“Starting a business is like jumping out of an airplane without a parachute. In midair, the entrepreneur begins building a parachute and hopes it opens before hitting the ground.” — Robert Kiyosaki
Maybe your print shop started as a hobby or as a fun experiment in a garage like ours did. You find yourself looking back and remembering what printing was like when it was a one-man show.
We have found that humble beginnings are common in the print world. Rarely, you’ll find a person with all the skills to run a business that decides they want to go into printing. Usually, it’s the opposite: you have to learn how to run a business because you started as a printer. While it might feel more comfortable to spend the majority of your time printing, it’s necessary to give special attention to running the business itself.
Are you mentally ready to jump-start your business?
Whether you’ve been around for fifteen years or are in your first year, your mindset is going to set the culture for your team. All eyes are on you: how should you handle mistakes, competition, wins, and losses?
Always maintain a positive and optimistic outlook, and your team will follow. Optimism is the foundation of a successful business. On your most difficult days – when sales are down, mistakes are rampant and customers are upset – the way you bounce back determines your future success.
Remember: while every shop’s path to success is different, every shop owner started exactly where you are.
Finally, good physical health will make growing your business easier. Time is tight as a business owner — we understand. Take time to exercise two or three times a week, whether walking for 45 minutes or hitting the gym. Not only is it good for your physical health, but it helps keep your mind sharp and provides relief from stress and frustration. Remember that this is a marathon – not a sprint. Most businesses won’t make it past their fifth year.
But you will. You’re in it for the long haul.
Screen printing is a multi-billion dollar industry with customers from every part of the world. Every year, thousands of entrepreneurs discover their passion for screen printing – and they want to claim their cut of the billions and billions of dollars spent on custom printed apparel.
But the majority of new screen printing shops fail before they reach the 5-year mark. They fail because of poor business planning, dull branding, and a lack of ability to scale.
Your shop can be different.
This is an excerpt from our book, The PrintHustlers Guide To: Growing a Successful Screen Printing Business. Written by Printavo’s dynamic founder Bruce Ackerman, Campus Ink’s enterprising Steven Farag, and Adam Cook. The PrintHustlers Guide To: Growing a Successful Screen Printing Business is the next generation’s guide for building your own lucrative print shop.
You can purchase a physical copy of the book on Amazon.
Next chapter: Chapter 2: Your (Business) Plan
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