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In the past, starting a clothing company required a long supply chain from manufacturing to selling. Even if you decided to buy shirts from a manufacturer, it would have to be shipped from one side of the world to another. Then, the merchandise would have to be stored in a warehouse. Finally, the inventory would be sold to customers for a profit. This was the old way of getting into the t-shirt business.
Nowadays, you create and sell custom t-shirts online even with minimal design skillset and entirely no screen printing know-how. In fact, you can create various great designs on t-shirt marketplaces that offer all the necessary tools and upload the designs to Shopify print-on-demand t-shirt companies such as Printify for dropshipping. Thus, setting up such a business requires low or no initial capital.
However, there is no doubt you’re likely to face some stiff competition as an entrepreneur in the print-on-demand industry. Here are tips to help you make your t-shirt business stand tall in the industry.
1. Understand Your Target Audience
The first step in making your online business popular is by identifying a hungry market before you launch your business. Do you target moms, churches, companies, fraternities, or athletic teams? In fact, it’s very easy for you to define and understand your target audience in the graphic t-shirt industry.
You must understand your customer needs so that you can make your business stand out by catering to a particular clientele. Generally, categories like t-shirts with inspirational quotes are broad and can’t be easily attacked in a developed industry. You can tighten up by offering t-shirts with inspirational quotes relating to college students.
2. Pick A Business Model That Can Fit Your Glove
A couple of years ago, you required a bulky, pricey printing press and substantial inventory to start a t-shirt business. Luckily, the advancements in technology have simplified the online t-shirt business and made affordable for anyone. In fact, you don’t need to see or touch the t-shirts you ship to your customers. Intrigued? Platforms such as Shopify integrate perfectly with print-on-demand companies to offer you an opportunity to increase your sales.
That means you can simply create unique t-shirt designs for screen printed transfers and upload them to your preferred print-on-demand. Afterward, the company will take care of printing and shipping the t-shirts according to the orders placed.
3. Create A Robust Design Strategy
The design is one of the critical factors in the online t-shirt business. You must decide whether you want to be an artwork-centric, a true t-shirt design, or a slogan-based t-shirt company. Besides, you must find graphics and slogans that perfectly conveys the personality of your target customers.
Creating great designs that are unique and cater to your target market’s needs will create a lasting impression and enhance the chances of making your business more popular. It’s also important to avoid copying other designers. After all, the last thing your prospects what to see in your catalog is a t-shirt design they have seen in other catalogs.
4. Offer High-Quality Products
Do you ever wonder why people buy designer brands? Probably social status, durable materials, and stylish look and feel. Indeed, people pay extra cash for quality. Online t-shirt business isn’t an exception. Artwork that fades and cracks or a poor-quality t-shirt will never get stellar reviews. Besides, you don’t expect your customers to rave about poor t-shirts and come back for more.
These are effective ways to make your t-shirt business stand out from the crowd. Start with a specific target audience. Pick a business model to meet demand. Then, continue to create new designs for your t-shirt business. As long as you maintain a high quality level, you should be on your way to building up a strong customer base in a short time.
