I'm new here and would like to thank everyone for their part on the information available on this site.I have $3500 to start up with.I would to know what are the first steps to getting A T shirt line started?Ex( Bussiness name, lic, trademark, design,Etc) I will be also looking for a designer online Ex(elance,guru.com) which one of these site is good for finding a designer.
thanks.
You will find a ton of information here but you are going to have to do a bit of leg work. Search your topic here on the forums as I am sure many of your questions have been answered. Use the search box at the top of the page.
First of all Create your Business Name ie "Myclothesstore" do some checks and find out if you can aquire things like URL"www.myclothesstore.com" search for a trademark if needed and registration of the compant name see if it is available. Once you have this set in stone then move onto things like design, what type of clothing business do you want to run.Research a little see whats out there whats NOT out there and start creatiing a mood and feel for your clothes. If your ideas are being passed over to a designer give them a mood board with your ideas on to give them a clearer idea.
Good Luck!
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Last edited by Comin'OutSwingin; February 16th, 2009 at 08:22 AM.
Reason: removed request for service per forum guidelines
As Katrina pointed out above, there are a few threads on here which discuss in great detail the costs and procedures of opening your own apparel line. For my two cents, I wouldn't get overly concerned with the trademark issue, at least at first. Although its relatively inexpensive to do a trademark, you have to make sure you have the money to back up your trademark in court. Secondly, depending upon your line, it may be best to start with a Print-On-Demand fulfillment center first, to make sure that your shirts can sell and there is significant demand. If you choose this route make sure to order a few sample shirts so as to ensure you are getting the quality you want. For designing, there are many different places you can go to and get a designer to create a shirt for you. You best bet, get your website started and put most of your money towards marketing. Hope this helps, good luck with your venture!
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As Katrina pointed out above, there are a few threads on here which discuss in great detail the costs and procedures of opening your own apparel line. For my two cents, I wouldn't get overly concerned with the trademark issue, at least at first. Although its relatively inexpensive to do a trademark, you have to make sure you have the money to back up your trademark in court. Secondly, depending upon your line, it may be best to start with a Print-On-Demand fulfillment center first, to make sure that your shirts can sell and there is significant demand. If you choose this route make sure to order a few sample shirts so as to ensure you are getting the quality you want. For designing, there are many different places you can go to and get a designer to create a shirt for you. You best bet, get your website started and put most of your money towards marketing. Hope this helps, good luck with your venture!
Thanks but what youre stating is a trademark is not needed but how can i protect my name and logo.
First of all Create your Business Name ie "Myclothesstore" do some checks and find out if you can aquire things like URL"www.myclothesstore.com" search for a trademark if needed and registration of the compant name see if it is available. Once you have this set in stone then move onto things like design, what type of clothing business do you want to run.Research a little see whats out there whats NOT out there and start creatiing a mood and feel for your clothes. If your ideas are being passed over to a designer give them a mood board with your ideas on to give them a clearer idea.
Good Luck!
Thanks but do I have to get bussiness lic with the state that I live in if this going to online bussiness starting out?
You can submit your artwork for the logo to the copyright office. I can't remember the price but I believe it is somewhere in the neighborhood of $50. Trademark's are good but if you are unfamiliar with the various pitfalls can end up being fairly expensive in the long haul. If you have limited capital to start with, it is much better to get your name out there, and as you start selling your shirts to build a fund which will enventually pay for the trademark.
__________________ SBESite.com: Free blogs, forums, stores and more
If you are using another fulfillment center to do your work, you will not need to create an LLC or other business entity, unless, of course, you want the security of having company protection in case of a law suit. It also depends, how serious you are with the business. Will this be full time, part time? This will help determine the best course of action.
__________________ SBESite.com: Free blogs, forums, stores and more
If you are using another fulfillment center to do your work, you will not need to create an LLC or other business entity, unless, of course, you want the security of having company protection in case of a law suit. It also depends, how serious you are with the business. Will this be full time, part time? This will help determine the best course of action.
