Marketing Advice
Focus on the ‘minnows’, not the ‘whales’
The secret drain on your margins might be the very thing you were chasing. The fabled big clients might not always be best for printwear companies, so it could be worth focusing your efforts elsewhere, as Colin Sinclair McDermott, aka The Online Print Coach, explains.
data together, and the reality was clear: He was losing money just to say he had the contract. I told them straight: “Listen, if this whale is starving your team of their passion and your bank account of its profit, it’s time to cut the line.”
B
ig-ticket work for major brands looks great on a spreadsheet, doesn’t it? You see the turnover climbing, the prestige of that logo on your site, and you think you’ve finally landed the ‘whale’ that changes the game. But the reality is, if you aren’t careful, that whale will swallow your capacity, your margins, and your sanity whole.
You chase the big contract, slash your prices to win the bid, and suddenly your production floor is jammed with 5,000 shirts for a brand that treats your team like a commodity. Meanwhile, the smaller, high-margin jobs – the ones that actually keep the lights on – are getting pushed to the back of the queue.
The culture of the production floor
We often get so caught up in the ‘process’ of printing that we forget the ‘people’ side of the business. I was chatting with a guest on the podcast recently who has seen this industry from every angle, and she made a point that really hit home: Success isn’t just about the kit; it’s about leadership being ‘on the floor’ with the team.
She pointed out that at her business, the leadership actually knows the personal stories of every single employee. That matters. When you take on a massive, low-margin client demanding ‘yesterday’ turnarounds, it’s your people who feel the burn. If your people aren’t okay, your business isn’t okay. If you’re grinding your team into the dust for a client who doesn’t value the blood, sweat, and tears you put in, you aren’t growing – you’re just busy.
I remember sitting in a coaching session with a garment business owner who was absolutely exhausted because a ‘dream’ corporate client was squeezing every penny and every hour out of his team. We had to sit down and look at the hard
| 18 | August 2026
The ‘minnow’ to ‘whale’ incubation There is a massive opportunity to focus on ‘minnows’ – the small accounts and startups, rather than just hunting whales. These smaller brands might only need 50 hoodies today, but they value your expertise. They listen when you explain why a specific method works best. They aren’t just looking for the lowest price; they’re looking for a partner. When you focus on the relationship rather than just the volume, you build real loyalty. When you incubate these smaller clients and provide high-touch support, you aren’t just a printer; you’re an extension of their brand. As they scale, their loyalty stays with you, and those contracts remain far more profitable than any cold-tendered corporate contract ever will.
The education gap
One of the biggest drains on profit is the ‘speed of demand.’ Modern buyers want everything instantly because they don’t understand the technical hurdles we face. We have to bridge this gap through customer education. If a client doesn’t understand why a certain finish takes an extra 24 hours, they’ll view it as a delay rather than a quality standard. When you work with smaller, growing brands, you have the space to explain the ‘why’ behind the ‘what.’ This builds a level of respect you rarely get with massive procurement departments. It allows you to protect your margins because the client understands the value you’re adding. You’re not just putting ink on fabric; you’re solving their problems.
Pushing outside the comfort zone
It’s easy to stay in the comfort zone of chasing turnover. It feels productive. But you have to be brave enough to look at your client list and ask: “Is this whale actually feeding us, or is it eating our profit?”
You or your team shouldn’t be afraid to push boundaries, so long as you do it with an authentic culture as your foundation. When you have a team that genuinely wants to work hard for you because you’ve invested in them, you can afford to be picky about the work you take on.
Stop measuring success by the size of the logo on the box. Start measuring it by the health of your margins and the morale of your team. Focus on the minnows, educate your clients, and remember that people buy from people. Build a business that serves your life, not a business that drains it.
www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk
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