What would you charge?

adman1986 · February 18th, 2011, 01:42 PM

I had a customer that wanted 300 navy shirts with a white left chest imprint and a 8 color full back. It will have custom artwork for the back of a old fire truck and a new fire truck with the fire house in the background. Customer supplied photos that we were to redraw and put together the design. Gave them a price of $8 a shirt printed, $15 per screen and $150 for the art (we reduced art as a favor for the department) Halfway thru the design process, I get a email saying that they had went with someone else. I know now that I should had gotten a deposit but I had done work for them in the past dealing with the chief but this time it was 20 year girl heading up the project. Lesson #1 ALWAYS GET A DEPOSIT...EVEN IF ITS FOR YOUR MOTHER! Anyway, just curious as to how others would have priced this. I have adjusted our pricing due to our rising costs of doing business but it seems other screen printers in our area haven't done so and they are out bidding us by 10%. Any advice?

adman1986 · February 18th, 2011, 02:45 PM

Appreciate the response. Too late on the gray hair though.

Living tees · February 18th, 2011, 03:38 PM

Your price is right on. I see this more and more. I tell my customers I'm not in this for my health and most of them stick with us. We do however loose a few. You said it, get money down and a signed art copy. I have people tell me they can get a shirt finished for 3 bucks off the web. I say , why are you talking to me. Soon enough they will either come in or I'll have to fix the cheap web shirt.

adman1986 · February 18th, 2011, 03:45 PM

I screwed myself on this one by not getting a deposit. But since we had worked with them before with no issues, I bypassed my own rule. Live and learn. I get so irritated with folks coming in and saying " I can get it for half price online." Yea...go get it! With prices of inks, garments etc going up, getting tougher to make a profit these days.