“Been there. Done that. Bought the t-shirt.”

We say it all the time, and now it’s your turn for people to say that they bought your t-shirt! to become one of the best t-shirt brands out there!

Don’t let something as small as being a beginner stop you from becoming one of the best t-shirt brands out there! Read on to discover the essentials of starting your own line.

Set Your Business Goal:

Ever heard the saying “Fail to prepare, prepare to fail”? The same counts for your t-shirt line.

If you’re new to the business, there’s a lot more that goes into the process than you think. Yes, you need a budget, a printer or printing business, and advertising, but that comes later.

If you are looking to create a business by supplying bulk customized t-shirts to organizations, schools, or teams, then you have to understand how to run operations from start to end.

First, you need to ask yourself a few questions:

How Many T-shirts Do I Want to Sell?

This question may seem like one that can’t be answered right away, but don’t skip it. If you order six boxes of 50 t-shirts each, you should know how fast you want to sell them. Ten in a week? Twenty in a week?

These questions will not only affect how you advertise but will also keep you motivated. No matter how small your goals are in the beginning, meeting those goals will drive you to work even harder next time!

Who Are My Target Customers?

Whether you’re making your t-shirts for your store or a special event, your first decision should who the shirt is for. Once you have an age group and demographic in mind, other details like colors, sizes, and design can all fall into place.

(If you can’t decide whether or not to open a store, read our article about the benefits of running a business from home.)

Younger crowds might enjoy vibrant, busy patterns while older adults will prefer a more subtle approach. Either way, make sure to take body shape into account. Not everyone is the same size as the model in your stock photo, and you want a design that will be clear no matter who’s wearing it.

What Be Will My Message?

If you’re thinking of branching out from your standard logo, it’s important to decide what message you want your design to send.

Of course, this means getting opinions from others in your industry, but you also want opinions from those who have nothing invested in the business. Go to your gym buddy or your neighbor, and ask for their honest opinion.

“What does this design say to you?”

“Who do you think this shirt is for?”

Decide On a Budget:

Before doing ANYTHING, you need to decide how much you’re willing to spend on your t-shirt line. Sports shirts will cost more than cotton blends, and using multiple colors can become expensive quickly.

If you need help starting out, FittDesign’s Factory Ready Tech Packs are the perfect way to find everything you need in one place.

Printing Method:

There are many different options for printing your designs, and they all depend on your budget.

Direct-to-garment printers can be the cheapest and print the ink directly into the fabric. However, the ink will also fade more quickly and is never very bright on darker fabrics. This issue can be solved with the higher-end printers that use specialized ink that allows the fibers to absorb the ink into the garment.

If it is within your budget to do so, screen printing is the best option. Once your purchase the screens, they’re yours forever, unlike the larger printers. However, the one downside is that, in order to adjust the size of your design to the different t-shirt sizes, you’ll have to buy entirely new screens.

If you choose to use a printing company, be sure to visit their store to see and touch some sample t-shirt. If they don’t have any samples for you, they probably aren’t a successful company. Any legitimate business will be more than happy to show you how everything works.

Creating the Best T-Shirt Line: Remember to Have Fun:

Bills stack up, deadlines pop up out of nowhere, and the risk of not making enough profit are all legitimate fears for a business owner.

However, don’t let fear keep you from doing what you love. You’re the one who started this brand in the first place. Be proud of it!

And do everything you can to make the best t-shirt so that everyone else can be proud of your brand too.

Contact us with any questions you have and be sure to check out more articles on how to start your business the right way!

Read Also: 

1. 10 Tips for Creating a Successful Clothing Brand.
2. How to Make A Clothing Website Visually Appealing.