Custom Apparel Startups

Custom Apparel Startups

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Custom Apparel Startups episodes

  • Episode 136 – Building a Winning Ad Strategy For Your Business

    Here's how to build a winning ad strategy for your business:

    Step 1 – Choose your Niche

    -Fitness Coaches & Personal Trainers

    -Local Moms from pregnancy to toddler years

    Step 2 – Build your Avatar

    Male – 25-45 – In shape, loves fitness, likes cool t-shirts, casual minded, wants to be independently wealthy. Has own business for personal training. Probably works out of a private gym and does some online coaching.

    Female – 20-30 – Small town mom, loves personalized things for her children, has a network of friends and family that support her and love her kids, loves to buy local, doesnt want to buy gifts from walmart but prefers something with a personal touch. Goes to local farmers markets every week, plus home parties for jewelry, apparel, etc

    Now you are ready to build an ad campaign. Here are some steps on how to give yourself the biggest chance for success.

    Why – Why would your avatar want this?

    Where will your avatar see it? Where will you advertise? The question really is, where will you most likely be able to reach your Avatar. Do they use facebook? Do they attend local events? Are they likely to buy online?

    What message will resonate? Time, Money, Image?

    What images will they respond to? Will they respond to a cute design picture, a picture of the item itself or something else, like a video of it being made or picture of someone wearing logo apparel?

    Call to Action (CTA) what will your avatar PREFER to do? What do you want them to do? Order a specific product online? Call for a consultation? Email you ideas? Email you to get ideas? BASED ON YOUR AVATAR

    How will you measure success of your ad/campaign?

    Once you have answered these questions you can move onto creating your ad campaign. So lets use the examples above. We will choose 2 completely different campaigns just as an example of how you could run these.

    Fitness Coaches & Personal Trainers

    What? You’d like to sell work out shirts to these personal trainers and also give them the opportunity to sell them to their clients for a profit. You can come up with cool designs he will like.

    Where? Since your customer can be both in your own town and in the next state. You might choose to go the online route. You also think your avatar might use instagram, so you will choose this as the place to advertise.

    Why? He already buys work out shirts. He already has clients. He wants to make more money, so selling shirts to these clients is great. Also if he has the coolest shirts in the gym, he might get more clients and sell more shirts.

    Local Moms from pregnancy to toddler years

    What? You’d like to offer everything customized for baby. clothes, hats, booties, bibs, strollers, carriers, towels, mugs, cups, stickers, etc

    Where? These moms always meet up at the local farmers markets, sit and drink coffee and read the local community news.

    Why? They love these personalized things. They also love to buy local, so they can introduce you to their family and friends to fully personalize their kiddos gear.

    Mentioned in the Podcast: https://coldesi-graphics.com/

    How to build the ad:

    Fitness Coaches & Personal Trainers

    1. Have a Facebook and instagram account to use.
    2. Set up Facebook Business Manager to manage ads (yes thats how you will do Instagram)
    3. Have a website and specifically a page on the site to send these guys to from an ad.
    4. The page should have a specific call to action. If you want the shirts to be custom you can have them sign up for a free 1on1 design session. If you have designs made, then they can just order them online(maybe have a personal trainer wholesal e sign up)
    5. Have good pics and videos of your shirts and people working out in them.
    6. Write a few versions of the headline, what people will see below the insta ad.
    7. Make sure your Facebook and website are connected to track users.
    8. Set up an email flow so after people sign up/buy they get an email thanking them.
    9. Set aside money to test and run ads, expect winners and losers.

      10. Local Moms from pregnancy to toddler years

      1. Get set up to attend the local market.
      2. Have examples of your BEST work that they can envision themselves owning.
      3. Have some little stuff to sell for fun. funny mom shirts or mugs, etc.
      4. Be set up to take orders right there.
      5. Be set up to get email sign ups right there.
      6. Since they read the local news and drink coffee, put an ad there.
      7. Have the add say to visit you at the market or just call/text you directly.
      8. Offer something for free or of value in the add. This could be a coupon for logo, or $$ off, or free monogram. Or offer something worth time, like a free web consultation to plan gifts for baby shower.
      9. Have great pictures of work in the add, pay someone to design the ad.
      10. If you can run the ad before you start the market (coming soon!)

