Moving from home shop to storefront--advice?

2597 Views 5 Replies 6 Participants Last post by Vandal Nation, Oct 31, 2018

Coney

Discussion Starter · Jul 17, 2018

Hey guys,
I've been working from home for years as an illustrator, but started my screenprint business about 2 years ago. I've got an opportunity to move into town into the back of a business that's in a great location. This will most definitely increase business like crazy, and I could use a little advice on what I might need to make the move successful.

(if this topic needs to move to a different area, moderators please feel free to move it. I thought "business" might be a good place for this one.)

1. I'm sharing the space with a copy shop, I'll be in the back space away from the copiers. They have paper stock that needs to be protected in the back that we're going to move over to the other side of the room. We're installing an exhaust fan in the corner of where I'll be printing to remove the heat and humidity (over the top like a restaurant hood). I'm thinking of hanging up a heavy plastic drop cloth (the ceiling is high) to make sort of a wall on one side to keep the heat where it can be removed by the fan. Ideas on that?

2. I've got a 4x4 bench press and a flash dryer. No belt dryer.

3. I have my tax ID #, EIN# and will probably need to hire a part-time person to help with printing. First time I'll need to hire an employee in my life...

4. The copy shop is very willing to go in on customers together. A lot of local businesses get their letterhead and cards printed there, so I'll be able to set them up with shirts as well.

5. I want to look into adding embroidery to the shop. Would it be best to look for a freelance person for that? I don't know the first thing about pricing embroidery...

6. Thinking of adding Printavo. I have Shopvox's express version right now, but I want to have this shop run very smoothly and it would be great if everything was all in one place. Any thoughts on shop apps?

Any other helpful hints on moving into "my first space" would be awesome, this is a huge step and kinda daunting! I'm sure there are details I'm not aware of, and will find out all kinds of hurdles as they arise.

Thanks everyone!
Coney

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tfalk

· #2 · Jul 19, 2018

Coney said:
5. I want to look into adding embroidery to the shop. Would it be best to look for a freelance person for that? I don't know the first thing about pricing embroidery...

Maybe check with some of the local embroiderers in your area to see if they will accept contract work? At the same time, a lot may hesitate because you will essentially be taking customers away from them... Otherwise, you not only need a machine and someone who knows how to operate it, you also need to either contract out digitizing the logo's or buy some very expensive software AND learn how to digitize... and trust me, it is NOT the same any any other graphic stuff. There are software packages out there that will automatically convert images to stitches, but you will go out of business quickly if you try to sell things using those stitch files, they will look like complete crap.

There are quite a number of 'digitizers', mostly overseas, who will digitize a logo for you for cheap. Guess what they are using? Automatic digitizing software... and the result as I said above will be complete crap. If you visit the embroidery forum here, you can pretty quickly learn which ones to avoid...

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PatWibble

· #3 · Jul 19, 2018

Be prepared for how much business you will have to turn away. In my experiance most customers will want something printing that can't be screen printed - to many colours/to few items, photos etc. You wil quickly need to add a heatpress and cutter.

If the copy shop has a solvent printer or laser printer then look into using those, if not find an out source for printed transfers. A solvent printed logo is a good alternative to an embroidered logo (and much cheaper and quicker to apply) and a laser transfer is a reasonable alternative for low volume full colour work.

Think abour investing in a sublimation printer.
Get a cap press, and maybe a cap platen for your screen press.

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jeannekay

· #4 · Aug 20, 2018

If you are just in the back of the building I don't think at first there will be a ton you need to add. You'll just be working in a new location. There are always people out there for you to outsource any work you can't do in house. Like the embroidery. You will make the money on the product just not the embroidery. But it's not likely you'll have time to do the embroidery yourself anyway. I have an embroidery shop in 1/2 of my store. She is her own business. People who come in my side then I order the product, people who come directly to her she orders the product. She charges me just like she would a customer who comes directly to her.

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brushyourideas

· #5 · Aug 20, 2018

Coney said:
Hey guys,
I've been working from home for years as an illustrator, but started my screenprint business about 2 years ago. I've got an opportunity to move into town into the back of a business that's in a great location. This will most definitely increase business like crazy, and I could use a little advice on what I might need to make the move successful.

(if this topic needs to move to a different area, moderators please feel free to move it. I thought "business" might be a good place for this one.)

1. I'm sharing the space with a copy shop, I'll be in the back space away from the copiers. They have paper stock that needs to be protected in the back that we're going to move over to the other side of the room. We're installing an exhaust fan in the corner of where I'll be printing to remove the heat and humidity (over the top like a restaurant hood). I'm thinking of hanging up a heavy plastic drop cloth (the ceiling is high) to make sort of a wall on one side to keep the heat where it can be removed by the fan. Ideas on that?

2. I've got a 4x4 bench press and a flash dryer. No belt dryer.

3. I have my tax ID #, EIN# and will probably need to hire a part-time person to help with printing. First time I'll need to hire an employee in my life...

4. The copy shop is very willing to go in on customers together. A lot of local businesses get their letterhead and cards printed there, so I'll be able to set them up with shirts as well.

5. I want to look into adding embroidery to the shop. Would it be best to look for a freelance person for that? I don't know the first thing about pricing embroidery...

6. Thinking of adding Printavo. I have Shopvox's express version right now, but I want to have this shop run very smoothly and it would be great if everything was all in one place. Any thoughts on shop apps?

Any other helpful hints on moving into "my first space" would be awesome, this is a huge step and kinda daunting! I'm sure there are details I'm not aware of, and will find out all kinds of hurdles as they arise.

Thanks everyone!
Coney

Why don't you start the online store where you can sell product as customers want now? You have really a good business line, you just need to make it online because nowadays people buy the almost all things online and you will provide then your product online then you will have better chance to get more business.

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Vandal Nation

· #6 · Oct 31, 2018

i would recommend getting set up on SquareUp.com to accept CC payments. I've had ZERO problems w/ Square.

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