When thinking about how to open your own business without investing a substantial amount at the initial stage, consider starting a modest enterprise for the manufacture of original souvenirs.
We are talking about drawing patterns on clothes, mugs and textile bags. If you like the idea, then consider a business plan. Printing on T-shirts is only the beginning of the journey, in the future you may well increase production capacity.
What is the benefit?
Despite the seeming frivolity, this business brings a good income. Many young people love T-shirts and sweatshirts with funny inscriptions and stylish patterns. This allows you to show individuality and stand out from the crowd. And it is impossible to make such a thing at home. So you have to look for small workshops in which they will help you transfer the image you like to the fabric.
In addition, printing on T-shirts and mugs is in demand among tourists. They want to take away a souvenir from your places as a keepsake.
And in general, such products are considered good gifts. Lovers order T-shirts with their joint photos, T-shirts with thematic drawings and humorous statements are presented to birthday men, caring mothers and fathers, newlyweds. So you won't be left without clients.
Registering your business
So you've decided to launch your line of merchandise and put together a business plan. Printing on T-shirts must be done by registering as individual entrepreneur. Society organization with limited liability it will cost you much more. Yes, and in the early stages, this approach is irrational.
At the same time visit tax office and register there. Consult with a specialist about the choice of a suitable taxation system.
We select a place
In order for the business to start paying off sooner, it is necessary to choose the right location for your enterprise. It is clear that the more crowded this place is, the better. If you are located in the popular mall, then they will find out about you faster even without additional promotion. Proximity to hotels, favorite tourist places gives good results.
You don't need a large room. Set aside a corner for T-shirt printing equipment. Set up a table. Organize a space for receiving visitors. This will make it easier for you to take orders. Keep the necessary supplies on hand. The rest of the raw materials can be kept at home. In the future, with the growth of the enterprise, you will already think about allocating space for a warehouse, and about building up technical equipment.
T-shirt printing technology
Undoubtedly, you will need certain knowledge and skills. You must understand the types of printing. This will help you make a list necessary equipment. And you will avoid many mistakes. After all, you don’t need marriage in your work?
So, there is direct printing on T-shirts. This method is widely used in replication. But you need to purchase a special stencil device. The principle is that an image is applied sequentially, layer by layer, on a fixed T-shirt.
Since special paints are used in production, the output is products with abrasion-resistant pattern. Such application of paints allows you to work with drawings of any complexity. And additional effects, for example, the use of luminous paints, metallic paints, foaming types, add attractiveness to things. 
Another method is called "thermotransfer". It assumes that the image is first printed on a special medium. After that, a thermal transfer press is used. It is he who transfers the pattern to the fabric.
Printer transfer is the most popular technology. It's affordable, economical, and allows you to work with your photos and transfer them to T-shirts without losing image quality.
In thermal transfer, the transfer source is either special paper or film. When working with the latter, you need a plotter.
The use of sublimation inks in the manufacturing process makes it possible to produce prints that are not afraid of washing, exposure sun rays and abrasion. Sublimation printing on T-shirts has some limitations. It is used only when transferring a pattern to a synthetic light fabric. The synthetic fiber content must be at least 60 percent.
We buy equipment
The costs of technical equipment of the enterprise are the largest. T-shirt printing equipment includes:
This list contains only a minimum of devices. It all depends on what printing technology and what volumes of work you are targeting.
If your task is not only the quick release of souvenirs, but also the replication of high-quality products with multi-color exclusive prints, then you will need to install an additional unit.
The direct printing on T-shirts already mentioned above is carried out on special carousel-type equipment. The point is that the T-shirt is fixed on the table motionless, and then, by means of rotating molds, colorful layers are applied to the product.
The main thing is to combine them correctly. This method allows you to start replicating products. At the output, you get from fifty to one hundred thousand products. The cost of printing is low, but the quality is impeccable.
For printing on mugs, a conventional heat press is not suitable. You need a so-called electric grill. The printer prints the image onto the media. A mug is placed in the electric grill bowl, and then, with the help of high temperature, the pattern from the carrier is transferred to the surface of the dish.