        11. Using plans like this means you will be more likely to create a successful ad. More likely to grow within your niche.

        AND don’t forget to have a plan set up for getting referrals.

        Listen to these episodes:

        https://customapparelstartups.com/episode-17-know-numbers-value-customer/

        https://customapparelstartups.com/episode-18-know-numbers-part-2/

        1 hr 10 min
      11. Episode 135 – Identifying Your Ideal Customer

        Marketers are constantly talking about a "customer avatar", which translates into normal English as your Ideal Customer.

        Identifying that Ideal Customers is very similar to, and JUST as important as choosing a Niche Market, something we've devoted quite a few episodes to as well.

        All you're really doing here is creating an imaginary person. The one you'd most like to sell to. The one that will most respond to your products, your business and YOU.

        Once you've created your ideal customer - right down to their name, their neighborhood, job, kids, marital status, income, etc. you'll better know:

        • What your website should look like
        • What to say in your emails
        • The important things to highlight in your services
        • The products that most appeals to them
        • How much they can and will spend on your products
        • What images to use in your ads
        • The WAY you talk to them everywhere they see, here or read about your company

          • During this podcast you'll hear the great, real life example of a start up business that inspired Marc Vila to make this the topic, and how that is going to impact it's future.

          46 min
        • Episode 134 – Making BIG Decisions : Working Backwards From Success

          Let's talk about making that BIG Decision like adding a new piece of equipment to your business, or moving into or out of a retail location, or moving your business to a print on demand model.

          1. Look at the opportunity objectively and from several perspectives.

          • Are you doing this because you're excited, or because it's objectively a good opportunity?
          • How will your existing customers view this decision?

            • 2. Develop goals.

            • What are the results you expect from this decision - specifically? Like if you're planning on investing in a new UV printer, what revenues are you expecting?

              • 3. Compare alternatives.

              • Is there something more profitable I could do instead?
              • Is there a better way to invest that time and money? Into expanding existing capabilities instead of adding new?
              • Can I accomplish the same goal in another way?

                • 4. Make your decision.

                • Lot's of opportunities are lost through inaction
                • You've thought it through and the decision is sound - you're just delaying success if you don't pull the trigger.

                  • 5. Plan your implementation.

                  • You have to make sure you take specific steps towards your goal.
                  • Each step should have a specific marker that takes you to the next one
                  • Develop a basic marketing plan
                  • Set up website and ad accounts
                  • Write articles, emails ads
                  • Launch ads, publish articles
                  • Track results for 3 weeks
                  • Use those results to plan the next articles, ads, etc.

                    • 6. Check as you go through implementation and beyond.

                    • Is this working the way it should
                    • How's my timeline
                    • Did I misjudge customer uptake? etc.

                      • The start of a big idea is the excitement and thrill of success. Proper execution and decision making is where you achieve your dreams.

                      1 hr 4 min
                    • Episode 133 – Open Yourself Up For Business

                      One of the problems people have about opening their small business is being shy about it.

                      You have to tell everyone

                      There is a thing where people are scared to share that they are starting (or started) a new business. This might be because:

                      • Fear of ridicule.. aka that's a bad idea.
                      • Fear of looking like a failure - next year you aren't in the business
                      • Fear of not being good enough - do work for them and they don't like it
                      • You HAVE to tell everyone. Nothing wrong with failure, nothing wrong with making mistakes and don't let naysayers control you

                        • Stop being camera shy

                        • Take videos of yourself
                        • Take videos of your work
                        • Take pictures, smile
                        • Post online
                        • Get in pictures with people

