Price of a T-Shirt - possible to start business?

[boisian]

So the GF just informed me she bought a car which is going to cost me another 10K thb per month.

I would like her to supplement my contributions, and she assures me that if it would pay, she would not mind working, She is entrepreneurial minded, so I am thinking of assisting her with a business that I can contribute content too, low overheads, low risk etc etc etc.

Any input regarding selling nice quality printed T-Shirts? Its an obvious one, I am sure it is tight, but I have a couple of designs I reckon would be hotcakes.

Is there a T-Shirt mafia?

She could sell to stall owners, or direct to farang - I need to talk to her about her preferences. I thought hawking off the street for some quick cash, then get into distributing. Is this insanity?

Are the stall sellers owners - ie do they purchase or just sell provided stock from the stalll owners. Somehow I feel there must be 2 or 3 Tshirt bigwigs, and anyone else selling Tees gets trodden on, but I just don't know.

Any suggestions for locally prionted Tees, or do I need to buy thousands from Bangladesh, just to see my designs on the street by the time I get back?

At least it is a low startup cost to give it a go. Make $500 tees and give em to her to flog.

[ajahnlau]

Great idea!!!

[Nautilus05]

First thing's first, can she commit to something? Has she proven it already? If not, tell her to get a job first, and if she manages to keep the job for two months, then you'll invest into a small business venture for her. Otherwise, there's a good chance both, the clothes and investment money will be gone within a couple weeks, and she'll be back to you with her hand out saying she needs another 15,000 for new inventory.

Having said that, I did that with the previous SO and it was great. Well, except the two week thing (see above). Startup cost was a simple 15,000, and profit was anywhere from 300 - 600 per-day. And that's profit, after expenses. Not sure if this was a good idea, but one condition of me giving the 15k was I made up a bunch of simple balance sheets, and wanted one written up each day. Just so clearly show the sales, expenses, profit, etc. Otherwise, if they make 1300 in sales that day, there's a chance they'll think they made 1300, and spend it all.

Honestly, best business venture was Thai BBQ. Again, was about 15,000 start up cost. Not an actual restaurant, but the raw BBQ at the market -- the sliced meats, veggies, broth, etc. Profit there was generally anywhere from 600 - 1300/day, after expenses. Only issue is, the BBQ one is a long day. You're up early in the morning, and off to the market to get the bulk meats and veggies cheap. Then you're at home all day, cutting everything up, making the hot sauce, etc, just to be in time for the market to open. Then you have to go to one or two markets throughout the day.

EDIT: Oh, and are you sure the car is big enough for the shirt one? Can it fit those cages walls to hang shirts on, a few mannequins, tables, etc.? Need all that if you're selling at the markets.

Edited March 21, 2014 by Nautilus05

[ukrules]

The reason you see the same designs on all of these crappy t-shirt stalls around Bangkok is that they are going to be cheaply screen printed in small factories and then sold in bulk at places like Pratunam and more likely 'Bobae market'. According to the girlfriend Bobae market is better and cheaper and it's where all the Thai market stall holders buy their goods to sell on their stalls. So checking out this Bobae place is a must, apparently it's very cheap there.

For your own designs you're going to need to print get them printed which is going to cost you as you'll need to get screens made for each colour / shirt.

If you have any popular designs then don't be too surprised when other stalls start selling them as well.

Edit : Link to the Bobae market : http://www.bangkokpicture.com/shopping/bobae.php

Edited March 21, 2014 by ukrules

[Totster]

Hold on... she bought a car without first asking, which will cost you bt10,000 a month, and now you want to give her more money to set up a business??. I think you are asking the wrong questions, and possibly not thinking straight

totster

[taotoo]

Why would she bother working hard for a few baht when instead she can sit on her arse and get given a shiny new car?

[ukrules]

Why would she bother working hard for a few baht when instead she can sit on her arse and get given a shiny new car?

People work hard for shiny things, they always do. Gold, etc.

[Hedghog]

Make some sort of business plan.

Or you will be throwing good money after bad.

Your GF.obviously has no budgetary discipline.

An obvious red flag

What is her work ethic?

[h90]

The reason you see the same designs on all of these crappy t-shirt stalls around Bangkok is that they are going to be cheaply screen printed in small factories and then sold in bulk at places like Pratunam and more likely 'Bobae market'. According to the girlfriend Bobae market is better and cheaper and it's where all the Thai market stall holders buy their goods to sell on their stalls. So checking out this Bobae place is a must, apparently it's very cheap there.

