1. Create your concept – The first thing you have to do is to create your concept. No doubt about it, custom t-shirts are everywhere. Competition is tough. And the ways for you to get a bite of the market is to either offer the cheaper price, or to offer something that no one else can. For small-business owners, the only feasible option is option number two. So create a concept or a design that is uniquely yours, and no doubt your business will have the potential to flourish.
2. Figure out your budget – Know how much you are willing to spend for your tee shirt business. Keep in mind that the necessary expenses include shirts, printing or printer if you decide to get one for yourself, shipment costs, and packaging. Other expenses may include a photographer and models if you wish to incorporate these for your advertising.
3. Make your designs – Make your designs before you search for shirts and a printing place. Your designs will serve as a motivation for you to really look for the rest of the materials needed to start the business. Also, having the designs at hand will be beneficial when looking for a printer as your design will determine which printing method is best to use.
4. Buy cheap but quality shirts – A good way to research is to go online. If you’re lucky enough to have a wholesaler of shirts in your area, then looking into those would be a great idea too. It will be better to buy in bulk to get a cheaper price. But keep in mind the quality and fit of the shirts.
5. Find a printing place – If you can’t afford your own printer, look for a printing place that can print your shirts. Specify exactly what you want and don’t settle for any less. If one printing place can’t provide you with what you need, then look for another one. For small-business owners, heat transfer printing might be a good idea for initial small orders. If you’ve found a printer that you like, have your shirts printed.
6. Create an account for your online shop on a social networking website – While waiting for the shirts to be printed, create a separate online account for your business in a popular social networking site. This is a great place to advertise and sell your shirts. Add as many people as you can, add even people you don’t know. Anyone can be a client. Make sure to take photographs of your shirts and post them there.
7. Start Selling – Lastly, start selling!
Continually advertise and don’t be discouraged if few orders come at first. That only means your shop needs more advertising. With the power of Internet, advertising can be free. So keep on adding friends and request them to tell others about your shop that personalizes tee shirts. If your customers remain happy, your personalized tee shirts shop will surely gain more customers and thus have more sales.