                          • Get on social media, even if you don't love it

                          • Insta, FB, Twitter, LinkedIn
                          • Will help you make money
                          • You don't have to be a pro or have 10000 followers.
                          • Get on there, post pics, thank people for replies
                          • Give potential customers a place to go to look at your work and business
                          • Good for SEO

                            • Don't be scared to fail... get back on the horse if you fall

                            • Its easier to do nothing and think 'what if' ... than it is to try hard and fail.
                            • You have to give it the 1000% effort or you won't make it
                            • If you do fail at first try again. Failure is ONLY when you give up. Not when you make mistakes or learn lessons

                              • You may start off with a bang, or slow... both are great and both suck

                              • You may start talking about your business, then 3 months later someone asks "hows it going" and it still kinda sucks. Don't feel bad about it, keep going.
                              • You may start talking about your business, then nail 3 huge clients. Now you are in the weeds, going crazy. You will get out of the weeds.
                              • Both of these scenarios have pros along with the cons.
                              • If it's slow you get to perfect your craft, business, pitch, website.
                              • If its busy you will make cash, but stress about it.

                                • Ask for referrals

                                • Part of getting out there is asking for referrals.
                                • People get scared to ask for a referral. Just get used to it though and it will be easy.
                                • If you talk about your biz and the person you are talking to might not be a customer just say "hey I am trying to grow this thing, it's new. know anyone?

                                  • Getting out there is how you win. You don't go in the kitchen without getting some burns and you also don't make any food.

                                  People who succeed the best get out there. I remember one customer talking about keeping spangle samples in her purse.... then wear a t-shirt. If a person said, 'hey nice shirt'.... she would hand them a sample and a card.

                                  1 hr 6 min
                                • Episode 132 – Warm Calling: How To Make Calling People You've Never Met Okay

                                  The first thing to discuss about this episode is WHY you want to call people you've never met.

                                  Why make sales phone calls?

                                  1. They are proven to work (aka make you money)
                                  2. They are essentially free

                                    3. Why don't business make sales phone calls?

                                    1. Scary
                                    2. Feel they are intrusive
                                    3. Don't know what to say.

                                      4. How to get past these and start making calls?

                                      1. Realize you've done something WAY scarier, you started a business.
                                      2. You ARE being mildly intrusive, are 'interrupting' their day. It's OK. You HAVE good intentions.
                                      3. You follow the below steps and have a plan.

                                        4. The Set Up

                                        1. Decide who you are going to call. Let's say its local owned restaurants.
                                        2. Write your 'call plan' - I never say 'script' cause you aren't an actor.
                                        3. Choose the right time - is there a time that makes most sense? day?

                                          4. Choosing a Niche / who to call

                                          Go after the low hanging fruit first. If you are new to this, it's best if you can call places where you will likely talk to the decision maker. e.g. Call the local sandwich shop before you call the local electric company.

                                          BIG TIP ON WHO TO CALL:

                                          1. Find people who know people you know. "Hey, I know you are good friends with Juanita at the UPS store in your plaza. I do apparel for her, and she said you make the best sandwich in town.
                                          2. Call the competitors of your customers. I supply a lot of to-go food shops in town like Harrys BBQ and Taco Beast as examples. I think they look great, and I'd like to see if I can help your business too.
                                          3. I was driving by, and saw your pizza place. I stopped in to pick up a pizza and noticed no uniforms on staff. I do that!

                                            4. Making a call plan.

                                            First, what is a BAD call plan?

                                            1. Don't be evasive or sketchy about why you are calling.
                                            2. Don't just talk at people, but ask questions that engage
                                            3. Don't give up after 1 try. You might not catch them at a good time at first.
                                            4. Don't just use the phone. Follow up with emails or social when possible

                                              5. Things to avoid.

                                              1. How are you today? - it's an empty question and you DON'T want the real answer. You don't want to hear about how they are upset at their teenage son or how their dog has a bad case of ring worm. I saw a comedian talk about how a guy at the bank actually answered that question and he was annoyed.
                                              2. Don't jump to a question they can say 'no' to fast. "Do you need shirts?"
                                              3. Don't respond back rude (even if they are)
                                              4. Don't be distracted. Turn off Facebook, close a door, get a babysitter, etc.

