Branding is critical to a new (or established) business. Make sure the people, companies and prospects you sell to think about your company and not your competition. A great way to do this is with merchandise or clothing (t-shirts, polo/dress shirts) with your company name and/or logo.
CafePress is a great site to order 100s of items – and they have no minimum order. Easy to set up, easy to use! Check them out.
- Adam
CellCon Consulting
I tend to disagree that cafe press is strategically the best place for branding/merchandising for businesses, musicians, or anybody that wants to look professional.
They give you an okay product mix, but do not allow you to compare cost/quality of t-shirts. For example, they give you the option of “green t-shirt” instead of giving you the option to choose between Guildan, American Apparel, Hanes, etc. and the 20 colors of green that they various brands offer.
Furthermore, they typically use garment ink-jet and/or heat transfers which give you small quantities for a low cost… but don’t offer much in the quality department.
If you are serious about looking professional, I would suggest talking to a real screen printing shop. They will usually have graphic designers/artists at their disposal to help you out too.
As a screen printer, I could sound a bit biased; but the reason I chose to stay away from the garment ink jetting is because of the perceived quality that you get. The technology’s not quite there for the professional world. It’s okay for a family reunion or perhaps a college frat if you only need one or two shirts… but at this point, nothing tops the good old fashion screen printing method.
djsobie,
I didn’t mean to say or imply they were the best. But, perhaps the best option for a company/person needing smaller runs.
I will say that the products I’ve received from them (mugs, t-shirts and a coaster) were all very good. And, I really love the short run option – ordering as few as 1 item. But, if you’re running a larger order you can get better quality by using someone with a screen print.
-aw