**UPDATE**
08-17-15
Thank you to the wonderful contributors and many people that have visited and shared my page!!!! Everyone has been fantastic and supportive!!! I am working very hard to share this with as many people as possible! Thank for everyones help!
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Hello friends and World community!
My name is Emily Earley.
I'm a single mom living with and slowly surviving a rare form of cancer like tumors called Pheochromocytoma. It hit in late 2009 when my daughter Anna was just 7 years old and took me from being a highly productive, strong, independent woman, to a bedridden waste of space for 3 years. We lost everything I had worked hard to build for my family.
A home, GONE.
Money, GONE.
The ability to stand or cook or bathe or play with my child, GONE.
I laid, homeless, on various friend's couches when I wasn't in the hospital, unable to even sit up and too exaughsted and out of it to even watch television, day after day doing nothing. A helpless and useless burden on my friends, my community and my government. I watched my daughter exist around me without being able to interact with her, read to her, hold her.
Doctor's had misdiagnosed me and didn't know what was really wrong for two years. Then we found the tumors and my life slowly started turning around. Knowledge is power and knowing how to live with Pheochromocytoma began my slow recovery back into a world where I could stand back up when I thought I never would again. Then walk myself to the bathroom. It would still be another year before I could stand long enough to cook my daughter a meal.
Along that time I had a reintroduction to my christian faith, brought to my doorstep by missionaries. I cannot begin to describe the many blessings that followed!
That was 2 years ago and now I mostly have "Good Days" where I can sometimes perform up to two hours of Physical Therapy on one of my clients/patients. That was my life before getting sick. I took care of other people...... but two hours of hard work leaves me exaughsted and unable to attend to my duties as a mom and keep my house clean, it also doesn't pay the bills, I have had to rent my therapy room to another therapist but it is for very little money per hour compared to what I would be making if I COULD do the work myself like before I got sick. I am barely making enough to pay for my house payment and some utilities. And often we don't make it and church steps in to help cover the remainder. I am still completely existing off of charity from my church and community for food. We have NOTHING left over for anything else.
This is what I am seeking to change.
I want to be independent again and self supporting!!!
I don't want to be a mooch on my chorch or community any longer. I want to give back again. I NEED to give back again.
I also want to help spread a good christian message around the world but currently lack the means to do it. I'm stuck barely surviving just trying to make ends meet.
This is where you come in :-)
I found something I can do with my 13 year old daughter, my only child, and it was HER idea! We can do it together from home! It doesn't take too much energy a day to do so I can have something left over each day for my family, something that lets me make enough money to support myself and begin to give back. Something where I can spread the word of God and his values around everywhere at the same time!
I want to make and sell beautiful, sparkly, Christian themed clothing online, using commercial grade equipment that is small enough to sit next to my bed on a desk! Clothing that any Christian would be happy to wear to express the love of God with everyone they meet and share a message of happiness, hope, and forgiveness.
Read on to see how this will be great for you and my family together :-)
What We Need & What You Get
I am fundraising to purchase the "Brush'n'Bake Rhinestone System" which is $2,000.00 as well as the few additional supplies needed to begin making and selling sparkly t-shirts that will be printed with Christian phrases any Christian can be proud of wearing and showing off as a statement to the world!
This is a business that can build and add elements over time, generating more and more possible income without having to work more than 4-5 hours a day of repetitive yet light weight work that I can handle doing without negatively impacting my health. I can sit when I need to. Stand when I can. Work any 4 hours during the day that I want, have my daughter help me for an hour a day doing light tasks and slowly turn it into a partnership as she grows, then an ownership she can continue when I'm gone, so she has something solid for me to leave her. I can easily produce up to 70 shirts in one day, assuming we have that many orders to fulfill, which would make between $140 to $500 PROFIT in one day. While it is unlikely I will get orders of 70 shirts in one day for a very, very long time, and even then only at certain times of the year when order's for teams and clubs like runner's clubs come in, Even making a few shirts a day would improve our quality of life so much that we would be able to buy all our own food!
