Artwear By Alida

I have been through THREE Small Business Management Classes....in one, I refused to hand in my business plan because after I did it, I knew it would be a failure.

My professor, said, "just hand in anything, I'll give you a C"

I refused because I knew the plan I had put together was not worth a grade, it would be a failure.

I have changed my business plans over the past 20 years because of all the changes in the biz.

And to make it in the biz or any biz, you have to be able to change and change fast, or the competition will get ya.

I finally have a simple plan, according to my investment limitations.

But, I am going to do it...and maybe one day, I can live off it.

A business plan, of which you can buy the software and just fill in the blanks to take to a bank is the easiest way to do a biz plan.

My failure was miscalculating having to outsource the web developer and the cost. After he did a wonderful site for me, he tells me he doesn't know anything about e-commerce.....so for three years, I just used my site as sort of a resume, so I could email people to see if they were interested in my designs......

However, a successful millionare business man gave a lecture at the university I attended and said, "after you lose $20,000.00, THAT is when you will have made all the mistakes and know what to do."

Okay, I lost 20 grand. I know all the mistakes now.

It's not as easy as one would think.

As my daddy taught me, "It takes money to make money."

And that is the rule.

Most businesses close after 5 years because they are undercapitalized or make huge mistakes.

Been there, done that.

Now I hope my art will sell.

I am just an artist and the t-shirt is my canvas.

__________________
"The t-shirt is my canvas."

 

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k_impressions

Quote: Originally Posted by RRCOLLECTABLE KIPPYGIRLS12 Is right tee shirt from large to 3xl sell the most. I got stuck with a lot of small and med tee shirts for a while.

When selling online, I definitely find this to be true. But, at Craft Fairs, I sell tons of Smalls and Mediums in person...

 

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dmm26

Here's a little refresher that I got today in my retail management class.

"Sell the dream!"

I actually kind of forgot about this. How? I have no idea but it's stuck with me all day.
I guess this would be more directed at people trying to start a brand.
If your into mma get pics of people fighting in your gear, Snowboarding same thing. Well you get the point.

 

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tpub

Also remember when printing your shirts, this is a good formula to follow once you're ready to print. 1-2-2-1. Which means 1 small 2 medium 2 large 1 x large. Of course you will order more, so something like 10 small 20 medium 20 large 10 x large t shirts. It's not perfect but it works.

 

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nrmetson

When working in a team make sure you get along with the person you are working with. The design process is a lot easier if you like the person you are working with, it's not nice telling someone you don't know too well that their design sucks.

 

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gp1305

... College will only teach you "text book situations" which hardly ever happen.. They can teach you theories about the real world.. but not the real world itself!!

 

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dmm26

Quote: Originally Posted by gp1305 ... College will only teach you "text book situations" which hardly ever happen.. They can teach you theories about the real world.. but not the real world itself!!

I actually started my business and then started back at school as I knew there were things that I didn't know anything about. So far I've learned quite a bit in just a few weeks. Stuff that there's no way I would have learned on my own!

 

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dmm26

Do what your doing. Research!!!! I thought I had done all the right research but alas there is so much more to do. You can never know it all or enough.

Before you spend any money and I mean ANY make sure you know exactly which way you want to go and then go for it.

 

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batikdruid

Quote: Originally Posted by tpub Also remember when printing your shirts, this is a good formula to follow once you're ready to print. 1-2-2-1. Which means 1 small 2 medium 2 large 1 x large. Of course you will order more, so something like 10 small 20 medium 20 large 10 x large t shirts. It's not perfect but it works.

I just want to say I disagree with this a little -- it seems I can't have enough XL or even 2X. People are large out there in America. lol

I don't have a lot of smalls leftover but then I didn't buy a lot -- I do have mostly mediums left over though. IMO: buy more XLs than you think you'll need.

