One Project. Fully Managed. Then You Decide.
The Proof Run is how every Merch Envy client starts. One real order, handled end to end, so you see exactly how we work before anything long term is on the table. You judge the work on the work.
What A Proof Run Is, And What It Is Not
Straight answer on both, so nobody finds out something unexpected in week two.
What It Is
A Real Project, Managed End To End
- One complete order. Real product, real quantities, delivered to real people.
- Fully managed. Strategy, art, sourcing, production, and delivery all handled here.
- A working test. You see our timelines, our communication, and our quality on something that matters.
- Yours to keep. The product, the artwork files, and the documented specs stay with you either way.
What It Is Not
Not A Sample, Not A Sales Trick
- Not free product. You pay for what you order at a quoted price. What is waived is the setup fee.
- Not just a sample. You approve digital mockups first, then we run the real thing. Nobody decides off one printed shirt.
- Not a trial period. There is nothing to cancel, because there is no contract.
- Not a foot in the door. If you order once and never again, that is a normal outcome and it is fine.
Exactly What Happens, Week By Week
Most shops quote production time and leave out everything else, so a two week promise turns into four. Here is the whole thing, including our part and yours.
Typical timeline for a staff or team order. Your quote confirms the actual in-hand date.
Day 1
20 minutes
Discovery Call
We go through what you are ordering, roughly how many, who it is for, and when you need it. If a Proof Run is not the right move we say so on this call.
From You
Twenty minutes and a rough idea. No artwork or final numbers needed.
Days 2 to 4
Our side
Product Strategy And Quote
We pick specific products rather than sending a catalog link, then price them at your real quantity. You get options with actual numbers, and a recommendation on which one we would choose.
From You
Pick a direction. One reply is usually enough.
Days 5 to 8
Our side
Art And Digital Mockups
We build print ready files and show you the design on the actual garment, with placement and sizing marked. If your logo needs cleanup or vectoring, that happens here at no extra charge.
From You
Your logo in whatever format you have, then approve or send changes.
Day 9
The gate
Approval, Sizes And Payment
You approve the mockup, sizes get locked, and payment, your deposit, or an approved PO comes in. That is when the production clock starts and we confirm your in-hand date in writing. Schools and districts can use an approved purchase order instead of paying upfront.
From You
Written approval, a size list or the go ahead to collect it, and payment, deposit or PO.
If Needed
Usually 1 to 2 weeks
Ordering Window
If members, families, or staff order for themselves, the store or size link stays open for a set window. Production starts the day it closes, so every date after this moves by the length of the window.
From You
Share the link with your people. We handle the reminders.
Production
7 to 10 business days
Sourcing And Production
Blanks are ordered, decoration runs, and everything gets checked before it moves. If a garment goes out of stock or a date is going to slip, you hear it from us right away, not at the end.
From You
Nothing. This is the stretch where you go back to your actual job.
Delivery
Local, in person
Delivery And Handoff
Delivered in person across Pinellas and Hillsborough whenever possible, counted and checked with you. You also get the reorder file: sizes, colors, placements, garment specs, and print files.
From You
Ten minutes to look it over and tell us what you think.
Typical Total, Staff Or Team Order
About Three Weeks
Around a week of planning and approval on your schedule, 7 to 10 business days of production, then local delivery. An online ordering window adds its own length, usually one to two weeks. Embroidery adds a day or two on a first order for digitizing, and rush is possible on some items.
Everything In One Price
All of this is part of a Proof Run. None of it is billed separately.
Product Strategy
We choose specific garments and items for your use case and your budget, and tell you why. Not a catalog link with three thousand options.
Art And Mockups
Logo cleanup, vectoring if needed, print ready file prep, and digital mockups on the actual garment with placement and sizing marked. Up to 3 concepts and 2 revision rounds.
Sourcing
We pull from a full supplier network rather than whatever one shop happens to stock, and we check availability before you commit.
Size Collection
We collect sizes for you, whether that is a staff list or an ordering window for members and families. Nobody on your team chases people.
Production Management
Vetted decorators, quality checked before it moves. One contact from kickoff to delivery, and you hear about problems before you notice them.
The Reorder File
Sizes, colors, placements, garment specs, and print files documented and handed over. It is yours whether you continue with us or not.