After buying the $2,000.00 Brush'n'Bake Rhinestone setting machine, and producing our first lines of clothing, the plan is to save up to buy additional garment printing machines like a "SPANGLE" machine, seen in this 2 minute video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5AggEd8xuI
We are literally drooling over the possibilities with that machine!!! WANT!!!
and the DTG Digital M2 t-shirt printer, seen here:
http://www.dtgdigital.com/products/m2-garment-p...
Super drool! Our artistic brains are exploding with ideas!!!
so we can offer full color shirt printing as well as the sparkly rhinestone shirts. But Digital Shirt Printing machines are !!$30,000.00!! which is just too much to try and crowd-fund for unless we somehow amazingly make it as a stretch goal, which is why we picked a small reasonable goal of $3,000 for this campaign that can start us out and grow into something bigger along the way. We want to be able to provide affordable, beautiful clothing with a positive message for everyone!
What I already have:
I have a clinical Therapy room in my home business that I am renting to a wonderful therapist as a small back up income of $15-$60 per day a few days a week, so if I don't consistently sell my clothing line, I am still able to pay for my home. I never put all my eggs in one basket! :-) It only barely covers my home payment, which is $1,600 a month, but not utility bills though. Nothing more. Which is why I am taking my own clients for extra money now but it is too physically demanding. I am often too sick to take clients myself every day. My church is an absolute blessing and will cover me if I fall short any month, because they see me trying, but I want to give back and stop taking!!!
I have a legal, dedicated and comfortable space in my home where the commercial printing equipment and supplies can be located that is conducive to my health and needs as well as my child's.
I have several suppliers of organic 100% cotton, bamboo, and hemp t-shirts with a sustainable business model. I have ordered samples and know they are soft, modest shaped, and durable!
I have access to create a great free website, by a friend that makes websites for a living, Costing a low hosting fee of just $10 a month, where I can sell my products to the world. It's still under construction but it will be ready soon: www.printsofpeacetees.com and I can upgrade it later when money allows :-)
I have a bank account and Paypal account set up to take payments.
I have church friends who have volunteered to help me make and fulfill the Perk's funded through this starter campaign so I can get them done quickly and in your hands!
What I need:
You can see the "Brush'N'Bake" rhinestone machine here:
http://colmanandcompany.com/Brush_N_Bake_Systems.html
And watch a few short demo's of how the system works here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwAVYe86hcc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvWmRiDtxdI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_Je35BKem4
I also understand that, for a long time, I will not have many orders a day after I fulfill this campaign's perks, so even though the above videos claim you can make a lot of money, I DO understand that it will take time and excellent marketing to get sales coming in which I am prepared to do :-)
In addition to the Brush'n'Bake Rhinestone Template cutting machine included in the base system I will need:
A bulk order of t-shirts in a range of sizes and colors. I also have a wonderful shipper ready from the USA factory strait to me! A big shout out to ALASKA AIR FORWARDING in Seattle for their amazing customer service and excellent prices!!!!
I will need the rhinestone template sticky felt which is $20 for 10 infinitely reusable designs or "ten DIFFERENT t-shirts" So $2 gets me the template to make as many copies forever of one design as we can sell.
Clear Rhinestone Transfer Paper which costs 50 cents per shirt if you do not re-use it. They say it is reusable but it's meant to be used just once.
Heat Press Release paper which is $20 for a HUGE roll that is re-usable for a long time.
Quality Rhinestones, which will cost me about $2.50 per shirt if I do NOT buy them in bulk but if I have a little extra funding I will be able to buy enough bulk rhinestones to get the cost down to just 50 cents per shirt for most designs!
I already own the large commercial heat press which was $1,300.00 and is bigger and better that the starter one shown with the Brush'n'bake starter system. :-)
And that's it!
Not much capitol is needed to start this road to independence and I have been working on setting up all the details for a long time now so all the bumps along the way will hopefully be resolved already. I also have a very set lifestyle, due to my cancer, so I do not have wasteful, irresponsible habits that will impede my success. For example:
I eat a simple healthy diet and do not buy extras like soda or expensive luxury grocery items.
