Start a screen printing shop with minimal experience ? Or something else ?

[Denis Kolar]

You can pick up late 90's Gauntlets all day long for $6-$8K

I had a friend that had a Brother GT-541 go at auction for $4k.

The deals are possible, I just hop eoyu have plenty of time to wait and you are constantly scouring the internet and auctions.

Gauntlets you can find, but in what condition for that money.
Brother GT-541 was an auction, how much did it go for?

Brad, I understand what you are saying, but it think it is better not to cheap out and go for the cheapest on the machinery that is suposed to make you money.

[mk162]

Good used condition.  They pumped 6 colors out like hotcakes in the late 90's.  There are a ton of them out there.  Just go private seller and take a tech with you.

A normal price for that would be around $12K

[earthdome]

Looks to me like you're a businessman that just might happen to become a printer.
Nothing wrong with that at all, but I'm the opposite. If I was in your position I would do
what Royster says, because he's right.

Okay, well Royster said All there is to do id "sell"  I guess I don't get what that means.... to open a store front with no equipment and just outsource everything ? Or did you mean keep acquiring equipment and focus on sales and let experienced printers do the work ? I guess i'm a tad confused...   

[ebscreen]

There's plenty of contract printers that can offer you pricing that will allow a decent margin on most
jobs for you to make a living without doing anything but selling, ordering shirts and maybe some light
artwork. Find one nearby that you can work with and sell away.

[royster13]

You do not need equipment or a location.......You go out and knock on doors.....Either "real doors" by hitting the road or "virtual doors" by direct marketing....I make most of my sales direct marketing (mail order).....Hardly ever see clients face to face any more...There is so much production capacity available these days that is usually less costly to "out source" than to do the work yourself....I have contractors that will do 150 1 colour 1 side imprints (dark on light) for 70.00 to 100.00...

[earthdome]

Thanks for the input on the equipment guys..  Do you think these are things I should try and acquire right away to be able to do mass production or keep as I planned for later on when I can justify the need for one ?  Or have the profit to re-invest in one ?   

 Remember this is only the feasibility phase.. once I get approved then I move on to writing the actual business plan. But I am given the opportunity to change information in there until she turns it in. (I guess they only send out reports on the 15th and 30th of the month.) So the more appealing I can make it sound and if I ask for equipment in the right way and can justify it ... then I am more likely to get it approved for the funding when the actual plan  is written out.

So I feel this is really important time for me to really assess the reality of things, if there is any other avenue that could potentially be more profitable?  Or buttoning down anything I can so this business runs like a well oiled machine...

What can I be doing now to justify using as much funding as I can (which I don't think I have to pay back) at least not if the business doesn't work .. then they will likely just auction off the equipment... if it works and i'm making good money I think they make a plan to re-pay... but this is NOT like a typical loan... But want to keep it moderate so they don't think they are taking on too much risk.

I guess right now would be the time to see if there is something with a more turn key solution, perhaps closer to my home, something that also fits my interests/experience to the point that I don't have so many learning curves. But as for right now , I obviously have a passion to be in this business and pretty gung ho about it... but hope I am not going about it the wrong way. I know it is optimal to start from home and get a name and contacts... but I don't see it being really profitable in my immediate area , despite the fact that I do have a full basement to do it in.. But can I draw enough through the web to offset that ?

Or should I do like you guys are saying and focus on sales marketing and get a couple good employees. I find it hard to justify having employee's right off the bat, but If the business plan was a solid as could be wouldn't that be optimal ?

Or perhaps starting out, maybe try to outsource either everything or that I can't handle ?

Also the DVR is not going to be like a typical lender there goal is to see that I get something that I am going to be comfortable with and is going to be the best fit for me..  I could see them not liking the travel part .. but I could always move there if necessary.. and I think I need to include that in the report,

Screw it, I think the best thing for me to do maybe is post the whole thing to the forum here and hopefully I can get some people to help me pick it apart, and fill any holes.... Despite that its like 11 pages long .. I think it would help and could be useful to the forum for sure.  I guess a moderator can block it if it's too big..  ; ) 

It is time for me to pull out all the stops to make 100% absolute sure this business plan is TOP NOTCH and has absolutely NO room for error. This is my baby, I see this as my last chance to do something meaningful with my life. At least the only chance I am going to get help like this..

Well I am going  to post the "study" to the forum.. there is a lot in there already I want to change. The only info I am going to leave out is the name of my competitive area... and my business name "of course"    and it's a good one.. ( I think) anyways looking forward to getting some (if neccessary brutal) opinions about it ...and thanks a lot guys .. really glad I found this forum ... 

[Frog]

I just realized that both Dan and I responded to you on TSPMB over a month ago, and I did have a blurb about this place as a signature in the post (as did Dan), so...
what took you so long?

Seriously though, glad that you made it over.

[earthdome]

You do not need equipment or a location.......You go out and knock on doors.....Either "real doors" by hitting the road or "virtual doors" by direct marketing....I make most of my sales direct marketing (mail order).....Hardly ever see clients face to face any more...There is so much production capacity available these days that is usually less costly to "out source" than to do the work yourself....I have contractors that will do 150 1 colour 1 side imprints (dark on light) for 70.00 to 100.00...

You would at least want a website right ?  Is there still a way to focus on that market ? In what ways could I justify getting "assistance"  or financial help.. Or how could I direct funds to cater to a business model like this ?

