[triplebtees]

I was just wondering how everyone has their t-shirt stuff set up. Do most of you rent space or have everything set up at home? Maybe we can get some ideas. Right now i have my printer, computer, t-shirts, paper, etc.. in an upstairs bedroom. No room for the heat press up there, so i have that downstairs in the dining room, along with all of the shipping materials. I was thinking of getting into the screen printing also, but i think that takes up a lot more space? Would probably have to buy a bigger house, or rent some space. I do work a full time job and am trying to print tees on the side, eventually (hopefully) doing the tees as my fulltime job.

 

[Rodney]

I don't do any printing myself, so I just store the printed tees in my home office (for the ones that I fulfill myself).

 

[Decal_Designs]

I have my stuff in my house. I also run 2 other businesses out of my house. Don't forget, if you are running your t-shirt business, or any business for that matter out of your house, you can write off a certain amount of money based on square footage of the room as a home-office. All of this stuff has been taking more and more room in the house though.

 

[infamis]

I came acrossed this post during some researching and wanted to bump it rather then starting a new thread.

In the beginning I plan to outsource until I can purchase my own equipment. However, once I do purchase it I was hoping to be able to use an at home basement set up to make the shirts. Customers will not be coming there and I think the basement is large enough to house the equipment. I will have to set up a dark room but this shouldn't be too diffucult because I have a photography background and have set up darkrooms before. Eventually I would love to rent space but to start that is just not an option. I guess my main questions are..."How many of you use an at home set-up?" and "Is a basement a good place for one?"

Basic layout of my basement: finished basement, tiled floor (vinyl), three windows (none are in the area I would use for the darkroom), other than that the basement is pretty much empty at this point and time.

 

[CNRS Enterprises]

Hello Everybody
I hope you all turned your clocks back!
and had a Great Weekend.
my Business started in a spare Bedroom That is where the Office was.
Now the office is in the Basement.
So i Guess this is what you call a Home Based Work, at Home Enterprise.
I did an ebay Consignment Business for 2 yrs (I Sold Quality Items for other People ,too much BS, and competition on eBay even if you do not sell it they get their money i am no fan of eBay.
So im trying something New, unique, and i hope exciting i have the room in the Basement so that is where we will be.
Still Haven't purchased all my equipment yet, but have all the Business stuff down , Registered , Tax Numbers , tax ID, & Name for 2yrs now.. Hope this info is Helpful to some one!

Den CNRS Enterprises
Sanborn N.Y.

 

[Air Art Girl]

Full retail location. We had about 2200sq ft, 2 floors. Sign shop was there too. Had someone interested in renting the top floor 1,00 sq ft and our renter was moving out of our apartment over a detatched garage. Sooooo, moved the sign shop to the garage/apartment, kept the lower 1,200 sq ft for the retail shop. The sign shop is walking distance to the retail shop.

 

[Matto]

I run mine out of my garage. My wife runs a business out of the house as well so I use her office for my computer equipment and my printing area is in the garage. I also work a full time and a half job and find time to print shirts on the side. I would like to go full time on the shirts but need to grow some more first.
Eventually we plan to rent a small shop and move both businesses in it but are in no hurry to do that at this time.

 

[Decal_Designs]

It's interesting to see a thread come back to life after almost two years with some good new posts. So I figured that I would give an update of my situation. I still have all of my equipment and supplies in my house like I did two years ago, but now its everywhere. I really need to build a nice big garage this coming summer!

I have heat presses in my kitchen, a 4'x8' work table in my living room, rolls of sign vinyl and Thermoflex in my dining room. Various design experiments hanging in my closet on tees that are covered with past ideas. My two desks which are in a spare bedroom, have 2 computers, 2 inkjets and 1 laser printer on them along with piles of paper with scribbled out design ideas and notes of past estimates. Next to the desks is my vinyl cutter and two big book shelves filled with clip art collections and color charts and software manuals. All of my out of date computers and monitors and printers are downstairs in my living room too.

My bathroom has dozens of issues of Impressions magazine and Printwear magazine and Sign Builder Illustrated magazine. It has become my library. LOL

I also have customer's "extras" packed in plastic boxes as well as some new blanks ready to go, and there are some small piles of different transfer papers that I have tried and decided I didn't like after a while.

Then there are the packing boxes and labels and envelopes and such.

It's all very exciting (I guess) but cluttered, and it all has to get relocated into a nice new heated garage asap or thrown out depending on what it is, so I can get my house back again.

My problem is that I get just as much satisfaction making stuff as I do selling it.

 

[bighook1]

Hello Brian
We Do All Are Work In The Basement, We Have A Embroidery Machaine, Heat Press, Cap Press, Vinyl Cutter Printers& Computers To Do This Work & It Works Out Great.