This will be part time as I have a day job for now.I would like to brand my name and have a website. can this be done with a fulfillment center?Isee u have a fulfillment center.can u tell me about youre's. i just want to get started. but i also would like to protect my name before i have designs made and printed on shirts. thanks
Keep in mind that $3500 is nothing if you plan on printing & shipping yourself. If you want to start a viable printing company, you'll need a lot more.
So...since you have $3500, you'll probably want to find a web fulfillment company.
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Eco-Friendly printing at GreatApparelForYou.com for organic tshirts and Direct to Garment Printing in Chicago, Illinois including shirt web fulfillment, and Funny Tees at gafy.com!
Research everything on your business plan. make sure everything from the designs to the shipping is solid.
write down all of the things your going to need.
work up a budget.
makes some designs.
shop around for different blanks. dont just go to one site and say "these are nice, i guess i'll get these"
find a printing company to start out with. this will cut down on initial costs. when you flip a couple runs, then you invest in larger orders and some printing equipment.
work up a marketing plan!! people have to know you exist before they will buy your product.
__________________
Freelance artist for hire. I do all sorts of things. website up soon.
Research everything on your business plan. make sure everything from the designs to the shipping is solid.
write down all of the things your going to need.
work up a budget.
makes some designs.
shop around for different blanks. dont just go to one site and say "these are nice, i guess i'll get these"
find a printing company to start out with. this will cut down on initial costs. when you flip a couple runs, then you invest in larger orders and some printing equipment.
work up a marketing plan!! people have to know you exist before they will buy your product.
Thanks for you input. I need to learn how to write a bussiness plan. is there some where i can get help on a bussiness plan. I will also have to find a designer.
i ripped this off TN's dept. of economy site. just the basic layout and stuff are what you need to worry bout.
Brief Summary
This is important when requesting a loan. Simplify the understanding of your proposals with a one-page summary. This serves to route the request to the appropriate loan officer. It then gives the loan officer a thumbnail sketch of the proposal to frame a subsequent examination of the business plan. The brief summary should include:
Identification. Designate your company or entrepreneur name, address and phone number, as well as contact person, position and phone number if different from the company’s number.
Introduction. The introduction tells the lender up front why there is so much documentation/paperwork on his or her desk. It helps put the lender in the proper frame of reference to read the rest of your proposal. Remember, this is a brief description. Save the details of loan structure and maturity for the body of the proposal. ()
Business Description. Include a paragraph on the nature of the business operations, market served and whether it is a start-up or expansion of current operations.
Market Analysis. Write a one- or two-paragraph description of the market you plan to reach, including size, capacity and/or cyclical nature.
Management Description. Include one or two sentences about your management team. Concentrate on the team’s industry experience.
The Business
In this section you include the details of your business. This section should include:
Business Description. Describe the company’s organization, operations, primary market, background and eventual goals.
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Market Analysis. This is one of the crucial aspects of your business plan. It identifies the environment in which the business will operate. It describes competitors who may impact the operations of the business, and identifies pricing or technical innovation strategies which give your business a competitive advantage in the market. It should review business cycles and practices that may be unique to the industry. It identifies key features of the product or service offered; that is, those features product buyers consider important.
If relying on industry experience, you may have decided upon a product or service that the business can furnish to a specific group of buyers you have already identified. If new to an industry, you will have to do some extensive work in both product and buyer identification.
Which specific products or services do you intend to furnish?
To which specific buyers do you intend to sell your products or services?
What is the buying cycle? Steady? Seasonal?
What are the pricing practices?
What are the payment practices?
What are the characteristics of the market? Growing, steady, declining?
Aging?
Relocating?
What are the external influences on the market?
Regulatory?
Fad or fashion conscious?
Hurt or helped by government or industry changes?
What is your differential advantage or your unique selling point (USP)?
Why should consumers purchase from you instead of the competition?
This is just a brief list of marketing information you must consider. Depending on the product and market selected, you can look forward to spending much time, energy and money to develop answers to the above questions. This section establishes the base upon which the business will be constructed. All other parts of the business plan should support your plan to service the selected market.