As it states in my current model "he I will be responsible for all aspects (artwork preparation, screen setup, ink mixing, printing and curing shirts, making customer samples, cutting and weeding vinyl for signs.  In addition, he would be responsible for the day to day operations including sales, marketing, advertising, customer service, and customer tracking"

and I can see this being the case if I go to the weekend training seminar (as outlined in my business plan).. or if a contracted person were in house to help me get rolling. I also have time yet, and I plan on spending time at other people's shops (that I know) .. to also get a better feel for things..

[earthdome]

I just realized that both Dan and I responded to you on TSPMB over a month ago, and I did have a blurb about this place as a signature in the post (as did Dan), so...
what took you so long?

Seriously though, glad that you made it over.

Thanks a lot!! ........ Ya know I do think I remember that now. I must have been submersed in t-shirt forums and thinking I was getting help I needed there .. I remember signing up to one ( I think you referred me 2)  and maybe the first one wasn't like this place at all... Sure kicking myself for it now though for not signing up 4 this one!!!

Even though information is going to be bias anywhere you go ... This most certainly seems a lot better than the younger crowd at t-forums .. and seems a much wider focus than just screen printing and embroidery.. So I was getting some seriously bias info, hehe.

I have come quite a ways since my posts at that forum so... hoping you don't think I am being redundant. Though i'm sure some of my questions are similar my situation has changed quite a bit.

Well dunno what took me so long .... but glad i'm here, i'll just respect it that much more now !!

Feel like I hopped out of a station wagon and into a Porsche !!  Much respect for you guys !! and thanks also to Dan to responding to my email today ( man is that TSMB ever a ghost town ! lol !)

[royster13]

Here is another thought...Forget about screen printing because the market is crowded already......Production is the least profitable part of the screen printing business...I can make more per hour selling that most small printers can make printing....If you want to a business where you do the work, consider pad printing, cylindrical printing or a CNC Shark...Pretty sure you will not have 10 other competitors within 25 miles...These 3 ideas allow you to develop a niche market that has good margins and often not too much local competition...

[earthdome]

There's plenty of contract printers that can offer you pricing that will allow a decent margin on most
jobs for you to make a living without doing anything but selling, ordering shirts and maybe some light
artwork. Find one nearby that you can work with and sell away.

Thanks Eb, .... how would one go about marketing that service ...just a strong web presence and some advertizing? Or include a physical location ? How would I utilize funding to cater to that business model ?

Thanks

[jsheridan]

Let me be the first to tell you to run.. run fast and far away from this industry. It's the most cut-thoat kick em in the D I C K over a penny bunch of people I've ever met. I grew up in this industry and have seen it's best and absolute worst. It's what I know and do best so I'm here for life, you're new with high hopes and ambitions just waiting to be trampled on and drug through the bowels of screen printing. 

If you want to do this.. don't print! SELL!! and let us lifer ink monkey's who really know what were doing, do it for you.

**edit.. really guys.. word censoring..  what are we in grade school.

[Frog]

Let me be the first to tell you to run.. run fast and far away from this industry. It's the most cut-thoat kick em in the D I C K over a penny bunch of people I've ever met. I grew up in this industry and have seen it's best and absolute worst. It's what I know and do best so I'm here for life, you're new with high hopes and ambitions just waiting to be trampled on and drug through the bowels of screen printing. 

If you want to do this.. don't print! SELL!! and let us lifer ink monkey's who really know what were doing, do it for you.

**edit.. really guys.. word censoring..  what are we in grade school.

Sorry John, think of it as an attempt to force our members to develop a wider vocabulary.


Now as for your advice, I will almost agree and quote Terry from On the Waterfront, "What do I get? A one-way ticket to Palookaville"

[ebscreen]

If I had the gift of gab I'd be selling and not printing.

Why are you so deadset on this business loan thing and figuring out how to utilize/justify it?
Wouldn't you rather start a business and not take on any debt?

Build a website. A good one. Pay someone to do it for you if you can't. Market the hell out
of yourself. Both of those take at least a little money so there's your loan justification if
you must. Shake hands and smile and network and wear a tie and junk. Make connections
and sell sell sell.

[earthdome]

Here is another thought...Forget about screen printing because the market is crowded already......Production is the least profitable part of the screen printing business...I can make more per hour selling that most small printers can make printing....If you want to a business where you do the work, consider pad printing, cylindrical printing or a CNC Shark...Pretty sure you will not have 10 other competitors within 25 miles...These 3 ideas allow you to develop a niche market that has good margins and often not too much local competition...

What do you know about my market ? there are 4 competitors in a population of 300,000 people !! Shoot, there are 3 competitors in my home town of 9,000  people! And I just read a post where someone said there town of 500,000 people has 50 shops and there are a few shops within a 2 mile radius of him , and he is still running !!

If I knew they proper way to utilize this funding resource more efficiently, or for a more lucrative venture I would do so . But I don't hear any one saying "get into retail" or open a computer store , or any other alternatives ?

I guess I need to look and see if I can find someone that can model what services you speak of I perhaps would have a better perspective.

I appreciate the honesty .. and I do need to look at the hard facts and reality of things and what I wand and am capable of doing.. and is why I am here.

But given the resources of a couple printers in the area who would be running if they could start a shop. And several experienced people are willing to help me out and walk me through things ... why shouldn't I give it a try ?

And i'm not wanting to just offer screen printing! I want to offer web design, graphic design, vinyl signs, promotional items, along with screen printing. 

And I already am working on a website that will be an outlet for local's to advertize in, and they will be able to moderate there information remotely. This will be a cheap service but I feel will give me a platform to connect myself with local businesses.

I guess maybe i'm not looking at the big picture enough ... I am dedicating all my time and stopping at nothing to utilize all my resources and connections to make this fly ... but perhaps I need to take a step back and see the best way I can position myself here ...

Thanks for your opinions...