I NEVER get my hair or nails done and I use inexpensive personal products like suave $1.00 shampoo.
I have zero addictions and don't drink any alcohol ever, don't smoke or do any drugs, heck i don't even drink coffee :p
I don't buy make-up or expensive fashion clothing except a few things for my daughter for school but we shop cheap cheap sales and thrift stores!
We work hard to keep our utility bills low at our home by being responsible with what we use.
We live in a quiet and crime free neighborhood in the beautiful Alaskan mountains of Eagle River, just outside of the city of Anchorage, and have wonderful neighbors who are supportive and caring.
We only go out for things like movies or dinner when someone else pays.
So as you can see, I have REALLY put the effort into my lifestyle to make conservative choices that will not hinder the growth of a business. I make big sacrifices so I can give my daughter a safe place to live and keep me as healthy as possible so I can keep living too. That dedication and tenacity is what has kept me alive and the blessings of God keep me going.
What we are making first:
Christian and family friendly "Expression" shirts! We can make shirts that say ANYTHING!! and also pictures too like hearts and crosses.
**A note about our example pictures** The lettering CAN BE CHANGED for your shirt to be a thinner script, smaller or larger lettering, a different font etc. So just let us know what you want!
So we had a few of our shirt ideas made for us by a wonderful lady named Kim at Stitch'n'Dazzle who has been in the garment biz for 30 years! She was a lifesaver! She used the same machine and supplies as I will be using to make my example shirts for me. Her business is in a different state.
Our friends lovely daughter (above). She was such an awesome model! And she has a full figure so you can see how the shirts fit compared to my daughter (below) who has a very slender frame. The model above is 5'7" and is wearing a Woman's size "Large". My daughter (below) is 5'9" and wears a Woman's size "Small"
*above* My daughter Anna rocked this shirt and even wore it to school with lots of compliments!
Again, please note that we CAN make the words smaller/thinner!!! These are just examples.
"I am a child of God" Such a powerful and beautiful statement!
*Above* My daughter's best friend Mackenzie came to help model. She is only one year younger than my Anna!!
*Lighter colors note* So you can't see the sparkle in pictures but they are super sparkly! The stones do "pop" out boldly on darker colored shirts but are still very pretty on lighter colors, just more subtle.
*above* This one we had made on a size 4X shirt but my Plus Size model friend hasn't had her picture done yet! It's coming soon! :-)
Next I am going to show you an example of how different fonts/scripts look for lettering on the shirts. We chose a basic font for the example shirts but any font can be used!
*Above* This version of "Faith" is done in the Lucida font
*Above* and this version of "Faith" was done with the Edwardian font
*Above* This is a photoshop example I made of how the word would look across the chest of a shirt. THIS IS NOT a real printed shirt!!! BUT!!! If we make our goal of eventually buying the shirt printer we can make full color photo quality printed shirts!! We can even layer the sparkly rhinestones on TOP of printed words and pictures for extra BLING!
*Above* "God Loves You" another powerful statement! This was my first shirt phrase idea. What a blessing to a stranger having a hard day to read this statement! What if every member of a congregation took a day to wear a shirt that said this out and about in their community?
*Above* Ok so that shirt has the "Parry Hotter" font :p and I just couldn't help myself :-) However it would look a lot better as an ink printed shirt than a rhinestone shirt I think.
We can also do pretty pictures like Hearts, Butterflies, Dragonflies, Princess castles, Animal shapes etc..... Again just tell us what you want!