What is not included: the product itself. You pay for what you order at a quoted price per piece. Supplier rush charges and shipping, if you need them, are passed through at cost. What gets waived on a Proof Run is the setup fee and the management fee.
Minimums are low. Depending on decoration method we can run as few as 12 pieces, which is why a Proof Run works for a small staff order and not just a large run.
No Surprises On The Invoice
Here is every line on a standard Proof Run. There is not a seventh one hiding somewhere.
Product
Quoted per piece before you commit, at your real quantity
You pay
Setup Fee
Screens, digitizing, and decoration setup
$0
Art And Mockups
Logo cleanup, vectoring, file prep, digital garment mockups. Up to 3 concepts and 2 revision rounds.
$0
Management Fee
Charged only on ongoing Merch Managed programs, never on a Proof Run
$0
Size Collection
Staff lists or an ordering window for members and families
$0
Local Delivery
Across Pinellas and Hillsborough, in person whenever possible
$0
One invoice, product cost only. Supplier rush charges and shipping, if you need them, are passed through at cost with nothing added on top. If we press a rush order here in Largo, the rush charge is on your quote before you approve. Florida sales tax is added where it applies. You see the full number before anything is ordered.
Production starts once you approve the mockup and the order is paid. Orders under $1,000 are paid in full, orders of $1,000 or more start with a 50% deposit, and schools and districts can use an approved PO. Full details are in our Terms of Sale.
If you move into a Merch Managed program afterward, that is when a flat monthly management fee starts. It is month to month, and we will have given you a real number for your organization before you decide.
Then You Decide. Both Answers Are Fine.
There is no pressure call and no sales sequence. You tell us yes or no, and we mean it either way.
If You Want To Keep Going
Two Ways Forward
You do not have to jump straight into a program. You can keep working with us project to project for as long as you like before building a calendar.
Single Orders are project to project with nothing ongoing behind them. Merch Managed is the full program, with a calendar you approve up front.
Both are laid out below. Month to month either way, and still no contract.
If The Answer Is No
You Keep Everything
We hand over the files and part ways. No cancellation, no exit conversation, no quarterly check in you did not ask for.
You can take the reorder file to any shop you want and they can run it again. That is the point of documenting it.
What You Keep
- The product, obviously
- Print ready artwork files
- Garment specs and colorways
- Placement and sizing documentation
- The size list we collected
One Way To Start. Two Ways To Continue.
The Proof Run is the introduction. After that there are two ways forward, and neither one requires a contract.
Step One
Proof Run
One per organization
Your first project with us, fully managed, so you can judge the work before committing to anything ongoing.
- Strategy, art, sourcing, production, delivery
- Size collection handled
- Reorder file you keep either way
What You Pay
Product only. Setup fee and management fee both waived.
Or Keep It Casual
Single Orders
Project to project
Not ready for a program, or you only order a couple of times a year. Come back whenever you need something and we run it.
- Same management on each project
- Your specs stay on file between orders
- No commitment between projects
What You Pay
Product plus setup, quoted per project. No monthly fee.
Or Hand It Off
Merch Managed
Ongoing program
The full department. We build your calendar for the year and run it, so merch stops being something anyone has to remember.
- A merch calendar you approve up front
- Reorders planned ahead of each season
- Priority scheduling and setup included
What You Pay
Product plus a flat monthly fee. Month to month, cancel anytime.
Merch Managed is built for the point where planning saves you more than ordering does. After a second or third Single Order you will be able to see for yourself whether ordering ahead on a calendar would save you money.
There is no pressure to get there and no penalty for staying on Single Orders forever. We will tell you when the math starts favoring a program, and we will tell you when it does not.
What Makes A Good First Run
The best Proof Run is something you were going to order anyway. Here is what that usually looks like.
For Gyms
Coach Uniforms Or One Member Drop
A coach and staff uniform run is the cleanest test, small quantity and high visibility. A single seasonal member drop works too if you have one coming up.
For Schools
One Team Or One Fundraiser
A single team's sideline apparel, one club, or one fundraiser. Start with the group whose current process frustrates you most.
For Businesses
Staff Apparel Or Onboarding Kits
A uniform refresh for one crew or location, or a batch of onboarding kits. Both are recurring needs, so you find out fast whether the reorder file is worth anything.