                                                5. Do homework (when possible)

                                                1. Look up their social media.
                                                2. Find people in groups or people you interact with online
                                                3. Look up their reviews
                                                4. Are they hiring?
                                                5. Any big announcements? (we just re-opened, we just expanded, we just moved)

                                                  6. The 5 key parts

                                                  1. Who are you?
                                                  2. Connect with them / reason WHY you called them (different than benefit below)
                                                  3. How can you BENEFIT them?
                                                  4. Qualify them
                                                  5. What will you ask for?

                                                    6. Example Call Plan:

                                                    Who will you call?

                                                    Local restaurants, to-go food, sandwich shops

                                                    When will you call them?

                                                    Weekdays, 2-4pm
                                                    alt - Weekdays before 10am

                                                    Who are you?

                                                    I am Marc at T-Shirt Haven here. I hope your day is going well.

                                                    Why are you calling?

                                                    1. I'm because i noticed you are hiring new servers? That's a good sign for your business. It's a lot of work with training, HR stuff, uniforms.
                                                    2. I see that you just expanded your restaurant. I love to see local restaurants succeed. I know that growth comes with pains too.
                                                    3. I noticed your restaurant just opened up for inside and outside seating. That's exciting.

                                                      4. How can you benefit them?

                                                      1. Since you are hiring I gather you will have to deal with uniforms - shirts, hats, aprons, MASKS. I'm a local custom apparel shop and I can help make your staff look great.
                                                      2. Since you are expanding, id like to improve the way your staff looks with an all new uniform style. We can really tie it all together.
                                                      3. Since you just opened you are dealing with your staff wearing old uniforms or maybe new staff. I can help outfit them with current apparel. Like explaining how you appreciate their business now, or how you are still smiling under the mask. or get your team masks that all match and look great.

                                                        4. What will you ask for?

                                                        1. Id like to propose some options for a new look for your team. Can I email you some ideas?
                                                        2. I've got some great ideas for making restaurants look more comfortable even though it feels weird right now. Can I send you some of those via email?
                                                        3. I have a couple of mask options I can create in bulk. would you be interested in me dropping off or mailing a free sample?
                                                        4. How about I come in for dinner on Monday night. I'll eat a meal with my business partner, introduce myself and drop off some ideas.
                                                          5. 1 hr 24 min
                                                        5. Episode 131 – 5 Cheap Marketing Options

                                                          Here is the reasons why we see this episode caught your attention.

                                                          1. You are a new business working on a shoestring budget
                                                          2. You are an existing business dealing with an economic downturn / recovery and uncertainty.
                                                          3. You are doing well, but realize you might be missing out on some ways to grow your business, or ways to reduce budgets.

                                                            4. The good news is that ALL 5 of these things work for everyone listening. Let’s get right into it, there are ways you can really use your creativity and your time to get more business.

                                                            Linked in

                                                            This is a place where business owners and business people socialize. You will find that not everyone you know is on here, but there are a lot of prospects for your business here. You can join groups or directly connect with people. Your connections with people can turn into connections with other people. There are a lot of articles and videos on how to use linked in for business. You can do a lot of it for FREE.

                                                            Here’s a link to our mini-cast on creating a good LinkedIn Profile: https://customapparelstartups.com/minicast2/

                                                            You can upgrade to a monthly membership for about $50-100 a month. It unlocks more features. Test it out and use it as long as you want for free, if you find it worth it… get the paid version. Really you only need to get 1 extra client every so often to pay for it.

                                                            Facebook Stalking

                                                            Well, this is kind of funny because we don’t literally mean looking at everyone’s profile and entire history to seek out clients,….. but kind of. So here is an example.

