Operating a business is complicated in any industry, but many people start businesses in the embellished products industry thinking it will be fun and easy. A screen printing business, for example, requires much more than knowing about design elements, having artistic ability, and understanding the components of the technique. All those skills are necessary to provide exceptional artwork, ensure the image or logo is properly placed onto products, and offer customers unique options. The additional skills required include some sense of marketing, organizational skills, basic accounting principles, and management ability. It is possible to hire people to do those tasks, but not feasible for a small or new business.

Prior to starting a business, gain some experience working in a screen printing business that is already established. That allows people the opportunity to see how the day to day tasks get done. There are orders to take, invoices to write, inventory to manage, and scheduling of production to complete. It also provides an opportunity to discover the importance of marketing, customer service, and dealing with suppliers and distributors. Owners have a better chance of success when they have a solid idea of what it takes to remain in business. Some of those tasks can be completed with the help of professional software, designed especially for the industry. Production management, accounting tasks, and keeping track of inventory are some of the features of the software suite called Onsite. An additional component of the program, called ProofStuff, makes proofing artwork fast and easy online.

Another way to succeed in the industry is to start off with a small business, upon which you can build. The competition is high because there are many local shops already established, and hundreds of sites online that can offer reduced pricing due to volume sales. A small business is not as overwhelming as beginning with a larger one. It also eliminates the risk of losing a substantial amount of money should the business not succeed, or get off to a slow start. It may take time to gain a customer base large enough to cover expenses. Adding machinery, space, and employees as business grows is a wise business plan.