T-Shirt Business Plan
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Below is a template to help you create each section of your T-shirt business plan.
Executive Summary
Business Overview
Comfy Style Tees is a startup T-shirt company located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The company is founded by Scott Smith and Mike Anderson. Scott Smith is an established graphic artist who will be creating the designs for the company’s T-shirts. Mike Anderson is a graduate of Pennsylvania University with a Master’s degree in Marketing. Together, the pair is ready to open their own T-Shirt business, Comfy Style Tees. Scott has been creating unique graphic art for over a decade and has gained a substantial following as an artist on social media. Mike has been a marketing director for another T-shirt business for over five years. He is confident that his marketing and sales skills will allow the company to quickly gain new customers who are interested in purchasing apparel featuring Scott’s artwork. The duo plans to hire a small team of professionals to manage the day-to-day complexities of running a retail business including accounting, customer service, sales, and inventory management.
Comfy Style Tees will offer comfortable T-shirts made from premium 100% cotton. Each T-shirt will feature artwork printed using a direct-to-garment (DTG) printing method that allows for Scott’s detailed and colorful designs to come to life. Comfy Style Tees will create and sell limited edition T-Shirts in small batches.
Product Offering
The following are the products that Comfy Style Tees will provide:
- Men’s T-shirts
- Women’s T-shirts
- Children’s T-shirts
- Toddler’s T-shirts
- Pet T-shirts for dogs and cats
Customer Focus
Comfy Style Tees will target people of all ages and genders who value wearing unique T-shirt designs that can’t be found off the rack. The company will target men, women, children, and people with dogs and cats. Comfy Style Tees will target fans of Scott’s artwork as well as individuals that are unfamiliar with it. No matter the customer, Comfy Style Tees will deliver the best communication, service, and high quality products.
Management Team
Comfy Style Tees will be owned and operated by Scott Smith and Mike Anderson. Scott Smith is an established graphic artist who will be creating the designs for the company’s T-shirts. Mike Anderson is a graduate of Pennsylvania University with a Master’s degree in Marketing.
Scott Smith has been creating unique graphic art for over a decade and has gained a substantial following as an artist on social media. Mike Anderson has been a marketing director for another T-shirt business for over five years. He is confident that his marketing and sales skills will allow the company to quickly gain new customers who are interested in purchasing apparel featuring Scott’s artwork.
Success Factors
Comfy Style Tees will be able to achieve success by offering the following competitive advantages:
- The most flexibility in the customers’ shopping experience: customers can order online for delivery or in-store pickup, come into the physical store and shop, and return items through the mail or in-store no matter which method they purchased them through.
- All tees are carefully printed using the latest DTG printing machines and meticulously inspected to ensure quality.
- Comfy Style Tees doesn’t sell to other retailers or white label its products, so if a customer wants an authentic Comfy Styles Tees product, they know they will be able to get it exclusively from the shop or the online store.
Download the t-shirt business plan template (including a customizable financial model) to your computer here <–
Financial Highlights
Comfy Style Tees is seeking $120,000 in debt financing to launch its T-shirt business. The funding will be dedicated towards securing the retail space and purchasing DTG printing equipment and supplies. Funding will also be dedicated towards three months of overhead costs to include payroll, rent, and marketing expenses. The breakout of the funding is below:
- Retail space build-out: $30,000
- DTG printing equipment, supplies, and materials: $30,000
- Three months of overhead expenses (payroll, rent, utilities): $40,000
- Marketing costs: $10,000
- Working capital: $10,000
The following graph below outlines the pro forma financial projections for Comfy Style Tees.
Company Overview
Who is Comfy Style Tees?
Comfy Style Tees is a newly established boutique T-shirt shop in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Comfy Style Tees will offer the most fun, unique, and stylish tees around. Comfy Style Tees will provide a wide range of sizes for adults, children, and pets. Customers can purchase the one-of-a-kind Scott Smith designs online or in-store. T-shirts are DTG printed in small batches and each unique design is offered for a limited time only, so customers who want a particular design will need to act fast before they are sold out.
Comfy Style Tees will be able to provide the best customer service through its friendly and knowledgeable in-store associates and its use of the latest AI technology for online support. The management team is composed of professionals who are highly qualified and experienced in customer service, marketing, and operations. This strong management team allows Comfy Style Tees to serve all customers with attention and care, removing all headaches from the shopping experience.
