Print-on-demand (POD) is a Low-risk online business model in which you only pay for products once they have been sold.
Entrepreneurs with a creative mindset but investment constraints often opt for this model to get started with their white-label brands because their only contribution to the whole production and delivery process is design, the rest of the work and investment is done by partnered on-demand companies.
Here’s a more simplified breakdown of its advantages:
- Low to no business cost or investment
- No need for warehousing
- Simple operations due to third-party fulfillment service (production, printing, packing, shipment)
-
Easy scalability by simply updating designs and adding products
If you are also a creative, business-savvy individual who wants to start your online brand without risking your hard-earned money, congratulations! You have found a perfect way in!
What is print-on-demand & is it for you?
As the name suggests, the POD business model involves selling printed products without investing any money in printing or products.
You’ll simply design a trending or unique graphic for a t-shirt, mug, wall art, sticker, or anything else you fancy, upload your product mock-up on an online market space or e-commerce store, and wait for the customer to order. Once the order is placed, your POD fulfillment company will print it on the desired item and deliver it to the customer. That’s it.
However, the perks list of POD goes beyond zero/ low investment. One of the core reasons behind the popularity of this business model among entrepreneurs, writers, artists, and designers is the carte blanche that it provides to test waters and scale your business without any monetary risks holding you back.
You can experiment with diverse products initially to find your winning factor and then scale it up without any investment, unsold inventory, production, or order fulfillment headaches.
Sounds lucrative and motivating, right?
Good!
But here's a little reality check, the POD market is highly saturated, thanks to its ease of setup. Luckily, there’s still plenty to go around, and yes, it's worth your time and efforts even in 2024.
Boss mode on? Then let’s help you grab this low-hanging fruit with a step-by-step breakthrough plan covering everything from setup to profits, sales, and potential fails.
How to start a print-on-demand business: Step-by-step guide
Ok, boss(to be), let’s get your POD adventure rolling with first thing first, then second “must,” and so on:
Choose Your Niche
“Niche” in the context of print-on-demand business is about focusing on a particular group of customers with similar interests.
However, while deciding on your targeted market, don’t try to make everyone happy because landing on a niche with universal appeal is not always a home run in POD. People often go wrong here and call it quits.
Better approach is to go for a sub-niche and find gaps in its market. For instance, “beach-themed T-shirts” is a surface-level niche and definitely would have thousands of results already in your desired marketplace, but “Beach Volleyball” is a micro or sub-niche with the scope to break through in the market.
Note: Whether or not POD has a saturated market depends entirely on your niche. Research to see what’s trending, but be mindful of fading trends.
Pick Your Product
Now, the next crucial or as we say, “second-must” step is to decide on your product for POD.
There’s a whole world of products out there on the internet that can be customized via printing. Some popular and trending POD items include wall art, tumblers, water bottles, blankets, bags, T-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, mugs, stickers, envelopes, phone cases, glasses cases, stationary bags, cards, gift wraps, gift bags, luggage tags, doormats, etc.
Simply pick what piques your interest the most or look into your hobbies. For instance, if you are into home decor or DIYs, then you’ll have an edge in picking the right designs for different spaces.
Start Designing
Once you have decided on your product and theme, it's time to design your graphics. You can design graphics using free design spaces like “Canva” or go for free templates on “PlaceIt.”
However, it is best to hire a professional designer or agency to get the dimensions and pixels right for your products because graphics are your main selling point in the POD business. With branding elements, mock-ups, and rendering involved, end design can become tricky, so it’s better not to take risks, especially if graphic designing is outside your wheelhouse.
Get your quote for our complete design services within 24 hours.
You can also choose a mix-and-match of illustrations/ photographs and typography for more relatable designs. Do productive scrolling to dig out what people are discussing or say “meme-ing” about. But make sure people can understand your designs easily.Remember to include some evergreen classics and seasonal graphics in your digital file stock for constant relevance and seasonal demands, such as Halloween specials.
Insight: Print-on-demand is not limited to printed products; it also covers embroidery on demand.
