You have decided to take up sublimation. Congratulations! You are about to embark on a fantastic journey full of adventure. Sawgrass is committed to making sure your efforts pay off. That's why we offer extensive training programmes, tools and resources to support you every step of the way.

Before you begin this new adventure, we invite you to read the following six essential steps, which will help you move forward on your journey of initiation.  

Step 1: Planning

First of all, you need to make sure that you plan your project in broad terms and determine the type of business you want to start. Here are some questions to consider:

  • - What types of products do you plan to sell?
  • - What is the demand for these products?
  • - How do you plan to sell your products?
  • - What space will be needed to produce and/or sell your products?
  • - What budget do you have to cover start-up costs?
  • - How long will it take to recoup your initial investment?
  • - What kind of production schedule will you need to put in place to sustain and grow your business?

Once you have formulated satisfactory answers to all these questions, you can move on to the research stage to identify what you will need to start your business.

Step 2: Research

There are different types of dye sublimation printers, heat presses, papers, media, accessories and other components that are essential to building a dye sublimation studio. Other elements that will need your attention are computer systems, workspace, shop windows, websites, licenses, software, accounting platform and many other business tools needed to launch your new business.

Let's move on to the next step, which is to determine exactly what you need to establish your new business. Research is essential for this step, whether it is to familiarise yourself with all the products available on the market or to identify the type of certifications, licences and insurance you need to start a business in your area. Spend as much time as you need to do this research, so that you find the answers that are right for you.

At SawgrassInk.com, you'll find a wealth of information that can help you, including our BusinessBuilder resources and our Sawgrass Solutions page. When researching, also consider attending online forums, joining discussion groups, talking to others in the industry, attending trade shows and contacting resellers to learn more about their products. These complementary steps are essential.

Stage 3: Investment

Now that you know what to buy, it's time to invest. Don't hesitate to work with authorized Sawgrass dealers to purchase not only your dye sublimation printers, but also all the other equipment you need to get started, such as heat presses, media, paper, samples and thermal ribbon. Look for promotional offers, loyalty points, introductory bundles, shipping discounts, financing options and other benefits from dealers.

Step 4: Familiarisation

It can be tempting to buy equipment, supplies and consumables from sub-brands or to go for the cheapest products. This is a common mistake that many newcomers to the industry make.

In the product decoration industry, the results are truly worth the investment. So, for the long term, it's best to go for high quality printers, inks, presses, papers and media, as they will last longer and produce better and more consistent output, ultimately reducing your consumable waste and saving you time.

You have acquired your equipment. Now it's time to learn how to use it. The arrival of those bulky boxes of new sublimation equipment can be intimidating for some, as it marks the start of your business. But if you think of this new phase as a break-in period, some of that feeling should fade away. Sublimation production is an art form that differs from user to user.

Your Sawgrass dealer and support team will help you get your printer and software up and running. Then start using your printer, so that you are familiar with the entire process of creating, printing and pressing. Sublimation production is an art form that differs from user to user. These differences are due to the time/temperature/pressure equation, which varies from place to place, from medium to medium, and even from machine to machine.

Step 5: Refining

Allow one to two weeks to familiarise yourself with your equipment and find the right colour/temperature/duration/pressure combinations for your products.

Develop a production system, a range of product offerings, samples, images, pallets, and anything else you need to get your products to market.

A strategic and disciplined approach is, in most cases, the method that works best to ensure a successful business. Once you have defined your markets, products, systems and sales strategies, give your business a few months to test your target markets before evaluating your success. Take a step back and look at what is and isn't selling, what feedback you've received and what options you haven't yet considered.

Step 6: Evaluation

It appears that there is more demand for customised products than for standardised designs? Local sales have 

How do you know if your product is better marketed than through the e-commerce platform?

Use these findings to refine your sales and product development approach.

After about six months, assess the current state of your business and decide what you want to achieve by the end of your first year. Ask yourself these questions:

   

- Are my profits satisfactory or am I constantly having to contain expenses? If you are constantly struggling to make a profit, you may need to re-evaluate your pricing strategy to ensure that you make enough profit to cover all your costs, including your salary - Have I made back my initial investment? If not, why not and what can you do to speed things up?

- How many markets am I targeting? Is this enough or do I need to develop new initiatives to capture more market share?

- Are there additional opportunities in the markets I serve that I would like to pursue? If so, how do I go about it and is it the right time?

- What would I like my business to look like at the end of the year in terms of size, turnover, reach, etc.?

- What are the goals I would like to achieve by the end of the year? What are my goals for next year?

- Am I satisfied with the business I have created?

These six initial steps are an excellent starting point for your journey into the sublimation sector. As you move forward and face the inevitable challenges, keep these steps in mind and stay as true to your original plans as possible.

Need more information on sublimation? We offer free online training (webinars) on this topic:

- Dye sublimation
- SG500 / SG1000 Dye Sublimation Printers
- Dye Sublimation: Maintenance and Tips
- Creative Studio Software
- SPM Software
- Sublimation ChromaLuxe
- Customise your Dark Textiles with Dye Sublimation
- EasySubli Paper
- Liberty Subli
- Liberty Patch
- Liberty Patch Satin Effect

Find all the dates and register by clicking on this link.

Discover all our video tutorials on our Youtube channel.

All our podcasts are available right here.

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See you soon,

The Team Créadhésif