Screen Printers Open - A Forum for Screen Printing and Embroidery

title says it all.  we have a customer who is wanting to provide hoodies for us to print on.

we have never gone this route and with our current pricing structure, it does not provide much profit at all.  with all of the pre and post press time put into it... it seems pointless.

how are other shops charging for this scenario?

any help is greatly appreciated!

You may not want to get in to contract printing. Unless you are fully automated and run a real tight shop.
There are shop out there that will contact print for next to nothing.

But if you really want to go this route you will have to charge so you make money like Gerry said charge for everything
and don't be surprised if you customer thinks you are out to lunch on your pricing.

If you want to discuss this in detail post your question in the new password protected section on pricing.
http://boards.screenprintersopen.com/index.php
If you don't have a password send me a PM and I'll set you up with one.

 

Also do not warranty or replace damaged goods. Be up front with that right off the bat so that they are aware of it especially since they are hoodies.

I don't like it when people try to save a few bucks by supplying their own garments. On the rare occasion when I do it at all, I discount the price by exactly what I would have paid for the same garments. Mark up is part of the profit for the job, and I keep that in. Most people realize there's no way to save money this way and let you get provide them.

I work by myself, and just having to let the person in to drop off the garments can waste half an hour by the time they explain everything you already knew and exchange pleasantries.

I won't print on expensive garments (football uniforms, etc) especially if they are polyester. The liability is greater than the profit. Even if you make it clear that you're not going to be responsible for damaged garments...If you print 40 polyester uniforms that cost $30 each, and they all bleed, I guarantee the customer isn't going to just say "Shucks"...

I'm with Ripcord for retail customers I won't print their garments but whole sale or contract client are a whole different thing.
You need to set the ground rules up front or you will get screwed.

For me they have to have a resale cert or they dont get contract. There is a seconds warehouse near us an people bring that crap all the time. I charge them the same as if I was providing the shirt.

I'd pay that man to send me people...print up flyers, maps and all...save cash flow and make the shirt cost as extra profit.

Free shipping and a few bucks extra is a lot of money in a years time.

Hes got a brother that is in the printing business so I am sure it is all going there. Not very friendly or helpful for that matter.

You need to set the ground rules up front or you will get screwed.

Yeah, I used to print for some embroidery shops around here. They'd send me a few hundred bucks of business a month and act like they were my only customer. One in particular was extremely inflexible with deadlines. Whether she actually needed the job on the day she asked for it or not, she would insist that it be done that day. I maximize my schedule by being flexible and juggling jobs around in order of urgency and I tried to explain that to her. More than once I turned down a profitable rush job in order to print one for her, only to have the box of shirts sit in her shop for three days. I finally told her to find someone to do her printing that didn't have any other customers.

Yeah, I used to print for some embroidery shops around here. They'd send me a few hundred bucks of business a month and act like they were my only customer. One in particular was extremely inflexible with deadlines. Whether she actually needed the job on the day she asked for it or not, she would insist that it be done that day. I maximize my schedule by being flexible and juggling jobs around in order of urgency and I tried to explain that to her. More than once I turned down a profitable rush job in order to print one for her, only to have the box of shirts sit in her shop for three days. I finally told her to find someone to do her printing that didn't have any other customers.

This is a perfect example of someone trying to run your business for you.  This is where ground rules come in handy. Charge her $50 a day storage for every day she doesn't pick her
sh!t up. Or she can play by the rules. We make our PITA customers wait until the day we told them their stuff is ready even if it's ready earlier. These kind of people will try and walk
all over you if you let them. Let them pick their stuff up early once and they will expect it every time.