Many entrepreneurs have discovered the opportunities that abound
within the T-Shirt Industry, and therefore the market is becoming
increasingly saturated. These days, in order to differentiate yourself
from the masses, it has become extremely important to find out what will
make your t-shirt business unique. Before you even think about starting
on production, take a look at the list below and think very seriously
about each of these points. If you are aware of these things before you
start your plans, you will already have a head start and a competitive
edge over the sea of t-shirt businesses within the market today.
1) WILL YOUR DESIGNS EVEN SELL?
So you've thought up a great design and you're busting to get it onto some t-shirts and to start bringing in the cash? But how do you know if people are going to be as excited about your designs as you are? It's easy to get caught up in your own little world, thinking that your tee shirts are going to sell like hot cakes. This may be true, but it's extremely important to know for sure before you start spending your hard earned dollars on production.
One of the methods I suggest to aspiring t-shirt entrepreneurs is to do a little bit of market research. There are plenty of websites that accept designs and allow users to comment and vote on their favorites. By visiting such sites, you are able to see which designs are the most popular and can get a very good idea of whether your own designs will have appeal or not. Another method is to visit sites that sell t-shirts and find out which are the best sellers. Of course you don't want to copy them, but you will begin to see the types of designs that people are willing to fork out money for. Remember, that if your designs don't sell, it will be extremely hard to continue doing what you love - so do a little bit of homework first!
2) FINDING A NICHE OR TARGET MARKET
Because of the quantity of t-shirt designs available and business competition these days, it's imperative that you find your own little subculture or niche to market to. By going after a specific target market, you can increase your chances of success dramatically. Some questions to ask yourself:
What does your target look like? What are some of the places that they like to hang out? How old are they?
By knowing the answers to these types of questions, you are limiting your target market down to a specific group of people. You will now have the advantage of being able to think like them. What are the types of designs that would appeal to these people? You can now tailor your designs specifically for you potential customers. It's a great truth that to be successful all you have to do is find out what a certain group of people want, and give it to them!
3) ONLINE MARKETING STRATEGY
This world has not seen a greater opportunity than that which exists today with the marketing power of the Internet. Without a strong Online Marketing plan, you will definitely not be working you t-shirt business to it's fullest potential. The Internet has made the sale of t-shirts extremely easy, so target your customers Online and lead them to your store. There are hundreds of creative ways to draw targeted traffic to your website, many of which are free. Start by looking into such things as:
- Blogging
- Forums
- Social Bookmarking
- eBay
- MySpace - Facebook
- Pay Per Click Advertising
- Search Engine Optimization
- Email Marketing
The list goes on and on!
4) OUTSOURCING
If you don't absolutely love a particular job within your business, then find someone who does! If you love graphic designing, then find someone to print for you! If you're a printer, then find someone who loves to design! Maybe you have no interest in Online Marketing - then leave it to an expert!
Granted, this will cost you a little bit more, but you can't always do everything yourself! Besides if you don't absolutely love what you are doing, you will eventually want to give up. If you hate your day-to-day activities - then you won't last long in this business.
5) CUSTOMER SERVICE
Your customers are the most valuable asset of your business. Treat them well and they might buy from you again, treat them like royalty and not only will they be your customer for life - they'll become a raging fan and do most of your advertising for you, by referring their friends and colleagues! Even if it means losing a little bit of money to keep your customer delighted - it will be well worth it in the long run. I've had instances where a t-shirt order was late, so I organized an employee to jump on a plane and fly the package out to the customer. Yes, it cost more than the profit I made - but I made my customer's day! This one truth has the power to turn your business into a thriving multi-million dollar company. A customer focused company.
1) WILL YOUR DESIGNS EVEN SELL?
So you've thought up a great design and you're busting to get it onto some t-shirts and to start bringing in the cash? But how do you know if people are going to be as excited about your designs as you are? It's easy to get caught up in your own little world, thinking that your tee shirts are going to sell like hot cakes. This may be true, but it's extremely important to know for sure before you start spending your hard earned dollars on production.
One of the methods I suggest to aspiring t-shirt entrepreneurs is to do a little bit of market research. There are plenty of websites that accept designs and allow users to comment and vote on their favorites. By visiting such sites, you are able to see which designs are the most popular and can get a very good idea of whether your own designs will have appeal or not. Another method is to visit sites that sell t-shirts and find out which are the best sellers. Of course you don't want to copy them, but you will begin to see the types of designs that people are willing to fork out money for. Remember, that if your designs don't sell, it will be extremely hard to continue doing what you love - so do a little bit of homework first!
2) FINDING A NICHE OR TARGET MARKET
Because of the quantity of t-shirt designs available and business competition these days, it's imperative that you find your own little subculture or niche to market to. By going after a specific target market, you can increase your chances of success dramatically. Some questions to ask yourself:
What does your target look like? What are some of the places that they like to hang out? How old are they?
By knowing the answers to these types of questions, you are limiting your target market down to a specific group of people. You will now have the advantage of being able to think like them. What are the types of designs that would appeal to these people? You can now tailor your designs specifically for you potential customers. It's a great truth that to be successful all you have to do is find out what a certain group of people want, and give it to them!
3) ONLINE MARKETING STRATEGY
This world has not seen a greater opportunity than that which exists today with the marketing power of the Internet. Without a strong Online Marketing plan, you will definitely not be working you t-shirt business to it's fullest potential. The Internet has made the sale of t-shirts extremely easy, so target your customers Online and lead them to your store. There are hundreds of creative ways to draw targeted traffic to your website, many of which are free. Start by looking into such things as:
- Blogging
- Forums
- Social Bookmarking
- eBay
- MySpace - Facebook
- Pay Per Click Advertising
- Search Engine Optimization
- Email Marketing
The list goes on and on!
4) OUTSOURCING
If you don't absolutely love a particular job within your business, then find someone who does! If you love graphic designing, then find someone to print for you! If you're a printer, then find someone who loves to design! Maybe you have no interest in Online Marketing - then leave it to an expert!
Granted, this will cost you a little bit more, but you can't always do everything yourself! Besides if you don't absolutely love what you are doing, you will eventually want to give up. If you hate your day-to-day activities - then you won't last long in this business.
5) CUSTOMER SERVICE
Your customers are the most valuable asset of your business. Treat them well and they might buy from you again, treat them like royalty and not only will they be your customer for life - they'll become a raging fan and do most of your advertising for you, by referring their friends and colleagues! Even if it means losing a little bit of money to keep your customer delighted - it will be well worth it in the long run. I've had instances where a t-shirt order was late, so I organized an employee to jump on a plane and fly the package out to the customer. Yes, it cost more than the profit I made - but I made my customer's day! This one truth has the power to turn your business into a thriving multi-million dollar company. A customer focused company.
Heath Sanchez has launched 2 successful T-Shirt Businesses from
scratch. A Promotional T-Shirt Printing Company, and a Vintage-Style
Designer T-Shirt Line.
Having developed many skills along the way, he has set up a blog to share his knowledge on how you can start and run your very own T-Shirt Business. For FREE T-Shirt Business Tips, Videos, Reports and Emails, visit his blog at: http://t-shirtbusiness.blogspot.com
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Heath_Sanchez
Having developed many skills along the way, he has set up a blog to share his knowledge on how you can start and run your very own T-Shirt Business. For FREE T-Shirt Business Tips, Videos, Reports and Emails, visit his blog at: http://t-shirtbusiness.blogspot.com