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You can see the blank LADIES shirt and colors here:
http://www.bellacanvas.com/6004-womens-the-favorite-tee These are very soft and have a little more length to cover your bottom. The lighter colors are slightly thinner though and may need an undershirt! Rhinestones show up way better on the medium to dark colors! The example shirts on models above are Bellas.
http://www.mygildan.com/Categories/T-Shirts/Sho... This shirt is soft and comfortable and has a slightly less fitted shape but is still contoured for ladies. The sleeve is slightly longer than the Bella brand shirts. However they are also much less thin so they are more modest than the Bellas. I LOVE the range of colors! Sizes Small to 3X
http://www.mygildan.com/p/2000L/455?view= These are the heavy cotton style which is a thicker cotton shirt. Very durable!! One note on the colors shown is that they are very different in person than on the computer screen, for example the "mint" color appears to be more LIME green on the computer but in person it is a true pretty pastel mint. These shirts are a little more expensive per shirt so if you want your shirt done with this one please add $1.00 per shirt to your order.
and the blank Unisex/Men's shirts here. If You have a very "full Figure" then this shirt style might fit you better:
http://www.bellacanvas.com/men/shop/short-sleeve-tees-tanks/3001-unisex-jersey-short-sleeve-tee Which allows us to offer shirts from x-small up to 4X!! :-) Again these shirts are slightly thinner than the "Gildan" brand!
http://www.mygildan.com/Categories/T-Shirts/Sho... This is the regular thickness shirt, even though it is listed as "Heavy Cotton", a confusing point I had to clear up with the company :p and is available in sizes Small to 5X!
http://www.mygildan.com/Categories/T-Shirts/Sho... THIS is the super thick cotton shirt that is extra durable. It is more expensive so please add $1.00 per shirt to your order if you want this style. It is available in sizes Small to 5X!
And for kid's we will be using:
http://www.mygildan.4com/Categories/T-Shirts/Short-Sleeve//p/5000B which is a heavy cotton so it will take a LOT of kid abuse! Youth sizes X-small to X-large.
Our beginning line of shirts:
The shirts in this first line will be available with one of the following phrases or pictures set in rhinestones. We can work with you on the font and size of lettering you like :-) We can do other phrases too! See the "custom shirt" option!
1. Phrase "GOD LOVES YOU" *Single strand thickness of rhinestones* for the base price shirt. If you want multiple rows of rhinestones per letter then add $1.00 for double row and $2.00 for triple rows of rhinestones per shirt.
2. Phrase "Love One Another" *Single strand thickness of rhinestones* for the base price shirt. If you want multiple rows of rhinestones per letter then add $1.00 for double row and $2.00 for triple rows of rhinestones per shirt.
3. Phrase "Jesus Wept"
4. Phrase "Heaven is Real" *Single strand thickness of rhinestones* for the base price shirt. If you want multiple rows of rhinestones per letter then add $1.00 for double row and $2.00 for triple rows of rhinestones per shirt.
5. Phrase "Faith"
6. Phrase "Believe"
7. Phrase "Love"
8. Phrase "Pray"
9. Phrase "FORGIVE"
10. Phrase "Family is Love" *Single strand thickness of rhinestones* for the base price shirt. If you want multiple rows of rhinestones per letter then add $1.00 for double row and $2.00 for triple rows of rhinestones per shirt.
11. Phrase "Modest is Beautiful" *Single strand thickness of rhinestones* for the base price shirt. If you want multiple rows of rhinestones per letter then add $1.00 for double row and $2.00 for triple rows of rhinestones per shirt.
12. Phrase "I am a child of God" *Single strand thickness of rhinestones* for the base price shirt. If you want multiple rows of rhinestones per letter then add $1.00 for double row and $2.00 for triple rows of rhinestones per shirt.
13. Picture of the 3 crosses on hills as Calvary.
14. Phrase "Christians Rock!" *Single strand thickness of rhinestones* for the base price shirt. If you want multiple rows of rhinestones per letter then add $1.00 for double row and $2.00 for triple rows of rhinestones per shirt.
15. Denomination specific phrase "Baptists Rock!" *Single strand thickness of rhinestones* for the base price shirt. If you want multiple rows of rhinestones per letter then add $1.00 for double row and $2.00 for triple rows of rhinestones per shirt.
16. Denomination specific phrase "Catholics Rock!" *Single strand thickness of rhinestones* for the base price shirt. If you want multiple rows of rhinestones per letter then add $1.00 for double row and $2.00 for triple rows of rhinestones per shirt.
