Start Here

Startup cost sheet

Budgets fail on the lines nobody writes down: the sample shirt, the second print run after a mistake, the stall fee, the returns you eat. This sheet has them all. Change any number and the total updates; download it as a CSV when you are done.

Line itemQtyUnitAmount
One-time costs—
Per-order costs—
Total to launch—
Per shirt, if you sell the full first order—

Defaults are realistic 2026 US figures for a 100-piece first order. They are editable because your numbers are the only numbers that matter. Nothing here is a quote — the blank line uses our 230gsm list price as a starting point only.

What each line is for

LineWhy it is not optional
BlanksThe only line that is definitely real. Prices drop at 300 and 600 pieces.
Extended-size loading2XL and up cost more. Budget it or it comes out of margin.
Inbound freightGetting 100 shirts to your door is $35–60 by ground.
Screen setupOne-time per colour per design. Redesigning costs it again.
PrintingThe per-piece charge. Roughly $1.35 a colour at 100 units.
Sample shirts3–5 pieces to test print, wash and fit. Cheapest insurance in the business.
PhotographyA phone in daylight on a plain wall can be enough. A local shooter is $150–300.
Domain and store plan$15–40 a year plus $29 a month if you use a hosted platform.
Labels and packagingMailer bags, tissue, a sticker. $0.40–0.90 an order once you look professional.
Market stall fee$40–250 per day, and most markets want payment up front.
Mistake reserve5% of goods. Every first order has a reprint or a mis-size.
Contingency10% on top. If you never use it, you had a good launch.

Where to cut

If the total is more than you want to spend, cut in this order — and only in this order:

  1. Photography. A friend with a phone and a white wall genuinely is enough for the first 20 sales. This is the easiest $150 to save.
  2. Packaging. Plain mailer bags until someone pays for the nice ones. Nobody keeps a tissue.
  3. Stall fees. Do one market, not four. Learn first.
  4. Labels. Only if you are on route B. If you are on route C, the label is the product.

What not to cut: the sample shirts and the mistake reserve. Those two lines are the difference between a learning curve and a loss.