T-Shirts!

Opening a small business involves a lot of waiting. I'd call it "paperwork," but that's no longer accurate because much of the work has moved online, though overall response times haven't changed much. The only improvement I can see is the federal government's EIN process, which is almost instantaneous. Unfortunately, local governments and relevant private entities haven't made digital infrastructure investments and remain as slow as they were fifteen years ago. In one instance, I even had to provide my credit card number over the phone to finalize a required purchase. (I will eventually have to cancel the credit card to protect myself against potential fraud.) 

Amidst the waiting, I decided to create a logo for my business. At 11:00pm one night, I found a website selling pre-drafted templates and mixed-and-matched until I found one that seemed to work. I then decided to put the logo on a few t-shirts. So far, ordering my own t-shirts has been the most fun part of opening a business as well as the most expensive. (Each custom-made shirt costs around 25 USD.) 

I want to compliment Underground Printing because it, too, is a small business, and I suppose I'm sentimental about small businesses supporting each other. I had an issue uploading my logo (JPEG is still the preferred format, though Apple is trying to mainstream its HEIC format), so I had to reach a specific person to finalize my order. I only ordered six shirts, but I was treated well, and I'm sure the employee had larger orders to manage. Yesterday, I received my shirts in a neatly-packaged box, and it was the first time my business gave me a smile. I didn't mind the hours of legal research--I am a nerd at heart--but it doesn't provide any real satisfaction. Wearing a well-made shirt, on the other hand, is undoubtedly a pleasant experience. Especially when it involves artwork personally drafted in the middle of the night. 

© Matthew Mehdi Rafat (February 2021)