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Posted by A. B. Dada on January 10th, 2006
Tuesday is going to be my focus on the youth — pre-teens, teens and young adults. When I was a teen, my most profitable mini-business was the “make your own t-shirts” business. For less than $50, anyone can get started.
This business is best suited for the youth because it is highly labor-oriented, requires a steady hand (ruined by my caffeine addiction), and also requires a lot of socializing with new people. I believe I could still earn a good living even in my 30s, but I’ve moved on.
Your can make your own t-shirts in your basement or bedroom with only a few square feet. It requires no major equipment, and the only thing you’ll plug in is a bright lamp. If you live in any major metropolitan area, you can buy everything you need today!
Silk screening is the primary way to make your own t-shirts, but there are also inkjet print kits and iron-on kits. I don’t like the inkjet print kits or the iron-on kits as they require a LOT more work and they just don’t look good. Silk screening gives you a nice feel, lasts nearly forever, and gives you a VERY fast process. At my quickest I was kicking out 40-60 t-shirts per hour! My best day ever was over $500 in profit and 2 hours of work.
When you make your own t-shirts, you have to first fine a subject matter that is important and that appeals to the people you’ll sell to (normally in person, although you could try a website). I forced myself to social gatherings (as a young geek, this was a job in its own) to meet other teens. I’d wear a funny shirt that was topical, and I’d offer the shirt to others. $2 in cost, $10 sale price, $8 profit. At the end of the night I’d dump what I had at $5 a pop (I told people they were blemished, even though they weren’t) — still a $3 profit.
How do you make your own t-shirts? First you need a silk screening starter kit. A local art supply store near me called Michaels sells these kits cheaply. The kit comes with one silk screen, a start kit of chemicals, and the tools needed to get started. You’ll also need a cheap lamp reflector base (the clamping type) from the hardware store, and a super bright photo bulb from a photography store. Most photography stores will know the type used for silk screening — it is called a photo flood light and runs between 150 watts and 200 watts. I’ll get into the actual screening process next Tuesday.
Before you organize and purchase these items, make sure you have something to sell. Over recent years I had thought of funny news clips that would have made me money on T-shirts: Janet Jackson’s nipple scandal, parodies of popular band logos and even political T-shirts with mockeries of political figures. Never copy a logo or a t-shirt as its illegal. You also want something different, something that could be a quick sell at parties and the local hangout (pizza shops, etc). Your first silk screen will probably come out better if it is drawn by hand instead of through the computer — the computer is a real trial and error situation (I’d spent almost $100 perfecting mine 15 years ago when PCs were not very easy to work with). If you’re not good at art, find a friend who can draw something simple.
If you’re young, outgoing and don’t mind a few hours of labor near a really hot lamp, the silk screening business is for you. You can make your own t-shirts for less than $3 a piece, knock out 40-60 in a good hour, and sell them for $2 to $7 profit each — earning you over $200 an hour of you work hard and find a market. If you’re in a school band or on a sports team, if you spend time at parties or at basement concerts, if you hang out at the teen center or have a good grasp of what is funny to your peers, you can make a good income with very little long term work. This is not a business for everyone, though. If you’re lazy, there is a 90% failure rate in this business for those who are lazy and give up early.
