One surefire way to make more money on a job is to charge more for it. Most shops have a certain amount of defined equipment capacity and hours of labor that can be leveraged at any particular time. Getting a firm understanding of what is made over the course of an hour for a business is an eye-opening exercise.
With a benchmark defined, start modeling out some scenarios. If the market can bear a cost increase on today’s goods, then why haven’t you raised prices? If the market doesn’t allow this, there are a few ways to get to a higher price.
First, try increasing the value of what you deliver. Upgrade the basic T-shirt in standard quotes to a higher end T-shirt. Spend time becoming educated on the benefits of apparel styles and transfer finishes that provide a higher average sale. The market is moving towards premium heat transfer applications. Dimensional 3D logos deliver a higher perceived and paid value that can command higher price points than business as usual. These types of finishes are also a lot less competitive to present and can reduce price pressure as well.
Another way to make more on each job completed is to begin associating costs with tasks that create value for a customer. Consider assigning fees to special turn times, art set ups, and value-added services like individual bagging, tagging, and delivery that many clients are willing to pay for. If you already include this for your clients, market it and ensure that it is negotiated as a trade-off when asked for a better price.
