This section of the forum is for discussing the business and finance issues of the t-shirt industry. Which business structure to use (sole proprietor, LLC, S Corp, etc), how to handle billing, where to register your business and get the proper licensing, etc.
Hello all...I have several questions for the pros. This is my first post but I have researched many hours on here w/ a lot of success! Now I have my biz plan and need some ?s answered. I will start my biz in Texas. I will be the middleman (sub out everything) for commission and to sell retail to earn money for equipment...that will come later. I have to prove to myself first I can do this...earn it! Anyways, i have all the tax id #'s, dba, etc... in place. Now I need Wholesalers! For everything a biz may need. From promo items, to signs, to shirts,caps, etc... I am going to purchase CorelDraw to design(my specialty) logos and original stuff for T's, etc... I just need wholesalers! I want prefer. local suppliers with fast shipping (drop ok), exc. service, reliability, just like my co. will excell in. Must be dependable. I will need screen and DTG printing done. Will sell retail my original designs (for a niche market) and take custom orders. I need a web host for 3 sites..any sugg's? I need shipping carriers...how to get that done? Need wholesale order forms, bags, etc... Any and every piece of advice I will so much appreciate! Thanks
Hello all...I have several questions for the pros. This is my first post but I have researched many hours on here w/ a lot of success! Now I have my biz plan and need some ?s answered. I will start my biz in Texas. I will be the middleman (sub out everything) for commission and to sell retail to earn money for equipment...that will come later. I have to prove to myself first I can do this...earn it! Anyways, i have all the tax id #'s, dba, etc... in place. Now I need Wholesalers! For everything a biz may need. From promo items, to signs, to shirts,caps, etc... I am going to purchase CorelDraw to design(my specialty) logos and original stuff for T's, etc... I just need wholesalers! I want prefer. local suppliers with fast shipping (drop ok), exc. service, reliability, just like my co. will excell in. Must be dependable. I will need screen and DTG printing done. Will sell retail my original designs (for a niche market) and take custom orders. I need a web host for 3 sites..any sugg's? I need shipping carriers...how to get that done? Need wholesale order forms, bags, etc... Any and every piece of advice I will so much appreciate! Thanks
whoa! Slow down partner... If you starting a new business you need to tell us a few things first. Is this something you are doing out of your house? Do you have customers? You don't have anything but an idea and the right forms it seems at this point, right. What are you planning to do? Are you doing your own brands and designs? are you going to do work for customers? Don't rush off spending money you have not made.. that is the road to going broke before you make money. Are you planning to contract out everything? We can give you names of suppliers for sure, that is the easy part.. A number of them are sponsors of this forum.. As equipment, I recommend Coastal Business. For apparel I recommend a few companies like SanMar, and Bodek and Rhodes. I want you to be sure you have a plan in place. feel free to contact me or any of the others here for help.. Lou
I host with Godaddy and I pay only $70 a year for unlimited domain hosting.
whoa! Slow down partner... If you starting a new business you need to tell us a few things first. Is this something you are doing out of your house? Do you have customers? You don't have anything but an idea and the right forms it seems at this point, right. What are you planning to do? Are you doing your own brands and designs? are you going to do work for customers? Don't rush off spending money you have not made.. that is the road to going broke before you make money. Are you planning to contract out everything? We can give you names of suppliers for sure, that is the easy part.. A number of them are sponsors of this forum.. As equipment, I recommend Coastal Business. For apparel I recommend a few companies like SanMar, and Bodek and Rhodes. I want you to be sure you have a plan in place. feel free to contact me or any of the others here for help.. Lou
I host with Godaddy and I pay only $70 a year for unlimited domain hosting.
I know that was a lot ...so here I go... I will start from home. Will sell to area biz's, and have 100+- biz, personal contacts that I know or family knows. I will sell original designs. I will sell to customers. I will take (goal is any and all) custom orders for anything a biz may need for advertising. Right now, I will contract everything except printing out. ( i have commercial printer for biz cards, brochures, catalogs. etc) I searched hours for true to life wholesalers online...where i give my tax # and get true wholesale prices. Seems most are a gimmick. I need to set up suppliers for everything I will offer. Will be a rep for a promo co. Will sub out all t-shirt orders to someone. Pref. in the south near Texas with fast ship., reliability, etc... I will also set up vendor booths w/ my services at events across Tx. as time allows. Better? lol
I know that was a lot ...so here I go... I will start from home. Will sell to area biz's, and have 100+- biz, personal contacts that I know or family knows. I will sell original designs. I will sell to customers. I will take (goal is any and all) custom orders for anything a biz may need for advertising. Right now, I will contract everything except printing out. ( i have commercial printer for biz cards, brochures, catalogs. etc) I searched hours for true to life wholesalers online...where i give my tax # and get true wholesale prices. Seems most are a gimmick. I need to set up suppliers for everything I will offer. Will be a rep for a promo co. Will sub out all t-shirt orders to someone. Pref. in the south near Texas with fast ship., reliability, etc... I will also set up vendor booths w/ my services at events across Tx. as time allows. Better? lol
All I can say is good luck.. get back to us and let us know how it is going... I like the part about selling to customers... Those are the ones that do the buying.. finding them is another story. Be prepared for rejection.. if you can get past that and continue then you may be ok.. this is a business that is not easy. Thousands of new members come on board with the same idea. I have been in retail and wholesale and sales for over 35 years and I just don't want to see anyone fail. Did you do you business plan?. Do you have a performa. Oh, and please don't depend on family members and friends. Those are the ones that tell you what you want to hear. If you really want to succeed make a plan and listen to the pros here. We , as they say.. BEEN THERE, DONE THAT" ideas for a business are easy. Operating a business is not. Watch every dime and don't buy anything unless you get some advice here. I may be harsh with you here.. but I know of which I speak.. I have mentored hundreds here. Good Luck. Lou
Need Help from Pros...Starting Biz in Texas 
Hello all...I have several questions for the pros. This is my first post but I have researched many hours on here w/ a lot of success! Now I have my biz plan and need some ?s answered. I will start my biz in Texas. I will be the middleman (sub out everything) for commission and to sell retail to earn money for equipment...that will come later. I have to prove to myself first I can do this...earn it! Anyways, i have all the tax id #'s, dba, etc... in place. Now I need Wholesalers! For everything a biz may need. From promo items, to signs, to shirts,caps, etc... I am going to purchase CorelDraw to design(my specialty) logos and original stuff for T's, etc... I just need wholesalers! I want prefer. local suppliers with fast shipping (drop ok), exc. service, reliability, just like my co. will excell in. Must be dependable. I will need screen and DTG printing done. Will sell retail my original designs (for a niche market) and take custom orders. I need a web host for 3 sites..any sugg's? I need shipping carriers...how to get that done? Need wholesale order forms, bags, etc... Any and every piece of advice I will so much appreciate! Thanks
Re: Need Help from Pros...Starting Biz in Texas 
Re: Need Help from Pros...Starting Biz in Texas 
...so here I go... I will start from home. Will sell to area biz's, and have 100+- biz, personal contacts that I know or family knows. I will sell original designs. I will sell to customers. I will take (goal is any and all) custom orders for anything a biz may need for advertising. Right now, I will contract everything except printing out. ( i have commercial printer for biz cards, brochures, catalogs. etc) I searched hours for true to life wholesalers online...where i give my tax # and get true wholesale prices. Seems most are a gimmick. I need to set up suppliers for everything I will offer. Will be a rep for a promo co. Will sub out all t-shirt orders to someone. Pref. in the south near Texas with fast ship., reliability, etc... I will also set up vendor booths w/ my services at events across Tx. as time allows. Better? lol
