thread's not dead - doITlab

Matt Wigham
Over the years I’ve seen apparel companies
come and go. I’ve seen designers go
from no sales to thousands. I’ve seen them
evolve from laughable beginners to widely
respected experts. Most importantly, I’ve
seen them make a living, or even just a few
extra bucks, doing what they love.
At Indie Labs, each of our sites and services
is tailored to help artists in different ways. Big Cartel, our online shopping cart
service, has helped thousands of apparel companies get off the ground. Emptees,
our website devoted to the art of tee shirt design, has helped designers
of all sizes show off their work, get feedback from fellow designers, and make
connections in the industry. And our newest service Pulley, which is a way for
artists to sell their digital products, is used by apparel designers to sell the
other stuff they make, like vector artwork, illustrations, and more.
Our work has introduced us to some truly amazing designers, and we’ve
seen them build their brands from the ground up. Here are a few things I
think are critical to new designers, and things we’ve learned from those
who’ve pulled it off.
Stay Focused on your Core Business
When you’re just starting out as a new business, you’re probably doing it on
nights and weekends, with little to no money, and that makes it critical to stay
focused on what really matters most to your business - your designs.
Don’t worry yet about how you’re going to fulfill hundreds of orders per day,
how you’re going to run an affiliate program, or how you’re going to scale your
website to accomplish all the ideas you might have one day. If your products
suck, none of that is going to matter.
There are plenty of people and services that you can leverage to get the ball
rolling, so the best thing you can do is create some great products and just
get them out there. After that, things will evolve naturally, and if you’re lucky
enough to have growing pains later, you’ll be better equipped to handle them.
THREAD’S NOT DEAD • Jeff Finley
Good photography is the secret sauce
When showing off your products online or in print, be sure to use beautiful and
consistent photos. Even if you need to hire someone, it’s worth it. You can have
the best designs in the world, but they can only look as good as the photos
they’re in. Use a solid photographer, great models, consistent cropping, maybe
some subtle branding, and your designs will look like a million bucks.
“Don’t worry about how you’re going to fulfill hundreds
of orders per day... If your products suck, none of that is
going to matter.” —Matt wigham, big cartel
Promote like a human, not a robot
Everyone hates spam, and people thinking you’re a spammer can be the nail in
your business’s coffin. Find organic ways to connect with potential customers.
Try to honestly engage with them, don’t just slap some flashing banner on their
website, or send some email with no “unsubscribe” link to the first address you
find. That’s just lazy. Growing a customer base isn’t easy, but when it’s done
right you can build off of it for years. Stick with it.
Building a business takes time.
Many of the apparel companies you see may seem like overnight successes, but
you’re likely missing the whole story. These companies have paid their dues,
and it took them a while to learn what they know, and get where they are today.
Accept the fact that you won’t know what you’re doing early on, but keep at it,
and look forward to the journey of developing your own style and brand. We’ve
seen so many of our customers and friends become successful businesses that
I’m convinced you can do it too. The hardest step is the first, so just get started,
stick with it, and enjoy the ride.
Case Studies & Interviews 87