Your Guide to Starting a Successful T-Shirt Business Online

Are you interested in clothes? Or maybe you have too much time on your hands and would like to try your luck at running an online business. A custom merchandise store is one of the available options. There is a demand for custom t-shirts that people wear to express their political views, support sports teams, or showcase their love for celebrities.

And these are just a few examples.

While the idea of running a t-shirt business may sound attractive, there are still many things to do before you can expect your first customers.

The article gives you a step-by-step guide on creating a successful t-shirt store, even if you lack experience. After all, success comes from a willingness to learn, work hard, and invest time.

Step #1 – T-Shirt Printing Business Equipment Vs. a Reliable Supplier

Investing in a printing machine and manufacturing t-shirts yourself is too risky, especially if you do not have the money to spare. Taking a loan is also not the best option, as there are no guarantees you will succeed.

Instead, it would be best if you stuck to a dropshipping business model.

In regards to print on demand, Printify is one of, if not the best available suppliers. A global print provider network, more than 250 products, quality products, and one of the best prices in the market sound like a great package, right?

Step #2 – Your T-Shirt Business Plan Should Consider Local Laws

If you are serious about the POD store, you will need to follow all the necessary procedures and register the business once it starts making money.

Check the local legislation and make sure that you are familiar with it.

Otherwise, you may end up having to pay fines for tax evasion and other crimes, even if you had no intention to commit them. When it comes to the law, ignorance is not an excuse.

Step #3 – Research Market

Finding a niche is one of the most challenging steps. Ideally, you want to work with something you find interesting. This way, it is easier to find motivation and not abandon the business midway through.

At the same time, entering an oversaturated market with limited resources spells trouble.

Instead, you could start with an uncompetitive market and gain experience by running a store there. Once you are comfortable, you can switch to your ideal line of products by adding them to the store later. 

Step #4 – Design and Sell T-Shirts Online as Part of a Team

A print-on-demand business does not have to be a single-man operation. You can look for a partner or two and share the workload.

For example, one person can create designs or look for freelancers who can provide unique ideas for the merchandise. Meanwhile, while your partner focuses on their duties, you could work on promoting the store. 

Step #5 – Choose the Right Ecommerce Platform for Your T-Shirt Business Opportunities

The right platform matters when you want to make enough money and have things run as smoothly as possible.

As far as the best and most popular eCommerce platforms go, Shopify is one of the most optimal choices. It is easy to manage and integrate the t-shirt store.

Moreover, because of its popularity, the availability of many neat plugins and extensions, like Shopify Quickbooks integration, makes running the store even more effortless. Not to mention all the articles and video guides on the internet to answer questions you may have.

And if you cannot find the information yourself, getting in touch with customer support is also an option.

Step #6 – Drive Traffic to Your Store

Once you add products and have the store up and running, it is time to drive website traffic. Do not expect people to find the page themselves. You will have to spend resources on marketing.

Try multiple methods and see which of them brings you the most site visitors. At the same time, there are certain ideas you should implement in your marketing strategy regardless of whether you want to or not, particularly if you're going to create a sustainable and thriving business.

First, hire someone who can optimize the store for search engines. Organic traffic is one of the cornerstones of a successful online store.

Secondly, build your social media presence. Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and even platforms like Reddit and Quora are good channels to reach wider audiences.

Finally, establish relationships with influencers. You can attract many customers just by having an influencer give you a shoutout. And as little as a free t-shirt is enough to pay some influencers.

Step #7 – Add New Products Regularly 

Do not stick to just your initial designs. Aim to introduce new merchandise consistently.

You may even want to consider expanding the product line by adding more than just t-shirts. Mugs, hoodies, phone cases, calendars, and, most recently, face masks are all in demand and can make you money.

Have you ever asked yourself, what do I need to print t-shirts at home?