How To Start A Successful Garment Decoration Business In 2024

If you're thinking about starting your own heat printing business this year, our first podcast episode of 2024 is for you!

In this week's episode of the Garment Decorators Podcast, Andy and Molly are joined by Ben Carroll, Managing Director of Velflex, Australia who discusses how you can start a successful heat printing business in 2024.

Ben talks about which heat press to choose, which decoration methods are best, and lessons you can learn from other heat printers from when they started their businesses. The barriers to entry for the apparel decoration industry are lower than ever before, with all you need being a heat press, a t-shirt, and a heat transfer. With experts around the globe by your side (including Stahls' and Velflex) you can make 2024 the year you start your heat printing business.

Interestingly, Ben tells a very different start up tale to most other heat printers. After a batch of solid advice from his Uncle, Ben invested in a $10,000 heat press to start his business with 18 years ago. Time and time again we see small start up businesses go through the stresses that come with their first ever heat press purchase. This is mostly because they buy cheap and unreliable import presses that lead to constant pressing failures and quite quickly, the need to buy another heat press. Ben explains how buying a quality heat press really helped propel his business. Without having to worry about if his heat press was going to work, if the transfer was going to adhere properly or if his customers were happy, he was able to spend all his spare time marketing his business and getting extra revenue through the door.

He goes on to explain that 18 years later, he still has that heat press on his shelf as a back up and despite using it to press over 100,000 garments, he could plug it in today and continue his business if one of his newer presses failed him.

Find out more advice for starting your 2024 heat printing business in the full episode below

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