By Braveen Kumar
Find a Niche
The custom t-shirt printing market is expected to grow at a rate of 11% annually until 2030. With online store builders and print-on-demand companies, there has never been a better time to start a t-shirt business.
By selecting a target audience and creating a brand and t-shirt designs that delight customers, you can build a successful clothing venture at a low cost.
Choose a Niche
A niche can help attract a target audience for your t-shirt project without spending a lot of money.
Successful online t-shirt projects need to stand out, and one of the best strategies to differentiate your products from your competitors is to meet the needs of a specific audience or interested group.
In general, categories like “t-shirts for people who love funny quotes” are too broad to notice. Instead, look for sub-niches and use keyword research tools to find the words and phrases that your target audience might search for. For example, sub-niches within the broader trend of funny t-shirts could be “t-shirts with quotes about doctors” or “funny t-shirts for dog owners.” Focusing on a sub-niche can be a beneficial strategy for your t-shirt project.
Assessing sub-niches is an essential part of the overall guide on how to start a business. Here are some ways to estimate the value of entering a niche:
- Browse a list of popular hobbies on Wikipedia for inspiration.
- Use your own interests and the communities you belong to – sometimes you can trust your instincts.
- Visit the sub-niche on Reddit and check the number of subscribers and engagement levels.
- Use the Facebook IQ Audience Insights tool to estimate the size of your niche on social media.
Once you’ve identified your niche, create a business plan for selling your t-shirt that covers your goals and various opportunities for selling custom t-shirts, then figure out how you will implement it.
Get Quality Materials and T-shirt Printing Options
The next step in starting your online t-shirt venture is finding suppliers. Not all t-shirts are created equal. Different printing methods produce different results. Since quality is crucial to your brand’s reputation, educating yourself and choosing your t-shirt stock wisely is essential.
It can be tempting to partner with cheap suppliers and sacrifice quality to increase profit margins. But consider how product quality affects a customer’s decision to share your clothing brand and purchase from you again.
Choosing a quality t-shirt involves several factors, including size, fit, material, softness, and weight. Once you’ve narrowed down your options, order samples so you can make an informed final decision.
Design Your T-shirt
After selecting your t-shirt supplier, you can develop your designs. Here are some ways you can get started:
- Research the best-selling and currently popular designs and sub-niches.
- Check out the top-selling products on graphic t-shirt marketplaces like Zazzle, Redbubble, and SnorgTees.
- Look at Google Trends to get an idea of the topics people are currently interested in.
- Use trending topics as inspiration for your t-shirt designs.
- If you’re particularly interested in creating a logo for your business, Shopify offers a free tool to create custom logos.
- Hire a designer; you can use design communities like Dribbble and Behance and general freelance networks like Upwork.
- Buy ready-made designs if you can’t find an artist for your work.
Make sure to review the candidate’s portfolio and references before hiring them.
Create Mockups for Your T-shirts
Once the final designs are complete, the next step for your t-shirt project is to produce mockup images. These images help you visualize the final design and how it will look when printed on the t-shirt.
There are several ways to get images for your final designs on t-shirts. You can order samples and take photographs of them. You can also create a digital preview using t-shirt templates and generators.
Templates
Adobe Photoshop t-shirt templates are a popular type of mockup files. They allow you to preview how your designs will look when printed on the t-shirt. Most Photoshop templates come with multiple layers that let you change the color of the t-shirt and apply your own design, which will blend with the wrinkles and folds of the t-shirt.
If Adobe Photoshop isn’t right for you, you can also use web-based mockup programs that allow you to do the same thing without needing to download Photoshop.
Check Your T-shirt Designs
Before you invest in your new business idea, try testing the popularity of your designs. There are many ways to check your market before selling your t-shirts online.
Common methods to validate your design ideas include:
- Personal social networks: Share a preview of your designs on your social media accounts and on platforms that your potential audience browses.
- Reddit: Although the community is generally not drawn to marketing, Reddit is still one of the best places to get honest feedback on your designs (which can even turn into sales post-launch). With many subreddits, it’s easy to find a highly targeted category of potential customers and ask for their opinions before launching.
- Crowdfunding: Crowdfunding sites have made it easy to test ideas, gain legitimacy, and raise money upfront for your new business concept. Launching a crowdfunding campaign can be time-consuming and requires a lot of preparation. However, the benefits can include securing funding for your project before it launches. If you have an innovative t-shirt project idea, crowdfunding might be the right option for you.
- Print on demand: Using an e-commerce platform like Shopify, it’s easier than ever to set up an online store within hours. You can use a basic store to validate your business idea. Start a store and integrate a print-on-demand service to begin selling online.
Setting Up Your Online T-shirt Store
After commissioning t-shirt designs, creating mockups, and gathering feedback, it’s time to build your store.
There are a few print-on-demand services for t-shirts that integrate directly with your Shopify store, allowing you to start accepting orders as quickly as possible. These services will print and ship the t-shirts to your customers on your behalf when an order is received.
With dropshipping and print-on-demand services, there’s no need to purchase or hold inventory upfront, making it a great way to get started. If you want to use your design on other printable products like mugs and tote bags, you have that option as well.
There are a variety of t-shirts available through the following print-on-demand companies: Printful, Teelaunch, Printify, and Gooten.
Once you set up your store, you will be ready to start selling t-shirts online.
5 Things to Consider When Starting a T-shirt Business
While the tools and technology available for designing, printing, and shipping custom t-shirts make it easier to start a business, building a brand that stands out in a competitive market can be challenging, but not impossible.
