Are you wanting to create a custom apparel business but aren’t sure where to start?
It’s never been easier to start an online apparel business. Entry barriers are lower than ever and customized clothing continues to increase in popularity each year.
But here’s the thing.
Starting an apparel business online doesn’t need to be expensive. What it does require is teaching you the right way to launch your business and take it to the next level.
What you’re about to learn…
- Will start you on the right path to creating a blank clothing company online
- Help you find the right blank apparel supplier
- Show you how to easily setup a sales-converting online store
- Give you printing tips that will save you from expensive mistakes
- Teach you proven marketing strategies to get your first batch of sales
Why Custom Apparel Is Booming Right Now
If you’re just starting an apparel business, you might be wondering why…
The simple answer? Everyone’s doing it.
Custom clothing has been growing in popularity each year. Why? Because people want clothes that fit their style; their brand; and their event.
Whether it’s school fundraisers, weddings, corporate team building days or charity runs; blank clothing apparel has become one of the number one choices for groups looking to get fitted shirts for their teams.
With industry predictions estimating the custom clothing market to reach over $63 Billion by 2025 (that’s BILLION with a “B”), now is a better time than ever to start an apparel business.
How To Find The Right Blank Clothing Supplier
Here is where most people who start clothing businesses get hung up.
Picking the wrong supplier will set you up for failure. Low quality clothing products, poor fitting garments, inconsistent sizing; these are just some of the problems that come from ordering blanks from the wrong supplier.
When starting your custom clothing business you want to partner with a supplier you trust. Not only should they offer high-quality clothing blanks that fit well but also competitive pricing; fast production times and lightning-fast shipping.
A supplier like Shirtmax.com for example is a great place to start. They have everything you need to offer blank clothing options for:
- Events
- Team building
- Promotions
- Uniforms
Look for suppliers that offer:
- Multiple styles such as t-shirts, hoodies, tanks, polo and more
- Well-made apparel that fits consistent sizing standards
- Competitive pricing on wholesale orders
- Shipping that matches the speed of your production time
This is important. Don’t skimp on your blank supplier. Every sale you lose due to poor material quality; poorly fitted clothing or terrible customer service can be attributed to ordering from the wrong supplier. Order blanks from your chosen supplier first and test them out. See what you think before buying your inventory in bulk.
Setting Up An Online Store That Converts
Now that you know where to get quality blanks; it’s time to build a store.
The good news? Website creation has never been easier. Whether you go with Shopify; WooCommerce or BigCommerce; you can have your online store up and ready to go within days.
Don’t overthink your website design. There’s one thing most beginners fail to consider.
It’s not about how your site LOOKS, it’s about how your site performs.
Yes you want your store to look professional. But you also need to make sure it’s easy for customers to find what they want, quickly.
To do this your online store needs:
- Product categories that are clearly defined. Group your products by type; color and use.
- High-quality product photos. Invest in flat lay mockups. Remember you’re selling pictures, make them count.
- Checkout process is as streamlined as possible. The fewer clicks your customer has to make; the more likely they are to complete the order.
With research projecting the blank apparel market will reach $24.25 Billion by 2033 in sales, there has never been a better time to start an online clothing business.
And there’s one sector of the market you should target specifically.
Business to Business. That’s right businesses that buy apparel for their teams; promotional items or even uniforms.
Think local events buying shirts for participants. Corporate team building orders. Promotional clothing to hand out as giveaways.
Create specific landing pages that target these audiences. Offer special bulk pricing for events and promotions. Make it easy for these buyers to find and contact you.
This is how you start taking on bigger profit margins with your custom clothing brand.
Printing Methods That Make Or Break Quality
Speaking of quality. Let’s talk printing.
You can have the coolest clothing blanks in the world but if your printing looks terrible; nobody is going to buy your products.
When starting a clothing business there are 4 main printing methods you should consider.
Screen Printing: Great for bulk orders. Screen printing allows you to produce vibrant colors that last. Plus it’s durable enough to wear season after season. The downside? You need to order a minimum amount of shirts for each design. Excessive setup cost per design.
Direct-to-Garment (DTG): Best for high-detail, full color prints and small orders. DTG Printing allows you to print directly onto the clothing blank itself. In saying that, DTG prints are more detailed but cost more per-unit when comparing to screen printing.
Heat Transfer / Vinyl Printing: Apply designs like names, numbers or basic graphics with heat transfer printing. This is great for sports teams looking for matching jerseys. Not as durable as screen printing but works for certain order types.
Sublimation Printing: The process of sublimation printing can only be done on polyester clothing. When done correctly you’re left with brilliant colors on light colored shirts. Sublimation won’t crack or peel but doesn’t work on darker fabrics.
Think about your orders. Break them up into segments.
You’ll be printing significantly more for events. Teams will most likely be a smaller quantity. Think about these things when deciding how you should offer printing to your customers.
Marketing Strategies To Get Your First Sales
You have your products. Website. Blanks. Printers.
But what about marketing.
It doesn’t matter how good your product is. If you don’t tell people about it you won’t get any sales.
Here are a few surefire ways to start getting sales as soon as your store launches.
Social Media Marketing: Instagram and TikTok were made for product-based businesses. Post high-quality pictures of your products. Show behind the scenes footage of your printing process. Stay consistent and interaction with your target audience EVERYDAY.
Local Business Event Sales: Reach out to local business around your area. Anyone that hosts events; promotes brands or needs uniforms is a potential client. Offer your services for blank clothing apparel and always be willing to negotiate your price. You’d be surprised how many repeat customers you’ll find by taking advantage of your local communities.
SEO & Content Marketing: Make sure your store is optimised for Google. What phrases are your buyer’s searching for when trying to find your products? Create blog posts that match what they’re searching for. Event clothing? Write a blog post about how your business supplies clothing for events. Custom uniforms? Time to write an article.
Email Marketing: Create an email list right from day one. Offering discounts for new subscribers is a great way to build your email marketing list. Email is one of the highest converting, cost-effective content marketing methods you can use.
Your best bet? Start with two. Master those two marketing strategies and then expand your efforts from there.
Wrapping Up
Wanting to start an online custom apparel business is only the beginning. If you took away one thing from this article it should be to always keep learning.
The online clothing industry is constantly evolving; always searching for the next big trend.
Right now blank clothing options for groups and events is it.
Follow this step-by-step blueprint and watch your custom clothing business come to life.
- Find a supplier that offers quality blanks
- Setup your sales-converting online store
- Figure out how you will print apparel
- Market your custom clothing business online