The Student Room Group

I need the help of you clever people!

Hi everyone

Myself and a few friends are thinking of setting up a small business. We have the capital in place and are looking for ideas to formulate a business plan.

Originally we were looking at setting up a brand (I used to be in graphic design) and having certain ranges of limited clothes printed and marketed in pubs and via uni's to be sold via the web for age 16 to 30 (perhaps politically based although not sure - 'i.e. - say no to terrorism') etc.

We're sort of moving away from the idea, but before we ditch it completely, can I ask 2 questions:

1. What do you think of the idea?

2. What product/service would you purchase from a university pub / local / nightclub that we could also supply on line, as we still wish to target the same demographic?

Thanks in advance for any constructive help as it is appreciated.

Jon.

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Reply 1
Personally I wouldn't buy it. and I don't think people will wear such t shirts in public, especially uni students.

But thats all assumptions.

Maybe a site that sells random stuff.
Reply 2
heres one idea, don't have the political slogans, go for funny stuff that might sell with most students, pictures are good too
If you're starting a business, you need to find a niche market. It has to be a funny, original idea. This isn't.
Reply 4
one way of getting them to sell, get really hot girls to model them for you, thats not an original idea, but like they say, sex sells
Reply 5
Well to be honest, sex sells and that was covered. We had a number of original ideas to market the brand and we're not talking chicken feed with regards to investment. 10000 to 20000 pounds plus as a trial run.

However, as one of the previous posters has said, this is fairly mainstream which is one of the biggest reasons for not proceeding with it.

However, the niche we're looking for I believe exists within selling some product (?) in pubs, via uni's etc to students and young people ...this is why i need your ideas.

Marketing and web site design, selling is covered off already.

Jon
i would make a few prototype tshirts and sell them on something like ebay... if they sell you know you have a market... if they dont you know it needs rethingking
print t-shirts to specified design over the net and advertise well, me and my mates have been looking for a decent company aimed at students for our holiday tees and couldnt find many places!!
Reply 8
Mr J
Hi everyone

Myself and a few friends are thinking of setting up a small business. We have the capital in place and are looking for ideas to formulate a business plan.

Originally we were looking at setting up a brand (I used to be in graphic design) and having certain ranges of limited clothes printed and marketed in pubs and via uni's to be sold via the web for age 16 to 30 (perhaps politically based although not sure - 'i.e. - say no to terrorism') etc.

We're sort of moving away from the idea, but before we ditch it completely, can I ask 2 questions:

1. What do you think of the idea?

2. What product/service would you purchase from a university pub / local / nightclub that we could also supply on line, as we still wish to target the same demographic?

Thanks in advance for any constructive help as it is appreciated.

Jon.


that is a very poor idea. Nobody will want to buy your cheap t shirt with a pathetic jumping on the bandwagon statement. You will get nowhere. Come up with a good and original idea. Seems to me that you just have the outlines for a stupid idea - ditch it before you get any further.
Reply 9
RealityIsDull
i would make a few prototype tshirts and sell them on something like ebay... if they sell you know you have a market... if they dont you know it needs rethingking

Good idea!
Reply 10
with all due respect to the OP but it is a crap idea because

1) its unoriginal
2) this niche market has been well exploited
3) it is unoriginal
4) what reason would YOU yourself buy such a T-shirt?

now some questions
How much do you plan to sell each shirt for? How many did you plan on selling through each marketing outlet e.g. how many did you plan to sell through the internet, thru door2door, etc
che guevara t shirts with a red line through his face. Che has now became part of the establishment thus anyhting anti est would sell better.
Reply 12
holiday t-shirts would be a good idea. when i had my post a level girly hol, we had numbers on the back, then incorporated them into rude/funny phrases eg "gives out on 1st date" "fancy a 3some" etc. we had to get them specially ordered and only managed it cos of one of the girls working in a clothes shop and pestering her manager.
Reply 13
Good idea Lauren but the problem is that such a business would be very seasonal.
Reply 14
i personally would buy the t-shirt, i think that after what happened many people have developed a sense of loyalty to their countries.
so iam sure that your shirts will sell and not only to the younger generation....but also to the older generation, this as a result in business you can increase the price of them once you see their demand.
if the demand is amongst the youth...you know what to do...if it is amongst the old...price should be higher..but hey do not overprice as you are also trying to pass on an idea.
:rolleyes: after all that i have said i guess that it is all up to you.
Reply 15
ramroff
with all due respect to the OP but it is a crap idea because

1) its unoriginal
2) this niche market has been well exploited
3) it is unoriginal
4) what reason would YOU yourself buy such a T-shirt?

now some questions
How much do you plan to sell each shirt for? How many did you plan on selling through each marketing outlet e.g. how many did you plan to sell through the internet, thru door2door, etc

my Good lord.. :confused:
Reply 16
I really don't like the idea of profiting from a recent disaster. I suppose the anti-terrorism t shirts would be acceptable if the proceeds were donated to a good cause. Just my honest opinion.
Reply 17
Mr J
Hi everyone

Myself and a few friends are thinking of setting up a small business. We have the capital in place and are looking for ideas to formulate a business plan.

Originally we were looking at setting up a brand (I used to be in graphic design) and having certain ranges of limited clothes printed and marketed in pubs and via uni's to be sold via the web for age 16 to 30 (perhaps politically based although not sure - 'i.e. - say no to terrorism') etc.

We're sort of moving away from the idea, but before we ditch it completely, can I ask 2 questions:

1. What do you think of the idea?

2. What product/service would you purchase from a university pub / local / nightclub that we could also supply on line, as we still wish to target the same demographic?

Thanks in advance for any constructive help as it is appreciated.

Jon.

those kinda political t-shirts would sell if they were going for a fiver as people may think your were a charity.
i would've thought of something like www.tshirtgrill.com.
since you were in graphic design you should be able to come up with some unique stuff.
ramroff
with all due respect to the OP but it is a crap idea because

1) its unoriginal
2) this niche market has been well exploited
3) it is unoriginal
4) what reason would YOU yourself buy such a T-shirt?


It is a terrible idea, because of the reasons above. You will lose all that lovely money!
Lauren
holiday t-shirts would be a good idea. when i had my post a level girly hol, we had numbers on the back, then incorporated them into rude/funny phrases eg "gives out on 1st date" "fancy a 3some" etc. we had to get them specially ordered and only managed it cos of one of the girls working in a clothes shop and pestering her manager.

Classy (!)