                                                            I did a Mini podcast on this with a video lesson Marketing so if you’re going to pursue this one watch/listen to this first: https://customapparelstartups.com/minicast3/

                                                            Let’s say you are a member of a FB group. In this group, you run into a business owner who mentions something like, “My Noodle Bar has really been taking off this summer.” This could be an opportunity. You can look at this person’s profile, look at the name of their business and look their business up on Facebook. Do they have custom apparel? How long have they been in business? Are they hiring? Do they sell any ‘noodle’ swag?

                                                            Once you answer some of these questions you can make your move. Maybe shoot them a DM (if group wouldn’t kick you out for that) – “Hey I noticed you have a noodle shop and you said it’s doing well. I looked at your FB page and your food looks YUMMMM. (ok… I’m hungry now) One thing I noticed was your team didn’t have matching shirts or hats. I own a local custom apparel shop and would love to chat with you about stepping up the look of your team. I can do shirts, hats, aprons and even masks”

                                                            Join local groups, forums, etc.

                                                            There are going to be a lot of local groups you can join online. Facebook, Linked in, NextDoor, small forums, meet-up and other social platforms.

                                                            Get on these places and BE ACTIVE. Whatever it might be. Answer surveys, post pics, respond to posts. It doesn’t have to be a big deal every time. Sometimes just cheering people on or congratulations. If you can provide advice, do so. Stay away from controversial topics and just meet people.

                                                            Be sure to drop hints about what you do, and when it’s appropriate… solicit business. You will find people will recommend and tag you in posts. You will find that a lot of business is there just waiting for someone to participate. Realtors and insurance people do this all the time and your business is about 100x less common than theirs. You can do it.

                                                            Email collecting / sending

                                                            As you are doing the above you should be growing your email list. Get an email from anyone who will give it to you. also while you are looking around, if you notice a published email on a website or profile… collect it.

                                                            Episode 31 – Make More Money Next Month – Using Email for Profit is a great place to learn more about this: https://customapparelstartups.com/episode-31/

                                                            You can then shoot some cold emails, reminder emails, etc to people. You will find that most everyone will either be receptive to the emails, or ignore them (cause they were busy that day, or didn’t need your service at that time) You won’t find too many people who will be offended or bothered, people have come to accept that emails come with a degree of solicitation.

                                                            You will 100% get business from emailing people. As if they have needs, show them, new things you have, ask if they want to chat custom apparel, ask if they plan to get custom apparel for upcoming season changes or events (e.g. halloween or back to school)

                                                            Pick up the Phone

                                                            This is free. This will get business. This is a VERY active way of selling. It will take some chutzpah. You dial all the local restaurants during a slower time of day and have a quick pitch.

                                                            I liked our podcast on this topic, Episode 120 – Injecting Life into a Stagnant Business https://customapparelstartups.com/episode-120/

                                                            “hello i am XXX with your local custom t-shirt shop. I was hoping to chat with the manager about his custom apparel.”

                                                            ” Hi Manager. I know a lot of local restaurants are dealing with a high turn of new employees. I am a local business just like you and I was wondering if you had any need for custom t-shirts, hats, etc for your staff. “

                                                            There are tons of books, videos and philosophies for phone selling. I say just study it, learn some pitches and pick up the phone. After a morning of dialing you WILL get an order.

                                                            1 hr 4 min
                                                          6. Episode 128 – T-Shirt Business Turnaround Strategies

                                                            During this episode, we’ll walk you through how to look at your business with fresh eyes. Like you were BUYING a struggling or stagnant business, not running it.

                                                            This kind of “outside” perspective can reveal both personal and professional areas for potential growth and lead to a better business.

                                                            The basic premise is that everything you do to make your business more attractive to a Buyer will be better for your business!

