Having an online business means that you can reach a wider customer base. Although, it can come with its own set of challenges. In this article, we’ll go through the steps required to start your own online T-Shirt business.
Create your Online Business Structure
Choosing a business structure can be a difficult task, so it’s recommended to consult a business lawyer. While making the decision its important to understand that each structure has its own set of tax and legal obligations. If you decide to apply as a partnership or sole trader, you will need to apply for an Australian Business Number (ABN) and you’ll be taxed on an individual basis.
When you start a business, you can choose to operate your store in a primarily online location. The benefits of running an online T-Shirt business mean you’ll be able to target and service a wider market, but you’ll also have to establish processes for orders, shipping and delivery.
You will also need a domain name for your online business. To avoid future legal disputes its important to see if your domain name is taken up. To see if your domain name is available, auDA’s site has a useful search function available.
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Sourcing your T- Shirts
Before you source your products it’s important to have established designs. You may already have some photoshop programs that you can utilise to produce some designs. Although, you may also require assistance when it comes to designing. If this is the case, keep in mind to utilise online marketplaces to find a suitable graphic designer.
To make your T-shirts stand out from the crowd you will need to make sure that you’re prioritising the quality. The quality of your T-shirts will often depend on what sort of printing technique you use and where you source them. Some widely used printing techniques include:
- Screen Printing
- Heat Transfer
- Direct to Garment
The advantages of ‘Screen Printing’ include:
- Cost-effective for larger batches
- Volume discounts
However, it is not cost effective for multiple colours and is limited to simple designs.
The advantages of ‘Direct to Garment’ printing is that:
- Unlimited colours
- Great for small orders
- Has high detail
However, it is not cost effective for large batches and takes the same amount of time to print each shirt.
The main advantage of heat transfer is that you can print each shirt on-demand because you will be the sole owner of the heat press machine. However, it requires a huge upfront payment and is less durable out of all the other options.
Create Your Terms and Conditions (T& C)
Creating a T & C can help your online business to avoid future disputes. You can state within your online Terms and Conditions that if users do not comply with them, you will take action and ban customers from your site. This is essential if you want to take legal action against a user if they continue to breach your rules.
Ultimately, the user’s rights and license to use your online store are located within your terms and conditions. This lists what the customer can and cannot do while using your website. Further, a termination clause within your goods and services accounts gives you the discretion to ban certain users from your online website for prohibited or abusive activity.
Conclusion
Having an online business means that you can reach a wider customer base. Although, it can come with its own set of challenges including setting up your business structure and sourcing your T-Shirts. With the proper guidance, you can successfully set up your own T-Shirt business.
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