17. Denomination specific phrase "Methodists Rock!" *Single strand thickness of rhinestones* for the base price shirt. If you want multiple rows of rhinestones per letter then add $1.00 for double row and $2.00 for triple rows of rhinestones per shirt.
18. Denomination specific phrase "Lutherans Rock!" *Single strand thickness of rhinestones* for the base price shirt. If you want multiple rows of rhinestones per letter then add $1.00 for double row and $2.00 for triple rows of rhinestones per shirt.
19. Denomination specific phrase "Mormons Rock!" ***please be nice if you are anti-Mormon and do NOT leave hateful commentary because I chose to include them!*** *Single strand thickness of rhinestones* for the base price shirt. If you want multiple rows of rhinestones per letter then add $1.00 for double row and $2.00 for triple rows of rhinestones per shirt.
20. Any other requested specific denomination phrased as above.
We can make ANYTHING, not just these 20 designs, so if you don't see something you like here just email me and tell me what you DO want :-) We can make it happen!
The shirts will be available in a range of pretty colors and sizes from child to adult you can choose from and have crew necks, short sleeve cotton shirts that satisfy most churches codes of modesty and also long sleeves shirts. The cotton is soft and thick so it is not see-through like some fashion cotton shirts on the market today. If the funding goes above and beyond what I have asked for I will be able to offer more options like hoodies and floor length cotton dresses and skirts!! I will update on that as the campaign goes on!
Now for the PERKS!
Yay! Finally down to the fun stuff :-)
For $1 You will get a heart felt thank you from my family! Every dollar counts!
For $5 You will get a thank you posted forever on our website as a sponsor of our beginnings!
For $10 You will get the above perks AND a video emailed to you of my daughter Anna singing you any Christian Hymn you want! She LOVES to sing :-)
For $13 *Early Bird Special* *limit of 25* You may choose any one design #1-20, set on a short sleeve crew neck shirt in your choice of available colors and sizes. Free shipping in the USA included.
For $15 You may choose any design #1-20, set on a short sleeve crew neck shirt in your choice of available colors and sizes. Free shipping in the USA. **Please remember that shipping one shirt costs me at least $3.50! so really I am selling the shirts here for $12.50 to you. on the website they will range from $15-$20 per shirt PLUS shipping! So you ARE getting a lower cost during my campaign!**
For $20 You may choose any design #1-20, set on a LONG sleeve crew neck t-shirt, in your choice of available colors and sizes. Free Shipping in the USA.
For $20 You may make a Custom Short Sleeve Shirt where YOU choose the picture or phrase!!! *Must be pre-approved by me* Free shipping in the USA.
For $25 You may make a Custom LONG Sleeve Shirt where YOU choose the picture or phrase!!! *Must be pre-approved by me* Free shipping in the USA.
For $28 You may choose any two short sleeve t-shirts with any design #1-20, set on a short sleeve crew neck shirt in your choice of available colors and sizes. That's just $14 per shirt! Free shipping in the USA.
For $38 You may choose any design #1-20, set on two LONG sleeve crew neck t-shirts, in your choice of available colors and sizes. Free Shipping in the USA.
For $39 You may choose three short sleeve t-shirts with any design #1-20, set on a short sleeve crew neck shirt in your choice of available colors and sizes. That's just $13 per shirt! Free shipping in the USA.
For $50 *Campaign Exclusive!* My daughter Anna, the concept designer for this whole business, will sign your shirt with a hand print on the front or back of the shirt and autograph the shirt in permanent marker. Who knows, maybe one day she will be a famous designer and you will own a piece of her history :-) You may choose one shirt, either short sleeve or long sleeve, set with any one design #1-20 in any available color and size! Free Shipping in the USA.
For $50 You may choose four short sleeve t-shirts with any design #1-20, set on a short sleeve crew neck shirt in your choice of available colors and sizes. That's just $12.50 per shirt!! Free shipping in the USA included.
For $54 You may choose any three LONG sleeve t-shirts with any one design #1-20 set on a long sleeve crew neck t-shirt in your choice of available colors and sizes. Free shipping in the USA.
