Solid Press Screen Printing

Words in [brackets] are blanks you fill in with your own details when you adopt this sample in Supreme Plan AI.

Executive Summary

Solid Press Screen Printing is a custom apparel shop in Ohio. We print and embroider shirts, hoodies, hats and bags for teams, schools, businesses, events and small brands, and offer design help and rush service. Our customers want good-looking custom apparel delivered on time.

The problem is simple. Custom orders are often late, minimums are high and customers cannot see what they will get. We show a digital proof before we print, keep minimums low for small orders and give a delivery date in writing.

Here is what our numbers show. We expect sales of $222,050 in Year 1, growing to $698,880 by Year 5 as we add presses, team members and repeat accounts. We expect a loss of about $9,800 in Year 1 while we build our customer base, then a profit from Year 2 (about $8,600), growing to about $92,300 by Year 5.

We need $130,000 in total. That covers $92,500 in startup costs (a screen printing press and dryer, a direct-to-garment printer, an embroidery machine, opening blanks and inks, ventilation, the lease deposit and insurance) and a cash cushion for the first months. I am putting in $30,000 of my own money, and I am asking for a $100,000 SBA loan.

I am Tyrone Phillips, the owner. These numbers are estimates based on the assumptions listed at the end of this plan, not promises.

Company Description

Solid Press Screen Printing will be a limited liability company (LLC) in Ohio, owned by Tyrone Phillips. An LLC is a business type that generally keeps your home and savings separate from the business's debts and lawsuits, although a lender may still ask for a personal guarantee. A business attorney or the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) can explain how it works in our state.

What we believe. Do what we promised, when we promised it. We show a proof, we check every order and we fix any mistake.

What we offer:
- Screen printing and direct-to-garment orders. Large runs by screen print and small or full-color runs by direct-to-garment printing.
- Embroidery and sublimation orders. Embroidered caps and polos and sublimated items.
- Design services and rush fees. Artwork cleanup, mockups and priority production.
- Later, as we grow: an online store builder for teams and a second press. The numbers in this plan do not include these.

The space. In Year 1 we will lease about 2,500 square feet of light industrial space with room for production, a washout area and a small front counter. We budget $30,000 a year ($2,500 a month) for rent and utilities, and the plan assumes this grows about 6% a year.

Licenses and insurance. We will register the LLC with the state, get a business license, an EIN (the business tax number from the IRS, free at irs.gov) and a sales tax permit. Screen printing uses chemicals and water, so I will ask the city and sewer authority how the washout area and waste must be handled and ask the fire department about ventilation and storage. We will not print trademarked logos or licensed artwork without permission. We will carry general liability, property and product liability insurance, plus workers' compensation once we hire.

Where things stand today. This plan is my starting point. Before I sign a lease or buy equipment, I will ask at least 20 teams, schools and businesses what they pay for custom apparel, visit at least 5 competitors, confirm washout and ventilation rules and line up at least 5 repeat customers. If the numbers do not match this plan, I will change the plan before I spend money.

Problem & Opportunity

Custom apparel is often a frustrating order.

1. Late delivery. Events and seasons do not wait.
2. High minimums. Small groups cannot always order 100 shirts.
3. Unclear proofs. Customers cannot see the final look until delivery.
4. Quality problems. Cracked prints and wrong colors are common.
5. Design help. Many customers have a logo that needs cleanup.

How we will find out if people want this before we spend money. I will ask at least 20 teams, schools and businesses what they pay and what goes wrong, and line up at least 5 repeat customers. Our Year 1 plan needs about 635 print orders, 170 embroidery and sublimation orders and 170 design and rush orders.

Products & Services

What we sell. We have three offerings, each priced simply.

1. Screen printing and direct-to-garment orders. The plan assumes an average of about $260 per order in Year 1, rising to about $292 by Year 5. Blanks, inks and supplies cost about $120 per order. We expect about 635 orders in Year 1 (about 12 a week), growing to about 1,600 a year by Year 5.
2. Embroidery and sublimation orders. The plan assumes about $240 per order in Year 1, rising to about $272, with about $110 per order in direct costs. We expect about 170 orders in Year 1, growing to about 600.
3. Design services and rush fees. The plan assumes about $95 per order in Year 1, rising to about $107, with about $20 per order in direct costs. We expect about 170 orders in Year 1, growing to about 640.

Our prices. A price list by quantity and number of colors, a flat setup fee and a written delivery date.

How it works for a customer:
1. The customer sends artwork and a quantity, and we send a quote and digital proof.
2. The customer approves the proof and pays a deposit.
3. We print or embroider, inspect every piece and pack the order.
4. We deliver or hold for pickup by the promised date.