Key Personnel. Here you will need to include a list of the people involved with your business and the costs associated with their employment.
Directors and Officers. List names and positions of all directors, officers and key employees in your firm.
Personal Information. Enclose a resumé and personal financial statement for each principal in your business. If you seek a loan through the Small Business Administration, you will be required to complete personal history and personal financial statements.
Labor Costs. Make a table showing the name of each person who will be paid by your business, from owner/directors through hourly employees. Indicate their position with the firm and the total cost associated with each one (salary, fringes, director’s fees, bonuses, commissions, etc.).
Owner/Investors. Describe your financing to date as it relates to the people involved. Indicate the name, amount of investment and percent of ownership for each investor. If you offered shares to investors, indicate the number under option and the number exercised. If shares were offered in exchange for services, state this as well. If your firm signed employment agreements with any director, manager, or employee, enclose a copy here. If you seek financing, you should explain why these agreements were necessary and how they will benefit the business.
Professional Help. List names of all professionals you have consulted or plan to consult in connection with your business. Lenders and investors will want to know the amount you have paid consultants and whether part of the money you are requesting now will go toward their fees.
Financing Requirements. Most entrepreneurs require supplemental financing to begin operations. This is the area where you need to be realistic and conservative. Calculate the amount required to start and operate your venture until cash flow supports the operation. Most financial problems experienced by entrepreneurs can be traced to lack of capital caused by underestimating expenses.
Working capital is one requirement that all businesses must meet. Include a breakdown of working capital under major components such as inventory and salaries. Most commercial banks have copies of the Robert Morris Associates books. These books provide average business ratios for businesses of similar size and industry. You would be wise to consult these books in preparing this portion of your business plans.
Financial Data
The financial portion of your business plan consists of documents that support your loan request and indicate the expected financial posture of your firm at different time periods. Listed below are suggested statements for start-up companies.
Financial Projections — Start-Up Costs. Entrepreneurs say the most common mistake in starting a business is underestimating start-up costs and the time required to generate positive cash flow. Your initial goal as an entrepreneur is to reach positive cash flow. If you make positive cash flow, profit should follow. This is the area where you should be realistic or at least conservative.
Using standard cost accounting procedures, start-up costs can be divided into two categories: fixed and variable. This information should be included in your operating costs documents.
Fixed Costs. Fixed costs are those incurred by the purchase or lease of equipment, supplies, utility deposits, furniture, fixtures and vehicles, real estate rent or mortgage. They can be tabulated and will be the same regardless of the volume of business generated. Advertising costs can be considered fixed if planned for.
Variable Costs. Variable costs are those most often underestimated by entrepreneurs. Variable costs in this case include not only costs associated with the volume of operations, but also any unplanned costs. Variable costs include those expenses associated with operating the business until the point of positive cash flow. While various mechanisms are available to cover fixed initial costs, most lenders expect the entrepreneur to provide the working capital necessary to operate the business to the point of positive cash flow. Variable costs also include payrolls, inventory, utility bills and unplanned expenses such as production waste costs (applies to manufacturing and service businesses), unanticipated production costs such as bonds or insurance premiums, underestimated job quotes and the like. It is usually a good idea to add 10–20% of variable costs as unanticipated expenses.
Financial Documents — Papers to Prepare.
Sources and Application of Funds. Borrowers should list the amount of money they have spent or are prepared to spend on the project for which they are preparing the business plan. This document should include funds raised, the source of those funds (owner’s cash, loans from friends or investors) and how the funds were spent.
Capital Equipment List. If you, the borrower, have purchased equipment in the past, you should provide a list of such equipment, date purchased and appraised value.
Operating Statement. The operating statement is a projection of the costs of doing business. These figures form the basis of the cash flow projection. The foundation of an accurate operating estimate is a good cost accounting system.
Note: Operating Statements are calculated using the Accrual Method; that is, sales and expenses are recognized at the time they occur, not when they are paid or accounts are collected. The CASH FLOW statement accounts for the actual time periods in which bills are paid and receipts are collected.