For $100 *shop owner special* 10 shirts!!! Short sleeve crew neck set with your choice of any designs #1-20 In your choice of available colors and sizes! Also great for large families :-) You CAN do different designs on each shirt or have them all the same design! Want more than 10? Just add $10 per extra shirt. Free Shipping in the USA.
For $125 *Creator's Special* 10 shirts!!! set with YOUR design you create or we help you create :-) Must be approved by me. All 10 shirts must be the same design, short sleeve crew neck shirt in your choice of available colors and sizes. Shirts can be different colors and sizes mixed. Free Shipping in the USA.
For $125 *shop owner special* 10 LONG sleeve shirts!!! Crew neck set with your choice of any designs #1-20 In your choice of available colors and sizes! Also great for large families :-) You CAN do different designs on each shirt or have them all the same design! Free Shipping in the USA.
For $275 *Large CUSTOM Group Special* 25 shirts!!! Perfect for Teams, Youth Groups or any organization. Set with one design on all shirts that you create for your group. Can be a team logo, or special symbol, or phrase, or whatever you want! Must be approved by me. Crew neck short sleeve, in your choice of available colors and sizes. Need a few more than 25? Just add $10 per extra shirt. Free shipping in the USA.
For $500 *Fixed Price Plan 1* You get 30 short sleeve shirts OR 20 Long sleeve shirts with any of our designs #1-20 set on them, OR 20 Shirts with your original design, must be the same on all 20 shirts. Must be approved by me. PLUS you will get FIXED PRICE ORDERING for all future short sleeve shirts of $10 each for 5 years. This plan would be great for SCHOOL CLUBS or TEAMS who would like to have inexpensive shirts made for their own fundraisers to resell or business uniforms. If we are able to purchase the digital shirt printer in the future this plan will include either DTG printed shirts OR Rhinestone set shirts!!! You can add $2 per shirt to have BOTH printed and rhinestone set together! Make your photo quality full color print sparkle! The 20-30 shirts first included in this plan come with free shipping in the USA. All additional orders will have a shipping cost but you can choose what way we ship and it will be exact shipping with no additional fees!
For $1000 *Fixed Price Plan 2* You get 30 short sleeve shirts OR 20 Long sleeve shirts with any of our designs #1-20 set on them, OR 20 Shirts with your original design, must be the same on all 20 shirts. Must be approved by me. PLUS you will get FIXED PRICE ORDERING for all future short sleeve shirts of $8 each for 5 years on Rhinestone shirts and just $5 per shirt on ink printed shirts!! This plan would be great for !!!!RUNNING CLUBS!!!! Need 20,000 shirts done every year for your local city run? no problem! SCHOOL CLUBS or TEAMS who would like to have inexpensive shirts made for their own fundraisers to resell or business uniforms. If we are able to purchase the digital shirt printer this plan will include either DTG printed shirts OR Rhinestone set shirts!!! You can add $2 per shirt to have BOTH printed and rhinestone set together! Make your photo quality full color print sparkle! The 20 shirts first included in this plan come with free shipping in the USA. All additional orders will have a shipping cost but you can choose what way we ship and it will be exact shipping with no additional fees.
More Perks to come depending on funding! Stay tuned!
Where do the funds go if we don't reach our goal?
This is a very important thing to know :-) and we sat down and figured out a few different plans depending on just how MUCH funding is actually raised. Here is what we came up with:
If $1,500.00 or more is raised, but not the full $3,000.00, then we will wait two months and put up the campaign again on Indiegogo and Kickstarter for the remaining amount needed. This will give us a chance to contact more people/organizations/businesses across the country that may be interested in placing initial contribution orders. Since the remaining amount needed is very little I am confident we can get close enough to having enough money to purchase the machine and needed supplies. If for any reason the second campaign completely bombs and gives us nothing more, then we will refund the money to all contributors, with heartfelt thanks for their efforts to help us.