I Went To Lowes & Bought 2 10 Foot Counter Tops To Put My Press On Plus My Wife Uses 1 Of Those For Her Computer. I Also Bought Some Of Those Cabnets Like You Would Put In Your Garage To Set The Counter Top On

We Have A Walk In Door From The Outside That Some Maybe We Will Use That For Cust. To Walk In.

I Do Most Of Viynl Cutting So My Computer Is Set Up By My Viynl Cutter & I Use A Vizio 32 TV For My Monitor This Has Turn Out To Be A GReat Investment

Mike

 

[2STRONG]

Im just starting out and all my stuff is in an extra bedroom which is pretty big it was suposed to be the third car garage but we opted for it to be a room instead, great choice. i have my heat press and vinyl cutter on a 6 foot table and my computer and printer next to that on a desk. hopping to get a creen press not sure if i want it in here, i have room but unsure how the mess would be.

 

[GHEENEE1]

My computers and printers are in my bedroom, my heat press and other equipment are in our utility room. My wife works a second job in the bedroom at night so I print duringthe day and press at night.
Mike

 

[Rubiroo]

started of in the small bedroom 8' x 8' in there was a computer, cutter and a single head embroidery machine. The heat press was on the dining room table in the consevatory and use to do all the taping up on the kitchen floor, i have had the garage extended to 30' and now have a small office at the back and work area at the front. Now all my mess is in one place! altough i do miss looking over the press at dinner!

 

[Sidney022]

I don't do any printing myself, so I just store the printed tees in my home office (for the ones that I fulfill myself).

So you just have someone make them for you? That is what my friend does and I am am starting to think he might have been on to something. I am having all sorts of troubles this week!

 

[Rodney]

So you just have someone make them for you? That is what my friend does and I am am starting to think he might have been on to something. I am having all sorts of troubles this week!

Yes, I'm a big fan of outsourcing

I'm not a printer. I'm a t-shirt designer and a marketer. I'll focus on what I'm good at and let the printer focus on what they're good at.

I have no problem delegating tasks

 

[Sidney022]

Yes, I'm a big fan of outsourcing

I'm not a printer. I'm a t-shirt designer and a marketer. I'll focus on what I'm good at and let the printer focus on what they're good at.

I have no problem delegating tasks

That makes me feel better. I am not an artist, but I know what I want... I still haven't found the right artist yet (mostly because of affordability). I am not sure I am built for doing all the work myself... I am used to being good at things and I just can not get the pressing transfers (even the ones I had professionally made for me) down yet. I am getting scared to touch everything and I get very frustrated. Like I said, I have spent a lot of money this week and I have ruined everythig I have touched. I do not have one peice in sellable condition...

 

[sunnydayz]

My daughter moved out and I took over her bedroom hehe, she had the largest room in our house, it is about 10 x 12 or maybe bigger. I have one of my computers and desk in there with my dtg, three heat presses and all of my inventory and other stuff. It works out great for me as long as she never decides to move home , if she does she will have to sleep on the couch. I dont see that happening though since she lives with her daughter and fiance.

Bobbie

 

[Rodney]

That makes me feel better. I am not an artist, but I know what I want... I still haven't found the right artist yet (mostly because of affordability). I am not sure I am built for doing all the work myself... I am used to being good at things and I just can not get the pressing transfers (even the ones I had professionally made for me) down yet. I am getting scared to touch everything and I get very frustrated. Like I said, I have spent a lot of money this week and I have ruined everythig I have touched. I do not have one peice in sellable condition...

Doing transfers is not as easy as "1-2-3".

I made a LOT of mistakes (and still do) when trying to do transfers.

There's a LOT of trial and error. You can't be afraid to test, retest, touch everything, test it again and you definitely can't be afraid to mess up.

If you get frustrated easily, you may not want to keep trying to do everything yourself, as running a business is not easy. There will be lots of challenges that could frustrate you.

If you don't mind changing the way you think about things, and changing your reaction, then you may find that transfers (especially ones that are professionally done), may be the perfect way for you to go.

 

[Robin]

We worked out of the house for about 4yrs. But we finally outgrew the house, and this past June we moved to a store front.

 

[knifemaker3]

I started in my folks basement which is just about 50 yards from my house. We still live on the family farm. This summer I bought a 10x16 portable shed which I'm finishing out to work out of. Right now I have my press and hat press in my son's bedroom ( he left for college 2 years ago and is now getting married in a month). I have all my extra shirts in my cargo trailer I use when I go to shows. Hopefully I'll have the shop done soon and can get everything moved out there.

 

[SICK]

Re: Do you Rent Space or have Equipment at Home? - Basement Start Up

Basement start up, 6K in equipment, 2.5K in appearl and decoration inventory. Going to use my skills learned marketing embroidery designs towards producing controllable (automated as much as possible) one off shirt sales from the net. It will all be vector based. Wish me luck!

Uploaded some pics to facebook:

Facebook | Shawn Knight's Photos - The basement t business