When choosing equipment, carefully study the offers of suppliers. It is better, of course, to spend on professional devices from manufacturers. So you insure against possible downtime that may occur in the event of an unexpected breakdown of the units.
T-shirt printing, as a business that requires the smooth functioning of devices, does not tolerate time delays. A client ordering your branded T-shirts will not wait for you to find a heat press repairman, order spare parts and make repairs.
He'll just find another printer. But you will lose money and lose your reputation as a reliable partner. Therefore, carefully study the paragraph on service and warranty service devices you purchase.
And do not forget to get comfortable office furniture. Table, chairs, shelving for materials. Buy a graphic editor for a designer.
Expendable materials
Put an article on consumables in your business plan. Printing on t-shirts is impossible without buying these same t-shirts. The wholesale price of simple basic models is low. And it is better to immediately stop at a reliable supplier who guarantees a quality product, inexpensively and on time.
In addition, paints (cartridges) will need to be purchased regularly. As well as media for thermal transfer: paper or film is consumed quite quickly.
Staff
At the initial stage, two people will cope with the enterprise. But if you intend not to stop at the level of a modest printing point, but to grow further, then you will have to hire a manager who will accept orders and coordinate their execution. In addition, you will have to hire a designer to develop exclusive drawings and inscriptions. Yes, and the number of technical personnel with the growth of production will have to be increased.
Implementation methods
If you open a point for fast printing orders is one thing. But if you intend to make more profit through sales finished products then think about ways to sell the product. A description of them should contain your business plan. T-shirt printing in industrial scale will require the establishment of the sale of released products either through an online store or by supplying goods to existing outlets selling youth clothing. In addition, you yourself can open a souvenir shop or a boutique where you will sell T-shirts, T-shirts and sweatshirts with original prints.
* Calculations use average data for Russia
Only about 5% of the souvenir production market in St. Petersburg belongs to small firms. Nevertheless, the opportunity to earn money in this business sector remains.
Several types of enterprises operate in this segment of the St. Petersburg market. "65% of products provide large companies with a full production cycle, - says Vladimir Evdokimov, Deputy General Director of A Square LLC. - Up to 30% of the market belongs to advertising agencies that produce souvenirs and promotional products on their own and place some orders with other enterprises. About 5% belongs to small firms. "The exact number of such manufacturers is difficult to establish, since souvenir printing usually complements other types of small businesses. As a rule, these are souvenir shops, photo studios, photo stores and others.
1 step
A small point of acceptance of orders and printing on mugs and T-shirts can be placed on 6-10 m2. Electricity is required to connect the equipment. The main requirement for the premises for a trade and production point is a good location. It is desirable that it be located in the city center, not far from the metro station and transport interchanges. This attracts the main consumers: tourists, local souvenir buyers and customers. advertising products. "Small firms usually don't have an advertising specialist," says CEO CJSC "Elga" Olga Prigozhaya, - the order is placed by one of the ordinary employees. He will choose from those firms that are easiest to get to. shopping malls. Visitors and employees of companies operating there will become your potential customers.
Step 2 Equipment
For low-volume production, T-shirts and mugs are usually printed using transfer printing. Part of the equipment will be common to both destinations.
To get an image in in electronic format using a scanner, digital photo or video camera.
If there is no appropriate technology, you will have to demand from customers a ready-made electronic "picture" on diskettes or e-mail. A PC with a special program, such as Photoshop, Corel Draw, is used to process the image and print it out.
At the stage of transferring the image to a cloth or a mug, various equipment is required. To "decorate" mugs, there is special equipment:
round heat press However, for small runs, a standard household electric grill (oven) is usually used.
“Special paper with an image is placed on the outside of the mug,” says Olga Prigozhaya, “under the influence of high temperature, the image transfers from sheet to porcelain. With small volumes of production, it doesn’t matter how this temperature is obtained. Moreover, an electric grill is much cheaper than specialized equipment.”
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Within one day, up to 200-300 mugs can be processed in the oven. For printing on T-shirts Appliances does not fit. This requires a special heat press. Its productivity, depending on the model of the press, is 600-800 T-shirts per day.
3 step Raw material
Transfer printing uses special expendable materials: Thermal transfer paper, paper toner.
