9 T Shirt Customization Business Success Stories [2024]
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
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.
2. Big Frog Franchise ($492K/year)
How much they make: $492K/year
Current team size: 0
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.
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:
This Etsy seller increased sales from $10k to $80k in just one year by selling 4000 customized garments.
4. Ratchet Clothing ($1.21M/year)
How much they make: $1.21M/year
Current team size:
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.
5. 80sTees.com ($51.1M/year)
How much they make: $51.1M/year
Current team size: 10
This case study details how a founder turned $32 into a $4M+/month t-shirt customization business selling 80s cartoons like Superman and Batman.
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
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
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.
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- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
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- 8,628 business ideas
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- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings