Today we’d like to introduce you to Jose Alvarado.
Hi Jose, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My business started in June 2020 during the pandemic. I always wanted to start a T-shirt business, so during the lockdown, I took the opportunity to make my dream come true. I spent all of my time researching and looking up YouTube videos on how to start a T-shirt business. I started off just making them for friends and family, and from there, it branched out into an Esty shop and then our website.
I converted my finished basement into an office. Here, we house all of our products needed for my business. Our business has seen growth and potential year after year. My 2-year goal is to move my business into a Brick & Mortar location.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
One of the challenges we faced during the pandemic was availability of products. We were able to adapt and offer our customers similar quality products. Price surges was another challenged we faced, and had to raise our prices to account for the increases.
We’ve been impressed with Akron Pride Custom Tees, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We are a small LGBTQ/Hispanic-owned business. We take pride in our ability to offer our customers the ability to get customized products at a great price. Our #1 priority is customer service. We are known for our fast turnarounds. We try and get our customers the products they need in a timely manner. We are a very small business, so we pay a lot of attention to details and make sure that if the product does not meet our standards they do not go out. One service we are looking to expand is embroidery. We want to be able to offer this service by 2024.
In our goal to give back to the community we have partnered with our local sport program, “Spartan Youth Football and Cheer Program” and donated Coaches uniforms. We have also partnered with the nonprofit organization “I’m a Survivor Mission” to help provide products for inner-city kids during their Back-to-School drive.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
Absolutely! We know Covid-19 is going to be around for a while, so we have adapted some measures to keep ourselves and our customers safe. We sanitized our stations at the end of the day, and we offer in-house consultation by appointments. We know some customers prefer that one-on-one interaction. We also stay current on what’s going on in the industry to react to anything that can potentially impact customer service like out-of-stock items or shipping delays.
Pricing:
- $9 Tie-dyed Tees While supplies last
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.akronpridecustomtees.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/akronpridecustomtees
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/akronpridecustomtees
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@akronpridecustomtees
