The Top 5 Goals of Apparel Decorators and Distributors for 2025
s 2025 approaches, it’s time to plan your next steps. From improving your production process to expanding your client base, here are five goals apparel decorators and distributors focus on for a successful year.
Goal #1: Embrace sustainability in product offerings.
Many businesses are prioritizing sustainability as a primary goal for 2025. This includes increasing the availability and visibility of sustainable products for clients and making purchasing decisions aligned with eco-friendly practices. “One of our primary goals for 2025 is to increase the availability and visibility of sustainable products for our clients,” says Sydney Stein, senior account manager for Whitestone Branding. “As a company, we're committed to shifting our purchasing decisions toward suppliers who align with Whitestone's sustainability values.”
Sustainability is becoming a central selling point for both promotional products and apparel. Businesses should strive to lead the industry toward a greener future by providing products that align with environmental and social values.
“Sustainability is a cause I'm deeply passionate about, and I'm excited that it's become a priority we’re embracing as an organization. As a salesperson, if I don’t actively present these sustainable options to clients, and they’re not requesting them, we miss a valuable opportunity to make a positive impact. We’re eager to lead the branded merchandise industry toward a more sustainable future, setting a positive example for others to follow and, ultimately, making a real difference for the environment and society.”
- Sydney Stein, senior account manager for Whitestone Branding
Similarly, in 2025, Karie Cowden, president of Connect the Dots, wants to deepen her focus on creating tailored promotional campaigns that align more closely with her clients' brand stories and values. “This involves not just offering products but crafting comprehensive solutions that integrate sustainability, creativity, and measurable ROI,” she says.
Cowden sees a growing demand for functional promotional products that also make an emotional and ethical connection with audiences. “By helping our clients stand out in meaningful ways, we solidify our position as a partner who delivers real brand impact—not just promotional items,” she says.
Goal #2: Expand your client base while maintaining relationships.
Decorators and distributors are focused on growth—attracting new customers while ensuring loyalty and satisfaction with existing clients.
To reach this goal, simplify operations, enhance the customer experience, and make online ordering smoother. Offering personalized service and exploring new industries or niches can also help drive growth.
In 2025, LaTonna Roberson, owner of T-Shirt Shop Dallas and consultant at Lady Print Boss, wants to double or even triple her customer base while maintaining strong relationships with existing clients.
“It’s important to me because growth isn’t just about new customers—it’s about ensuring loyalty and satisfaction with the ones I already have. To achieve this, I’m focused on making my business processes as streamlined as possible, particularly through my website.”
- LaTonna Roberson, owner of T-Shirt Shop Dallas and consultant at Lady Print Boss
Roberson has been revamping her website to ensure it’s user-friendly, with transparent pricing, intuitive navigation, and an easy checkout process. “My goal is to reduce reliance on email for ordering and instead drive customers to self-serve on the site,” she says. “This shift will save me time and give customers a smoother experience.”
Distributor Joellen Reichenbach, owner of Select Sales, plans to drill down into a few specific industries she loves working with and expand awareness of new business opportunities to help them. “This is very important to continue to have additional revenue streams, so I’m not relying on ‘old’ business to feed us,” she says.
A top goal for Lisa Kadz, apparel consultant for Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More, is to increase the average sale per customer. “This means attracting higher-end clients or encouraging our current clients to buy higher volume,” she says.
Goal #3: Invest in automation and DTF.
Automation and new technology are key to scaling operations smoothly. From barcoding systems to the latest production tech, focusing on efficiency helps companies grow without sacrificing quality or speed. Tom Rauen, CEO of 1800tshirts.com, is working on automating his production and fulfillment with a barcoding system. “We’re also adding more managers at the c-suite level to keep up with our rapid growth,” he says.
Staying ahead also means embracing new printing methods like direct-to-film (DTF) printing. While Roberson’s business typically focuses on bulk orders of 24 pieces or more, she’s strategizing how to incorporate DTF services without compromising her current workflow.
“This includes planning the purchase of our first commercial DTF printer and integrating it into our business model,” Roberson says. “Overall, my focus for 2025 is refinement—doing what we already do well but finding ways to improve and adapt to market trends.”
