okay, i have a few contactors ready, i make my own designs, and i even have my own blanks that i prefer to provide and use for printing! my problem is sales? scenerio 1: a customer orders lets say $200 worth of tshirts from me. I front the money to have the shirts made, i wait the turn around period and return for the customer to tell me they changed there mind. now im stuck with $200 worth of merchandise??? scenerio 2:customer wants $200 worth of my work. in return i ask him for a down payment of lets say $150. im worried that as a stranger to this customer how can i expect them to just give me money, no website, no storefront, just a buisness card and a portfolio? is this normal?? how can i make myself more legitamite?? what are you guys suggestions????????
looking for some different options for selling wholesale to customers???
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Where do you conduct your business? If you are operating from, and meeting your customers in, your bedroom at your parents house, or, say, a carpark of a bar, then it's unlikely your customers will give you money up front. That said, once you have mocked up a visual pdf of their artwork, and got them to sign it off, it's unlikely they will change their minds about the shirts. You should of course get a job sheet printed up, with all the customer details, including a home address, which you can joke with them that you need in case they are tardy in paying, and you have to go around and damage their house.
Richard
Richard
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At the time the order is placed, the customer should provided a purchase order or you should provide an invoice. This document, which is considered a contract, should include a "ship date" and "cancel date," as well as payment terms. As long as you deliver the goods within those dates, the contract would be valid and the customer would be responsible to pay within the terms. Unfortunately, you have no control if a customer tries to stiff you. But if you can provide a valid contract, preferably signed, you would have legal recourse.
If you can get a customer to agree to pay a down payment, that's great. Some are willing to do it, some are not.
The more professional you can make yourself, the better. Get a website, get samples made, get an official order form, have a contract drawn up that outlines both your and your customer's responsibilities.
no rich, im a grown man i don't live with my parents!!! i visit public vendors and small boutiques and give them my best sales pitch!!! can anybody give me some of my options or is this the typical way that you guys do buisness????
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I do the something except I ask to post a flyer in their store and in exchange I give them a few free shirts.
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You're on the right track, like stated above just make sure when you do any money exchanges you get a signed & dated form. There are lots of free and cheap website building options if you need a storefront, even something simple like having a blogger or wordpress page with your store name where you can write about your business, etc.
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Also, make a social networking page for your company name or design project and constantly post updates, sales, new designs, etc.
im having a hard time understanding what some of you guys are suggesting??? some of you are saying have people sign contracts. do you mean produce recipts or a full legal document??? i never had to sign a legal contract before. is this the normal way that people saling wholesale conduct buisness??? and where do i get one from a lawyer??? i cant afford a website right now thats why i need to make some sales??? i guess what im really asking for is, what are some of the normal selling practices that some people use to sell, as well as advice on ways that i can legitimize myself so customers can trust me more???
If you want people to trust you and give you money, start a REAL business. Get a tax id, state license if nec. domain, website, facebook, business cards. How do you realistically expect people to trust you with their business if you have NOTHING but some blanks and designs?
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Yes, I also think you'll have to invest a little money and time in setting up a real business, in the UK that means a business bank account, VAT (sales tax) account number, some business cards and a website. Nothing very expensive there, just some time and effort, but having them seperates the genuine guys from the fly-by-night fellows. A simple pro forma invoice is all I use for customer orders, and I just make it clear on that when they will get their shirts, and when I will get my money.
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