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Starting a T-shirt business isn\u2019t a matter of slapping some designs on some fabric and selling them. If it was that easy, everyone would do it. There are plenty of places one can – and often does – go wrong.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m not talking about a lack of hard work or a failure to understand the legal pitfalls of entrepreneurship, either. That\u2019s all basic stuff. I\u2019m referring to the mistakes you can make even after you\u2019ve gotten your business off the ground.<\/p>\n
And make no mistake – doing any of the things on this list can and will tank your profits.<\/p>\n
In a perfect world, you could target every single demographic on the market. Everyone young and old would love your designs and spring to purchase them. We don\u2019t live in a perfect world, though.<\/p>\n
What resonates with one customer might well repulse another. By that vein, if you design a line of t-shirts for men that are sized for children, you\u2019re going to alienate what should be your target demographic. Do a bit of research – figure out who enjoys your style, and go from there.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s always a bit shocking to me how many T-shirt entrepreneurs seem to forget that you can\u2019t simply beam fabric through the Internet. There are a ton of logistical concerns around getting the right materials, printing your shirts, and making sure they\u2019re shipped to the right address. And all of those things require both time and money.<\/p>\n
They also require expertise you might not necessarily have – which means you\u2019ll need to bring in a third-party to help you out. There\u2019s no shame in that, trust me. Better to have an external agency take care of warehousing, shipping, and handling, especially in the early stages of your business.<\/p>\n
One of the first rules every entrepreneur learns is not to cash checks they can\u2019t handle. Over-promising – such as guaranteeing a delivery time that\u2019s impossible – reflects poorly on you as an entrepreneur. It makes you look careless and unprofessional.<\/p>\n
Be realistic about your capabilities. People will appreciate the transparency a lot more than they would someone who makes big promises and keeps none of them.<\/p>\n
When you\u2019re first starting up, it\u2019s easy to get overexcited. It\u2019s easy to think that your business will explode overnight, and that you\u2019ll instantly become one of the greats. It\u2019s easy…and also incredibly harmful.<\/p>\n
Even if you think you\u2019re equipped to make it in the big leagues, start small. Trying to bite off more than you can chew is a sure recipe for burnout, and maybe even bankruptcy. You can always expand your business later – it\u2019s much harder to downsize.<\/p>\n
Running a business is only partially about your brand and your products. It\u2019s about establishing relationships with customers, suppliers, and business partners. It\u2019s about making yourself a joy to work with, and a joy to buy from.<\/p>\n
Promote yourself. Endeavor to always be professional when working with both customers and vendors. Thank people for their purchases, and treat them as friends rather than clients.<\/p>\n
You\u2019d be surprised how well it can pay off.<\/p>\n
Everyone makes mistakes. The most successful people learn from them – both theirs and others. Follow the advice on this list, and pay attention to anything else you might be doing wrong, and you\u2019ll do just fine.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Starting a T-shirt business isn\u2019t a matter of slapping some designs on some fabric and selling them. If it was that easy, everyone would do it. There are plenty of places one can – and often does – go wrong.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":38,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[653],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5590","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-coaching"],"yoast_head":"\n