Start a T-Shirt Store | Business Ideas

A T-shirt (or tee-shirt, or tee) is a style of fabric shirt, named after the T shape of the body and sleeves. It is normally associated with short sleeves, a round neck line known as a "crew neck", and no collar. Typically made of cotton fibers knitted in a jersey stitch, they have a distinctive soft texture compared to woven shirts. The majority of modern versions have a body made from a continuously woven tube, on a circular loom, so that the torso has no side seams. The manufacture of T-shirts has become highly automated, and may include fabric cutting by laser or water jet.

One fun and simple business to start is a T-shirt store. This type of business requires a relatively low investment compared with other types of ventures. In some cases, you may not even have to carry or maintain a physical inventory of shirts. You can start a T-shirt store offline or strictly online.

Starting your own t-shirt store can be an exciting business venture, but it does take research and quite a bit of dedication to make it successful. You can follow several avenues to start your own t-shirt business, which range in financial investment and in complexity. But you need to consider several things before you begin your new business, including t-shirt design, marketing and distribution of your product. You will also want to create an original line of t-shirts that stands out among the demographic group you plan to target.

Trends

T-shirts were originally worn as undershirts, but are now worn frequently as the only piece of clothing on the top half of the body, other than possibly a brassiere or, rarely, an undershirt (vest). T-shirts have also become a medium for self-expression and advertising, with any imaginable combination of words, art and photographs on display.

Type of T-Shirt

Screen printing: The most common form of commercial T-shirt decoration is screen-printing. In screen-printing, a design is separated into individual colors. Plastisol or water based inks are applied to the shirt through mesh screens which limits the areas where ink is deposited. In most commercial T-shirt printing, the specific colors in the design are used. To achieve a wider color spectrum with a limited number of colors, process printing (using only cyan, magenta, yellow and black ink) or simulated process (using only white, black, red, green, blue, and gold ink) is effective. Process printing is best suited for light colored shirts. Simulated process is best suited for dark colored shirts.

Tie dye: Tie dye originated in India, Japan and Africa as early as the sixth century. Some forms of tie dye are Bandhani (the oldest known technique) used in Indian cultures, and Shibori primarily used in Japanese cultures. It was not until the 1960s that tie dye was introduced to America during the hippie movement, a time when the Vietnam War was being heavily protested.

Heat transfer vinyl: Another form of t-shirt decoration is heat transfer vinyls. These allow people to make short runs of printed shirts using plotter cut vinyl that they can then heat press onto the garment. They are made in a multitude of colors, patterns, and styles, and some even replicate the look of screen print, like ThermoFlex.

Other methods: Before the hippie movement Rit Dye was known as a hobby for older women. Other methods of decorating shirts include using paints, markers, fabric transfer crayons, dyes, spray paint, and many more. Some techniques that can be used include sponging, stenciling, daubing, stamping, screen printing, bleaching, and many more.

Business Plan

• Create a business plan that fits the scale of the enterprise you intend to start. There are several organizations that can help you with creating an appropriate business plan, including the Small Business Administration and SCORE (Senior Core of Retired Executives). Whether you plan to start a small or large business, a good business plan is essential to your success in both the short and long term, as it provides a type of map that helps you plot your course going forward. It also assists you in projecting how you business will evolve over time.

• Begin by brainstorming out your ideas on paper for designs. If unfamiliar with the intricacies of graphic design, hire a graphic artist to create an original line of for your store. If you are trying to keep expenses down, a graphic artist who wants more exposure may be willing to design for a low price if his name is associated with the final designs. T-shirt designing is an art form unto itself; to be successful, follow standard t-shirt creation guidelines when you create your original designs. Having a web store to sell your shirts online is an inexpensive way to begin and attract a larger customer base. If you cannot design a website yourself, again, hire a website designer--preferably one who will work for a reduced fee if you give her credit for the site's design.

• Market your designs by advertising them on sites that appeal to the demographic group you want to target. If you do not want to have your own website you may want to create and sell your shirts on a site like CafePress or Zazzle. Advantages of opening a shop on a site like CafePress include low cost to begin the shop, it doesn't require real initial investment, and you don't have to carry inventory in stock. You also avoid the initial investment of equipment such as a heat press, a screen printer or DTG (direct to garment) equipment to create your inventory. Remember to list any website where you are selling your shirts with search engines like Yahoo! and Google.

Carry Inventory

1. Identify your target customer for the T-shirt store. For example, sports buffs or children. This will help guide your specific decisions in all future steps.
2. Hire a T-shirt designer to create custom T-shirt graphics that will appeal to your target customer.
3. Visit T-shirt screen printers in your area. Discuss the setup fee for each shirt design as well as per-shirt printing costs and delivery methods. The screen printer provides the shirts or you can order your own in bulk from a wholesaler (See Resources). Determine the amount of shirts you want to print initially and increase that number in future orders if you see a positive sales trend for certain designs.
4. Establish a small physical store location in your area with a storage room space as well as a display floor and window. You can also rent a kiosk in a mall to sell your shirts.
5. Print business cards and flyers containing your business location and contact information. Print your best designs on your flyers and distribute them to potential customers.
6. Set up a small website and store to advertise and support your T-shirt business. You can use an online payment service, such as PayPal or Google Checkout, to accept payment and set up store links. Add the link to your business cards and fliers.

No Inventory (Online)

1. Use Zazzle to start a T-shirt store online. This service contains a convenient online design tool, which allows you to upload designs to your shirt and save them to an online store (generated with each new account) where you can send customers to make purchases.
2. Set up an online T-shirt store using CafePress. Choose a shirt style, upload your design, and create custom pages where your customers can come purchase your shirts. You can also order your own shirts at a bulk rate to sell in face-to-face situations if you wish.
3. Start your T-shirt store using PrintMojo. You have to sign up for an account as a Mojo Merchant to get started. Design your custom shirts and upload them to your own online shop, which the service establishes along with your account. Provide the link to potential customers.

Reference

• T-Shirt
• Start a T-Shirt Store
• Start a T-Shirt Business