An easy-peasy way to earn money from home is to start an online T-shirt business. T-shirts, generally, sell at a margin of 40% to 50%, which means you can earn a good amount of money by selling them in high volumes.
A recent Statista report reveals that the T-shirt market worldwide is anticipated to generate a revenue of $43.94 billion in 2023. It’s projected to grow at a CAGR of 3.31% by 2028. Moreover, a 2023 Gitnux report reveals that sales in the T-shirt industry can reach up to $300 billion by 2025. These figures indicate that selling tees is a lucrative business.
How do you start selling T-shirts online, then? It may seem challenging, especially if you’re new in the business world. However, it isn’t.
In this article, we’ve mentioned a few tips that will help you start a T-shirt business online:
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#1 Pick a Niche
The T-shirt industry is profitable yet competitive. You need to bring something unique to the market to attract audiences to your business.
Instead of selling something generalized, which many brands are already doing, pick a niche. Narrowing your focus to a specific interest group or target audience is the best way to stand out from the competition.
For instance, you can print T-shirts with humorous images or funny slogans. However, to get noticed in an established market, we advise you to narrow down to printing tees with funny sayings that relate to pet parents, nurses, and doctors.
Traveling, anime, and sports are other niches you can consider for your T-shirt business.
Just make sure to conduct thorough research before deciding on a niche for your business. That way, you will be able to understand which niche is the most lucrative.
#2 Create the Perfect Label
Almost all clothing lines add labels to their offerings, and so should you. Besides adding a personal touch, cloth labels impart a professional look to clothing.
After finalizing your niche, the next thing to do is to design the perfect label for your T-shirts. Bear in mind that labeling isn’t only about adding your company name or logo to your products. It should be designed such that it complies with the laws laid by the United States.
In general, your label should include the country of origin, manufacturer identity, clothing fiber content, and care instructions.
While you can individually sew in labels, it would be a time-consuming approach. What should you choose, then? Easy labeling with high-quality clothing stamps is the go-to pick for a variety of businesses. Therefore, you should opt for them.
Clothing stamps are easy to use and the quickest way to label clothes. These permanent impressions can withstand high temperatures and last up to 40 washes.
What’s more? The ink used is acid-free and non-toxic, so it’s safe for skin-to-skin contact, notes Rubber Stamp Champ. Just be sure to choose an ink that doesn’t show through the shirt’s backside.
#3 Design Your T-Shirts
A plain T-shirt is no less than a blank canvas. You can unleash your creativity and design anything that you want. Remember, the design of your tees is critical to your success. They can make or break your customers.
Your designs don’t have to be complex. Sometimes, tees with typography and lettering attract audiences more than those featuring artwork.
Deciding on a color scheme, theme, and fonts is important when it comes to creating T-shirt designs. Being consistent with these elements will make your business recognizable. You can design the tees yourself or hire a graphic designer, whichever you find convenient.
All your tees must feature one-of-a-kind, eye-catching designs. Also, use only a few design elements or your tees will look cluttered. Remember, if your tees have great designs, you won’t have to break a sweat to market them.
#4 Choose a Printing Technique
Once your T-shirt designs are finalized, it’s time to decide on the printing method.
An age-old technique that many T-shirt business owners use is screen printing. It’s easy to see why: it creates long-lasting and durable imprints. While it’s a cost-effective option for bulk printing, it isn’t ideal for complex designs.
You can also print designs on tees using high heat. To transfer designs to T-shirts from your computer, you will have to print them on high-quality print paper. Then, transfer them to tees using a heat press. However, this heat transfer method won’t be the right choice for a startup.
Currently, the most popular technique to print designs on T-shirts is DTG or direct-to-garment. In this method, designs are applied to tees via an inkjet printer. It’s ideal for both simple and complex designs.
Wrapping Up
Turning a pile of blank shirts into a successful T-shirt business is never easy. But by picking a niche, customizing the perfect label, designing your tees, and deciding on a printing technique, you will be able to carve a name for yourself in the business world.
Remember that much of your sales depend on how well you market your products. Therefore, make sure to have a marketing strategy in place so that you won’t face trouble generating leads or driving visitors to your online store.