Comfy Style Tees History
Comfy Style Tees is owned and operated by Scott Smith and Mike Anderson. Scott has been creating unique graphic art for over a decade and has gained a substantial following as an artist on social media. Mike has been a marketing director for another T-shirt business for over five years. He is confident that his marketing and sales skills will allow the company to quickly gain new customers.
Since incorporation, Comfy Style Tees has achieved the following milestones:
- Registered Comfy Style Tees, LLC to transact business in the state of Pennsylvania.
- Has a contract in place to lease the retail space.
- Reached out to numerous potential suppliers to get samples and quotes for their wholesale garments that will become the company’s DTG printed T-shirts.
- Began recruiting a staff of accountants, marketers, and sales associates to work at Comfy Style Tees.
Comfy Style Tees Services
The following are the products that Comfy Style Tees will provide:
- Men’s T-shirts
- Women’s T-shirts
- Children’s T-shirts
- Toddler’s T-shirts
- Pet T-shirts for dogs and cats
Industry Analysis
The global T-shirt market size was an estimated $206B in 2018 and is anticipated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.0% by 2027. In the United States, the T-shirt market reached an estimated $43.47B in 2022 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.9% by 2026. The market for T-shirts can be segmented by materials and printing techniques. Most T-shirts that sell well are made from cotton, polyester, linen, rayon, lycra, or a blend of these fabrics. Two of the most popular printing techniques are screen-printing (estimated revenue share of 56% in 2021) and digital printing, which is expected to grow by 10.9% by 2030.
Over the years, the T-shirt industry has evolved from practical, plain white tees to designer labels, custom designs, and graphic prints. The market outlook for the T-shirt industry is positive with increased ecommerce and more people looking for unique styles. Although online shopping is increasing, more revenue is still currently being generated through physical retail. The top five countries generating the most revenue from T-shirt sales are China, the United States, India, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
Download the t-shirt business plan template (including a customizable financial model) to your computer here <–
Customer Analysis
Demographic Profile of Target Market
Comfy Style Tees will target people of all ages and genders who value wearing unique T-shirt designs that can’t be found off the rack. The company will target men, women, children, and people with dogs and cats.
The precise demographics for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania are:
| Total | Percent | |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 590,157 | 100% |
| Male | 284,873 | 48.30% |
| Female | 305,284 | 51.70% |
| Under 5 years | 41,749 | 7.10% |
| 5 to 9 years | 43,509 | 7.40% |
| 10 to 14 years | 41,324 | 7.00% |
| 15 to 19 years | 43,301 | 7.30% |
| 20 to 24 years | 48,119 | 8.20% |
| 25 to 34 years | 106,407 | 18.00% |
| 35 to 44 years | 73,788 | 12.50% |
| 45 to 54 years | 64,669 | 11.00% |
| 55 to 59 years | 35,109 | 5.90% |
| 60 to 64 years | 27,995 | 4.70% |
| 65 to 74 years | 39,539 | 6.70% |
| 75 to 84 years | 17,394 | 2.90% |
| 85 years and over | 7,254 | 1.20% |
| Total housing units | 260,024 | 100% |
Customer Segmentation
Comfy Style Tees will primarily target the following customer profiles:
- Young adults (ages 18-29)
- Men and women (ages 30-45)
- Men and women (ages 46+)
- Children (ages 4-17)
- Toddlers (ages 0-3)
- People looking for stylish T-shirts for their dogs and cats
Competitive Analysis
Direct and Indirect Competitors
Comfy Style Tees will face competition from other companies with similar business profiles. A description of each competitor company is below.
Simple Tee, LLC
Simple Tee, LLC provides comfortable T-shirts at affordable prices. Located in Philadelphia, the Simple Tee retail shop is able to provide a wide selection of custom tees for its customers. The company makes form-fitting T-shirts for men, women, and children using 100% premium cotton and cotton blends. Simple Tee, LLC uses screen-printing technology to produce quality T-shirts to suit any style.
Simple Tee, LLC’s promise is to deliver top notch customer service, quality products, and great prices. The company’s team checks each T-shirt to ensure the highest quality before placing it on the sales floor. Simple Tee also sells its tees online and wholesale to other retailers.
