Fall sports prep
Get ahead of the game this summer
By Shane Wilson
Images courtesy of Shane Wilson
Planning for the fall sports season is one of the most critical times we have in the screen printing industry. In August, every sports team is gearing up for their season. Football, volleyball, soccer, softball, cheer, and the booster club is gearing up for their tailgates as well. Which means we need to work with all of those groups early in order to be ready to run all those jobs through the shop at the same time. This can easily bottleneck on you if you are not prepared, so planning is essential. But busy isn’t necessarily a bad thing — this can easily be one of the most profitable times of the year as well.
Fall sports are also when our retail store sells the most merchandise. This being the first season of the school year, that is the prime time to have the sales floor full of all the local school’s gear. We offer lots of different garments in the store, from T-shirts to sweatpants, beanies, shorts, hats, and more. We offer men’s and women’s styles as well. The ladies really appreciate the opportunity to buy products made for them. We also offer decals fans can put on their vehicles.
Steps for success
The difference between a successful season and a stressful season ultimately comes down to planning. Before the first team orders start coming in, decorators should take time to evaluate inventory, production workflows, staffing, and customer communication strategies.
We find most success by reviewing last year’s orders. We are blessed to have many loyal customers and coaches, which makes it pretty easy for us to forecast what they will need. I usually reach out to all those coaches and athletic directors starting in June and pick their brains. That way we can have everything taken care of ahead of time.
Online stores
We build a lot of online stores for each of our sports teams, and this is a huge part of our fall business. Most all the teams we work with ask us to build an online store for them. The coaches love them because we pretty much take care of everything for them. We also mark up each item a few dollars for them to earn some fundraising money. All the coach has to do is advertise the link to the store, and then they’re done until they pick up all the orders when completed. I plan to build the online stores in July and have them ready to go come August when all the students are back in school.
Inventory
Nothing slows production like discovering a key garment is backordered after the order has been placed or after the online store has closed. Before the season begins, I recommend double-checking all the main garments for each order and making sure they are deep in inventory. This can save a lot of disruption to the plans you have created. Check your suppliers of tees, hoodies, moisture-wicking apparel, quarter zips, and any others you like to offer. I also recommend identifying a backup garment in case that does happen. The challenge is when this happens to a quarter zip or polo that is unique and does not have a close substitute.
Production
In my business, one of the largest challenges we run into is getting the artwork done for everyone in a timely manner. It is difficult to get the orders to spread out when all of the coaches come back to school at the same time. We do reach out to coaches ahead of time and try to get an idea from them to get a head start. We try and keep a few generic ideas that we have created in the past as backups. But usually, the coaches know what they want. The challenge is getting that from them early.
I’ve learned that you also have to know your own production capabilities. We live by the “under promise and over deliver” philosophy. I think is so crucial in the future success of your business. It does not take long to build a bad reputation if you do not deliver when you promise. For me, it comes down to this: never miss a deadline, period! During the peak seasons, communication becomes just as important as production. We use automated order confirmations, art approval reminders, and status updates through our management software. The coaches appreciate knowing when they can expect their orders, and what we need from them. I strongly suggest using software that helps you offer reminders like this. I have also found that customers that are kept informed are often more patient when a challenge may arise.
Customer service is the main key to repeat business, and repeat business is what makes a printing shop successful. Going into the fall season is when you meet that new coach that took over the soccer team. Make them your new best friend. I love working with coaches, so this is very easy for me. I build friendships out of most of my interactions with a coach. Take the time to get to know them. Ask about their family and where they are from. Don’t be afraid to share some of your own personal information. I find that makes you more approachable and friendly, which helps to create a long-term customer and friend.
Finally, when you print that last job or online store the week of opening games, your job is not over. The next sport season is just around the corner. So, start planning with the basketball coaches, the wrestling coaches, and the swim coaches. It’s time to do it all again.
Shane Wilson owns a screen printing and embroidery shop in Nebraska that is also a retail sporting goods store, selling everything you need for your favorite sport. He has been in the industry for more than 30 years.
