08/13/2026
The REAL Math Behind a Tie-Dye Business 👀
Let’s talk about the part of owning a small business that people don’t always see…
Someone looks at a $55 tie-dye shirt and thinks, “$55 for a shirt?! That’s expensive!” 😳
But you’re not just buying a shirt.
You’re paying for the blank garment, dye, supplies, packaging, electricity, equipment, and all the little expenses that add up.
You’re paying for the time spent prepping, dyeing, washing, rinsing, drying, folding, and finishing that shirt.
And then there’s the part you can’t put on a receipt:
🎨 The time spent creating the design
🌈 The experience behind the techniques
🧤 The hands-on labor
📦 Packaging and preparing orders
📱 Answering messages, taking photos, posting, and running the business
⏰ And the hours that could have been spent doing something else
And here’s something else I think is important to say:
Tabs Dyes is literally just me. 💜
There isn't a team behind the scenes.
It's me creating the shirts.
It's me answering messages.
It's me ordering supplies.
It's me keeping track of orders.
It's me taking pictures and making posts.
It's me packing orders.
It's me setting up and breaking down at events.
And I'm doing all of that while also being a mom and working my own “9-5” job.
So when you order from Tabs Dyes, you're not buying something from a huge company with a warehouse full of employees.
You're supporting one person who is building something she loves in the time she has. 🌈🫶
A handmade shirt isn't priced like a mass-produced shirt because it isn't a mass-produced shirt.
My time has value.
My skills have value.
My supplies have a cost.
And Tabs Dyes has expenses.
I’m never going to apologize for pricing my work in a way that allows me to continue creating. 💯
Because cheap prices might make a sale…
But sustainable pricing keeps a small business alive. 💰
So the next time you see a handmade item and think, “I could get a shirt cheaper somewhere else,” — you absolutely can.
But you can't get that artist's time, creativity, hands, and heart somewhere else. 💕
Shop small. Support handmade. And remember: there’s a LOT more behind that price tag than just a shirt. 🌈✨