For your own designs you're going to need to print get them printed which is going to cost you as you'll need to get screens made for each colour / shirt.

If you have any popular designs then don't be too surprised when other stalls start selling them as well.

Edit : Link to the Bobae market : http://www.bangkokpicture.com/shopping/bobae.php

To have own design printed is also cheap. We had some TShirts with company logo....Nice shirts, look like Polo, but costs almost nothing, super cheap.

(just when you wear it, you know why, material seems to be pure plastic, in this material you can feel cold and sweat at the same time....)

[CharlieH]

Selling to Thias might be Ok, but you wont find the ferang sizes easy to buy in quantity. Bobae supplies mostly market street stalls. cheap crap and thats being kind.

Be careful if you decide to get your own printed, as soon as they see you coming back for more if sales are good they'll be produced on mass and you will see them everywhere.

A lot of work for small margins, in my opinion.

Pratunam is a good example, clothes are completely over done in Thailand, you only need to walk any street and see the number of clothes sellers there are.

Everyone's at it. try to find something a little less worked. look around your location or within a reasonable distance for what isnt being done.

[taotoo]

Why would she bother working hard for a few baht when instead she can sit on her arse and get given a shiny new car?

People work hard for shiny things, they always do. Gold, etc.

They don't if they have an existing supply of free shiny things.

[Upnotover]

Maybe better to set her up as a taxi driver, she's got what she needs for that already.

[whoisyourdaddy]

Hold on... she bought a car without first asking, which will cost you bt10,000 a month, and now you want to give her more money to set up a business??. I think you are asking the wrong questions, and possibly not thinking straight

totster

You got it all wrong

OP did say she would not mind working, She is entrepreneurial minded

[wym]

Yes, 300, 500 a day profits is fine for most normal Thais, but it would be a rare mia farang that would stick it out doing what's needed day after day for that.

And for the farang to risk capital on such a venture just doesn't IMO make any sense.

But if you can afford it and don't mind just giving it to her, won't be upset if she just blows it all and comes back for more, why not, just another expense allocated for your fun times here.

[tingtong]

Hold on... she bought a car without first asking, which will cost you bt10,000 a month, and now you want to give her more money to set up a business??. I think you are asking the wrong questions, and possibly not thinking straight

totster

You got it all wrong

OP did say she would not mind working, She is entrepreneurial minded

And there she is, hardworking ...working hard to squeeze money out of the OP.

[nickmanchester2]

why dont you sell online to UK or wherever?

For example, you could market to people on facebook who like devil dogs and sell them a pit bull tshirt saying that pit bulls are really just lovely dogs (very easy to pay for ads using this info on facebook - they love selling our data) - its what they call an irrational passion so sells well as people seem to want to let everyone know about controversial topics and they would feel happy about having it on a tshirt.

I think Its about 80b to send back to the UK (I sent one back myself a couple of months back to see if it would turn up and also if it would get import tax - it did turn up and no tax - took under a week) and I have seen people selling screen printed tshirts for 99b for yours own design.

There is a bit of a goldmine going on right now on selling tshirts via facebook with a company called Teespring, good profits if you pick the right design - £10,000 profit if you sell 1000 tshirts, but they are mainly for creating tshirts to sell to the USA as UK postage is more expensive as Teespring is an american company, so it would still be wide open for the UK and anywhere else bar USA and Canada.

[Thongkorn]

I hope the car is automatic, her Thai husband/boyfriend can only drive automatics.

[wolfmanjack]

I have 2 sister in laws that have several shops selling t-shirts at the night bazaar in chiang mai. If you want i could ask them to take the shirts on consignment to see if they sell well or not.

If they are popular the other shops may start copying them though.

[thailandbeachisland]

"She is entrepreneurial minded"

Yes, not doubt, this is why you pay things for her and have to think that she should work...

[samran]

Hold on... she bought a car without first asking, which will cost you bt10,000 a month, and now you want to give her more money to set up a business??. I think you are asking the wrong questions, and possibly not thinking straight

totster

Indeed. Funny how basically no other responders have picked this up.

In the real world it is usually - find income stream and then buy car.... Oh wait, she already has an income stream...