                                                            First: Getting ready to “Sell” your business – because in order to really evaluate where your business is and how it’s doing, you have to pretend you’re selling:

                                                            1. Prepare your financials – What are those? An income statement, cash flow report and balance sheet.
                                                            2. How much money you make, what cash in and out look like every month and what you own vs what you owe.
                                                            3. Gather 3 years of income tax filings if you’re a sole proprietor especially. But even if not – do that because of what we’ll discuss below.
                                                            4. Figure your asset value – What does your company own, and what is that worth? Equipment, inventory, those are easy – the value of any contracts is the tough part.
                                                            5. Research “comps” in the industry. Try and find other businesses in your niche or area that have sold recently to get an idea what it might be worth.

                                                              6. This process should be pretty enlightening.

                                                              Some of you have found out that your business literally makes NO MONEY. When you do your financials, or better yet have them done by a pro, it could turn out that you’re working your butt off just in order to pay your mortgage.

                                                              Others may be shocked at the idea that on paper you’ve made a LOT of money, but as you pick through your bank accounts you can’t find any evidence of that. It still feels like your struggling.

                                                              49 min
                                                            6. Episode 127 – Selling Conversations

                                                              Being the owner of a Custom Apparel company means that every person you meet is your next potential customer. You don’t want to be consumed with turning every conversation into a sales pitch, but you should be likable and know when you should try to make the move for a sale.

                                                              Step 1 – just be a good conversationalist

                                                              List of things that make a good conversationalist:

                                                              Be friendly

                                                              – Talk to people, be nice, be a pleasant person, inviting, warm.

                                                              Not talking about YOU all the time

                                                              – You have great stories, but let someone share their stories too.

                                                              Actually listen to people

                                                              – Hear their stories and comment / give feedback. they will notice.

                                                              Find commonality and expand on that

                                                              – If you hear them bring up they love sports, books, writing, playing Call of Duty… talk about that with them. The more enthusiastic they are about it, the longer the convo can go.

                                                              Stay away from controversy

                                                              – Politics, religion, current events (unless they bring it up and you agree) e.g. don’t insult a losing sports team if you don’t know they are fans. Don’t boast about loving or hating the Mayor unless they bring that up first.

                                                              Smile and be open

                                                              – Don’t cross arms and look down. Smile, look at them, nod head.

                                                              Talk in terms of their interest

                                                              – If you don’t appear to have anything in common yet, let them talk about their interests. e.g. they mention boating… you know nothing about boats…. ask them about it. “Oh yea, ya know I’ve always wanted to own a boat. What do you like about it? what should I know before I buy one? etc.

                                                              Be positive

                                                              – No one wants to talk to negative nancy… find happy and positive things to discuss. Find silver linings.

                                                              You will build better relationships, therefore you will build better business relationships.

                                                              You may notice in conversation this person is a potential sale for you, in one way or another. You will want to take the conversation to a probing / information gathering conversation.

                                                              Questions you want to get answered for people who are prospects.

                                                              Who are they? What do they do, what do they like, a glimpse of their personality.

                                                              Are they a potential customer or connector? Are they in your niche? do they make decisions that could lead to a sale? can they intro you to someone?

                                                              What’s their contact info? Business card, social media, phone number, email.

                                                              What will you remember them by? If you meet a lot of people, you can lose the details. think of specific things about them you can bring up later.

                                                              What do you have in common? Both like baseball, both cook, both collect Dungeons and Dragons swag.

                                                              How will you be in touch again? Establish some method. ill email you, ill send you those pics from Facebook, ill see you at the next event.

                                                              Overall being a better conversationalist will make you a better business person in the long run.

                                                              TIP!

                                                              Conversation Starters:

                                                              - What’s your connection to the event?

                                                              - What’s keeping you busy when you’re not at events like this or at work?

                                                              - How did you come to be in your line of work?

                                                              - How did you hear about this event?

                                                              46 min

                                                            About Custom Apparel Startups

                                                            From the publisher's feed

                                                            The Custom Apparel Startups podcast was started simply because we love both the apparel decorating business and the idea that almost anyone, with a small investment and a little dedication, cannot only start their own business but thrive!