Cash Flow Statement. Cash flow projections demonstrate the inflow and outflow of cash over a period of time. They project increases and decreases in the cash accounts of your company. Therefore, the cash flow statement projects your firm’s ability to pay bills, cover payrolls and service bank debt from one period to the next (usually per month). It shows the source of cash and the uses of cash. Entries for the cash flow statement should flow from the operating statement. The difference is:
An operating statement recognizes sales and expenses when they are incurred.
A cash flow statement recognizes sales and expenses when they are actually paid for.
Balance Sheet. The balance sheet describes the condition of your business on a particular day, usually the last day of the month, quarter, or year. This makes it different from other financial statements, most of which cover a period of time. Another difference between the balance sheet and other statements is that it must balance the assets and liabilities of your business. The headings used in the balance sheet are described below:
Assets—Anything the business owns that has money value. The assets of a small business commonly include cash, notes receivable, accounts receivable, inventories, land, buildings, machinery, equipment and other investments.
Current Assets—Cash and assets that are expected to be converted into cash during the normal operating cycle of the business (generally within a year).
Fixed Assets—Those assets acquired for long-term use in the business. They include land, buildings, plant, machinery, equipment, furniture, fixtures and so on.
Other Assets—Those assets which constitute value but are not directly used to generate cash such as consumable office supplies and vehicles.
Liabilities—The claims of creditors against the assets of the business. In other words, debts owed by the business.
Current Liabilities—Those due for payment within a year. They include trade payable, vehicle installment loans, salaries and especially employer taxes such as unemployment insurance and workers compensation insurance.
Long-term (or Fixed) Liabilities—Debts or parts of debts that are not due for payment within a year. The allowance for future income taxes represents the taxes that will have to be paid on the profits of the current year, but that are not due for payment until later. Accrued liabilities are similar to the allowance for future income taxes in that the expenses are charged against profits of the current year, although payment will not be made until later.
Equity—Consists of the assets of your business minus its liabilities. This equity is the investment of the owner or owners plus any profits (or minus any losses) that have been left to accumulate in the business. If your business is incorporated, its books will show a capital stock account. This account represents the paid-in value of the shares issued to the owners of the business.
Undistributed Profits—Are recorded in an earned-surplus account. If your business is a proprietorship or a partnership, the capital accounts appear under the name or names of the owners. Increases in equity as a result of undistributed earnings are also recorded here, as are decreases in equity if the business shows a loss instead of a profit.
A new business should prepare projected annual balance sheets for three years. An existing firm should include historical balance sheets from the three previous years (or for however long it has been in existence if fewer than three), as well as three years of annual projections. Why is estimating your projects so important? Because it demonstrates your increase in operations and subsequent ability to repay the loan from increased cash flows.
Break-Even Analysis. You need to calculate a break-even point to determine the volume of sales necessary to reach that minimum point where you can cover both fixed and variable costs. This point of no loss and no profit is called the break-even point.
Supporting Documents
If you are going to use your business plan to support a loan request, be prepared. Include these supporting documents:
Personal Financial Statements. Obtain signed, personal financial statements on any persons guaranteeing a debt.
Resumés of Principals. Include the name, address and telephone number of each principal.
Relevant work or industry experience. The purpose of this section is to acquaint loan officers with the principals’ industry experience which demonstrates their ability to operate a company. Unlike a job-seeking resumé that concentrates on accomplishments, this resumé should outline learned skills and experiences that facilitate the operation of a company.
Principals should list companies worked for, dates of employment, job titles and responsibilities.
List the high school, community college or university the principals graduated from, along with graduation date and type of degree or diploma.
Additional Information. Here is a good place to include any other information you feel is relevant to the business plan or loan request. Entrepreneurs should find the above outline useful in planning their business operations and requesting financing. This outline is designed for a start-up operation; however, a good business plan is helpful when considering alternative approaches to owning a business. Read the next section, 1.3 Business Options, to find out more about the main types of businesses available.
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Freelance artist for hire. I do all sorts of things. website up soon.
How sould I start a t shirt line 
Re: How sould I start a t shirt line 
