5 Mistakes to Avoid When Starting a Screen Printing Business at Home

Avoid these common pitfalls in order to run a profitable screen printing business.

Starting a small screen printing business at home can be a lucrative endeavor. With a small initial investment, plenty of motivation, and a solid marketing plan, you can launch your own screen printing business and turn a profit in no time. However, many screen printers focus so much on the screen printing process that they forget about the business side of things.

The difference between printers that are struggling to survive and printers that are highly successful usually has nothing to do with their competence as printers and more to do with their business acumen. Avoid the following 5 mistakes when starting a screen printing business at home to build a successful, profitable venture.  
 

1. Being jack of all trades

Nowadays, it seems like everybody is running a screen printing business. In order to stand out and build your business’s reputation for providing high-quality goods, it’s essential to find one or two niche markets to develop. When thinking about your target audience, be as specific as possible. Examples of specific target markets include snowboarders, grandparents, mothers of infants, etc. The more specific you get with your niche, the easier it will be to come up with an effective marketing plan and sell your products. 

2. Buying a screen printing package without understanding the learning curve

While it is true that you can buy a screen printing package and make money screen printing garments in your spare time, running a successful screen printing business requires more than just good equipment. The skills and knowledge required to screen print successfully cannot be learned overnight. From learning which inks and mesh counts to use to efficiently operating your equipment, there are many aspects of screen printing that you have to master in order to achieve professional results.

3. Not having enough space to accommodate screen printing equipment

Operating commercial screen printing equipment safely and efficiently requires a lot of space. In addition, you need space to sort and process the garments that will be printed. You may even need special electrical, ventilation, and disposal accommodations. It’s important to research environmental regulations and zoning laws in your local area before getting started.

4. Not establishing relationships with community groups

In order to establish a presence in your local market, it’s essential to develop relationships with local groups and get your products in the public eye. For example, you could print sample designs for a local high school sports team, popular local band or local business. You could even offer a school sports team low-cost t-shirts for a fundraising event, or run a t-shirt design contest by uploading t-shirt designs to your website and having students vote for their favorite design. This will drive traffic to your website while boosting brand awareness. 

5. Not attaching tags to your t-shirts

Self-promote by attaching tags to each t-shirt that you create. This will let wearers know exactly where the shirts came from. Attaching tags to your t-shirts is a simple, effective promotional technique. If you don’t attach tags, wearers will not know who made the shirts and where they can buy more. With a cost of about 6 cents per tag, attaching tags to your t-shirts is far less expensive than traditional advertising techniques.

Make More Money with Your Screen Printing Business

Thanks to amazing advances in technology, starting a screen printing business at home is easier and more affordable than ever before. Whether you want to generate additional income on the side or you’d like to launch a full-time career as a screen printer, Printa Systems can help. 

For a free product video and consultation with an industry expert, visit this page: www.printa.com/form/request-free-catalog-and-video.