T-shirts are usually taken in cotton, but they can be polyester, silk, etc.
There are certain requirements for circles. Porcelain is used for transfer printing: glass and plastic require other, more expensive equipment.
Ready-made ideas for your business
Mugs should be cylindrical, of a certain diameter. Porcelain is covered with a photo layer, which evens out the surface and better holds the pattern.
Mugs, like consumables, are purchased from wholesalers.
"The vast majority of raw materials are brought from abroad," said Olga Prigozhaya, "however, domestic manufacturers have already mastered the production of mugs with a specialized coating."
4 step Staff
The work of a small transfer printing point may well be provided by one or two people. Often this role is performed by the owner of the enterprise and his family.
The salary of hired employees can be piecework, fixed ($150-200) or a combination. The main condition for the employee: the ability to process the image on a computer.
Someone develops these skills on their own, someone finishes courses in computer design. "A creative approach to image processing and the ability to negotiate with a client are very important," says Olga Prigozhaya, "customers sometimes bring a third-rate picture and want to get a masterpiece on a T-shirt. You need to correctly explain what is possible and what is not."
To work on printing equipment, special education is also not needed. This technique is quite simple to operate and requires compliance with the simplest safety rules.
up to $3 thousand is monthly income point of printing on T-shirts and mugs
Source: "DP"
What you need to open a printing point on T-shirts and mugs
Name - Cost
- Personal computer $400-800
- Scanner $100-2.5 thousand
- Color printer $500-4.7 thousand
- A set of cartridges for a color printer $ 150-1 thousand.
- Thermal transfer paper, $80 (universal)
- 100 sheets/pack $110 (for printing on mugs)
- Thermopress flat for printing on T-shirts $1.8-2.5 thousand
- Thermopress round for printing on mugs $1.2-2 thousand
- Electric grill (oven) $200-300
- Cotton T-shirts 200 pieces $500-700
- Porcelain mugs with photo coating 200 pieces $500
Total from $4 thousand and above
Ekaterina Burtseva
Source: Delovoy Petersburg
Material taken from Saint Petersburg Business Guide website
*The article is over 8 years old. May contain outdated information
4638 people are studying this business today.
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Profitability calculator for this business
The efficiency of this business lies in the fact that products with personal information(photos, names) is a novelty, which is why the demand for it is high. Five years ago, no one could imagine that their own faces could be imprinted on consumer goods. Bringing factory technology to the masses made this possible.
This technology is called sublimation printing. Consider such a printing format as sublimation printing on mugs. The peculiarity of this type of activity lies in the fact that the mug itself is a good practical gift, and the image applied to it gives the effect of personification.
A mug is a universal thing (it has no gender, age, type of relationship), so there are many options for implementing services for applying images to it:
- Application of brand names (as a gift to the head small firm; as branding within a large enterprise)
- Gifts for family and friends on memorable days (for example, an additional gift for a child's birthday; a gift for Valentine's Day in teenage dust)
- Gift in honor corporate holiday(for example, with the inscription "For the Airborne Forces, from Andryukha"; the inscription "Accountant, my dear accountant" as a gift to yourself on accountant's day)
How much does sublimation printing equipment cost for mugs?
The good news is that the threshold for entering this business is very easy. You don't have to risk a lot of money to get started.
At the start you will need the following:
- Thermopress. There are many options, but on average the price will be around 10,000 rubles.
- Jet printer. The Epson Stylus Photo T50 photo printer, which costs 5,500 rubles, is well suited for this.
Consumables for printing:
- Sublimation paper. One sheet of such A4 paper costs 10 rubles (one glass will need half of this sheet).
- An ordinary white mug costs 50 rubles. This is a classic cylindrical mug for tea, however, for sublimation printing, there are blanks in the form of beer, coffee and other forms (but the prices for them differ).
Payback calculation
Total equipment will cost 15,500 rubles! The cost of one mug is 55 rubles. average price for such personalized products is 200 rubles. It turns out 145 rubles extra charge. You need to sell only 106 copies in order to recoup the costs! You can shove this amount to your parents through any Kindergarten(after agreeing on a rollback with the head of the garden).
This good old mug business... It still works!