 

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batikdruid

Quote: Originally Posted by marlo45 Is this really possible? I thought that you'll be charged only when the transaction gets processed. There's usually something like a 30 to 35 cent "processing" fee and, therefore, shouldn't be charged if your cart rejects them. That's a rip off! I use them as well for another non apparel related site and had no idea of this vulnerability. I'm really concerned as i am strongly considering building my own site for the flexibility of my eccentric promotional ideas. You mentioned their "fraud protection service", did you have this as well or was it the basic gateway service? I have the latter, but i would gladly pay an extra $5 bucks to get the peace of mind. For the most part, i've had great results with them because their API is relatively simple to interact with for what i'm doing/planning to do. Sorry to hear of your misfortune, though.

Oh its possible alright. You get charged for the ATTEMPT with them. THEN more for the actual transaction.

All I know about my experience was, when I started w/ Authorize.Net I was buying credit card transaction service and they touted all of their security elements, etc. Four years with no problem -- apparently something changed at some point, and they added a higher/more expensive level that I didn't know about. At some point, it appears their basic service didn't do what I had been told it did -- and then they allowed it to be compromised as far as I'm concerned. It would be one thing if they hadn't outright lied to me on several occasions, not to mention the last time when I called and they told me that I wouldn't be charged. $1468.00 later -- yeah, that wasn't quite true.

 

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tim3560

Quote: Originally Posted by batikdruid I just want to say I disagree with this a little -- it seems I can't have enough XL or even 2X. People are large out there in America. lol I don't have a lot of smalls leftover but then I didn't buy a lot -- I do have mostly mediums left over though. IMO: buy more XLs than you think you'll need.

You beat me too it. I'm thinking more along the lines of 1,1,3,3. I'd say that a good 80% percent of all of the orders that I've ever taken have been larges and extra larges. I just placed an order for 60 shirts that went like this:
5 smalls, 7 mediums, 18 larges, 22 Xl's, 4 2Xl's, and 4 3Xl's. Clearly large and extra large by a heavy margin.

__________________
Hard labor kills, make t-shirts instead.

 

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tim3560

Quote: Originally Posted by gp1305 ... College will only teach you "text book situations" which hardly ever happen.. They can teach you theories about the real world.. but not the real world itself!!

That is without a doubt the biggest truth in the business. The only way you'll truly learn is by experience. As much as you go over what you want out of your business, who your customers will be, operating expenses, your company's processes, etc in your head, you'll never really know until you get out there and do it. Sometimes it will be good, and sometimes it will be bad. Hopefully most of the times will be good.

__________________
Hard labor kills, make t-shirts instead.

 

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rusty

Quote: Originally Posted by batikdruid I just want to say I disagree with this a little -- it seems I can't have enough XL or even 2X. People are large out there in America. lol I don't have a lot of smalls leftover but then I didn't buy a lot -- I do have mostly mediums left over though. IMO: buy more XLs than you think you'll need.

It all depends on your target audience. There is no formula that will work for everybody. Every audience is a different size. Men are larger, and women and teens are smaller. Who are you targeting?

 

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Girlzndollz

I finally found a thread to post this info into:

If you are starting a new business or are already in business, please let me tell you about the SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER.

This is a free resource available to all. You do not have to be a student, college grad, or HS grad. You do have to be a human being, though, and the only requirement beyond that is you want to open a business or grow your current one.

I was fortunate a friend knew about this and gave me the phone number. I am passing this info onto you now. The guy I work with is invaluable to me. Here is a link directly to the US Small Business Administration:

Small Business Administration - sbdc_locator_map

From the site:
Mission

The Office of Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) provides management assistance to current and prospective small business owners.

SBDCs offer one-stop assistance to individuals and small businesses by providing a wide variety of information and guidance in central and easily accessible branch locations.

The program is a cooperative effort of the private sector, the educational community and federal, state and local governments and is an integral component of Entrepreneurial Development's network of training and counseling services.


From me:

I met with my couselor today for 1 1/2 hour - one to one meeting - free of charge - focusing on the biz. We worked together to set up the next steps for growth and development. I walked out with more contacts than you can shake a stick at. It's so great when someone gives you a list of contacts and says "tell them I refered you from the SBDC." That equals more "no charge" services for detailed help doing what I need to do - how awesome it that??

