right? well... no sooner that I ordered them I changed my mind about the supplier and again wasted $$$!! 

The former was a mistake, the latter was a lack of focus. However, each mistake got me closer to my fabulous brand! As long as we learn from our mistakes, then all is well in the end. So don't be afraid to make mistakes!


----------



## Alan Buffington

This one is probably a no brainer but $$$, cash flow, issuing credit to your large customers and how to get it back is a hard lesson. Even though our company printed for major dept stores and clothing lines, collecting the money was more difficult than the printing. Smaller companies can operate on 50% down the balance due on delivery, but try that with a dept store or even a small chain. You become their bank, they will use all of your money and tie it up for 30-60-90 days depending on their terms not yours. So while a clothing line in the beginning is fun, creative, and rewarding in it's infancy, once it gets rolling you need to fund the orders and wait for money, this is where that MBA and a good banking relationship, or a rich uncle come in handy.


----------



## AnonBri

ElratonPrinter said:


> My greatest mistakes were:
> 
> Never made a real study the marker. I assumed I was ready to do just about anything up to what my equipment allowed me to do. Actually I was learning (practicing) as I was doing customers orders, namely, I started too early, but worked out as I was going along.
> 
> Even though I opened a website, it was very under developed. Websites are very time consuming, and I got fatigued after a couple of hours a day, and left it half built.
> 
> Even though I was getting calls every day when most, I failed to make at least one of those calls one sale a day, I think due to the lack of preparation I had with my price lists and other stuffs. I didn't sound like someone who knows their business well sometimes.
> 
> Even though my business was home based and nothing really registered, and I had a lot of room for making money, I never saw the real profit cause my accounting was awful, I never kept track of my expenses and what profit was on sales. My personal finances got mixed with the business'.
> 
> Didn't compare many tshirt suppliers, so I guess right there was a big waste of money.
> 
> I had a lot of happy customers, but didn't manage my business the right way, it was more a hobby where I could make some cash, than a business itself. I finally had to stop for personal reasons, but I'm doing my homework to start off on the right track, and follow a plan that like most, is not written on stone and will have to be modifying, tweaking and changing as I see what works and what doesn't.
> 
> And a good advice I have seen in this thread quite a few times, don't partner with someone (friends, relatives) who along the way is going to get discouraged cause the business is not the gold mine they thought it was going to be, some friendships end that way. Have some friends who know that I got this business going and hear me talking about sales and numbers and want to participate, but know nothing about what it takes to print a t-shirt, my answer to all of them is the same, sorry right now I don't need any help. It's better to say no before, than having to say no after. I'm not too good with words as to explaining my thoughts and feeling in a technical and somewhat educated manner, but I hope what I wrote here has made some sense. Thanks.


This is my life right now  working through it! Don't give up.


----------



## Keeney

Yeah, credit lines to customers! What a pain. Also doing work cheap at the beginning can be hard to get out of.


----------



## RickyJ702

learning from your own mistakes is the best solution. what i have found that hurt our buisness was.

-giveaways "employees~modeling~freetoss to crowds"
-online checkouts ~ "which we are resolving right now" lol
-confinement sales ~ trusting a store with your clothing line and your money. just hope they don't run away with your product. happened twice to us >.< !

the list can go on and on but those 3 are top with us.


----------



## RickyJ702

darkgreendesign said:


> I know this is maybe down the road a bit Choose the right employees when it's time of coarse.
> They can be a great asset or your worst nightmare.
> I've had both. Reward the good (That's not all ways the one that agrees with you). send the others packing before they cause to much damage.


haha totally agree with you!! there is a saying within our company now because of this.

"There are two types of people. The ones who work for the dream and the ones who wants a paycheck"


----------



## wormil

Learning from your own mistakes certainly sinks the point home but I'd rather learn from someone else's mistakes and save the money 

Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using T-Shirt Forums


----------



## mrkeen

Hi, has taken me awhile to read every post here, well done all for solid sound advice.

Cheers


----------



## valleyboy_1

This thread is very informative. One of the biggest mistakes I made was trying to involved my wife as my business partner. Some people are just not cut out for business, and are better served working a 9-5. A lesson I learned. Not the hard way, as we are still married and in love, but a whole lot of time and money have been wasted because of it. As I look back at all the cash I made from my event photography business, I would've been have the equipment I desire for my t shirt business by now.


----------

