How to start an online t-shirt business in Kenya
There is a wave of young creatives who are venturing out of their comfort zones as they innovate new ways of making money in Kenya. T-shirts are one of the ways in which you can stay true to your art and still make extra cash; without having to sell out.
Maybe you’re a photographer and you have amazing pieces; perhaps you have killer designs stored up in your hard drive. It’s time to let these artworks more accessible. Creating a t-shirt line where your creativity moves out of the art gallery is a brave step that can give you an extra stream of income. We’ll give you tips on how to begin:
1. Find a niche for your t-shirts
We’ve all heard it before, “My business caters to everybody!” It could be tempting to be a Jack of all trades but as we know, you will be a master of none. Specificity is the name of the game and if you want to be relevant, then speak to a specific audience/ group in order to stand out.
Instead of making “Kenyan t-shirts” for instance, a good way to be specific is making T-shirts of Kenyan matatus. So all things related to the Kenyan matatu culture will be under your wing and people will easily identify your t-shirts as the cool matatu t-shirts. You’ll stand out and there won’t be much competition because you’ll have coined “your thing”.
2. Design
So you have your niche ripe and ready. Step 2 is to design your t-shirt. As a creative, don’t lose out on your creativity by making t-shirt designs that are already out there and are “doing well”. As a photographer, you could use some of your classic photographs. You know the ones everyone can’t get over? Yeah, those ones.
Ensure that your design files are at least 300 digital pixels and have a transparent background. They should also be large enough to cover the area where they will be printed on the t-shirt. If you’re not very sure of your design capabilities or need some help ensuring the quality of the design, reach out to a designer who can help you out.
3.Validate your design
Whether you’re a painter, a graphic designer… an artist really, make use of your art. Do some research on your chosen demographic and test your designs on them. It’s important to find out what tickles their fancy so that you aren’t the only one thinking your t-shirt is dope 🙈
Asking your friends to give their opinion is ok but sometimes, their opinion may be biased. You can then test out your top designs on an open forum such as a WhatsApp group with your target market or a poll on social media. Be sure to watermark your designs though so that someone doesn’t run with your design and beat you to print it.
4. Get quality material and use a quality printer
There’s nothing quite as annoying as buying a t-shirt that fades off quickly or the design starts chipping off. Most printers in Kenya focus on screen printing. That’s ok if you have a simple 1, 2 or 3 color design. However, if you want to accurately represent your artwork, Direct to Garment printing (DTG printing) is the way to go. DTG printers offer extensive color options and there is no minimum order. If you want to test-sample one t-shirt, you can do just that.
Create-a-Tee has made DTG-printing for Tee-preneurs (t-shirt entrepreneurs) easily accessible. We offer a print-on-demand technology to ensure that you get what you want, when you want it, without having to stock up on all sizes of one t-shirt design. Our tee-preneurs get special offers and materials to elevate their businesses further. You are assured of the quality of the tee and your design’s colors will not be compromised.
5. Set up your store and market it
Once your product is ready, then it’s time to present it to the world. You could choose to set up an e-commerce website or a social media shop on Instagram or Facebook. Just ensure that you push your products. Build up your brand presence and take your time to understand your target market, how they speak and where to get them online.
Marketing is a full-time dedicated job, so don’t expect people to know about you if you’re not putting yourself out there. Your t-shirt business’s success depends on how well you position it and how effectively you push it. Once you hit the sweet spot, you’re all good to go!
Are you interested in starting a T-shirt business in Kenya?
Have you been toying with the idea and aren’t sure where to begin? Leave us your contact details and we’ll give you a step-by-step on how to go about it. Feel free to reach out to us with any query concerning DTG printing on t-shirts and other materials.