Cool Trends T-Shirts
Cool Trends T-Shirts is an Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based apparel company that provides outstanding customer service and fun art prints on all of its T-shirts. Cool Trends T-Shirts uses screen-printing and digital printing technology to make its one-of-a-kind tees. The company makes tees for young adults, children, and toddlers. You can buy Cool Trends T-Shirts through its online Shopify store. Cool Trends T-Shirts does not have a physical store, which saves the company money. These savings are passed on to the customers in the form of deep discounts on all Cool Trends products.
Dezyned T-Shirt Co.
Dezyned T-Shirt Co. is a trusted Philadelphia T-shirt company that provides superior service to customers at all three of its retail locations in Pennsylvania. The company makes its own DTG printed tees for the whole family. Dezyned T-Shirt Co. is able to provide unique tees designed by its founder and artist in residence, Alice Johnson. The company’s tees are priced in the high-end because they are made from premium cotton and printed in small batches, with Alice’s unique designs feature on each one.
Download the t-shirt business plan template (including a customizable financial model) to your computer here <–
Competitive Advantage
Comfy Style Tees will be able to offer the following advantages over their competition:
- The most flexibility in the customers’ shopping experience: customers can order online for delivery or in-store pickup, come into the physical store and shop, and return items through the mail or in-store no matter which method they purchased them through.
- All tees are carefully printed using the latest DTG printing machines and meticulously inspected to ensure quality.
- Comfy Style Tees doesn’t sell to other retailers or white label its products, so if a customer wants an authentic Comfy Styles Tees product, they know they will be able to get it exclusively from the shop or the online store.
Marketing Plan
Brand & Value Proposition
Comfy Style Tees will offer the unique value proposition to its clientele:
- All tees are made from 100% premium cotton, carefully printed using the latest DTG printing machines, and meticulously inspected to ensure quality.
- Comfy Style Tees offers unique pieces that can’t be found anywhere else.
Promotions Strategy
The promotions strategy for Comfy Style Tees is as follows:
Social Media/Referrals
Scott Smith has built up an extensive social media following of fans that love his artwork. Once Scott advised them he is going to be creating his own T-shirt business, many have signed up to receive updates on the new line and have opted to refer a friend for a promotional discount. As more friends are referred, the potential customer base continues to grow.
Print Advertising
Comfy Style Tees will invest in professionally designed print ads to display in magazines, flyers, and direct mailers.
Website/SEO Marketing
Comfy Style Tees will use an online platform like Shopify for its website and ecommerce store. The website will be well organized, informative, and list all the products available. As marketing director, Mike Anderson will also manage Comfy Style Tees’s website presence with SEO marketing tactics so that when someone types in the search engine “unique T-shirts in Philadelphia” or “T-shirt store near me”, Comfy Style Tees will be listed at the top of the search results.
Pricing
The pricing of Comfy Style Tees will be competitive to premium, so customers feel they receive value when purchasing the high quality T-shirts.
Operations Plan
The following will be the operations plan for Comfy Style Tees.
Operation Functions:
- Scott Smith will be the Owner and Designer. He will oversee the design and printing process and manage all supplier relations. Scott has spent the past year recruiting the following staff:
- Mike Anderson – Marketing Director who will provide all marketing and sales initiatives for the company including managing the website, social media, and online marketing.
- Kate Johnson – Bookkeeper who will provide all budgeting, accounting, tax payments, and monthly financial reporting.
- Sam Lee – Lead Sales Manager who will manage all sales associates activities and schedules as well as oversee the day-to-day operations of the sales floor.
Download the t-shirt business plan template (including a customizable financial model) to your computer here <–
Milestones:
Comfy Style Tees will have the following milestones complete in the next six months.
9/1/2022 – Finalize contract to lease the retail space.
9/15/2022 – Finalize personnel and staff employment contracts for the management team.
10/1/2022 – Finalize contracts for suppliers.
10/15/2022 – Begin the marketing campaign.
10/22/2022 – Begin printing the first limited edition batch of tees.
11/1/2022 – Comfy Style Tees opens its store for business.
Management Team
Comfy Style Tees will be owned and operated by Scott Smith and Mike Anderson. Scott Smith is a graphic artist who will be creating the designs for the company’s T-shirts. Mike Anderson is a graduate of Pennsylvania University with a Master’s degree in Marketing.
Scott Smith has been creating unique graphic artwork for over a decade and has gained a substantial following on social media. Mike Anderson has been a marketing director for another T-shirt business for over five years. He is confident that his marketing and sales skills will allow the company to quickly gain new customers who are interested in purchasing apparel featuring Scott’s artwork.
