There can never be too many T-shirts in the world; the garment that everyone has several and loves to wear. If you’ve got a business mind, you can quickly start a T-shirt business. Because of the availability of tools and relatively low costs of necessary equipment, it’s easy to set up your work from home where you and your creativity can get started in this fruitful business.
Since it’s a simple business that doesn’t require huge capital, it’s a popular choice for many entrepreneurs, so competition is tough. Yes, it’s affordable. Yes, it can be uncomplicated, but it’s still a business, so you should have a written plan. Despite it being straightforward, a plan will help you keep track of your expenses and sales goals.
The T-shirt business is a world all by itself, so where and how does a person start?
Choose your niche
If you’re going to try and create T-shirts for everyone, chances are you won’t be able to break through all the competition. Maybe your focus could be on teens, or on tots. Or maybe you want to cater to specific groups; nurses, fitness addicts, surfers, and the list is obviously very long. Focusing on a niche will help you know what type of design and worded print you want on your T-shirts. What you print on the shirt can also be specific. Some might go for motivational quotes. Others want more comical stuff. As you can see, this first step is really going to determine which way to go.
T-shirts
Blank T-shirts aren’t all the same. You have to take the fit, size, material, softness, and weight into consideration. Quality is vital to your production and its branding success, so it’s important to educate yourself and choose your blank shirts carefully.
Printing
There are a few ways to go about this. Since not everyone is familiar with printing machines, a neat starting point to know more about printing would be Merch Metrics, which can give you a lot of free information about the different methods used, as well as other advice on this business altogether. For instance, when it comes to design, simple ones can probably be done by yourself using the right software, while other designs require more skill. Screen printing essentially works by creating a stencil and then pressing the ink on the fabric through the stencil. It is the favored method, rather than heat transfer, which isn’t practical for business. This preferred method offers a high-quality finish, lively colors, and works with different items including hoodies, sweaters, bags, obviously T-shirts, and more. Direct-to-film printing is another favored printing method that requires high-quality supplies from sellers such as PerfecPressHTV for optimal results. With this technique, the ink is printed onto the transfer paper, which is then applied to the fabric through a heat press, creating a long-lasting print that works well with a variety of items, including T-shirts, hats, bags, and more.
Order fulfillment
Order fulfillment is a crucial aspect of any t-shirt business. One option for handling this is to use an apparel fulfillment service, which can offer a variety of benefits. For example, apparel fulfillment services can store and manage inventory, handle the picking and packing of orders, and provide shipping and tracking information. By outsourcing these tasks, t-shirt businesses can free up time and resources to focus on other aspects of their operation, such as designing new products or marketing. Additionally, apparel fulfillment services can often offer discounted shipping rates due to their volume of shipments, which can help save on costs. Another advantage of using an apparel fulfillment service is that they can provide customizable packaging and branding options to create a consistent and professional look for the t-shirt business. With streamlined order fulfillment, businesses can improve their customer experience by providing fast and accurate delivery, which can increase customer satisfaction and loyalty.
This is a list of what you’d need for a basic setup, yet it doesn’t include the marketing and business side of things, such as shipping. As you grow you may want to get an outside shipping company that can handle t shirt fulfillment as apparel has a higher return rate than other products. Also, keep in mind that higher quality T-shirts can cost more to manufacture, so you will have to charge higher prices. The final quality of your T-shirt business will depend on the factors mentioned above such as having the best heat press machine, plus your ability to market it smartly and to the right audience.