 Re: Things I wish I'd known from the start.
Plan on the unexpected! Places like this forum help a lot (wish I'd found it sooner) and there is no substitute for good research as well but even with the best planning 'things happen'. Think I exaggerate? We had an order for about 600 blanks delivered to the wrong address where the owners' dogs had a blast destroying our shirts!
Decide what your market will be and what you'll sell, test your products/process before you offer them and find you can't deliver.
Locate and test alternate suppliers, occasionally your main guy will be out of stock and that's usually not the time to look for another supplier.
Everything will be more expensive than you planned.
Always allow extra time in case Murphy rears his inevitable head.
Plan on mistakes and some decisions that don't work out, our store room if full of cheap or undersized equipment we bought in the beginning that cost us time & money, products that won't sell or blanks that didn't make the cut.
Ask people using the equipment you're interested in, retailers are not a good source of unbiased recommendations.
Be patient and persistent, you'll experience frustration & setbacks, all good things take time.
Kind regards,
Sean |