Step 1: Target Local Sports Teams
If you have kids in sports or know local teams, this strategy will be a game-changer. Most youth sports teams—whether baseball, soccer, football, or basketball—need team shirts with:
✅ The team logo on the front
✅ Players’ names and numbers on the back
Most teams go through screen printers, which can be a hassle. Team moms or dads have to collect money, deal with size changes, and handle bulk orders. It’s a logistical nightmare for them.
Step 2: Offer an Easy Alternative with Merch by Amazon
Instead of using a screen printer, I approached team moms and coaches with a better solution:
🎯 Upload the team’s shirt design to Merch by Amazon
🎯 Make the listing non-searchable (so only the team can buy)
🎯 Send parents a private Amazon link to buy directly
This way, they don’t have to handle money, delivery, or order tracking—Amazon does it all for them! Parents simply order online, and the shirts get shipped directly to their homes.
Step 3: Expand Beyond One Team
At first, I tested this with my kid’s soccer team and sold 25-30 shirts. Then, parents from another team saw our shirts and asked where we got them.
💡 Boom! New opportunity unlocked. I set up their team shirts too.
The following season, I offered a free custom team logo design as an incentive. That move landed me six teams, each ordering 30+ shirts. Within a short time, I hit 100+ sales, and Amazon bumped me to Tier 1,000.
Step 4: Optimize for Profit or Volume
When selling team shirts, you won’t make huge profits per shirt because of front and back printing costs.
💰 Want to tier up fast? Price shirts at break-even (or even 1 cent profit) to maximize orders.
💰 Want to make money? Charge $19.99+ per shirt and offer customization.
Either way, this strategy gets you real sales without spending your own money.
Why This Strategy Works (and Keeps Working!)
🎯 It solves a real problem for team parents.
🎯 It creates repeat customers—kids play sports every year.
🎯 It’s completely hands-off—Amazon handles production and shipping.
🎯 It scales easily—more teams = more sales.
Once you build relationships with team organizers, they’ll keep coming back. Even years later, I still get repeat orders from parents I worked with before.
Final Thoughts: Tiering Up the Smart Way
If you’re stuck at Tier 10 or Tier 100, this strategy can help you tier up fast while also providing a real service to local teams. Unlike risky “buying your own shirts” strategies, this method helps you generate organic sales and build a long-term income stream.
💡 Want more side hustle tips? Check out my blog at SideHustlePlaybook.biz.
👉 Have questions? Drop a comment below or reach out!
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