There are several critical elements involved in starting a successful online t-shirt business. Each of these elements should be closely considered before moving on to the next step:
1. T-shirt Printing Techniques
There are three common methods for printing t-shirts. The choice of method partly depends on how much time you want to invest in creating the product and which printing partner you choose. Whether you are investing in your own printer or using a local supplier, it’s good to understand how each printing technique works.
- Printing
the screen: It is considered an old method and has proven effective for business owners who design and sell t-shirts online and in stores. - Heat transfer: Heat transfer comes in several forms. For example, you may have seen basic heat transfer paper at your local office supply store.
- Direct to garment printing (DTG): The direct to garment printing process works like the inkjet printer you have at home. It is popular in t-shirt printing projects because it prints ink directly onto the t-shirt and can produce vibrant color images accurately.
2. Design
The last thing a visitor wants to see in your catalog is a copy of a t-shirt design that can be found elsewhere. Your designs don’t necessarily need to be complicated – in fact, many of the best-selling graphic t-shirts are simple. However, your designs should connect with your audience and stand out.
To ensure high-quality printing for your t-shirt selling project, your design files should generally be at a resolution of 300 pixels per inch (dpi or ppi), must have a transparent background, and should be large enough to cover the actual printing area of the t-shirt. Just note that the exact specifications will vary depending on the printer and printing technique used.
3. Quality
The next most important factor in starting an online t-shirt business that is set up for long-term success is quality. You can disappoint someone once, but they won’t allow you to let them down twice. A design that fades and cracks or a t-shirt that shrinks and tears will not create loyal customers who come back and buy again.
High-quality t-shirts may cost more to produce but can also command higher prices. The final quality of your t-shirt will depend on the blank t-shirt materials, the printing technique used, and your design file setup.
4. Branding
A strong and appealing brand is essential for starting an online t-shirt business. Your brand will tie together all of your choices, including niche, designs, and quality. From the name of your business to the logo you use, building a unique and beloved brand is important in a highly competitive industry.
When customers have more options, it becomes paramount for an online business to have a distinct presence to capture their attention. If you have chosen a niche for your online business that embodies a certain lifestyle, you can incorporate it into your marketing and website to speak to those customers.
5. Inventory
T-shirt companies can purchase and hold inventory, take advantage of wholesale pricing and local printers, or use a print-on-demand service to handle inventory and shipping for them. You can also choose a mix of the two.
By holding your own inventory for your online t-shirt selling project, you can sell in person, which may help improve your profit margins. With print-on-demand, you bear less risk because your production depends on your orders. Weigh the pros and cons before starting. If you are unsure, print-on-demand can be one of the best small business ideas when you start.
Drop shipping is an easy online t-shirt business model for small business owners. Using services like Printful, it has become very easy to start testing and producing your own t-shirt designs.
Of course, if you have the budget for it, you can also invest in your own printer and set up an operational base. Success stories of online t-shirt projects
Success Stories of Online T-Shirt Projects
Many entrepreneurs have succeeded in starting a t-shirt selling business. For example, Ryan McCarthy, founder of Imouri (formerly known as Sugoi), has used Shopify to run his anime-inspired t-shirt printing business since 2016. Imouri uses Shopify to manage its online store.
Decided
Ryan created a t-shirt business when he couldn’t find anime-inspired clothing that matched his personal style. He quietly launched what he thought would be a small clothing venture, which later turned into a print-on-demand t-shirt company selling streetwear inspired by Japanese culture and anime.
What’s the secret to starting a successful clothing line? Identify winning designs early using Reddit and paid ads to test products. Start your t-shirt project today
It has never been easier to express your creativity and sell t-shirts online. No matter what niche you choose to serve or how ambitious you are regarding quality and designs, a t-shirt store can be a great e-commerce business idea for new entrepreneurs.
Shopify can help you manage your costs and start selling as soon as possible. If you already have designs you want to sell, you could be up and running within a few hours.
With an abundance of apps and integrations in the Shopify app store, you can also connect your store to a t-shirt printer or dropshipping supplier in minutes and launch a fully operational store, with items ready to print and ship to your customers.
Illustration by Alice Mollon
Starting a T-Shirt Project: Frequently Asked Questions
Is a t-shirt business profitable?
T-shirts are a staple product for people around the world, with global apparel sales reaching $1.74 trillion in 2023. Starting a t-shirt project online is profitable and has low startup costs compared to other business opportunities. While profits from a t-shirt project vary based on your niche and marketing costs, you can set up a profitable additional income source in about 30 days.
How much does it cost to start a t-shirt business?
Starting a t-shirt project from home is a very small investment compared to opening a retail t-shirt store and buying your own printing and embroidery equipment. If you use print-on-demand services to manufacture and ship your products, you can keep costs extremely low since you don’t pay for products until they are sold. This means no upfront costs for products, and there is hardly any risk of overstock.
Illustration by Alice Mollon
What should I do before selling t-shirts?
Conduct market research in your niche and find an enthusiastic community. Come up with a name for your t-shirt company. Create a logo for the business and set up an online store. Design your t-shirts. Set up your social media accounts. Run paid ads to promote your online business. Engage in free promotion and collaborate with influencers.
How much can you make from selling t-shirts?
The amount you earn from selling t-shirts depends on factors including your niche, production quality, marketing, and more.
How can I start my t-shirt business with little upfront costs?
If you want to start a t-shirt business without a lot of initial investment, add products to your store using print-on-demand and dropshipping services like Printful, which you can integrate using the Shopify app store.
Do I need a business license to sell t-shirts online?
You typically do not need a business license to sell t-shirts online. You may want to obtain a resale license to buy apparel from a distributor tax-free. Check with your local revenue department or finance department for more information.
Source: https://www.shopify.com/blog/14515425-how-to-start-an-online-t-shirt-business-the-ultimate-guide
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