My biggest mistake so far has been NOT attending an ISS Show. It certainly would have saved me lots of money and lots of stress. What is an ISS Show? It is the Imprinted Sportswear Shows. The exhibitors at these conventions include embroidery companies, screen printing companies, companies that make chemicals for screen printing, equipment manufactures and more. Everything you can think of that will help you decorate your apparel. But the most important vendors, in my opinion, are the apparel companies themselves.
Since I am trying to launch my own designs it is VERY important to have the right shirt. I have spent so much money trying to find the "RIGHT" shirt to print on. I read everything I can about a shirt, order it and then it turns out to not be the right look or feel. That is a lot of time, frustration and wasted money I could have avoided if I had attended an ISS Show. There are so many questions I could have asked the vendor. "What does ring spun mean?" "What is a cap sleeve?" "What is a 1 x 1 rib cut?" "What the heck is cotton conversion blend?" "What colors and what styles are popular?"
The next ISS Show is September 8-11 in Atlanta, Georgia. Unfortunately, I can not wait that long. I need to find the right shirt NOW!! My designs are ready for production buy I am stuck because I have not found the right women's shirt to print on. I am also looking for other products to print on and I don't want to waste more money buying samples.
I am considering taking a field trip in the next week or so. Broder Bros. has a show room for all their products. I can go there and get a hands on look at the products that interest me. The nearest one is in San Jose, Ca. It is a 6 1/2 hour drive or 1 1/2 hour flight from Las Vegas. Not only do I need the perfect women's shirt, I am also looking for a different tote bag. This trip was not in my business budget but I know it will save me time and money in the future.
Jeanette
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