# tips on marketing in schools especially sports team



## lliwnhoj (Jul 16, 2013)

hi. i am a transferexpress.com dealer. i do screenprinted plastisol transfer. i am still a little begineer when it comes to tshirt printing business. I would like to start by targeting to market schools especially the sports team in my local area maybe with in 20 miles. I live in azusa within los angeles county in california. 

can you give any suggestions/advices/comments/past experiences/recommendations/ in marketing in schools especially the sports team? it is a very big market to tap into. what should i do so that they will choose me to print shirts for them? who should i talk too? is it the athletic director, principal, finance or other person?? should i do email, mail, call, or personally just show on each schools? should i charge full payment right away or just 50% down payment first? should i give them commission fee if they order from me? if they order, can i tell them that if they could refer me to other schools, or department, I could give them commission??

regarding about the fabric use especially for sports like basketball, football, soccer, baseball, cheer leading, where could i buy the fabric that most school use?? should i buy retail price in the the website of nike and adidas? for the cheer leaders, where should i buy there uniforms? can i have a wholesale account on some website?

can you help me marketing tshirt printing in schools? what are your past experiences handling a school account? what recommendations, suggestions, comments could you give me? what are their requirements usually? what should i do?


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## BidsMaven (Sep 23, 2011)

This is a challenging marketplace to break into. I attended a talk at ISS that Doug Wilcoxson of Bomark Sportswear gave called "The Ins and Outs of the Team/League Business." It had a lot of good information. I suggest getting in touch with him. Bomark Sportswear, Inc.


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## binki (Jul 16, 2006)

lliwnhoj said:


> ... I would like to start by targeting to market schools especially the sports team in my local area maybe with in 20 miles. I live in azusa within los angeles county in california.
> ...


This is a tough nut to crack. You need to be an insider. If you are not you need to get lucky with a team or teacher that just got screwed by their last supplier. Otherwise you will not get in no matter what you offer. In this market space everyone has a 'friend' who does it for less. Don't be surprised to find your competition bad mouthing you either when they find out about you. 

It would be easier to start cold calling business in your area than going with the schools. Just my 2c of experience. 

Good luck with this.


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## hbapparel (Jan 16, 2012)

Everyone who starts in the business(including myself) assume it is a given or easy to get into the schools, especially the school where your child attends. In my town, I started because no one was doing it and I thought "Hey I'm local, they have to use me". Well wrong. It took a year and a half before they would consistently use us and we still lose out on things because of someone's friend or relative. Hell, the one club stole my design and gave it to his friend who was not even in the same state to print.
That being said lots of challenges and politics. They will not pay you up front or even give a deposit. Sometimes you can get paid in a week or two, sometimes it takes months to get paid. Can you afford to front the costs when you are just getting started? Sometimes we have thousands of dollars out waiting to get paid thousands, but we still have to pay employees, rent, leases, utilities, ect. 
So it's not always easy to go that route no matter how amazingly simple places like Transfer Express or others make it seem.


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## binki (Jul 16, 2006)

Ah yes, I forgot about the 'Will you take a PO?' question. 

Still, good luck. 

By the way, here is your competition:

Azusa High School Aztecs T-Shirts - Long Sleeve | Prep Sportswear


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## best26102 (Sep 29, 2013)

Totally agree with all relative replies. To get into a school is like getting a root canal. First you have to be sure that you are an approved vendor in that district, then you need to have a very unique product that has not been seen before, oh yes make sure that your product can not be seen by your competitors or have a picture taken of it. I had that done to me by a coach and took the pictures back to who he wanted to use and they reproduced my image. So be prepared to hear no and we will get back to you and leave me your items and contact info. all painful
good luck and keep in touch


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## mesewsatx (Aug 4, 2007)

I sell in the schools. I did no marketing. It started in the schools my kids went to, I was a very involved parent (PTA, BAND etc.) and never pushed myself on those that order if they asked I told them what I did. I also made sure I provided excellent service . The bookeeper at the local high school know my number by heart. I've always been told that people like to do business with people they know, like and trust. Volunteer, donate and go to the events.


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## binki (Jul 16, 2006)

mesewsatx said:


> I sell in the schools. I did no marketing. It started in the schools my kids went to, I was a very involved parent (PTA, BAND etc.) .... Volunteer, donate and go to the events.


definition of an insider


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## riki63 (Sep 18, 2013)

I used to work for a small Catholic School (principal's assistant). For my school the key to it all, was to win over the school secretary. She is the glue of the school. She knows all! What they are paying, what they are getting for the money. Who to talk to, etc. Once you have one Catholic school under your belt, you have credibility to talk to the others. I don't know about large districts or public schools, but in my corner of the world, getting your foot in the door at a single Catholic school was a shoo-in for lots of others.


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## mesewsatx (Aug 4, 2007)

My youngest graduated 6 years ago and I am still the go to for this school, plus have picked up several other schools in the district. Good work and good service are the key!


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## binki (Jul 16, 2006)

Yeah, they all talk to each other so if you get one and they are happy others will come to you.


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## Kenneth59 (Sep 28, 2013)

school work is a PITA to do, usually a teacher/parent/custodian/friend of a friend/relative etc etc knows someone that knows someone that does printing, very hard to break into if you dont have a kid in the school or belong to 14 different organizations then they usually want to pay net 30 and then they end up paying 30 days late after youve pulled some of your hair out.


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## lliwnhoj (Jul 16, 2013)

is it possible that school pay first before i deliver the shirts? just like buying random stuff online. you need to pay first and they will deliver it to you. 

Or do i need to print onto the shirt first, deliver the finish product and accept the payment in full?

or they usually pay after 30 days or more from the time i deliver the product?

is it possible that school pay first before i deliver the shirts?


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## binki (Jul 16, 2006)

It depends on the school or club you are dealing with. Some have booster clubs and others are a teacher or student that does the buying. 

You need to feel it out and work the sale. We don't offer net to anyone. You have to not be afraid to ask to be paid. If you get a PO then you have a legal document. For everything to be legal you need performance and penalties on both sides of the transaction. Without consideration on both sides of the deal you do not have an enforceable contract

Good luck


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## lliwnhoj (Jul 16, 2013)

Hi,

Thanks for the reply. I am still a newbie in business and dealing with schools.

im sorry i did not fully understand about the PO. PO means purchase order right? What do you mean by "For everything to be legal you need performance and penalties on both sides of the transaction. Without consideration on both sides of the deal you do not have an enforceable contract" 

how does PO works? If they gave me a PO, what happens next? Is PO a 100% assurance that they will pay me back after I make the delivery?


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## hbapparel (Jan 16, 2012)

The PO means they will pay, but it is at their leisure. We even have instances where parents or the kids give them all the money, but it still takes weeks because it has to go through the "proper channels". Not necessarily the schools fault but the wonderful government state auditors poking their nose into everything.


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