Anatol blog

The travel and hospitality industries are always booming, and where people are vacationing, touring, eating and drinking, they’re buying t-shirts, bags, glasses and more customized with their destination’s logo. Nearly every locale has destination spots, whether you’re in a tourism hot spot or located near a local amusement park, microbrewery or annual music festival site. For screen printers, that means the hospitality and tourism markets provide ample business opportunities. Once you’ve located local tourist hot spots, there are a few strategies you can use to successfully pitch your products to potential clients.

Businesses invest a lot of time in attracting new customers, often to the detriment of their existing customers. One of the best growth strategies for your screen printing business is to focus on building a loyal base of customers. Not only do loyal customers provide you with regular sales, they’ll also sing your praises and recommend your services to their friends and colleagues.

In today’s digital world, email marketing is a must for businesses large and small – and screen printing businesses are no exception. Email marketing is quick, easy, affordable and measurable, making it an invaluable addition to your existing marketing efforts. Sending out regular emails that your target market finds interesting and valuable is a great way to stay at the front of your customers’ minds and give your sales a boost.

Today’s screen printing industry seems like a completely modern endeavor, with computer-based design, commercial-grade electric screen printing machines,  special effects inks, UV lights and commercial dryers. The reality, however, is that screen printing has had a long history, evolving through the ages as people look for different ways to decorate paper, material and even buildings. So how did the high-tech screen printing industry of today come about?

What are you working toward at your screen printing business? If you don’t have goals in place — and an action plan to meet them — you’re flying blind in your business. Having a goal for your business helps you to keep your focus, guides your decision making and motivates you and your staff as you work toward a common purpose. 

Whether it’s your first screen printing machine or you’re looking to add another press to your setup, it can be tempting to go the used route. Screen printing presses – especially automatic machines – are big investments and every dollar counts for your business. You can save a bundle by opting for a used press over a new model, but there is some risk involved. If you’re set on purchasing pre-owned equipment, you have to do your research to make sure you’re getting a solid machine.

An unmotivated staff can pose serious problems for your screen printing business. Only 33 percent of American workers report being fully engaged in their jobs, according to a Gallup report, and that majority of unmotivated workers results in more than $550 billion in lost productivity. A motivated staff keeps your screen printing shop running quickly and efficiently. And on top of that, happy, motivated employees help make your shop a pleasure to run and a pleasure to spend your work day in.

Most screen printers enter the business and open their own shops because they’re passionate about making great prints, and they know that screen printing can be a profitable business year after year. But running a business, especially as that business grows and adds employees, is about so much more than making sales and delivering a product. Your business’s success depends on your ability to lead your team toward your business vision.

While scams and fraud meant to deprive people and businesses of their hard-earned money certainly aren’t a new concept, these days scams seem to be omnipresent. From over-the-phone scammers to credit card thieves, those who wish to do individuals and businesses harm make news daily.

In the digital age, marketing is constantly evolving. You probably know the importance of social media marketing for your business. At this point, every business must have a well-established Facebook page, at a minimum. But as Facebook has become a mainstay, the social media marketing audience is migrating, this time to visual social media.

When you start your own screen printing business, you face many challenges: Procuring the right location, finding the right equipment and formulating a business plan that will help you meet your goals. One challenge that can stump even the most prepared entrepreneur might come as a surprise: Choosing a name.

For screen printers, team apparel can generate big business. From local school sports teams to rec leagues to local colleges and universities, there’s plenty of business to be had. Contracting with a team can result in repeat business, year after year, and it brings more than just jerseys: Think  warm-up gear, hats, team jackets and fan apparel. So if your screen printing shop isn’t already churning out team apparel, it’s something you should be looking into.