Gross margin, explained. "Gross margin" is the share of each sale left after paying for blanks, inks and supplies. Our plan shows about 56% in Year 1. That money pays the team, rent, insurance and other bills. Team pay is counted separately, under payroll.

Market Analysis

Who will use us:
- Sports teams, schools, clubs and churches.
- Small businesses and restaurants with uniforms.
- Events, fundraisers and small brands.

Where we will work. Customers within about 50 miles for pickup and delivery, and online customers across the region.

How we sized the plan. Our Year 1 plan needs about 12 print orders a week, which one press operator and a helper can handle. I will check the real numbers by talking to customers before spending money.

Season. Back to school, fall sports, the holidays and spring events are busy. The numbers show a yearly average.

Competitive Landscape

Other choices customers have:
1. Other local print shops.
2. Online custom apparel sites with low prices but longer waits.
3. Large print shops with high minimums.
4. Doing it themselves with a heat press.

How we will win customers: digital proofs, low minimums, written delivery dates and consistent quality. These are promises we have to keep, and any competitor could make them too, so we will measure ourselves on them every week.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How customers will find us.
- A simple website with a quote form, a gallery and an artwork guide.
- A free Google business listing with reviews.
- Visits to schools, teams, businesses and event organizers with samples.
- Local partners such as sign shops and promotional product dealers.
- A referral thank-you for customers who send us a new order.

Marketing budget. About $4,800 a year in Year 1 (about $400 a month), growing about 8% a year. The sign, website and samples are paid for from startup costs ($3,500).

Operations Plan

How the business runs day to day.

The shop. A design computer, a press area with a dryer, a direct-to-garment printer, an embroidery machine, a washout area and a packing table.

A normal day:
1. Review the orders due, check blanks and ink and set up the day's jobs.
2. Burn screens, print or embroider, cure and inspect each piece.
3. Pack and label orders and update customers.
4. Clean the washout area and tools and plan tomorrow.

Safety and the environment. We keep the shop ventilated, store inks and chemicals properly, keep safety data sheets, wear gloves and eye protection, keep the dryer area clear and follow the rules for washout water and waste. We do not use designs we are not permitted to print.

Equipment. About $62,000 to start: a screen printing press, dryer and exposure unit, a direct-to-garment printer and heat press, an embroidery machine and computers. We set aside about $4,000 a year after that to replace and add equipment.

Running costs in Year 1: rent and utilities about $30,000, equipment maintenance and supplies about $6,000, software and card fees about $3,600, marketing about $4,800, insurance about $3,000, and accounting, licenses and legal about $3,000. That is $50,400 in all.

Payment. Customers pay a deposit and the balance at pickup. Business customers are invoiced and some pay in about 30 days, so we keep a cushion of cash to cover the wait and the cost of blanks.

Management & Organization

Who runs the business. Tyrone Phillips, owner and print lead. As owner I will print, manage jobs, quote orders and handle the money. I plan to pay myself $40,000 a year in salary.

The team. Pay figures include payroll taxes and workers' compensation insurance.
- Press operator (full-time): none in Year 1, one in Years 2 and 3 and two in Years 4 and 5, at about $33,000 a year each.
- Production helper (part-time): one in Years 1 and 2, two in Years 3 and 4 and three in Year 5, at about $18,000 a year each.
- Sales and customer service (part-time): one starting in Year 3, at about $24,000 a year.

We hire people who are careful and reliable, train everyone on safety and quality checks, and pay on time.

People who will help us: a bookkeeper or tax preparer, an insurance agent who understands print shops, a business attorney for a one-time review of the lease and customer terms, and a free mentor from SCORE or the Small Business Development Center (SBDC).

Milestones Narrative

Our goals and when we plan to reach them.
- Before opening (3 to 5 months ahead): ask at least 20 teams, schools and businesses what they pay, line up at least 5 repeat customers, confirm washout, ventilation and zoning rules, register the LLC and get an EIN, open a business bank account, get insurance quotes, find a space, have an attorney review the lease and buy and test equipment. Sign the lease only after the rules are clear and the first customers are lined up.
- Year 1: open with the owner and one part-time helper, with about 12 print orders a week, $222,050 in sales and a loss of about $9,800.
- Year 2: add our first full-time press operator, with about 850 print orders a year, $323,440 in sales and a profit of about $8,600.
- Year 3: add a sales person and a second helper, with about 1,130 print orders a year, $452,355 in sales and a profit of about $29,800.
- Year 4: add a second press operator, with about 1,450 print orders a year, $607,320 in sales and a profit of about $69,300.
- Year 5: grow to about 1,600 print orders a year with a team of seven, $698,880 in sales and a profit of about $92,300.
Growth depends on winning repeat accounts, keeping quality high and delivering on time, so treat the later years as goals, not promises.

