If you have been thinking about starting a t-shirt business, go for it by all means. It’s an excellent choice of business because they are a staple in everybody’s closet. On the other hand, it can be a competitive market. ;If you want to succeed, it will be hard because you have to hustle. If you want to fail, that is easy. Try these steps and bid adieu to your business in no time.
Start big straight away
Because you were so excited about your business idea to materialize, you decided to produce a thousand t-shirts straight away. You put all your savings to use to make sure all the t-shirts designs you have in mind will come to life. And now, after three months, you are sitting in your living room with 20 boxes of shirts, and you are out of money. Starting this big is the best way to sabotage your t-shirt business success before it can even begin. Spending a lot of money to produce thousands of t-shirt before your launch date can put you in a debt hole.
Do not rush things because starting a business is not only about having huge starting capital. There are still a lot of things that have to be considered, like educating yourself about the business, finding your niche, market, and the right business consultant to advise you. The best way to go on the first year is to start small, then work your way up, slow and steady. This will also allow you to scale your market and give you time to think if this business is a good fit for you.
Choose low-quality materials and equipment
Sure, going with low-quality blank shirts and cheap screen transfer equipment can save you a lot of money. However, it will compromise the quality of the t-shirt. When that happens, your sales number will go down. Using cheap and low-quality material for your t-shirts is an excellent way to leave a bad first impression on new customers and shoo away repeat businesses. If you want your t-shirt business to last, invest in materials that are built to last as well, like shirts made of cotton and using high-quality heat transfer machine for prints.
Do not pick a niche
While being the jack-of-all-trades sounds admirable, it may not work for a small business, especially if you are just getting started with your business. If you think being a generalist is an excellent idea to bring in more sales, you are wrong. ; Catering everyone will not build a clear brand identity, and no one will see you as their expert. Your business can be for everyone and make a sale now and then, but if you are aiming to be a hit and a sustainable business for a long period, having an area of focus is the way to go.
Ask yourself, who will wear your t-shirt? Is it the millennials or the baby boomers? Are they teenagers or young professionals? These are just a few questions to narrow down your niche. So if you want your business to fail in less than a year, do not pick a niche.
Do not create traction before launching the business
It is an old practice that your business presence must be put on hold until everything is polished, and your website/store is a hundred percent ready to operate. This thinking has to go because the truth is there is so much more you can do before your launching date. There are tons of ways on how to get noticed and get people interested in your business, even before your launch. Here are a few ideas:
- Set up the website, post all t-shirt designs, and add a button that will allow visitors to sign up on the waitlist.
- Offer discount codes in exchange for their email subscription. You will be likely to have an easier time launching knowing that you have about a few hundred interested in your t-shirt business.
- Maximize Instagram Stories by creating a poll. For instance, ask them which design is better and what designs are they looking forward to seeing on launch day. This will allow your brand to build relationships with your potential customers.
- Run a contest that will ask people to share your post about your launch date. Use them to spread awareness. Run it until it is almost launching day.
These strategies can get your business viral online, which can create phenomenal traction for your new business. Now that you know what you should not do, you could start thinking of a business plan for your small business. Don’t be afraid of the future, because you now know what to do to be a success.