(photo from foto-online71.ru)
Because a mug is a universal gift. And you can draw an infinite number of images on it. And people have a lot of reasons to congratulate each other - all year round, year after year. Either happy birthday, or with the end of kindergarten.
And it turns out that the mug business may not be limited to one city.
An entrepreneur from the city of Slantsy (which is located in the west of our country, on the border with Estonia) Timofey Pavlov proves this.
He started his business on mugs in his small town (33 thousand people), and today he offers his technology to entrepreneurs from other cities, under a franchise (from the site termoru.ru):
Which, by the way, is very inexpensive - only 36 thousand rubles.
For this amount, the franchisee receives a set of ready-made equipment (you can even do business with this equipment at home), training materials and 100 clean mugs:
One of the methods of selling mugs is going to kindergartens. Come to the kindergarten to the manager with a catalog and your proposal. She negotiates with the parents of the children, collects money from them, and calls you. You come with a camera, take pictures of children. Then at home you print their images on mugs, bring the finished mugs to the manager and take money from her.
From each kindergarten, you can earn from 7 to 18 thousand rubles clean (a clean mug costs 70 rubles, a mug with a picture costs 250-300-350-400 rubles). You can visit at least 10 kindergartens per month. Read more at goo.gl/X3oivm.
Then you can go to schools and commercial enterprises.
“Now they print on mugs everywhere,” skeptics will say. Yes, this is done by many, mainly advertising agencies. Our city also has this service. But none of the staff advertising agency does not go to schools and kindergartens. Samples of their products lie limply on the shelves in a local photo studio and in one shop in a shopping center.
At the same time, most people in the city are always busy with the problem: what to give (relatives, friends, colleagues)? To be not very expensive and original.
(3D graphics applied on these mugs)
In other words, the mug business is an eternal business. Especially in our country where people like to drink tea.
But the idea, of course, is not about that. And about the fact that you can turn your once mastered business into a boxed product and sell it throughout Russia (as the above-mentioned entrepreneur from a small town in the Leningrad Region does).
There are more than a thousand cities (large and small) in Russia, you can see their full list at goo.gl/sjVRWk:
Each of these cities has at least one person who dreams of starting their own business, but does not yet know where to start (and here you are with your recipe for finding a stable business with minimal cash investment).
For example, you learned to drag upholstered furniture and you can teach other people how to do it and how to make money from it. You can not only talk about it in an article or video, but also prepare the necessary set of tools and materials (and for this kind of work you will need: a flat-tip screwdriver, hex keys, side cutters, wire cutters, a medium-sized furniture stapler, a marking marker, chalk, scissors, thread, furniture material and a sewing machine).
And you can teach your customers not only how to find customers, but also how to make a cool business on used sofas (read the idea of \u200b\u200bUpdating furniture).
And such business will go in any city. That is, a similar franchise can be bought from you more than a thousand times - according to the number of Russian cities.
Even if the profit from the sale of one such franchise is only 10 thousand rubles for you, you will eventually be able to earn 10 thousand rubles x 1000 cities = 10 million rubles.
And some people think that it is impossible to make money in small towns...
♦ Capital investments – 750,000 rubles.
♦ Payback – 1.5 years
Souvenir production has always been a profitable and promising business.
In the market, despite its apparent fullness, there has always been a place for new companies that make cups, plates, T-shirts, puzzles, calendars and much more with the original pattern.
If you are looking for an interesting and profitable business, t-shirt printing- what you need.
Firms operating in the market are small businesses, therefore they do not require huge capital investments to launch (the exception is the purchase of special equipment), they allow to form competitive advantages and constantly develop your business.
Why should you start t-shirt printing as a business?
At first glance, this business may seem frivolous and unprofitable.
But those who think so are very mistaken, because in order to start making souvenirs, there are many reasons:
- The T-shirt is one of the most common souvenirs that people choose as a gift because it is not only original, but also useful.
- To launch a startup, you do not need to have millions of capital, it is enough to have an amount of 500–700,000 rubles.
- This business allows you to create competitive advantages and quickly advertise your company without spending a lot of money.
- To open a company, a corner in a supermarket or shopping center with a total area of 10 square meters is enough, so you will significantly save on rent.
