There are several custom apparel shops out there, but few of them have the resources it takes to handle contract screen printing. The problem for many print brokers is they choose (or are forced to) work with shops that can’t handle the job efficiently, which ultimately leads to loss of profits.
Here are five reasons on why you should FIRE your current shop.
1) You’re treated like a regular client
This is among one of the top complaints we hear. Contract clients, unlike their wholesale shirt printing counterparts, actually buy their products directly from the manufacturer and have us design and print it. The fact you have that kind of purchasing power is adequate reason enough to put you on a different playing field, however, many companies don’t recognize (and appreciate) this. They’ll try to tell you they give you special treatment but many are just saying that in the hopes they don’t lose your business.
Don’t get us wrong. We’re sure any shop would be estatic to have a good, recurring agreement set up with dozens of contractors but they can’t do that because they are often times not equipped to handle the sheer amount of volume.
We know you’ve worked hard to build your business and you want to work with a company that gives you that tiered level of production and service you expect.
2) Their business model is not geared for you
Business Terms
As a successful tshirt broker that brings in a lot of volume, your terms and conditions will be different than other clients. Many companies don’t have the systems in place to handle the terms it takes for larger, high volume clients.
They are not equipped to handle the job
Bulk tshirt printing requires the right equipment, staff and resources to get the job done quickly and correctly. For most companies, it’s the equipment and staff they lack to do the job quickly.
Also, something that seems to be obvious but we get asked quite a bit is that direct to garment printers are not meant for contract work – not yet, anyway. The technology is improving and becoming a lot faster, but DTG is meant for printing lower quantities. So, no matter what a DTG company tells you, they are not equipped to handle the volume that is required for this type of work.
Custom apparel options are limited
You never know what your client will ask you to print and it’s a complete pain, loss of time and money to try to find different printers that can handle different jobs. It’s easier and more cost effective for you if you have a reliable shop who can handle all different types of jobs.
Another thing to watch for is that the company may offer all forms of printing, but can they handle that on a bulk quantity basis?
3) Their entire process is broken
If you ever watched CNBC’s The Profit it features Marcus Lemonis going into businesses, investing his own money and turning the business around, you know Lemonis constantly preaches 3 things: People, Process and Products.
We can find one of those where many apparel printing companies fall short and that’s ‘Process’. Their process is broken and not efficient.
But you’re asking yourself, “Why should I care?”
The reason you should care is because the inefficient company is costing you in 2 ways and these 2 factors are probably the biggest (and most important) part of your business. These 2 things are:
1) Price
2) Time
By not being efficient in their process, you lose money because the company has to charge you for their insufficiencies (cover labor costs, costs of materials, etc). To add to that, it takes them longer to complete a job.
We have worked hard to refine and streamline the process. From account creation to ordering and drop shipping, we have developed an efficient process and can pass that time and savings on to you, which in turns add to your bottom line.
4) No additional services
Does the company offer additional services to help you grow your business and offer more features for your clients?
Packaging
Presentation is important and is a direct reflection on you and your business. All pieces in your order will be individually folded. While you many not think this makes a difference, the impact it has on your client is tremendous. Not only is it a great first impression for your client, but it also saves them time and money because they don’t have to spend time folding a large quantity of products.
This is an added perk we offer to our clients for no extra charge.
Drop Shipping
Drop shipping can be a real time saver but not all companies offer it.
Custom Tracking Website
We know clients like to be informed of the status of their order. That’s why we offer a generic website that you can put your name and logo on that your clients can access to track the status of their order.
This saves you time from having to constantly field calls or emails from them asking about their order. They can now do that online in real time without having to contact you.
5) A non-existent art department
You’re the person that brings in the business and the clients, not the person who is responsible for designing their shirts for them. But, in most cases, the companies you work with may not have an art department, especially one that is familiar with designing for custom apparel.
Your clients will most likely turn to you for help. The good news is we have an art department which specializes in tshirt design and will work with your client to come up with a streamlined design without the need for you to play constant middleman.
If you’re ready to dump your smaller, less efficient shop and work with one of the best contract screen printing companies and put more money in your pocket, give us a call today.