What we check every week: orders completed, on-time delivery, reprints, average order value, repeat customers and cash in the bank.

Funding Request

How much we need and how we will use it. Total we are raising: $130,000.

How we got that number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds up three things:
- Startup costs of $92,500, listed item by item in the Startup Costs section: $22,000 for manual screen printing press, flash dryer and exposure unit, $26,000 for direct-to-garment printer and heat press, $9,000 for embroidery machine, $5,000 for computers, design software and shop tables, $9,000 for opening blanks, inks and screens, $8,000 for ventilation, electrical and washout area, $5,000 for lease deposit and first month of rent, $700 for business license and local permits, $2,300 for legal and accounting setup, $3,500 for sign, website and samples, and $2,000 for first insurance payment.
- A cash cushion of about $35,200: the deepest hole our cash falls into while we build our customer base (about $8,100) plus about 3 months of running costs (about $27,100). Lenders call this "working capital."
- Together that comes to about $127,700, rounded up to the nearest $500: $128,000.
We are raising $2,000 more than that, $130,000 in all, to leave extra room for loan payments in the first years and for blank and ink stock.

Where the money comes from:
- My own money: $30,000.
- Amount requested as a loan: $100,000.

Kind of funding we are looking for. An SBA 7(a) small loan through a local bank or community lender. Put any agreement with a lender, family member or friend in writing.

How we will pay it back. We expect a loss of about $9,800 in Year 1 while we build our customer base, then a profit from Year 2 (about $8,600), growing to about $92,300 by Year 5. With this funding, the business has money in the bank at the end of every year of the plan, and the lowest year-end balance is about $44,900, at the end of Year 1. The loan is planned at 12.75% interest over 10 years, so payments of about $1,478 a month (about $17,741 a year) are already included in our cash flow. We chose 12.75% as a cautious planning rate. Ask the lender for the real rate, which may be lower or higher.

What we are offering the lender: our equipment as collateral (something the lender can claim if the loan is not repaid) and my personal guarantee (my promise to repay from my own money if the business cannot).

A smaller first step, if needed. If we cannot raise the full amount right away, we can start smaller and grow into this plan:
- Phase 1: start with a manual press and a heat press in a small leased or shared space (check the rules), taking a few orders a week while keeping your current job. Startup can be roughly $10,000 to $20,000 for a press, supplies, insurance and a website. Get your own quotes.
- Phase 2: once you are booked weeks ahead, add direct-to-garment and embroidery equipment and follow this plan.
To plan the smaller start, make a copy of this plan (use Duplicate) and lower the numbers to match.

All numbers in this plan are estimates. We will update them as real results come in.

Appendix Notes

Documents to attach before you send this plan:

- Your resume (one page is fine) and any licenses or training certificates.
- A personal financial statement (a list of what you own and what you owe; lenders usually provide a form).
- Business registration papers and your EIN (your business tax number from the IRS, free at irs.gov).
- Proof of insurance, or a quote.
- Your price list, proof process and sample order form.
- Samples of your work.
- A letter or quote for the space, and the lease once you have it.
- Quotes for the equipment.
If you don't have any of this yet, no worries - let's continue.

The assumptions behind our numbers (change them in the Financials section to match your own):
- Screen Printing and Direct-to-Garment Orders: about $260 per order in Year 1, rising to $292; about $120 per order in direct costs, rising to $136; about 635 orders in Year 1, growing to 1,600.
- Embroidery and Sublimation Orders: about $240 per order in Year 1, rising to $272; about $110 per order in direct costs, rising to $122; about 170 orders in Year 1, growing to 600.
- Design Services and Rush Fees: about $95 per order in Year 1, rising to $107; about $20 per order in direct costs, rising to $24; about 170 orders in Year 1, growing to 640.
- Pay: Owner / Print Lead $40,000 (1/1/1/1/1); Press Operator (full-time) $33,000 (0/1/1/2/2); Production Helper (part-time) $18,000 (1/1/2/2/3); Sales and Customer Service (part-time) $24,000 (0/0/1/1/1). The numbers in parentheses are how many people we plan to have in Years 1 through 5. Pay figures are yearly and include payroll taxes and workers' compensation.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: shop rent & utilities $30,000, equipment maintenance and supplies $6,000, software and card fees $3,600, marketing $4,800, business insurance $3,000, and accounting, licenses & legal $3,000. These grow between 5% and 12% a year as the business grows.
- Customers pay a deposit and the balance at pickup, but business customers are invoiced. At the end of Year 1 about $22,205 (10% of Year 1 sales) is owed to us by those customers.
- Tax rate: 21%.
- Every dollar amount is an estimate. Replace them with your own quotes and research.

Startup Costs