If less than $1,500.00 is raised then we will contact each person who contributed and ask if they would like to have their money refunded OR if they are ok with us waiting 2 moths and doing a second campaign. If at least $1,000.00 worth of contributions are willing to wait for us to try again then we will try again as stated above. We will still refund contributions to folks who do not want to wait, with thanks for their support. Again, if a second campaign fails to produce enough contributions to fulfill the orders, then everyone will get refunded with thanks and notified in the future if we attempt to relaunch.
The Impact
For my family the impact would be tremendous. It would allow us to have peace of mind that we have something sustainable and good to produce and make an honest, decent living with. It will not make us "Rich" but it will put us across the thresh hold of poverty so we can LIVE. We don't need much, basically the reduction of stress from financial worry is my main goal. Stress is the main thing that makes me more sick. I want to secure a home for my family forever. Be able to provide healthy food, an education, and have a way to help others express their christian beliefs to the world in a non-invasive way that is fun, creative and well accepted by society.
What would the world be like tomorrow if EVERY SINGLE CHRISTIAN of all denominations across the world wore a shirt that said: "GOD LOVES YOU" How many people that feel lost and without hope or love in their lives would see that message and have it impact them? You can spread God's message to people across the street from you without even approaching them! Without risking an uncomfortable confrontation with a stranger that might not be willing to listen to you or would feel like their space was being invaded if they were approached, but this way they SEE the message all around. God LOVES you! Even simple small reminders like this are enough to remind a lost person to pray again for the first time in forever. To put a smile on someones face having a bad day. To remind YOURSELF to feel God's love with every step you take that day and not feel like you are Bible thumping :-) A simple and positive message of love is good for you, the community, and the world to see every day. It helps us stay focused on the things that really matter and not get consumed by things that don't. There is a lot of hate in the world. A lot of negativity. Help put a positive message out there for everyone to see and be a part of!
Risks & Challenges
In any venture like this there are a ton of risks, challenges and hurdles to get past. My family along with a group of friends from church who are all successful, smart, caring, and insightful, helped me figure out the many steps involved with making this idea a reality.
First, I could become very ill again. I have been doing very well for the last two years but IF that changes then the responsibility of making the majority of the shirts would have to fall on someone else until my daughter is old enough to inherit the business. I already have the needed church friend volunteers to help me fulfill all campaign orders, but future company orders would be handled by my daughter's Godfather in the event of my illness really getting me down. Production would be limited to 25 shirts a day at first, but grow as my daughter ages and is able to do more than 1 hour of work per day. Which is still a lot! He has the next main interest in this company as the future provider for my child if anything should happen to me. He manages a local retail business, which is why he would have less time to produce shirts. So the company would stay alive and be able to grow, albeit more slowly, and provide a better living for my daughter, but we would need a long lead time to fulfill very large orders. So that would be the MAIN risk.
What if the shirt company goes out of business that supplies your shirts? No problem, I have backup's waiting. although it is possible for the shirt company to go under it is highly unlikely because they are a very large company. The same is true for the many distributors for bulk orders of the shirts and other supplies. They are widely available from many different companies and we have lists of back-up sources for each product needed to create the finished shirts.
What if the machine breaks beyond repair and needs to be fully replaced? In this case for the first 2 years it is under a very good warranty that would take care of that. The machine is only there to create one re-usable stencil per shirt design, so once we have set up the machine and printed out all of our ideas onto stencil sheets, the machine only needs to be used when creating NEW designs. So any T-shirt design we have already made will still be produced without interruption. By the time the warranty has expired we will have a replacement machine savings just in case so we can still offer the service of new designs beyond all the ones we already have in our inventory.
Other Ways You Can Help
Some people just can't contribute money, but that doesn't mean you can't still help! Tell your friends, post on facebook, Instagram, twitter, etc and especialy mention it to your local church! Mention us to local clubs, charities that might need shirts for fundraisers, schools and other groups with uniform and t-shirt needs. Especially please tell your local running club!!! They always need affordable shirts made! Help us spread the word so people who might be interested in our service will know we exist which will help them and us at the same time!
Also please use the Indiegogo share tools!
From my family to yours, a big hug and thanks for reading this far and for any support you send our way! Sharing makes the world go round in wonderful ways!