Starting a T-Shirt business on a tight budget is challenging. There are several YouTube videos to teach you how to start this type of business. What is the most important and essential step? This article will discuss everything you need to know.
How to start a T-Shirt Business with a tight budget or no money at all? The most important step is to know everything about Dropshipping via Shopify and the different types of Print-on-Demand Apps such as Printify, Printful, Pixels, Printy6, Teescape, Voodoo, Tshirtgang, Teelaunch, AOP+, and WC Fulfillment.
Dropshipping is an effective method of retail fulfillment where a business purchases the product or item to be sold from a 3rd party, rather than keeping all its products in stock. Upon purchasing the items from a 3rd party, it will immediately ship the items to the customer. In effect, the business owner never handles or sees the product.
Know The Statistics Before Starting Your T-Shirt Business
According to the latest T-shirt printing market report for the coming years 2017 – 2025 specifically on the competitive analysis, opportunities, shares, and growth, the personalized t-shirt printing business will deliver an exceptional comeback. As per the statistics conducted by Credence Research Inc., the international market for customized t-shirt printing business is projected to reach $10 Billion. Because of the showing stability of the economy, increased income for both businesses and customers is anticipated to fortify the personalized t-shirt businesses.
When it comes to printing technologies, the personalized t-shirt market can be classified into three: the plot printing, digital printing, and screen printing. The plot and digital printing techniques are eyed to benefit from massively changing fashion trends which require a lot of quality prints and lesser production cycles. It is expected to witness the fastest growth in this industry in the next 6 years. With the increased awareness on inkjet technology advancements, everything is made easy.
As to the conventional technique, screen printing, it is projected to maintain, progress, and reach its highest market point by 2023. The development of a personalized t-shirt printing industry is highly influenced by the acceptance and implementation of digital printing technology.
Create Your T-Shirt Brand
Before starting a T-shirt business, you need to create a simple and catchy brand name with a remarkable logo. It is also essential that you choose the perfect niche to identify your target market. There are numerous niches you can choose from such as Save the Planet, Coffee, Liquors, Feminism, Pets, etc. You can even do tons of niches for as long as you can manage.
Once you’re done selecting the perfect niches for your business, you need to conduct a thorough or in-depth research to narrow down your primary niche. Try searching Google for the different types of t-shirts already existing. In this way, you’ll be able to see and determine how much competition you’ll be encountering.
As you scan through the different types of t-shirts, it is essential to take note of the possible opportunities and ideas that will boost the growth of your business. See to it that you check every online site where people interested in your niche hang out. It will make things easier for you since you already know where your market is at. Some of the best places you can check out are Instagram hashtags, Facebook groups, Subreddits, and other forums and blogs.
Potential Threats And Challenges In Starting A T-Shirt Business
It is important to note that when starting a business, whatever it may be, it comes with a specific threat and challenge. You will never find a business that has never experienced a threat or challenge to hurdle.
The T-shirt business industry, like any other businesses, has its own fair share of threats and challenges. However, once you have the proper process and tools, everything will automatically fall into place. The most common challenge that t-shirt business owner needs to hurdle is the lack of funds to maintain sufficient advertisements and social media hype. Although this may seem at first, never be deceived. It will require more time and effort to fully get a hang of it.
Other challenges to surpass to achieve a successful t-shirt business are the arrival of competitors, unfavorable government policies, and economic downturn. As to the issue on economic downturn, you don’t need to worry much since statistics show that the t-shirt industry will increase through the years to come. Additionally, you need to learn your competitor’s brand in order for you to determine your next step and determine the correct process.
The Perfect T-Shirt Business Marketing Plan
Marketing your start-up business is, with no doubt, a tough job. It requires aggressiveness, determination, and creativity. It will require you a lot of early waking hours and focus to fulfill and boost your business. However, once you have created a design that will stand out from the rest, you will be able to get the attention of your customers.
The primary strategy in marketing your t-shirts is to create media hypes. To do this, you will need to create offline media platforms, leverage your online store, and attend fashion expos. Create a YouTube and Instagram account of your brand and promote it with interesting, mind-boggling, and catchy advertisements.
Another major leverage and if possible is to get a celebrity to advertise your designs. There’s no doubt that when a celebrity wears your t-shirt, it will generate traffic and will surely build a huge impact on your business. It is also important to note that starting a t-shirt business requires that you engage in business relationships with suppliers of packaging materials, dyers, stiffeners, wools, and cotton. In this way, you’ll be able to get discounted rates while guaranteeing high standard materials for your t-shirts.
Shopify As The Finest E-commerce Platform
Shopify allows you to build your business your way. It lets you start a brand online with a store and a custom-made domain. With several unique themes, this platform will give you full control over the feel, appearance, and impact of your online store. You will have an amazing store ready to serve fulfilling customers in no time.
Selling your T-shirts online in different places is easy with Shopify. This platform is organized and integrated made possible by the following features:
- Track growth and sales trends
- Complete orders with an easy step
- Manage numerous items
- Stress-free inventory
- Quickly add sales channels in few seconds
- Fully-customized online store
- Automate your fulfillment process with third party shipping apps
- Unlimited bandwidth and customer data
- 24/7 Customer Support
Online stores using Shopify allows you to leverage perceptive and intuitive sales information. It has free educational material, automated marketing, and built-in SEO features. With its comprehensive dashboard, every online store owner using this e-commerce platform will have a better understanding of its audience, orders, and sales.
To learn more about the different ways to sell via Shopify, check out this link. This amazing e-commerce platform offers a 14-day free trial.
Print-On-Demand Apps
- Printify – Allows you to select from the different catalogs of products, create logos and art, and find the right Print Provider.
- Printful – Founded in 2013, it has an automated order import, charges low shipping rates, no monthly fees, and has free signups.
- Pixels – It is the world’s largest print-on-demand technology and art marketplace company. It provides photographers, artists, and business owners sales and marketing tools.
- Printy6 – There are only 4 steps when using this print-on-demand app. All you need to do is to select a product, upload your design, make your design beautiful, and start making money.
- Teescape – It offers selective garment offerings with fast turn-around, managed artwork preparation and processing, triple quality control, and fully automated and monitored system.
- Voodoo – Well-known for excellent drop shipping, packaging, and 3D printing services, it offers easy to integration of all your e-commerce channels, automated and scalable fulfillment, and cost-effective 3D printing.
- Tshirtgang – Instantly allows you to create a personalized t-shirt by simply uploading your designs and lets you promote your business using social media sites like Reddit, Google+, Twitter, and Facebook.
- Teelaunch – No inventory and no large investments are needed – you only pay if you sell something.
- AOP+ – It only requires 7 steps. You can start by opening an account, easy set-up, top-up your account, submit your artwork, print and fold, ship it, receive real notifications, and you’re all done.
- WC Fulfillment – This print-on-demand app offers quick production and shipping, free installation, and 24/7 customer support.
Related Questions
How do I start my own t-shirt business from home?
- Design your t-shirt
- Test your design
- Write a business plan
- Create a business name
- Make your business legal
- Protect your design
- Price your t-shirt
- Select a printer
- Market your t-shirt
How much does it cost to start a tee shirt company?
An estimate provided by well-known screen and digital printing companies shows that the usual price for a single colored print on a shirt will approximately cost about $6 – $9, depending on the volume of shirts printed.
Where can I sell my t-shirt designs?
- CafePress
- Zazzle
- TeePublic
- SpreadShop
- Spreadshirt
- Threadless
- SellMyTees
- Teespring
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