If you are a fashion enthusiast and looking for a low-investment business setup, a t-shirt business might just be the best option for you!
T-shirts are not just apparel anymore, but a trend and way to express ourselves. Different generations appeal to different styles of t-shirts. Streetwear has become so popular and is worn by people of all age groups.
But, with plenty of businesses already in the market, has the industry already reached its saturation? We certainly don’t think so!
And with platforms like Shopify, there’s an immense number of possibilities all around. This article should help you with the insights to start a successful t-shirt business with the help of Shopify store development.
Things to Consider Before Starting a T-shirt Business
What are the things that you need to think about before you start your Shopify business?
Target audience
Who will be your target audience? How big is your target market? What are their interests and buying habits? All of these factors must be taken into account while deciding on the product you are going to sell. It will ensure you are selling the right product to the right audience.
Niche
You can be more specific about the products you have to design. It will narrow down your target market and you can attract them with more specific designs.
For instance, the Indian fashion brand Bewakoof targets the audience between the age group 18 and 35. They have casual laid-back designs and appeal to Millennials and Gen Z.
So, if you want to make an impactful impression, deciding on a niche is a must!
Design
If you want your business to grow in leaps and bounds, you need to be able to connect with your audience through your designs. And the only way you can do that is by creating unique designs that can attract your audience’s attention.
If you are an artist or good with creatives, you can create your own designs. Or, if you can create content that your audience can relate to, that should help too.
Even if you aren’t, there are multiple ways you can make intriguing designs. For instance, take inspiration from social media sites like Pinterest.
Or, use the best T-shirt design software like Brush Your Ideas to create unique designs for your brand.
T-shirt quality
The quality of the t-shirts you sell is also a critical factor to your success. Don’t compromise on the quality of the tees as people are more conscious of what fabric they wear now. You can also release a range of sustainable clothing lines to promote environmental health.
Inventory
Before starting your business, think about how you will manage inventory. Are you going to print on demand or will need an inventory to keep all your designed t-shirts? If you are manufacturing the t-shirts from scratch, you obviously will have an inventory.
In case, you are getting them from a supplier, you can also leverage the Dropshipping feature of Shopify.
How to Start a T-Shirt Business With Shopify?
The best eCommerce platform for small enterprises is thought to be Shopify. It is easy to use, you don’t have to worry about hosting and can start selling your products immediately.
Here’s how you can do it!
Create a robust business plan
All the planning should be done in this phase. Be it financial planning, marketing planning, or deciding on your brand vision, logo, motto, etc.
You need to create a robust strategy and stick by it.
Check Shopify pricing
Next, there are several plans offered by Shopify. You can choose the one you find suitable for your business needs.
The various plans are
Basic Shopify: $29 /month (best for new Shopify businesses that have in-person sales occasionally)
Shopify: $79 /month (Suitable for growing businesses that sell in-store or online)
Advanced Shopify: $299 /month (Suitable for scaling businesses with a need for advanced reporting)
Set up a Shopify account
Go to the Shopify website and first sign up by providing your details. Once you have signed up, you will be able to log in using your credentials. This should give direct access to the Shopify eCommerce development dashboard.
Choose a theme and design
Look through multiple Shopify themes and decide on the best one that resonates with your brand. If you are not satisfied with a theme, you can avail of Shopify development services and create a custom design for your store and audience.
Customize features
It is time to decide which features will make it to your store. Your store’s front end and user experience will be affected based on this. Make sure your store is easy to navigate and you can even add products easily and manage them easily.
Manage inventory
Manage your stock effortlessly so that you don’t go out of stock at the wrong time. By integrating the right Shopify apps into your store, you will be able to manage inventory seamlessly. You will also be notified before your stock is replenished.
Set up payment gateway
The default payment gateway in Shopify is Shopify Payments. You can use this free of cost and won’t have to pay any additional transaction fee in this case.
However, if you choose to add another, you may have to pay an additional amount per transaction. Shopify supports multiple other popular payment gateways like Paypal, Stripe, etc.
Fulfill orders and provide customer support
Make use of the various Shopify features to fulfill the order deliveries. You can also build up a customer support portal so customers can reach out to you for any queries or concerns with their orders.
You can choose Shopify for building profitable eCommerce stores. However, you have to perform each step carefully and make sound decisions.
This guide on Shopify eCommerce development stores should help you with the steps you need to start your t-shirt business. Design a unique product and start selling on Shopify effortlessly.
Author Bio: Maulik Shah is the CEO of BiztechCS, a development company. He often takes the front seat in the company’s development projects, because he enjoys solving problems through technology. When it comes to writing for any blog, his contribution is priceless. Maulik ensures that his interaction with development is frequent enough, and his industry knowledge is ever-evolving so that he can share it. Despite his packed days, Maulik’s door is always open and he is generous with sharing this knowledge and experience.
