PrintHustlers Conf 2020 Preview - Andy Rudman on Growing Shirt Kong

SHIRT KONG’s Andy Rudman runs one of screen printing’s most interesting shops. We invited him to PrintHustlers Conf 2020, and now he’s giving us a virtual shop tour on July 23rd. “I have this idea of a live shop tour,” he told us. “I was really excited about being in person at PrintHustlers Conference. I know from being there last year it was so cool, and the energy that’s there, so we'll bring some of that to the web.”

Join us at PrintHustlers Conf 2020 (it's free!): https://www.printhustlers.com

Andy discussed the ups-and-downs of running a screen printing business during a turbulent period of change. When he started Shirt Kong, he’d place an ad in something called a “phone book.” Soon, he’d have to adjust to new technology: “Marketing shifted to Google, and we spent time trying to educate ourselves on this new thing called SEO.” But marketing is not Shirt Kong’s biggest asset: it’s their unique and ability to tell a fascinating story. Their remarkable Instagram account is a prime example: a t-shirt screen printing shop with 12,000 followers?

“We’ve grown with word of mouth, referrals and SEO. You have these customers and it starts to snowball,” Andy said. “I started sharing our shop’s day-to-day story. I thought that was real. If anyone was looking through Instagram, they’d see...this is a real shop. And they’d identify with it. It worked.” Andy posts pictures and videos to the Shirt Kong Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/shirtkong) that pull the curtain back on their busy operation.

Get your tickets to see Shirt Kong's shop here: https://www.printavo.com/blog/printhustlers-conf-2020-shirt-kong

Just as Shirt Kong was hitting their stride and expanding into a 12,000 square foot facility, coronavirus hit. “We expanded at the perfect time,” Andy joked. But it’s been an opportunity to take stock of what really matters. “I’ve spent so much time here at the shop. I love this place,” Andy said, “but family and friends are where it’s at. I probably need to spend a little more time away from here, as soon as we’re out of this mess.”

Andy will join us at Printavo’s PrintHustlers Conf 2020 on July 23rd for a live shop tour of Shirt Kong. Featuring two days of live-streamed presentations to arm you with the resources and knowledge you need to survive 2020, PrintHustlers Conf 2020 is free and open to all. Reserve your space now: https://www.printhustlers.com

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