Financial Plan
Key Revenue & Costs
The revenue drivers for Comfy Style Tees are the fees the company will charge customers for the T-shirts. The price range for Comfy Style Tees is $35-$375.
The cost drivers will be the payroll cost, DTG printing cost, and the cost of the T-shirts themselves. Other expenses will be rent, utilities, supplies, and marketing materials.
Funding Requirements and Use of Funds
Comfy Style Tees is seeking $120,000 in debt financing to launch its T-shirt business. The funding will be dedicated towards securing the retail space and purchasing DTG printing equipment and supplies. Funding will also be dedicated towards three months of overhead costs to include payroll, rent, and marketing expenses. The breakout of the funding is below:
- Retail space build-out: $30,000
- DTG printing equipment, supplies, and materials: $30,000
- Three months of overhead expenses (payroll, rent, utilities): $40,000
- Marketing costs: $10,000
- Working capital: $10,000
Download the t-shirt business plan template (including a customizable financial model) to your computer here <–
Key Assumptions
The following outlines the key assumptions required in order to achieve the revenue and cost numbers in the financials and in order to pay off the startup business loan.
- Average number of T-shirts sold per month: 750
- Average revenue per month: $10,000
- Retail space lease per year: $60,000
Financial Projections
Income Statement
| FY 1 | FY 2 | FY 3 | FY 4 | FY 5 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues | ||||||
| Total Revenues | $360,000 | $793,728 | $875,006 | $964,606 | $1,063,382 | |
| Expenses & Costs | ||||||
| Cost of goods sold | $64,800 | $142,871 | $157,501 | $173,629 | $191,409 | |
| Lease | $50,000 | $51,250 | $52,531 | $53,845 | $55,191 | |
| Marketing | $10,000 | $8,000 | $8,000 | $8,000 | $8,000 | |
| Salaries | $157,015 | $214,030 | $235,968 | $247,766 | $260,155 | |
| Initial expenditure | $10,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
| Total Expenses & Costs | $291,815 | $416,151 | $454,000 | $483,240 | $514,754 | |
| EBITDA | $68,185 | $377,577 | $421,005 | $481,366 | $548,628 | |
| Depreciation | $27,160 | $27,160 | $27,160 | $27,160 | $27,160 | |
| EBIT | $41,025 | $350,417 | $393,845 | $454,206 | $521,468 | |
| Interest | $23,462 | $20,529 | $17,596 | $14,664 | $11,731 | |
| PRETAX INCOME | $17,563 | $329,888 | $376,249 | $439,543 | $509,737 | |
| Net Operating Loss | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
| Use of Net Operating Loss | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
| Taxable Income | $17,563 | $329,888 | $376,249 | $439,543 | $509,737 | |
| Income Tax Expense | $6,147 | $115,461 | $131,687 | $153,840 | $178,408 | |
| NET INCOME | $11,416 | $214,427 | $244,562 | $285,703 | $331,329 |
Balance Sheet
| FY 1 | FY 2 | FY 3 | FY 4 | FY 5 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASSETS | ||||||
| Cash | $154,257 | $348,760 | $573,195 | $838,550 | $1,149,286 | |
| Accounts receivable | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
| Inventory | $30,000 | $33,072 | $36,459 | $40,192 | $44,308 | |
| Total Current Assets | $184,257 | $381,832 | $609,654 | $878,742 | $1,193,594 | |
| Fixed assets | $180,950 | $180,950 | $180,950 | $180,950 | $180,950 | |
| Depreciation | $27,160 | $54,320 | $81,480 | $108,640 | $135,800 | |
| Net fixed assets | $153,790 | $126,630 | $99,470 | $72,310 | $45,150 | |
| TOTAL ASSETS | $338,047 | $508,462 | $709,124 | $951,052 | $1,238,744 | |
| LIABILITIES & EQUITY | ||||||
| Debt | $315,831 | $270,713 | $225,594 | $180,475 | $135,356 | |
| Accounts payable | $10,800 | $11,906 | $13,125 | $14,469 | $15,951 | |
| Total Liability | $326,631 | $282,618 | $238,719 | $194,944 | $151,307 | |
| Share Capital | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
| Retained earnings | $11,416 | $225,843 | $470,405 | $756,108 | $1,087,437 | |
| Total Equity | $11,416 | $225,843 | $470,405 | $756,108 | $1,087,437 | |
| TOTAL LIABILITIES & EQUITY | $338,047 | $508,462 | $709,124 | $951,052 | $1,238,744 |
Cash Flow Statement
| FY 1 | FY 2 | FY 3 | FY 4 | FY 5 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CASH FLOW FROM OPERATIONS | ||||||
| Net Income (Loss) | $11,416 | $214,427 | $244,562 | $285,703 | $331,329 | |
| Change in working capital | ($19,200) | ($1,966) | ($2,167) | ($2,389) | ($2,634) | |
| Depreciation | $27,160 | $27,160 | $27,160 | $27,160 | $27,160 | |
| Net Cash Flow from Operations | $19,376 | $239,621 | $269,554 | $310,473 | $355,855 | |