I can't say enough about this FREE resource. Your counselor gets to know you and personally assists you with all of your business growth and direction needs. Okay, I'm done here. I'm pretty sure I got this message across at this point. Good luck, and I feel this is the most major contribution I could ever make here on the forum.

 

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Bill Hood

I have been reading this thread with great interest. It speaks volumes about the ability to get started in the screenprinting industry, especially textile printing, with little or no money, some basic understanding, and a lot of luck and actually make 'some' money from it. However, there is always more to being in business and making 'enough money to support yourself' than first thought.

As a consultant in the screenprinting industry and having personally visited over 7,000 shops in the United States, Mexico and India, I have seen pretty much every problem that could be incurred. As a result of my consulting I have created solutions to each and every problem that I have encountered. Any one of my clients could write volumes on "Things I Wish I'd Known From the Start!"

Some of the things I could add, by proxy from my clients would be:

Experience is a poor teacher - One can gain years of experience, but not 'know' anything other than "that's the way we have always done it!" I have seen far too many printers making double strokes to get a sufficient white ink deposit on black shirts, when they could have done it with a single stroke, eliminating half of the work and doubling production and potential revenue.

Gain knowledge and put it to use - The real success lies with those who have the knowledge to not make mistakes in the first place. Always have an open mind and ask questions that will grant you knowledge. A case in point is an individual who insists on making double strokes using a print-flash-print technique because they 'believe' it is the best solution. At trade shows where I am showing a single print of white on a black garment, I have had numerous people tell me that I was lying about the ink because they had never been able to print with a single stroke and get the same results. I share 'all' of the information in my presentations and classes and still they are unwilling to do what is necessary to achieve their goals.

Educate yourself and your staff - Yes, I train screenprinters, but you don't have to invest in my services or others in order to train yourself. You are already on your journey by reading the posts on this site and others. Read all the posts, subscribe and read all of the trade journals, buy the articles and books that are for sale on the Internet, visit the trade shows and ask lots of questions, take your screenprinting supplier to lunch and soak up all of his knowledge, do the same with your banker, CPA, and business consultant. Hire a mentor that will hold your hand and give you their advice. After doing all that, you still must wade through all the bad advice in search of the pearls of wisdom that will make you successful.

Never trust someone with a dog in the race - There is a good amount of deceit going on in this industry. A supplier makes more money selling you wood frames or even stretch and glue frames and will tell you that is the way to go. They don't want you to invest in Stretch Devices' Roller Frames as they will lose money on the subsequent frame and mesh sales. They won't tell you that you will decrease your ink consumption by up to 50-percent, lower your emulsion and reclaiming cost and in the end increase your production and potentially double or even triple your income. They are in the business of making money for themselves and are never going to be completely honest with you. The same goes for the guy selling transfer equipment, DTG equipment or anything else. They are not going to tell you that you can make more money with another process if they lose the sale of equipment or supplies in the end.

Listen carefully to what the salesperson isn't telling you - A salesperson is trained to feed you information that will make you want to buy their equipment. They will never 'give' you advice that paints a bad picture of their equipment. They will never give you the referrals of a client who is unhappy with their equipment. A case in point is the equipment company who touts the print arm of their presses as being unable to deflect with pressure. This is their strongest selling point, but is in actuality nothing more than a diversion. Anyone who is a great printer knows that you don't need pressure to print a T-shirt. The printing is done through a proper technique of ink transfer that requires only that the mesh come into contact with the shirt. Try this: place a screen in the printing position, raise it slightly and with a single stroke fill the mesh openings with ink. Not a 'flood stroke' but a 'fill stroke' that fills the openings with ink and cleans the top surface of most of the ink. Now lower the screen to the print position and push the image area of the mesh down with one finger until it just touches the shirt. Does this require an extreme amount of pressure that would cause the platen to deflect? Of course not. Now lift the screen and notice that the ink has been 'transferred' to the garment. Be very careful in 'listening' to what you are being sold.

There's more, but I have a plane to catch. Best of luck and don't forget to question everything you 'hear' and especially what you think you 'know'!

__________________
Bill Hood, Screenprint Consultant
http://screenprintstore.com and http://solutionsjournal.com

 

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