Pick Your Partner
Selecting the right fulfillment partner can make or break your business. Reading reviews before making a purchase is a norm now, and negative reviews mentioning delayed deliveries, compromised quality, and bad customer service can instantly render your efforts in vain. Therefore, thoroughly scrutinize your fulfillment provider for white labeling, shipping options, global reach, and a diverse, high-quality, and unique product range.
You’ll also want to look into the customization cost of each provider, including base cost, shipping fees, return policy, and any other additional cost, to set your retail price for the desired profit.
Another important factor to consider before finalizing your POD partner is API integration. Ensure that your POD provider’s platform is user-friendly and can smoothly integrate with your ecommerce store for synchronized orders and inventory.
Luckily, there are plenty of POD providers with different printing techniques, branding options, and pricing based on their products' quality, fulfillment time, and integration options. You can pick the one that suits your business requirements. Few of the best POD providers in 2024, as per Forbes and our research, are:
- Gelato
- Printful
- Printify
- Redbubble
- Society6
- Gooten
- Fine Art America
Tip: Local fulfillment companies translate to faster shipping times.
Choose Your Sales Platform
For a quick start, set up your store on marketplaces like Etsy, Ebay, Amazon, and Fine Arts America to check the demand market. Wait until you see sales. Once you evolve past the beer money stage, you’ll need to move towards brand control to make a good profit and long-term growth.
A personal website automatically makes your products look original and more premium, giving you an edge over your competition and allowing you to set a higher price tag and still make a sale.
Setting up a personal website is a no-brainer if you want to brand your products.Also, why not? You are investing efforts in unique designs, extensive customization, and quality research, so it's wise to make the most of all this work.
Let’s build your brand! Hire a Shopify expert to set up your store seamlessly.
Promote Your Products
Now is the time to address the elephant in the room. Online Gurus make POD seem like a piece of cake but remember, you can’t have your cake and eat it too. It's your business, and you’ll have to invest something in it, if not money, then time and skills.
Be it a marketplace or your store, you must put effort into product promotion because what can’t be seen can’t be sold. However, once you have an untapped theme that has the potential to hit the spot, paste it onto the best complementing product; gaining attention and sales is only a matter of time.
Simply leverage social media platforms, set up business profiles on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, and start posting regularly. Share your best product photos along with engaging content, and run an Ad on them from time to time. Don’t forget to engage with your audience in comments for trust and authority.
In addition, optimize your product listings with high-buying-intent keywords to increase visibility. You can also partner with influencers to reach the right audience quickly.
Read More: 11 Killer Ecommerce Marketing Strategies
There you have it, a complete guide to starting your print-on-demand business in 2024!
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to start a print-on-demand business?
The cost varies depending on the marketplace and platform you choose to sell your products on. However, other than a sample, there is zero inventory cost.
How to start a print-on-demand business on Etsy?
After selecting your niche and product, you’ll need to sign up with your POD provider, connect your account to Etsy or any other online marketplace, and start selling.
Can you start a brand on print-on-demand?
Yes, you can brand your products following brand-specific customizations and by setting up a personal eCommerce store.
Key Takeaways
- Print-on-demand is a no-risk, low-to-zero-investment online business model, similar to drop shipping, except that instead of being a mere broker, in POD, you contribute to product production via designs.
- Your fulfillment provider will handle product inventory, printing, packaging, and shipment while you handle design, listings, SEO, and online customer service.
- POD business set-up involves 5 basic steps: niche research, product hunting, graphic designing, POD partnership, and marketplace integration for sales.
- You have 2 options to decide your niche: a unique high-price low-traffic theme(less competitive) or a general low-price high-traffic theme(more competitive).
- Beware of copyrighted designs and slogans in the POD business.
- Check popular POD providers for available products in your region, pick the product that best compliments your niche, and order a sample to confirm quality and print output.
- In POD, product quality is a gamble for your customers, so invest in branding your product, i.e. setting up your own store.
- You can set up a POD business on your own, but to make a high profit, it is better to invest in an ecommerce SEO expert.