| CASH FLOW FROM INVESTMENTS | ||||||
| Investment | ($180,950) | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
| Net Cash Flow from Investments | ($180,950) | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
| CASH FLOW FROM FINANCING | ||||||
| Cash from equity | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
| Cash from debt | $315,831 | ($45,119) | ($45,119) | ($45,119) | ($45,119) | |
| Net Cash Flow from Financing | $315,831 | ($45,119) | ($45,119) | ($45,119) | ($45,119) | |
| Net Cash Flow | $154,257 | $194,502 | $224,436 | $265,355 | $310,736 | |
| Cash at Beginning of Period | $0 | $154,257 | $348,760 | $573,195 | $838,550 | |
| Cash at End of Period | $154,257 | $348,760 | $573,195 | $838,550 | $1,149,286 |
T-Shirt Business Plan FAQs
What Is a T-Shirt Business Plan?
A t-shirt business plan is a plan to start and/or grow your t-shirt business. Among other things, it outlines your business concept, identifies your target customers, presents your marketing plan and details your financial projections.
You can easily complete your t-shirt business plan using our T-Shirt Business Plan Template here.
What are the Main Types of T-Shirt Businesses?
There are a number of different kinds of t-shirt businesses, some examples include: Women’s T-Shirt Business, Men’s T-Shirt Business, Unisex T-Shirt Business, and Children’s T-Shirt Business.
How Do You Get Funding for Your T-Shirt Business Plan?
T-Shirt businesses are often funded through small business loans. Personal savings, credit card financing and angel investors are also popular forms of funding.
What are the Steps To Start a T-Shirt Business?
Starting a T-shirt business can be an exciting endeavor. Having a clear roadmap of the steps to start a business will help you stay focused on your goals and get started faster.
1. Develop A T-Shirt Business Plan - The first step in starting a business is to create a detailed T-shirt business plan that outlines all aspects of the venture. This should include potential market size and target customers, the services or products you will offer, pricing strategies and a detailed financial forecast.
2. Choose Your Legal Structure - It's important to select an appropriate legal entity for your T-shirt business. This could be a limited liability company (LLC), corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship. Each type has its own benefits and drawbacks so it’s important to do research and choose wisely so that your T-shirt business is in compliance with local laws.
3. Register Your T-Shirt Business - Once you have chosen a legal structure, the next step is to register your T-shirt business with the government or state where you’re operating from. This includes obtaining licenses and permits as required by federal, state, and local laws.
4. Identify Financing Options - It’s likely that you’ll need some capital to start your T-shirt business, so take some time to identify what financing options are available such as bank loans, investor funding, grants, or crowdfunding platforms.
5. Choose a Location - Whether you plan on operating out of a physical location or not, you should always have an idea of where you’ll be based should it become necessary in the future as well as what kind of space would be suitable for your operations.
6. Hire Employees - There are several ways to find qualified employees including job boards like LinkedIn or Indeed as well as hiring agencies if needed – depending on what type of employees you need it might also be more effective to reach out directly through networking events.
7. Acquire Necessary T-Shirt Equipment & Supplies - In order to start your T-shirt business, you'll need to purchase all of the necessary equipment and supplies to run a successful operation.
8. Market & Promote Your Business - Once you have all the necessary pieces in place, it’s time to start promoting and marketing your T-shirt business. This includes creating a website, utilizing social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter, and having an effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy. You should also consider traditional marketing techniques such as radio or print advertising.
Learn more about how to start a successful T-shirt business:
Where Can I Get a T-Shirt Business Plan PDF?
You can download our free t-shirt business plan template PDF here. This is a sample t-shirt business plan template you can use in PDF format.
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