Build Your Business: Shop Talk

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October 6, 2021

La Tonna Roberson always had a passion for apparel and design, but she had no idea the canvas she’d spend countless hours working on would be T-shirts. With a degree in apparel design, the owner of T-Shirt Shop Dallas worked in the wholesale market before opening her own fashion boutique.

“At the time, I was purchasing garments out of New York, and I would also design a few custom pieces for my store,” Roberson says. “I found myself not being excited about fashion; I was selling everything all the [other stores] sold.”

Then, Roberson read a magazine article about the effect the hip-hop culture was having on T-shirt printing, and it represented a turning point. She realized her calling was to design and print T-shirts; the next day, she purchased a heat press and began making hip-hop-themed shirts for her then-9-year-old son, and all his friends wanted in on the action.

The shirts were a hit. Her business became The Hip Hop Print Shop, exclusively offering hip hop-inspired shirts. Business boomed and a few years later, she started offering screen-printing services.

“Over the past 21 years, we have rebranded three times, and [we] eventually became T-Shirt Shop Dallas,” Roberson says. “At first, it was slow because it was a totally new market for me. I knew if I wanted to grow, I needed customers to buy more than one shirt, so I stayed persistent.”

Roberson’s background in sales and marketing helped the business gain popularity in the community. A website; pop-ins at local businesses to offer services; and many sleepless nights working on her craft led to more clients. With the growth, Roberson’s husband, Ken, took over printing, allowing her more time to spend on marketing and creating a process to pursue larger markets.

While Roberson’s strong background in marketing was helpful, she knew nothing about the screen-printing process other than what she learned by reading books, namely Scott Fresener’s “The T-Shirt Book.” Her other challenge was pricing.

“It took me forever to give a quote, and a lot of times, I had to call the customer back after I figured out the quote,” she says. “By that time, someone else would have already gotten the job.”

Roberson eventually developed her own pricing tool and was able to give instant quotes, which led to the launch of “Ms. Tee’s T-Shirt Calculator,” a pricing tool for screen printers that can be found at Roberson’s website, ladyprintboss.com.

In those early days, T-Shirt Shop Dallas mostly fulfilled single orders using heat transfers and heat-transfer vinyl (HTV), and the shop operated in a 250-square-foot space. Roberson eventually relocated to a larger facility and began offering screen printing. After several relocations in the past 20 years, the shop invested in a 44-inch dye-sublimation printer, which enabled offering promotional items and gifts.

Boss Lady
What’s Roberson’s secret weapon? She says she listens to her customers’ individual needs and goes the extra mile to meet them. She also strives to help her clients make money off their products, which results in continued loyalty.

“As a black woman in the print industry, I have always had to prove myself,” she says. “I learned really fast to ask questions so I know exactly what the customer expects his garments to end up looking like. I also offer them tools to help them advertise and market their business. It’s a win for both my business and theirs.”

As the only black-owned, woman-owned print shop in her area, Roberson says she has overcome racial- and gender-based barriers. Working in a male-dominated industry, she says she has experienced pushback from people who doubt her skills. For example, she has, at times, let her husband handle certain accounts until clients gained confidence in her business and its products and services.

“I frequently deal with clients who are hesitant to do business in the black community because they feel that black businesses are not professional or that they will not get top-of-the-line service,” she says. “My approach has always been to listen to these clients and reassure them that we are the best company to print their job.”

In 2009, Roberson launched LADY PRINT BOSS Training & Consulting to help bring diversity to the decorated-apparel industry upon noticing a lack of minority speakers at trade shows and industry events. She speaks to black women who are looking for help with specific issues, and notes that the industry has made strides in recognizing the contributions of minorities.

Standing Out
Roberson says offering a design and print department in house allows for versatility. Specialty printing using discharge, glow and puff inks, for example, presents an abundance of options. T-Shirt Shop Dallas’ website was adjusted at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the ordering process became easier. Video appointments allow one-on-one attention for clients and maximize safety.

Stocking products has presented an enormous hill to climb for T-Shirt Shop Dallas because of supply-chain issues. Roberson keeps a considerable amount of inventory of the shop’s most popular items to satisfy rush orders or low distributor stock. Delivery times have been increased for some items to allow extra time in the event of delays.

“We find that just giving customers a heads up and having alternative choices really helps with customers understanding when something does go wrong,” she says. “If there is any delay, we immediately notify the customer that we need to use one of the alternative options they have previously selected. Customers are understanding when they know upfront what to expect.”

Roberson currently sees e-commerce as the company’s future focus. “We plan to keep building out our website to offer individual stores to our clients, as well as online designing,” she says. “When it’s safe, we plan to open a new retail facility selling printing supplies and offering classes for those who need help in their business.”

Jennifer Morrell is an award-winning writer who has written for a number of national consumer and trade publications. For more information or to comment on this article, email Jennifer at jennmorrell@hotmail.com.