Ignore my post.

[farang000999]

One thing I don't get on Thai Visa is that if a Thai guy is rich and giving money out to girls he is looked upon as being rich and elite but if a farang does it then he is a loser in the eyes of Thai Visa.

[Rooney860]

The bloke is asking for some constructive advice, am sure he's heard all negative s--t.

Edited March 22, 2014 by Rooney860

[Cosmo88]

Yet another member of the biggest (and apparently still growing!) ATM network in the word, the "farang walking ATM network".

[Cosmo88]

One thing I don't get on Thai Visa is that if a Thai guy is rich and giving money out to girls he is looked upon as being rich and elite but if a farang does it then he is a loser in the eyes of Thai Visa.

Because in many (if not most) cases you mentioned, the Thai guy is actually rich and the girl is actually very desirable, while the Farang is only "rich" in the eyes of the average Isaan rice farmer and the girl is a rather different sort of girl, skinning him of the last few Baht has has got.

[farang000999]

Nothing you just said makes any logical sense.

[chrisinth]

"She is entrepreneurial minded"

Would have to admit her business model seems sound. Obtain transport, paid, and then decide what sponsored business to go for. Win-Win for the girl...............

However OP, I see that you already have your T-shirt designs ready and it would make me wonder how much of it was your idea and if you are just using the GF as a front for your purpose.

Of course pure speculation. If you are happy with the situation, go for it and the best of luck. If your product is original, then you might think of investing in your own small printing shop as well, couple of people employed to start with and see how you get on with that, cut out the middle men.

[tim armstrong]

An interesting thread. I've thought about this one too. My angle was to get away from the cheap crap and go a bit more upmarket in terms of T shirt quality, only produce 2 colours, black or white and in farlang sizes. The idea was to have simple and original one line satirical messages on the front only, in English. Like the one produced in Pattaya a while ago that read - 'I smile a lot because I don't know what's going on" So many tees in English, have nonsensical, or just boring sexual stuff that must appeal to someone ? but maybe there is a market for something just a tad more sophisticated. So good idea if the g/f goes in for better quality t shirts, but don't know if my idea is viable or not.

However, I did 'shoot myself in the foot' about this recently. My wife bought me some fairly plain black tees at a market. I didn't take any notice of the writing, as I was just pleased that they were big enough. About 2 weeks later, my visiting son said - 'Dad! why are you wearing the T shirt?- What I said? - It says in large letters with stars around it - 'Queen of the Universe'.- Nothing against gay people, and I still wear it often.

[swissie]

If this isn't exiting, I don't know what is. We all have the privilege to witness another formation of another Farang/Thai Business venture.

.......................different place, different actors, same story. Yawn !

Cheers.

[boisian]

I hope the car is automatic, her Thai husband/boyfriend can only drive automatics.

It's OK cos his collection of Mias can all handle a stick shift

[pistachios]

An interesting thread. I've thought about this one too. My angle was to get away from the cheap crap and go a bit more upmarket in terms of T shirt quality, only produce 2 colours, black or white and in farlang sizes. The idea was to have simple and original one line satirical messages on the front only, in English. Like the one produced in Pattaya a while ago that read - 'I smile a lot because I don't know what's going on" So many tees in English, have nonsensical, or just boring sexual stuff that must appeal to someone ? but maybe there is a market for something just a tad more sophisticated. So good idea if the g/f goes in for better quality t shirts, but don't know if my idea is viable or not.

However, I did 'shoot myself in the foot' about this recently. My wife bought me some fairly plain black tees at a market. I didn't take any notice of the writing, as I was just pleased that they were big enough. About 2 weeks later, my visiting son said - 'Dad! why are you wearing the T shirt?- What I said? - It says in large letters with stars around it - 'Queen of the Universe'.- Nothing against gay people, and I still wear it often.

Just a quick question about your farang peculiar spelling "farlang"

I've never heard this word pronounced that way but I read it from time to time on this forum. Is there a special region in thailand where they randomly add Ls in the middle of words?

About the OP : the only way to make money with a business is to either sell a ton of stuff with a small margin or a few stuff with a high margin. Unless you have a huge t shirt factory in china or know a few hollywood stars who could wear you tshirts so that you become the next Ed Hardy and sell crap tshirts for $100, you're never gonna make any money with this niche.