From a Heat Press and a Laptop to Firefly Print Co.: How Our Printing Business Started
Samuel FrostEvery business has a starting point, and ours was a lot smaller than you might think. People sometimes ask how Firefly Print Co. began, so for this post I wanted to go back to the beginning and share the story of how we got here: from one heat press and a laptop to a printing business based in Lockton, North Yorkshire.
Why I started Firefly Print Co.
We started back in 2017, quite a few years before lockdown. Before that, I was working for a similar sort of business. I learned a lot there, but if I'm honest, I wasn't quite happy.
So I decided to take everything I'd learned and use it to create my own business. The biggest draw was the freedom to take it in the direction I wanted, rather than following someone else's plan. That's really what Firefly has always been about for me: building something my own way.
Starting small: a heat press and a laptop
When I say we started small, I mean it. On day one, the whole operation was:
- A heat press
- A vinyl cutter
- Some software
- One laptop
- A small amount of stock
That was it. There was no big launch and no warehouse full of equipment, just the basics and a lot of determination to make it work.
Our very first print
As far as I can remember, the first thing we ever printed was a batch of novelty T-shirts for some friends. They bought them to support the business, which meant a huge amount at the time.
Once they were printed, we took pictures of them to use on the website we had back then and on our social media. So those first few shirts didn't just get us our first sale; they also gave us our first product photos. Looking back, it's a nice reminder of how much small businesses rely on the people around them, especially at the very start.
Finding our feet on Amazon
From there, we slowly started selling on Amazon. It wasn't an overnight success. It took about six months before things really started to pick up.
The real turning point came after our first Christmas selling on Amazon. That was when the business suddenly became profitable. Up until then, it had felt like a lot of hard work and hoping for the best, so getting to that point was a huge moment. It was the first time it felt like Firefly could really work as a proper business.
Milestones we're proud of
Since then, there have been a couple of milestones that stand out for me.
The first was hitting £100,000 in sales in a year. For a business that started with one heat press and a laptop, that was a big moment, and it showed me how far we'd come from those first few shirts.
The second was buying my own property to print in. Having a space that's ours, rather than working around somewhere else, was a really proud moment, and it felt like a sign that Firefly was here to stay.
How we print today
Our stock has grown a lot since the early days, but you might be surprised by how little the kit has changed. We still really only have a vinyl cutter and a heat press, along with an embroidery machine that we've added along the way.
For larger orders, we bring in some outside help so we can keep up without cutting corners:
- DTF transfers: for bigger print runs, we order in DTF transfers from third parties, and then heat press them here in-house.
- Large embroidery orders: these are outsourced to a partner who is a good friend and someone we've worked with for years. We have a great relationship, and we rely on each other.
Working this way means we can take on bigger jobs while keeping the business small, personal and hands-on, which is exactly how I like it.
Why we chose Lockton
At some point along the way, we moved to Lockton in North Yorkshire. Part of the reason was practical, as housing here is cheaper. But the bigger reason is that the area is simply gorgeous.
We love the countryside and the small village lifestyle, and it's a lovely place to live and work. It's also still relatively well connected, with a few larger towns nearby, so running an online business from here works well for us.
Thanks for being part of the story
So that's how Firefly Print Co. started: a job that wasn't quite right, a heat press, a vinyl cutter, one laptop and a few friends willing to buy the first T-shirts. A lot has changed since 2017, but the heart of the business is still the same.
Whether you've been with us since the early days or you've only just found us, thank you for supporting a small business. If you'd like to see what we make today, you can browse the shop, and if you've got a question or an idea for an order, I'd love to hear from you.