Do not pick your highest stakes order. Not the event three weeks out, not the thing that has to be perfect. Pick something real but forgiving, so you are judging how we work rather than sweating a deadline while you evaluate us.
Before You Start One
What is the catch?
There is not one, but the reasoning is simple enough to explain. We are a newer company in Tampa Bay, and asking somebody to commit to a year based on a website is a lot to ask. So we eat the setup cost on the first project to make the decision easy.
If the work is good, you will want to keep going. If it is not, we did not deserve the year anyway.
How much does a Proof Run cost?
You pay for the product at a quoted price per piece, plus sales tax where it applies. Setup, art, mockups, size collection, and local delivery are all included at no charge, and there is no management fee on a Proof Run. Rush or shipping outside our local area only applies if you ask for it, and it is on the quote first.
The actual number depends entirely on what you order and how many. You get it in writing before anything is produced.
Who can do a Proof Run?
Any gym, school, or business in the Tampa Bay area. We are based in Largo and serve Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco, including Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Seminole, Dunedin, Palm Harbor, Tampa, Brandon and Wesley Chapel. Local delivery is included, and if you are outside our area, shipping is on the quote first.
When do I pay?
Once you approve the mockup. Orders under $1,000 are paid in full at that point. Orders of $1,000 or more start with a 50% deposit, with the balance due before delivery.
Schools and districts can use an approved purchase order instead of paying upfront. Production starts as soon as payment, the deposit, or the PO is in.
How long does it take?
About three weeks from the first call to delivery for a staff or team order. Production itself is 7 to 10 business days, and that clock starts once you have approved the mockup and the order is paid or a school PO is in, not at your first email. That is also when we confirm your in-hand date in writing.
An online ordering window adds its own length, usually one to two weeks. Rush is possible on some items, and embroidery adds a day or two on a first order because your logo has to be digitized.
Can I do more than one Proof Run?
The Proof Run is one per organization, because it is the introduction. Once we have worked together you already know how we operate, so there is nothing left to prove.
After that you have two ways to keep going. Single Orders are project to project with no program behind them, priced normally with setup included in the quote. Merch Managed is the ongoing program with a calendar and a flat monthly fee.
Schools are the exception. A Proof Run there covers one group, so bringing in a genuinely new group later, athletics after starting with band for example, counts as a new introduction rather than a repeat.
Do the mockups show real product?
You get digital mockups showing your design on the actual garment you selected, with placement and print size marked, so you know exactly what you are approving. On orders we press here in Largo, you also get a photo of the first finished piece before we run the rest.
If you want to hold something physical before committing on a larger run, ask on the call. Depending on the decoration method we can often produce a single sample piece.
How small can the order be?
Depending on decoration method we can run as few as 12 pieces. That is deliberate, since a small first order is exactly the right way to test somebody.
Do I have to sign anything?
No contract. You approve a quote and a mockup in writing, the same as any order anywhere, and every order follows our Terms of Sale: payment, approvals, timing, and what happens if something goes wrong. There is nothing to cancel afterward, because there is no contract.
What if I do not like the product when it arrives?
Tell us. If something is wrong on our end, a misprint, wrong garment, wrong placement, we fix it and we eat it. That is not a favor, it is the job.
If the product is correct but you have changed your mind on the design, that is a different conversation and we will be straight with you about what is possible.
I already have a printer. Is this still worth doing?
Possibly, and here is the honest test. If your printer quotes fast, hits dates, tells you when something slips, and keeps your specs on file so reorders are easy, keep them.
If any of that is not happening, a Proof Run costs you one order to find out whether it could be different.
Are you going to put me in a follow up sequence?
Not after a Proof Run. If you say not right now, we check in once in a few months and leave it there. Nobody has time to be chased and it does not work anyway.
What print methods do you use?
Whatever fits the job. Screen printing, embroidery, DTF, heat transfers, patches, and more. We pick the method based on your design, garment, quantity, and budget, and we tell you why. You approve the result, not the process.
Twenty Minutes To Find Out.
We go through what you are ordering, when you need it, and whether a Proof Run makes sense right now. If it does not, we tell you that on the call.
Start A Proof Run