# starting a dtg web business: what are the hurdles and milestones to look for and avoid.?



## HappyHaole (Jan 12, 2015)

As the title states....
if you had 30K to start a web based DTG business what would you get first for:
*Equipment, 
Marketing, 
Supplies,
Etc....*

I am looking for insight here from members that have been in this for a little while. 
I have done some research and I'm on the fence between a Brother GT-381, 
which is quite exspensive and would limit my other equipment purchases like pre-treatment sprayer, heat presses, etc.
Other options, I like the DTG HM1 much more affordable, could even get two for the price of the Brother....

Thank You in advance for information and advice!!


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## HappyHaole (Jan 12, 2015)

Good info! Thanks....
kidding, I'll be at ISS this weekend so that should answer most of my questions.


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## Bougie (Jul 12, 2005)

Wow you got an amazing amount of help!


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## Imagine It Vinyl (Aug 28, 2013)

HappyHaole said:


> Good info! Thanks....
> kidding, I'll be at ISS this weekend so that should answer most of my questions.


Ok I see you joined the forums a whole 3 days ago. First, be patient. There are a mix of people that have been in the business from a month to 40+ years on this forum. 

DTG is a wonderful process for one off and short runs. Before you decide to dump $15,000-$30,000 in a business be sure that you have the clientele to support it. When you go to the ISS remember that the vendors are there to make it look pretty and sell it to you. They will be sure not to mention the horrors of pretreating, clogged heads, printer malfunctions, calibrations, graphic manipulation and so on... They will have an ideal image that has been tuned to be as visually enticing as possible and print as easily as possible with no errors. Before you jump on the bandwagon be sure to see the entire process through.


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## HappyHaole (Jan 12, 2015)

Thanks for the replies guys.
I do have a full time job I maintain, I build rockets for a living.

This will be more of a hobby for me, my girlfriend is the main driver.
She previously had a screen print business and her brother currently has a DTG and embroidery business.
So we are fairly familiar with the process.

I just know this is a quickly changing business and new things are coming out all the time.
I've been reading on this forum pretty solid for the past two weeks and found a lot of good info.
I feel very fortunate to be looking to start around the same time the ISS show happens lol.

I'm sure what ever machine I get I will be making "improvements" to it regardless


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## Imagine It Vinyl (Aug 28, 2013)

Good deal, sound like you have some valuable resources at hand.


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## limey (Apr 6, 2006)

HappyHaole,
Stay the course, choose wisely and your part time thing may well become your full time thing.

Ready to Launch ground control.


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## HappyHaole (Jan 12, 2015)

limey said:


> HappyHaole,
> Stay the course, choose wisely and your part time thing may well become your full time thing.
> 
> Ready to Launch ground control.


Thank You, that is my hope. 
My current job and company are amazing but that little voice in my head is telling me I'm getting tired of working "for" someone else.

Planning to build it slow and steady during 2015 and then see where we are at.


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## limey (Apr 6, 2006)

Any help/advise just pm me my friend.


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

> Equipment,


Popular (meaning, positive reviews from customers that use the machines) DTG equipment right now seems to be the new Epson DTG, Neoflex and Spectra machines. I'm sure there are other good ones that you'll find (Belquette comes to mind) when researching the DTG section of the forums 

If I was going to start now, I'd visit the ISS Long Beach show and have prints done from a few different machines. Watch the process and print quality and (and customer service) and see how it goes. I'll be at ISS Long Beach on Friday too 



> Marketing,


Probably the most important part. Website, branding, ecommerce setup, advertising, etc. There are lots of great tips in the marketing section of the forum that go deeper into what will be required there: T-Shirt Marketing - T-Shirt Forums


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## HappyHaole (Jan 12, 2015)

Will do, I've already looked at your site before like a few things lol.


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## HappyHaole (Jan 12, 2015)

Rodney said:


> Popular (meaning, positive reviews from customers that use the machines) DTG equipment right now seems to be the new Epson DTG, Neoflex and Spectra machines. I'm sure there are other good ones that you'll find (Belquette comes to mind) when researching the DTG section of the forums
> 
> If I was going to start now, I'd visit the ISS Long Beach show and have prints done from a few different machines. Watch the process and print quality and (and customer service) and see how it goes. I'll be at ISS Long Beach on Friday too
> 
> ...


Thanks Rodney, 
I'm more looking for the hurdles and milestones to look for and avoid.
When I first started looking into it I was dead set going to buy the Brother GT-381, but now after digging deeper and seeing the ink costs and replacement part costs on that machine I wouldn't buy one, not starting out anyways.

I have seen many other machines since joining the forums and I'm very excited about the show this weekend I will be bringing a couple designs on a thumb drive and see what results I get


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## limey (Apr 6, 2006)

See you are getting some attention now.


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

> I'm more looking for the hurdles and milestones to look for and avoid.


I'll edit the thread title so it's more specific to what you're looking for. That way people with the answers may see it and respond to the more specific question rather than the general "what do do with 30K question"


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## HappyHaole (Jan 12, 2015)

Rodney said:


> I'll edit the thread title so it's more specific to what you're looking for. That way people with the answers may see it and respond to the more specific question rather than the general "what do do with 30K question"


Thank You Sir!


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## equipmentzone (Mar 26, 2008)

HappyHaole said:


> Thanks Rodney,
> I'm more looking for the hurdles and milestones to look for and avoid.
> When I first started looking into it I was dead set going to buy the Brother GT-381, but now after digging deeper and seeing the ink costs and replacement part costs on that machine I wouldn't buy one, not starting out anyways.
> 
> I have seen many other machines since joining the forums and I'm very excited about the show this weekend I will be bringing a couple designs on a thumb drive and see what results I get



One of the ISS conference seminars at the Long Beach Show you may be interested in going to is called:
Secrets of Starting a DTG Business

It's on Friday at 1 pm.

_


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## HappyHaole (Jan 12, 2015)

equipmentzone said:


> One of the ISS conference seminars at the Long Beach Show you may be interested in going to is called:
> Secrets of Starting a DTG Business
> 
> It's on Friday at 1 pm.
> ...


Thanks Harry,
Unfortunately I can't make it on Friday, several things I have to get done in the rocket world today at the "other" ISS . 
I will stop by your booth on Sunday though!


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## HappyHaole (Jan 12, 2015)

So after going to the ISS show this weekend it looks like I am going the Anajet route. 
They had the best show package in my opinion and it's a great DTG printer. 
I also really like the fact that the company is local, and the year of free ink was also very nice lol...(full set of cartridges every month)


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