SILVIS, Illinois — One local business wants to make sure others don't fall behind during the coronavirus outbreak.T- shirts are making the difference.
QC Custom Tee's in Silvis has partnered with more than 50 Quad City Area businesses to help everyone make money.
"Rather than close our business, we had to get creative and come up with ideas on how to stay in business, but also how can we help other people," QC Custom Tee's owner Michael Slyter said.
Slyter is making t-shirts with local restaurant and businesses' logos for free to them. It costs the customer $15 for a shirt and $25 for a sweatshirt. Slyter says each shirt costs $5 to make and he will pay for shipping to anyone, around $5 as well. He will also give $5 back to each restaurant or business every time someone buys a shirt with their logo on it.
"I would say 25% of our business is bars and restaurant, so we immediately started thinking how can we help them out," Slyter said. "For us to be able to make it free and just easy for them, to where there is literally no work other than sharing it, it makes us feel good knowing that we are doing something to help."
"If we are able to help out and be an extension of their business, that's pretty cool," QC Custom Tee's employee Sean Rupp said. "The fact that they are contacting us, and helping us stay in business to help them out too, that's even more awesome."
So far, they've printed more than 250 shirts. Slyter said more than $1,000 is going back to the other businesses.
"We are doing this so they have an outlet to make money," Slyter said.