People like clothing that makes them feel comfortable. And you'll find most prefer to wear customized T-shirts when they're going for comfort. Because of this, the online T-shirt market is thriving. People are starting home-based businesses that specialize in customized T-shirts to meet the needs of this growing customer pool.
The hardest part of starting a home-based T-shirt business is coming up with the designs you plan to sell. You can start by drawing and constructing your own design templates or you can go with commercially available design collections. These will need to be properly licensed (discussed below.)
Once you've made the decision on what to sell, then you need to decide how you're going sell your product. There's a little more to it than simply throwing up a webpage. Let's walk through the steps to getting your own home-based business started.
1. What to sell? Are your T-shirts funny, inspirational, decorative, political or a combination of all types? Will you offer a "build your own design" option? These are the details you need to settle first. You can also try a pre-made pack of T Shirt Designs to speed up the process.
2. How will you get the designs on your shirts? Are you going to do heat-transfer printing or will you invest in silk screen equipment? Will you contract out the printing to a second party to begin with? You'll have to make these decisions before you go any further.
There are many ways to get an image or lettering onto a T-shirt. Some of the most widely used methods:
3. Find a blank T-shirt vendor. You'll want low prices on bulk amounts of shirts. Shop around -- there are many types of T-shirts and vendors out there.
4. Have garment labels made with your company name. You'll sew these into each of your shirts. This is how you build name recognition for your brand.
5. How are you going to sell your shirts? Will your business be strictly online? Will you sell at flea markets and craft fairs? Will you persuade local retailers to stock your T-shirts? Regardless of where you do the bulk of your selling, you'll need to build a web presence.
6. Obtain the necessary local and commercial licenses. You'll need to check with your local county clerk's office for instructions on what local and state licensing you'll need to run a home-based business. You also need to be certain that any material you purchase or download to use in your designs is properly licensed.
7. Research competitors' pricing to set yours competitively. See what other custom T-shirt websites are charging. Scout local retailers for prices, and visit flea markets and craft fairs to get an idea of your competition. Then price your products at competitive rates.
8. Get your website up and running. Understand that simply posting a spectacular website won't mean you'll instantly receive thousands of orders. You need to create your logo, build your brand and market your website. Use online ads and social media to get your name out there. Also, offer articles on your site that include keywords related to custom T-shirts and T-shirt sales to help visitors find you through search engines.
9. Get your samples ready. Make samples that show off your designs. Take pictures of your samples and post them on your website. Open accounts through online selling sources like Etsy and eBay. Build your social media presence on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram -- with links back to your website, of course. This is yet another way to get your brand out there and get people talking about it.
Once you've completed these steps, you should be ready to get started in your home-based T-shirt business. So, get going, get selling and let the fun begin!
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