Keith Burwell, owner of Precision 1 Koncepts, brought DTF in-house at the end of 2023 and exploded in 2024.
“Our big goal is to have 125 online stores by the end of 2025. Our on-demand processes are evolving daily, and we're working to fine-tune them. The staff is excited to see these improvements take shape.”
- Keith Burwell, owner of Precision 1 Koncepts
Goal #4: Create tailored, high-impact promotional campaigns.
Businesses are shifting from offering products to providing comprehensive and tailored promotional solutions aligning with their client's brand stories. As Cowden has seen, clients are dealing with budget constraints and ROI expectations, demanding more value from their spending.
“We’re focusing on offering creative solutions and multi-functional products that maximize brand visibility and engagement, ensuring they get the best return on investment. By staying ahead of these challenges, we aim to remain a trusted partner for our clients, helping them navigate an evolving marketplace.”
- Karie Cowden, president of Connect the Dots
Linda Milano, owner of CFB Promotional Products, recalls how COVID-19 seemingly changed how we did business overnight.
“The pandemic took away much of the in-person interaction that allowed us to have personal relationships with our clients and replaced it with Zoom meetings and other virtual chats,” she says. “Returning to normal didn't happen nearly as fast. Only last year did we begin to return to personal interactions.”
In 2025, Milano wants to help her clients take advantage of trade shows, community events, company picnics and parties, and all the opportunities they temporarily lost. “Promotional products are the perfect tool to help create experiences and allow your brand or message to be continuously remembered,” she says.
Reichenbach plans to smartly invest 2024 year-end profits into her company to ensure successful marketing materials and services for 2025. She believes investing in her business takes the pressure off the "must-dos" required for success, saying, “Spending profit wisely means my new year will be better.”
Goal #5: Face supply chain challenges, rising costs, and staffing issues head on.
Many businesses still need help with supply chain disruptions and rising costs. To stay ahead, companies are getting creative, leaning on local suppliers, optimizing shipping, and staying flexible with inventory. By making smarter purchasing decisions, hiring the right staff, and building strong relationships with trusted vendors, businesses can better manage costs while providing value to clients and maintaining long-term stability.
Mindful of rising costs, from shipping to product prices across the board, Milano works as a collaborative partner to maximize budgets by selecting factories close to delivery addresses, checking for behind-the-scenes sales, and maximizing case packing quantities to prevent inefficient shipping.
“It does help our clients to use us as an experienced vendor to navigate all the variables that professionals just don't have the hours in the day to foresee. We truly strive to be a collaborative partner and make our clients' job as easy and effective as possible.”
- Linda Milano, owner of CFB Promotional Products
Rauen’s company is focused on overcoming challenges related to improving operating efficiency and expanding into new market segments. "The challenges we’re planning to overcome are continuing to improve operating efficiency while growing and adding on different market segments to our business,” he says. “We’re preparing for these challenges by hiring top talent and using the newest systems and technology to help us scale."
Similarly, Kadz would also like to overcome staffing challenges in 2025. “As a small business, it’s difficult to find the right help for the right cost to our business,” she says.
“While we can offer competitive wages, attracting long-term employees without benefits such as health insurance and retirement options is difficult. This tends to discourage longevity in our workforce.”
- Lisa Kadz, apparel consultant for Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More
Burwell wants to get his team up to speed on several processes that require him to be in the shop. ‘“They need to run without me 90% of the time,” he says. “When we get there, I’ll be able to grow the business more.”
Setting Your Shop’s Sails for 2025
As we move into 2025, it’s the perfect time for apparel decorators to take their businesses to the next level. By focusing on key goals like sustainability, expanding your client base, embracing new technologies, and offering more personalized promotional campaigns, you can stay ahead of the competition and position yourself for success. Overcoming challenges like rising costs and staffing issues will require flexibility and creative problem-solving. Still, with the right strategies, you’ll be ready to tackle whatever comes your way. The year ahead is full of potential—set your goals, stay adaptable, and watch your business thrive.
