One hand washes the other
One local business is determined to help small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’re all in the same boat,” said Brian Kor, who has owned AP Design in Marshall since 1998. “We were trying to come up with an idea to help ourselves and to help other places.”
The idea, which came from one of AP Design’s vendors, is that businesses sell T-shirts with their business name on the front. AP Design would then provide the shirts and the printing.
The T-shirts are $20 apiece, with AP Design receiving $10 and the business that sells them also getting $10.
“We went with quality shirts because we wanted a soft touch,” Kor noted.
When Kor decided to launch the idea under the #HERE4GOODMN hashtag on Saturday, April 4, he wasn’t sure what to expect.
“My wife (Nancy) and I were sitting at home updating the website and within 10 minutes after posting it, I heard a ‘ding’,” Kor said. “So I checked and there was an order in already from The Gambler in Marshall. My wife and I looked at each other and then gave each other a high-five.”
Kor called all the clients he has had in the past to inform them of the idea, and then also got the word out on social media via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
“I’m really impressed with the reaction we’ve been getting,” he said. “We’re getting one order after another now.”
Carla Thompson of Mary Louise Vintiques in Minneota decided to sell the shirts with her business name on the front.
“I saw AP Design on Facebook and how they were doing this to help small businesses,” said Thompson. “So I filled out the form, and after a few emails, was all set up. Definitely a nice way to help pay the bills, especially since I was closed for January, February and most of March.”
Local businesses KB’s Bar & Grill in Ghent and West End Bar in Taunton also decided to sell the shirts.
“Business owners have nothing to lose, even if they only sell one shirt; or none at all,” explained Kor. “There is no upfront cost or anything.”
Businesses have several colors to choose from, but all shirts they order must be the same color. Also, imprints can only be black or white.
“They can send us a high resolution pdf of a logo if they have one,” said Kor. “If they don’t have one, then we can recreate a design for them.”
Over 400 shirts were sold the first week that the program was launched. As of Sunday, April 19, a total of 64 businesses in 25 different communities have signed up to participate and had over $15,000 worth of shirt orders.
AP Design initially set a goal of selling $10,000 worth of shirt orders by April 30, but exceeded that mark within two weeks. They have since set a new goal of $20,000.
“We will sell the shirts until the end of April unless this stay-at-home order continues longer,” Kor said. “We want to help as many businesses as we can, while also helping ourselves. It’s really twofold. We tell the customers that every T-shirt sold helps two businesses.”
There is no minimum order requirement, although shirt order of less than two dozen will be delayed until May 1, Kor said.
“If someone wants one shirt, we will print one shirt,” he said. “But the more shirts the business sells, the faster they will be printed and shipped.”
Businesses that get involved market their T-shirts through social media, word of mouth, or through the media.
To sign up, or for more information, visit https://stores.apdesignpro.com/hereforgoodMN or call 507-532-4482.