There are so many different variables to take under serious consideration when starting up a new St. Louis screen printing company. Like any new business venture, it’s a calculated risk and also kind of scary because there are no guarantees. If it was an easy thing to do, everyone would be already doing it. Even though there are no guarantees, it does have potentially a large upside. If there is ever been a time where you have entertained the thought of opening up your own business and being your own boss, opening up a modest neighborhood St. Louis screen printing company could be your answer as well as your ticket to financial independence. Wearable items are a great thing to sell because it repeats. Every time the season changes, people go from long sleeve apparel, such as coats and jackets, to short sleeve items like custom embroidery on golf shirts and caps. Our average customer places a new order approximately every four months or so. It’s so much easier to deal with someone you dealt with in the past because you do not have to try and sell them on yourself or establish confidence because that has already been determined from the previous order.
I like the textile industry because it’s something everybody uses. You can go around and call on all the neighborhood businesses and you don’t have to look far to find people using what you’re selling. They might not need it at that very moment in time but they will eventually. I used to hand out business cards, but then I realized that my card would end up in a stack of others 50 to 100 thick and and they would forget that it was even there. I started handing out magnets because unlike a business card, it has a much higher perceived value. For whatever reason, people don’t throw them away and it usually ends up on a refrigerator or a file cabinet. People pass by it every day and it makes an impression on their psyche where they will remember you eventually when they end up needing your services.
If I could recommend one piece of equipment to purchase, I would recommend going out and acquiring a gently used digital T-shirt printing machine that’s approximately 2 to 3 years old. Do not make the mistake of going out and buying a new one as they depreciate very quickly. Last years model will work just fine. In the way technology changes so quickly, not just in the St. Louis custom embroidery industry but anything that is computer driven, it makes no sense at all to go out and pay a premium for something that is going to be worth half of what you pay for in less than two years. Let someone else take that depreciation hit. I would also recommend that you don’t go out and acquire a building right off the bat. If you can, consider starting out in your garage or even in your basement as this will significantly cut down on your monthly overhead.