[SELLING PRINTING SERVICES] Marketing your business when it is home based
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Discuss the fun task of marketing a t-shirt shop. Where to advertise, local marketing tips, word of mouth, press releases, search engine marketing, keyword advertising, magazines, etc.
[SELLING PRINTING SERVICES] Marketing your business when it is home based
I started my first printing business out of my home and ran it that way for the first 3 years.
I decided to make my business as a trade shop, where we supplied printing to printshops for resale.
We put together a "dealer kit" which included various samples of our printing products as well as a counter display with easel. We provided a price book, but this can be as simple as a price sheet.
We did create a website with basic information on it, but I went door to door, making cold calls on all of the printers in my surrounding area...about a 30 mile radius. I also mailed out "dealer kits" to some of the larger shops that were out of my driving area.
All of our business came in by mail, or email, so no need to have a storefront. We shipped almost everything.
On our 4th year of business, we grossed over $650k and moved to a lease space.
Marketing is key to gaining a customer base. We continued to mail out postcards with some small special discount every quarter to keep our customers aware of us. If you get 2 - 3% return on your mailings, you're doing good.
Best of luck,
Tracy
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Libertarians are the only individuals that do not want to restrict freedoms.
Wow! 650K on 4th year!! I can only hope to do that well! When you say you marketed your biz as a trade shop, are you talking about doing printing for other printers that are too busy or don't want to take a job? The counter top easel you discussed, was that just for your use when you went in to speak with the shop owners?
What type of services did you offer? Screen print, transfers, vinyl, etc.
Thanks so much for the help! I hope to do as well as you have!
How many people were helping you in your biz when you began?
We got into short run digital printing in 2002 when much of the mom and pop shops didn't have in any type of full color capability. We offered business cards, postcards, brochures, letterhead and envelopes. Most of the shops that had 4 color presses couldn't produce the short run quantities for a reasonable cost, so we supplied them with a good service.
The counter display was something we assembled and provided to each of our dealers. It promoted business cards and postcards.
When I first started, it was just me...after the first year, my wife quit her day job and came on board to help me. That is when I was first able to draw a paycheck from it. The first year was at no pay, so we relied on my wife for income and also used a bit from credit cards.
We paid the credit cards off, but once we moved to the lease space and leased more equipment, things started to go south.
I leased a digital press that gave us more diversity, but the costs to operate were quite high. At our peak, we had a total of 7 employees and were busy like mad, but our profit margin went totally south. I completely regret growing so fast and allowed it to get out of hand.
Then the housing bubble bursts and we lose a large amount of our business, we struggle for the next couple of years to stay afloat, eventually letting everyone go except for our son. After 7 years, I finally called it quits and closed the business. The last 18 months, I have not made a profitable month. I had acquired too much equipment on lease and didn't have enough business to maintain it. I was putting in much of my personal finances to keep it afloat, and finally decided to pull the plug.
After 7 years of that, I've learned a few things and am now starting over in my home again, but this time as a screen printer. I also have a secure position with one of my best customers as a press operator, while I build up the screen printing using my son and wife to operate it. I learned the hard way about running a business...it was my first try at a business, so I don't feel too bad that it failed as it did, after all, it did last 7 years.
I won't be making the same mistakes this time.
Cheers,
Tracy
__________________
Libertarians are the only individuals that do not want to restrict freedoms.
Thank you so much for your story of triumphs and tragedys. I have retired from the corporate world to spend time with our daughter while she is in high school since I was never around much during her younger years. My husband continues to work and I am getting into this business wanting to start small while learning the business and all that goes with it; add a little income to our income and do it without going into too much debt! I have been in business (corporate management) for more than 10 years and have the business sense but learning this business is completely different.
My husband would like to pull out all the stops, go for broke and dive in, but I keep telling him to slow down and wait. We've got the rest of our lives to make this happen and I don't want to get too big too fast with too much debt.
Thanks for your help, your story; it makes me even more determined to stick to my guns and my methods and make him slow down and listen to me!
