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9 T Shirt Customization Business Success Stories [2023]

9 T Shirt Customization Business Success Stories [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 (from Ludhiana, Punjab, India) started NG Apparels over 12 years ago.

Revenue
$1.33M / month
Team
1 founders / 42 employees

Case Study

Thanks for giving me this lovely opportunity, I’m Arpit Aryan Gupta and I’m currently running a garment export unit called NG Apparels that is based in Ludhiana, catering to all clothing segments across the globe.

My father lost a lot of money in the 2008 crash in the US market which pushed us out of the market and my father had to shut down his fabric trading business but I established the garment manufacturing business back in 2012 and with God’s grace the business has grown exponentially. I have a turnover of 12cr($1,581,547) without any loan or CC limit requirements.

how-we-bootstrapped-a-1-4m-year-clothing-manufacturing-business-from-ludhiana

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

Sanford Booth (from Portland, Oregon, USA) started Big Frog Franchise over 11 years ago.

Revenue
$41K / month
Team
1 founders / 0 employees

Case Study
  • Sanford Booth started Big Frog of Portland out of a desire to support Big Frog’s local community through entrepreneurship
  • Booth purchased a Big Frog franchise to launch his own t-shirt printing business. In just four months, he made a profit on his nearly $200k initial investment.
  • His first year's earnings were $85,000; this year, he anticipates earning $550,000.
  • Before he opened Big Frog, Sanford’s main background was in real estate. He determined that the quickest way for him to launch a t-shirt company as a first-time entrepreneur would be to buy a franchise.

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Watch the full video on youtube.com ➜

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

4. Goober Prints ($79.2K/year)

With a full-time job, a baby at home, and a thriving side hustle, Troy Parker was becoming a master juggler. He was excited about the growth of his Etsy shop, Goober Prints, but was beginning to reach the ceiling of his own capacity. Troy specializes in fun, quirky, customizable direct-to-garment…

Troy Parker (from Crystal Lake, Illinois, United States) started Goober Prints over 4 years ago.

Revenue
$6.6K / month
Team
1 founders / employees

Case Study

Troy Parker is the founder of an Etsy shop selling customizable garments for both humans and pets. He specializes in fun & weird customized garment & accessory printing.

Goober Prints had a breakthrough year in 2020, increasing total sales to $80,000 from just under $10,000 in 2019. In 2020 he sold around 4000 items in total and this gave him a boost to turn his side hustle into a full-time business.

article

Read the full article on sidehustlenation.com ➜

5. Ratchet Clothing ($1.21M/year)

Dhillan Bhardwaj (from Long Eaton, Nottingham, UK) started Ratchet Clothing over 11 years ago.

Revenue
$101K / month
Team
1 founders / employees

Case Study
  • 25-year-old Dhillan Bhardwaj dropped out of college and went on to start his own unique & budget-friendly high street clothing line, Ratchet Clothing.

  • Ratchet is an organically grown unisex handmade clothing brand specializing in tie-dye and other various hand printing methods.

  • This brand has been worn by many big named celebrities such as Miley Cyrus, Madonna, Drake, Rihanna, Zara Larsson, and many more.

  • Currently, Dhillan has multiple shops across England - Long Eaton, the Broadmarsh Centre, and Sheffield.

article

Listen to the full podcast on podcasts.apple.com ➜

6. 80sTees.com ($51.1M/year)

Today I’m thrilled to have Kevin Stecko back on the show. Kevin runs an awesome site called 80stees.com where he sells t-shirts from the 80s.

Kevin’s t-shirt business was already super competitive but in the past several years, it’s gotten even more intense. As a result, he made some fundamental…

Kevin Stecko (from Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, USA) started 80sTees.com over 24 years ago.

Revenue
$4.26M / month
Team
1 founders / 10 employees

Case Study

Kevin Stecko established the company 80sTees.com -a shirt customization business.

They print 80s cartoons like Superman, Batman, Ninja Turtles, Transformers, and more on t-shirts.

He started 80sTees.com in 1999 after people kept asking him where he got the t-shirts with his favorite 1980s cartoons on them.

In 1999, he made $32 when he first sold his t-shirt at an online auction. His journey began from that moment on and he never had to look back since then.

Now, he's making $4M+/month with 10 employees.

article

Listen to the full podcast on apple.com ➜

7. CATSIVERSE ($2.4K/year)

Timm (from Mönchengladbach, Deutschland) started CATSIVERSE about 1 year ago.

Revenue
$200 / month
Team
1 founders / 0 employees

Case Study

Hi guys! I am Timm and I’m the founder of CATSIVERSE - Your Cat Universe. I started the business 4 months ago. It all started with building a niche community on Instagram last year. For cat lovers who want to help save cats and protect the planet, CATSIVERSE provides a custom cat portrait service and premium sustainable artwear - because we want to create a better future for all living beings.

on-starting-a-niche-cat-lovers-community-on-instagram

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

Rahul Garewal (from Hyderabad, Telangana, India) started Printstreet Online Retail Pvt Ltd over 5 years ago.

Revenue
$4K / month
Team
2 founders / 6 employees

Case Study

I am Rahul Garewal, 38 years old, originally from a small town, but now living in one of India’s top metro cities and technology hub - Hyderabad for the past 15 years. I along with my brother Pushkar Garewal (36) started this company in 2017.

We have been growing more than 100% year on year for the past 3 years, and are making USD 5K per month currently. And given the market conditions, this is just the beginning.

how-these-brothers-started-a-5k-month-custom-printing-online-service

Pat Walls,  Founder of Starter Story
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