9 T Shirt Customization Business Success Stories [2024]

Updated: November 1st, 2023
Start A T Shirt Customization Business

A t-shirt customization business is a business that allows customers to design and create their unique t-shirts. You can do this business either online through a website or in a physical storefront location.

To start a t-shirt customization business, you must invest in a t-shirt printing machine and the necessary equipment, such as ink and screens. You may also want to consider offering a variety of t-shirt styles, colors and sizes to appeal to a broader range of customers.

One way to attract customers is to offer a user-friendly online design tool that allows customers to easily upload their designs or choose from a selection of templates and clip art. You can also offer in-store design consultations for customers who want a more personalized experience.

In addition to t-shirts, you may consider offering customization for other types of clothing, such as hoodies, tank tops, and hats. You could also provide customization services for other items, such as bags, mugs, and phone cases.

To market your t-shirt customization business, you can use social media, online, and local advertising to reach potential customers. You can also participate in local events and trade shows to promote your business and attract new customers.

Overall, a t-shirt customization business can be a fun and rewarding way to turn your creativity and passion for design into a successful business.

Here are some real life success stories of starting a t-shirt customization business:

1. NG Apparels ($16M/year)

Arpit Aryan Gupta, the founder of NG Apparels, came up with the idea for his garment export business after his father lost a significant amount of money in the 2008 US market crash. Seeing the potential in Ludhiana's clothing manufacturing ecosystem, Gupta decided to establish a clothing manufacturing unit in 2012. With a turnover of 12cr ($1,581,547), NG Apparels has experienced exponential growth and serves clients in the US, UK, Australia, and other countries.

How much they make: $16M/year
How much did it cost to start: $10K
Current team size: 42

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How We Bootstrapped A $1.4M/Year Clothing Manufacturing Business [From Ludhiana]

NG Apparels is a garment export unit based in Ludhiana that caters to the clothing segments worldwide, boasting a turnover of $1,581,547 without loans or credit card limits.

About
Arpit started NG Apparels about 13 years ago
Revenue
Arpit grew the business to $1.33M/month
Costs
It cost Arpit $10000 to start the business
Read by 3,197 founders

2. Big Frog Franchise ($492K/year)

How much they make: $492K/year
Current team size: 0

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How to Start a $500K/Year T-Shirt Business

How a first-time entrepreneur turned his nearly $200k investment in a Big Frog franchise into a profitable t-shirt printing business, with first-year earnings of $85,000 and projected earnings of $550,000 this year.

About
They started Big Frog Franchise over 12 years ago
Revenue
They grew the business to $41K/month
Read by 761 founders

Learn more about starting a t-shirt customization business:

Where to start?

-> How much does it cost to start a t-shirt customization business?
-> Pros and cons of a t-shirt customization business

Need inspiration?

-> Examples of established t-shirt customization business

Other resources

3. Goober Prints ($79.2K/year)

How much they make: $79.2K/year
Current team size:

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$80,000 in Etsy Sales: How to Grow from Here? [Side Hustle Coaching]

This Etsy seller increased sales from $10k to $80k in just one year by selling 4000 customized garments.

About
They started Goober Prints about 5 years ago
Revenue
They grew the business to $6.6K/month
Read by 761 founders

4. Ratchet Clothing ($1.21M/year)

How much they make: $1.21M/year
Current team size:

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How To Go Viral with Dhillan @ Ratchet Clothing Company

Dhillan Bhardwaj dropped out of college to start Ratchet Clothing, a budget-friendly handmade clothing brand which has organically grown to multiple stores across England and has been worn by big named celebrities such as Miley Cyrus and Rihanna.

About
They started Ratchet Clothing about 12 years ago
Revenue
They grew the business to $101K/month
Read by 733 founders

5. 80sTees.com ($51.1M/year)

How much they make: $51.1M/year
Current team size: 10

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This One Thing Is Killing Your Profits With Kevin Stecko

This case study details how a founder turned $32 into a $4M+/month t-shirt customization business selling 80s cartoons like Superman and Batman.

About
Kevin started 80sTees.com about 25 years ago
Revenue
Kevin grew the business to $4.26M/month
Read by 808 founders

6. CATSIVERSE ($2.4K/year)

Timm, the founder of CATSIVERSE, came up with the idea for his business after building a niche community on Instagram. Seeing the opportunity to monetize his cat fan page, he created a cat portrait service and premium sustainable artwear, with a portion of every sale going towards supporting causes his community cares about. In just the first week, the business raked in around $100 in profit.

How much they make: $2.4K/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
Current team size: 0

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On Starting A Niche Cat Lovers Community On Instagram
About
Timm started CATSIVERSE almost 2 years ago
Revenue
Timm grew the business to $200/month
Costs
It cost Timm $1000 to start the business
Read by 2,124 founders

7. Printstreet Online Retail Pvt Ltd ($48K/year)

Rahul Garewal and his brother Pushkar Garewal started Printstreet in 2017 after recognizing the pain points in the printing industry, such as minimum order quantities, limited product options, and longer turn-around times. Through cold calling and sales visits, they secured their first corporate order within 3 months and generated a good amount of revenue in their first year of operations. They officially launched their online store in 2019, utilizing digital marketing channels like Google ads, email, and WhatsApp to attract and retain customers, with Google ads accounting for 60% of traffic and sales.

How much they make: $48K/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
Current team size: 6

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How These Brothers Started A $5K/Month Custom Printing Online Service

Indian online customization and merchandising provider Printstreet, founded in 2017, addresses issues such as minimum order quantity, product quality, and longer turnaround times to cater to both individuals and enterprises, all while seeing over 100% year on year growth in the past three years and making $5K per month.

About
Rahul started Printstreet Online Retail Pvt Ltd over 6 years ago
Revenue
Rahul grew the business to $4K/month
Costs
It cost Rahul $1000 to start the business
Read by 2,336 founders