Good luck to you in the screen printing, I will eventually be trying to learn that also as soon as I get all the graphics down!
Any chance you have an order form for tees that is editable that I could utilize? I'm looking for something that has the specifics needed to take an order with a mock tee on it for drawing or writing design placement, color, etc. I have seen some good ones out there on some websites, but I'm trying to find something that I can edit and use so i don't have to try and make a new one.
I am sometimes form challenged so anything that I can just change instead of starting from scratch would be great.
Sorry, I haven't gotten that far yet...I am still in the process of building a few components for production. Once I get things in order, I'd be happy to post what I create, but it may be a few weeks down the road.
How I make my order forms is to build them using Adobe In-Design and saving as PDF, then use Acrobat Pro to add the appropriate fields for being able to fill out on screen for emailing or printing out.
Cheers,
Tracy
__________________
Libertarians are the only individuals that do not want to restrict freedoms.
Sounds like you've got a lot of good info already. One thing I would suggest is using your own social network. Have a business card, talk to your friends, neighbours about your new business. Ask their advice, so they are connected to the process.
Another cool idea I heard once was for sporting teams. If you or family are involved with a sports team - Make a jacket for the coach as a gift. It's a great talking point, and can lead to people wanting their own supporter jackets, then even the team uniforms. Another cute one is to do baby outfits supporting that particular team - every one loves it!
It does make it alot easier if you have a website people can order from though. I think that would be my first priority in terms of promoting your business. I've just started my tshirt business and I just let my friends know about my site and they can design and order themselves. Means I dont have to worry about order forms or invoices or anything!
Hope this helps!
Last edited by Rodney; November 25th, 2009 at 09:03 AM.
Reason: removed link to member website in post as per forum rules - feel free to add it to your forum signature via control panel
I am looking for tips or ideas of how you market/sell your business when it is home based and you have no storefront or website yet.
A friend of mine will be selling for me also and I'm trying to figure out a packet of sorts to have and carry with us.
Should I make a brochure, have some samples (but how many and of what), etc.
Any tips of the trade here would be great!
Eventually I will have a website but until then I need ideas!
Thanks!
Simple....unless you are trying to use "home-based" as a marketing niche, don't look, sound or act home based.
Polish your look (Company apparel, id's, clipboards, invoices, etc) Don't go cheep on your logo and website.
Thoroughly understand your business. Anticipate the questions you may be asked and practice your response. The answers should flow smoothly and with confidence. Have a friend or spouse spontaneously ask you questions throughout the day
Hit the street attacking markets that definitely need your services. Bring a few samples also.
The #1 key to business success is to help another business make more money. If you can leverage your business to boost the bottom-line of other businesses; you will quickly ask yourself...."Recession, what recession?"
Hi Libby,
Congrats and best of luck to you on your venture. I started my screen printing business in my garage with the intentions of moving into a retail space as soon as it was financially viable. However, I've yet to do so. My business is going well now, and I am leary to move and incur additional expenses.
I don't do anything too advanced (like DTG printing). I use an old-school 6 color press. All of my business has come via word-of-mouth. I wanted to hit the local market hard with advertising, etc. when I first started, but I ended up doing my first big run for a local elementary school. From there, I started talking to people, and soon I started getting orders.
One thing that I have done that had worked well is to ask for referrals. After I complete a job, I always ask my customers if they are happy with the quality of the order. Then, I say something like "is there anyone you can think of that could use my services?". Even if they just give me one name and say something like "I don't know if they need anything..." it gives me a way in. I ask to use my existing customer's name when I talk to a potential customer. It has worked well.
You can spend pretty much all your money on marketing and advertising, but for me, getting out and meeting people has been the best source of new and continuing business.
Since your daughter is in high school athletics, you already have a way in. My son is in high school, and I approached the athletic director about doing sweatshirts, t-shirts, etc. (spirit wear). Eventually, I got their uniform business. With most schools, it's about cost. I can outprice most everyone because I don't have big overhead. That's the biggest benefit to having your business at home (that and you can work in your underwear ).
Marketing your business when it is home based 
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