- Despite the high level of competition, you can always find your niche to earn good money.
- This is one of the most cost effective types. entrepreneurial activity, because experts estimate its profitability at almost 100%.
- Even if you decide to stop printing T-shirts and go into other business, you can always get some of your money back by selling the equipment.
How to win customers by organizing a T-shirt printing business?
Your profit directly depends on the number of customers, so you definitely need to make sure that you actively advertise your company and correctly form competitive advantages, which will help you quickly make it self-sustaining.You should use the maximum number of promotional tools (leaflets, business cards, media, social networks And so on).
Also, if you're renting a corner in a mall, put up a cot or a huge ad at the entrance so you can be easily found.
T-shirt printing business can be successful if:
- Make discounts for regular customers.
- Constantly increase the range of manufactured products.
Print not only T-shirts, but also mugs, plates, magnets, stationery, calendars and other souvenirs. - Not only to work "under the order", but also to sell ready-made products.
What if someone needs a t-shirt with a fun pattern right away? - Constantly be in search of customers, for example, start cooperating with souvenir shops.
- To meet the wishes of customers and keep specialists on staff who do not know the word “I can’t”.
What does it take to start a T-shirt printing business?
Interesting fact:
The most popular T-shirts among young people aged 18 to 25 years. 20% of young people have more than 30 T-shirts of different colors, textures and styles in their closet.
If you have never been engaged in the manufacture of souvenirs, then first you should study the theory.
Of course, you don't have to stand behind the equipment yourself - you can easily hire a person to print on T-shirts, and leave only administrative functions for yourself, but it's still better to know the nuances of the business you want to do.
Naturally, starting new startup, you need, in which all the stages of opening would be registered.
The main steps are:
- registration procedure;
- choice of premises;
- bringing it back to normal (repair work, if needed);
- recruitment;
- purchase of equipment and consumables.
And your business plan should also contain specific calculations, according to the rates for rent, wages, etc. in your area.
Only then will you be able to understand whether t-shirt printing will be a profitable business.
Calendar plan for starting a t-shirt printing business
Since you do not need to obtain a special license to launch this startup, the entire registration procedure will take you no more than a month.You can find a suitable corner for opening your business and purchase equipment in a couple of months.
After that, it remains only to find suitable specialists and you can open a company.
In total, you can launch a startup in 3-4 months.
| Stage | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registration | ||||
| Premises for rent | ||||
| Purchase of equipment | ||||
| Hiring specialists | ||||
| Advertising | ||||
| Opening |
The nuances of the registration procedure of the company that will print on T-shirts
Since the main segment of companies that are engaged in the manufacture of souvenirs are representatives of small businesses, you may well choose the most convenient form of legalizing your business activities - IP.The form of taxation in this case is UTII.
When submitting documents for registration, immediately look for suitable premises, because you need to get permission from the SES and the Fire Service to operate it if you are going to rent a separate room.
Printing on T-shirts, as a business, does not involve a complicated registration procedure, so you can easily handle it yourself without involving a lawyer.
We are looking for a suitable premises to do business such as printing on T-shirts
One of the main advantages of this business is that you do not need to rent a large room to open it, because you can work on 8–15 square meters.
If you are going to make other souvenirs, you will need to find a larger office, because you need space for special equipment.
It is better to open your company in an area with high traffic.
The ideal option is to rent a corner in a large department store or a popular shopping center in the city.
In this case, you don't have to:
- deal with inspectors government bodies- this will be done by the owner of the department store;
- make expensive repairs, because the rented space in existing shopping centers is always in good condition;
- hire a separate cleaning lady, because you can use the services of those people who clean other offices in the mall, and this is a savings on wages.
Equipment, without which printing on T-shirts as a business is impossible
There are several ways to print on T-shirts:- A special textile printer immediately prints on a T-shirt, but it works quite slowly, is not suitable for bulk orders and has limited functionality, for example, it will not work to apply a picture on a mug.
- Printing on a special film, which is then transferred to the drawing using a heat press.
Experienced entrepreneurs for beginners who decide to engage in the manufacture of souvenirs are advised to choose the second option.
I also advise you not to limit your business to only printing on T-shirts, but to put funny drawings on mugs, magnets, plates and more.
