I just started screen printing mid summer and as soon as i started, biz was really good. Got a few festival jobs, some band jobs and what not. However, for like the past two months, I haven't been getting hardly ANY jobs at all. Right now i'm paying rent at $375 a month, which isn't so bad but when you're not making ANY money, it's bad! Any suggestions on what I can do to get biz going better? I know I need to get up off my *** and start promoting better so what are your tips on that also? Below is the services I offer. Times is TOUGH so I need to make some drastic changes. THANKS!
1-4 color screen printing
vinyl transfers
heat transfers
I just started screen printing mid summer and as soon as i started, biz was really good. Got a few festival jobs, some band jobs and what not. However, for like the past two months, I haven't been getting hardly ANY jobs at all. Right now i'm paying rent at $375 a month, which isn't so bad but when you're not making ANY money, it's bad! Any suggestions on what I can do to get biz going better? I know I need to get up off my *** and start promoting better so what are your tips on that also? Below is the services I offer. Times is TOUGH so I need to make some drastic changes. THANKS!
1-4 color screen printing
vinyl transfers
heat transfers
Marketing is a big deal. Try to market your products to a certain sport team, coaches, etc. Once you get your name out there a bit, you'll start getting business, but until you get a reputation business will be hit and miss...
This time of year is slow for most everybody. Now is when you need to get ready for spring, learn new techniques, improve your techniques, knock on doors to find new customers and what ever you can do to get future business. During spring, summer and fall we do bout 2,000 shirts a day, I have 300 to do this week. It has been like this for the 14 years I have been in business. We have to save up in the good times for the times like this. You will wonder when is going to pick up and then all of a sudden your covered up and wish things would slow down for a while. Good luck and just hang in there it will pick up before you know it.
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Mike
If you dig ditches be the best ditch digger you can be.
I just did some work for a couple of schools on fundraising, schools and pto's are always looking to make extra money. Make a couple of designs for a few schools, take some sample shirts to show them also get with some booster clubs and try boys and girls clubs, start marketing baseball and softball uniforms. good luck.
Great advise guys. I'm gonna have to get up off my *** and go get the work and not expect it to come to me. After reading your posts, I sarted thinking of all the people i know in different schools, organizations, politicians etc. that I should be reaching out to for some business. Thanks for the encouragement..
I generally don't advertise but I have a couple of friends that are business owners and we have talked about this for a couple of years now. Our children go the same high school and the graphics we see on the spirit shirts are lacking originality. The idea is to sell sponsorship on the back of these shirts and allow the owners of the business to give the shirts to their customers. At $500 per sponsor, 4 sponsors would be plenty. I could print 500 shirts and still make around $600 or more, the sponsors get 125 shirts for $500. It's a good way to get my name out, get new customers and make a little money too. Odds are I won't do this because I am taking advantage of this slow time while I can. By the end of February I will be covered up till the end of November first of December. But I know that these guys will do this, we talk about it every year, they are waiting on me.
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Mike
If you dig ditches be the best ditch digger you can be.
This business is hit and miss at best. Times you'll think how am I going to make it and then you'll wonder how you're going to get it all done.
Try hitting some local businesses before the end of the year. I know you don't have much time left but they may need to spend some money to save on taxes. Just be sure and let them know that you can date the receipt for this year so they can take it off of their taxes. Try and get them to pay now if possible and give them a Jan. date for delivery if you can't get the order done before the end of the year. Many businesses are looking for ways to spend money right now to save on taxes.
Good Luck! It will pick back up again and you'll be posting on here wondering about automatic presses and how many people to hire and all the stuff that goes with it when you get more business than you can handle!!!!
Merry Christmas!
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God Bless! Booger County Outfitters LLC. Maker of custom knives and screenprinted T's
Yep... always been this way. Slow around Christmas and then again around July or August. The trick is to find a festival or event that coincides with your inevitable slow-downs... and, like has already been mentioned, remember these slow times while you're rolling in the heavy times and put a bit back for the bills and such.
As for the here and now... just gotta hit the pavement.
Pretty much ditto-ing what previous posts said, but we noticed a huge upswing in biz when we had an on-the-road salesperson. Many people/businesses/schools want shirts but don't have the time or motivation to get to your shop to place an order. I am no salesman for sure (hate cold calls), but we got a lot of business that way. Try looking through your city calendar to see what events might be coming up. City youth sport leagues are always going on. As is stated above, this time o' year is slow for printers. That's when I get to hunt.
Yes it is slow all around. People are worried if they are going to have jobs. Money spent right now is on Christmas, food, mortgage and bills. This is a good time to use the free time to lay out a marketing plan for the new year. Find out who to contact for schools, businesses and organization. This is all part of the business. Then you will be ready to implement those marketing goals when the new year starts. Wish all the best.. Enjoy The holidays.. Lou
We are slammed right up until Xmas eve ...then the next 3 weeks are tolerable ....then right into basketball...then following is baseball....but when we first started we thought we cant make it doing this....but after almost 7 years we've learned to adjust.....we actually promote off season bargains to keep the work flow going.....what we do is if we have a school or business or organization who really wants to maximize their dollar we offer off season pricing which is 20% below peak pricing.....we even schedule for after new years but let them "pay" in this year so they get the write off.....then they use their refund to pay the outstanding invoice *wink* so...just forge ahead be creative and always promote yourself relentlessly ...the works out there...they just dont know it yet....GOOD LUCK !!!
__________________ The Shirt Shak-TSS Grafx-TSS Sporting Goods...Gettin it done since 2001
I am pretty busy right now too, just finished a 160 shirt order and about to start some basketball jerseys i have a couple of vinyl applied shirts to finish for christmas and then take a long weekend.
One thing for us that does pick up the slack is embroidery. We see every flavor of stocking imaginable this time of year. Plus, our regular business customers order jackets, caps, etc for their employees for Christmas.
One thing for us that does pick up the slack is embroidery. We see every flavor of stocking imaginable this time of year. Plus, our regular business customers order jackets, caps, etc for their employees for Christmas.
YUP !!!.....our SWF 1501 hasnt been turned off in 3 weeks....and has been stitching 24/7 except for TB's and bobbin changes....and every 6 hours it gets oil....as for me...I got toothpicks holding up my eyelids....LOL
__________________ The Shirt Shak-TSS Grafx-TSS Sporting Goods...Gettin it done since 2001
I feel much better now. I got all types of ideas to work with now. I appreciate the feedback. Merry Christmas to everyone and hope the new year is better than this one!
Biz is slow-any suggestions?!?!? 
