What do you think of my idea!

Im not trying to sell t-shirts here but i do want to know interest levels for my idea. tell me what you think! I was laying in bed last night and this just popped into my head. Call me paranoid but i dont want to post the name of the co. yet!LOL

Im working on starting my own company. I will sell logo apparel featuring ladybugs, butterflys, frogs, honey bees etc... the idea is to focus on beneficials and being beneficial. 25% or more of all proceeds will go to groups and organizations that are helping to preserve our natural places through out the country and to those who are working on alternative energy projects. I plan to have a website full of info and links that are of use to us as consumers.

All fabrics will be 100% organic cottons and hemps. I plan to offer t-shirts at first and then expand to offer, sweat shirts, mugs, hats, garden aprons, bandanas, travel mugs, posters, stickers, keychains, etc... Again 25% or more of all proceeds will go towards preservation of our natural land. All fabric apparel will be embroidered with the logo and then screen printed with a beneficial insect or animal.

I also want to include a annual scholarship that will be awarded to anyone who is studying biology or alternative energy fields. An essay contest probably.

To me, this is a way that i can do my part and have fun doing it. I am working on the t-shirt designs now. They are going to be so cute. I will probably start with mens and womens regular sizes but will expand once interest levels are understood. tHis would be such an amazing project. Im so excited i can harldy stand it.

Let me know what you think of the idea! Dmail me if you have anything negative to say please, which i hope no one will. i plan to start this up as soon as i am back in MI.
michelle

Just saw some teen shirts at Macy's with environmental logos on them, so you must be onto a good idea....!

I hope so!

I think this is a wonderful idea.

thanks! Come on everyone, i see your all looking give me some input! I wrote up the business plan yesterday!

When I was younger I wanted to sell ground up tree bark with procedes going to help buy land in the amazon. Idea was a different tree bark to cure different things. Use the money so my friends and I could build a large compound out in the Amazon and populate it with cute hippie chicks. Kind of a Jim Jones things minus any other guys. LOL>

My way of helping the enviroment. LOL. Hemp, you can make rope out of man...hehe.

A shame I didn't do it. I would imgine I would be out of jail by now, assuming someone figured out what I was doing.

LOL! Very funny, man!
michelle

I would think that the beauty or cuteness counts for a lot of the appeal. If the pictures aren't really cute and can't attract someone's attention, you might not sell very many. I am a visual person and can say "yea" or "nay" instantly to a purchase. I like your idea, though.

Karin ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks! Im certainly working on some cute designs. The website would actually serve as the primary money maker via advertisers. Companies that offer goods or services that pertain to the subject.

Well, its not really that type of site. I dont meen banner adds. Just paid advertisers. I have researched and read many books on the subject and also meet with a woman who started her own very successful site. Im going to model the site after hers but in no way is it the same thing. Just the amazing ease of use. Her webdesigner is very good and she is also very talented.

The idea is still evolving so lots will have to be figured out and lots more research to do but its a start and i hope i can at least give it a shot.

flowrgirli,

How exciting! I like your idea, and donating a part of the proceeds is such a splendid decision!

Good Luck, and keep us posted as to your progress!

Pat

I think you have a good idea going. I agree that the more visual appealing, the better.

I can offer some advise on the website. Outside of the gardening world (where I live often, LOL) I'm a professional webmaster for SCETV in South Carolina and I also run two personal sites (pronetworks.org and hawaii-guide.com). Both took me YEARS to establish (on fairly popular topics), and I knew the "game" of the search engines. If you want to quickly make your mark, consider something like Adwords. It's a good way to get traffic for specific keywords on Google, and ultimately Google is what really matters at this point.

Obtaining advertisers can also be difficult, especially in the Adsense/Adwords world of Google. Since advertisers now typically use an ad-network, like Google (Adwords), many publishers choose Adsense as the means by which to also display ads (and make money). So getting an independent advertiser can often be difficult (without a middle man - like Google).

Ultimately I just advise patience with a project like this, especially if it's web dependent. Of the dozens of sites and ideas I've crafted up over the years, the two I noted are the only true success stories. But with patience and a good plan, you can go the distance. Don't be afraid to use tools like Cafepress, Zazzle, and/or even eBay to make sales either.

If you have any web questions, feel free to PM. I'll be glad to try and help any way I can.

Ebay is a good platform and one of my friends sells off lease laptops there and makes a good living at it. The one thing he doesn't like is all the fees involved with Ebay/paypal. He's had good luck with people buying off of Ebay then using his non ebay site to buy more. That works with small resellers that buy from him.

Thanks for the info! There is so much to learn. I will be doing lots more to be even close to ready. I think my biggest help outside of search engines is going to be my emphasis on public presence. I really want to have the business be very involved locally in events, seminars, etc.... To have it be a very big part of the community and everywhere else.

Advertising would be very cheap to free for something such as this. Its just a matter of getting a hold of the right tv stations, radio, magazines, newspaper etc.... Being seen at events, sponsoring things, scholarships and the donation part of it will really help to get the word out.

Ive got a good start on the bus. plan so thats exciting. It really helps develop the idea even if i dont plan on going and getting a big business loan.

At first i was thinking that the logo wear would be the $ maker but then i realized thats unlikely but the site can be. The website that its being "modeled" after is a local site in Winston Salem, NC. they sell their adds person to person and are really building a great site. Its in its first year and is profitable already. they are a great sales team. I hope that i can learn enough to also see success.

Thanks! Keep those ideas and tips coming. I really appreciate them.

I think it's a grand idea - to build in the concept of "right livelihood" right from the start, rather than wait til you've made your millions-like Ben & Jerry's and The Body Shop. If you can get an alternative work force to manufacture them for you, you've got another great aspect (and selling point for people who want to spend their money on good things that help others while helping themselves), like the Women's Bean Project in Denver.

Once upon a time I had such an idea, except to make organic soups and seasonings and folks who were differently abled would package them for me. Came up with some good recipes and the product - sold lots at craft shows and shops along the road - but could never get passed the hump of making enough to get ahead - and, being me, I had too many "rules" which at the time and for where I lived, were not easy to abide by - ie. soy ink on high post consumer content paper for labels, reusable packaging, sorting beans as if my friends were going to cook the soups and not do more than rinse them (which they did), buying ingredients from farmer owned companies, etc. etc. etc. Complicated. It worked for a while but I didn't have a business plan - and I failed in the money part of it. I had a nice little "following" for a few years, anyway. Still have the recipes, if someday I want to try again.

So, you are lightyears ahead with the business plan and it's a good idea. People want to feel environmental, even if they aren't, so your shirts might help enlighten a few more to options..like bugs instead of bug spray.

If someone already mentioned this, I apologize. Perhaps craft shows could help you get some exposure...perhaps those sold at a show could go with a discount coupon for the website. Patience and endurance...as someone else mentioned. :-)

Good luck!!!

Thanks! Your idea sounds really great too. Get back at it! I love home made soaps and the like.

Thank you for you encouragement!

Tell me again why you are going to MI?

To work for the summer. I havent had any luck finding a job here in NC thus far so Im going to take my old job back for about 17 weeks. Plus, i havent seen any friends or family or my garden in 8 months!!!!! Reason enough for me!

I couldn't remember, now I do. Sorry you couldn't find work here. You are sure you are coming back right? I sure would miss ya.

Oh yeah, cant leave the boyfriend here for to long. Im gonna miss em bunches but i gotta make the money, honey! We need newer cars a house and whatever else!

We will have to get together when i get back. You can help me ship my two co ops!!!Hehehe