The minimum set of equipment to open a T-shirt printing business will be as follows:
| Item of expenses | Qty | Cost (in rubles) | Total amount (in rubles) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total: | RUB 270,000 | ||
A computer  | 2 | 40 000 | 80 000 |
Scanner  | 1 | 20 000 | 20 000 |
| Color quality printer | 1 | 30 000 | 30 000 |
Thermopress  | 1 | 20 000 | 20 000 |
electric grill  | 1 | 20 000 | 20 000 |
Cutting plotter  | 1 | 20 000 | 20 000 |
| Digital camera | 1 | 50 000 | 50 000 |
Telephone set  | 1 | 5 000 | 5 000 |
| Other | 1 | 25 000 | 25 000 |
As for furniture, you should purchase:
| Item of expenses | Qty | Cost (in rubles) | Total amount (in rubles) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total: | 150 000 rub. | ||
| tables | 2 | 20 000 | 40 000 |
| Chairs | 5 | 10 000 | 50 000 |
| Wardrobe or shelving | 1 | 15 000 | 15 000 |
Showcase for placing samples and selling finished products  | 1 | 20 000 | 20 000 |
| Other | 25 000 | 25 000 |
As you can see, only for the purchase of equipment and furniture you will need about 400,000 rubles.
You can save money by purchasing print equipment that has already been used.
Consumables for printing on T-shirts
This business is impossible without the purchase of consumables, because you need T-shirts, cups, plates, magnetic tape, paper, thermal film, and more to make souvenirs.And you also need to service your equipment, refill cartridges, clean computers, etc.
Clients often offer to bring your own T-shirt or cup for you to print on.
Do not agree to such conditions, because without knowing the quality of the material from which the thing is made, you cannot guarantee a good result.
Buy supplies yourself and tell your customers that you will only print on your samples.
The first supplies purchase for a business like T-shirt printing should be:
| Item of expenses | Qty | Cost (in rubles) | Total amount (in rubles) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total: | RUB 155,000 | ||
| T-shirts | 500 | 100 | 50 000 |
| cups | 500 | 50 | 25 000 |
| thermal film | 50 sq. m. | 60 | 30 000 |
| Magnetic tape | 1 roll | 20 000 | 20 000 |
| Paper | 1 000 | 10 | 10 000 |
| Other | 20 000 | 20 000 |
Staff to help you do T-shirt business
To begin with, it is enough for you to hire two general-purpose employees who would know the equipment necessary to make souvenirs, graphic programs, and would be fluent in a computer.And you should also conclude an agreement with an incoming cleaner.
It is advisable to allocate 80–90,000 rubles for the salary of personnel in the provinces, of course, in megacities or the capital, the salary scale will be different.
How much does it cost to start a business: T-shirt printing
This type of entrepreneurial activity refers to start-ups, for which it is not necessary to have a large start-up capital. 600–700,000 rubles enough to get you started.
Of course, in Moscow or in major cities capital investments will be twice as much, because the cost of rent is higher here, and salaries are more serious.
Still, T-shirt printing, as a business, is suitable for entrepreneurs with a small start-up capital.
Startup Startup Cost Table:
You can reduce the amount of capital investment in this business if you find cheaper premises for rent, purchase used furniture and equipment.
You will also be interested in the following video about
how to open a business for printing souvenirs to order:
How much can you earn from printing on T-shirts if you open such a business?
To understand how profitable this type of activity is, you should figure out what the cost of manufacturing one copy is:The selling price of finished products is the cost multiplied by 2–2.5. That is, you can sell one T-shirt for 500–625 rubles, a cup for 300–375 rubles, a magnet for 60–75 rubles.
Your monthly income directly depends on how many souvenirs you can sell.
After six months of active work, it is quite realistic to reach the following indicators:
110–130,000 rubles of this amount will be spent on staff salaries, taxes, consumables and other compulsory expenses, but you will have at least 50,000 rubles as a monthly profit, which will allow you to fully return the capital investment spent on the business in a year and a half.
Business t-shirt printing considered one of the most profitable.
If you constantly look for new customers and expand the range of manufactured products, you can earn excellent money every month.
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