No need to read unbiased guides on how to start a print-on-demand business.
Iām an avid eCommerce entrepreneur with more than a decade of experience. Iāve run multiple successful print-on-demand businesses. And will show you the exact blueprint to scale your TENFOLD.
This detailed guide will help you avoid the mistakes I made. And ensure MAXIMUM success.
Iāll cover what a print-on-demand business is. The pros and cons. My strategy for starting such a business and tips to help you scale FASTER.
Are you excited? Letās goā¦
What Is A Print-On-Demand Business?
Print-on-demand is a very SIMPLE business model.
An eCommerce store/provider produces items when a customer orders. This could be anything: home decor, books, apparel, footwear, and SO MUCH MORE.
The best partā¦
You donāt have to worry about upfront printing, inventory costs. And other associated costs. Plus, you tend to pick up industry trends MUCH FASTER. (much more on these later!)
Oh, before I forget, youāll need to partner with print-on-demand companies. Theyāll handle everything, including sorting, packaging, and delivery. You just need a KILLER marketing strategy. Youāll enjoy HUGE profit margins.
You can use print-on-demand services for?
Print-on-demand services have TONS of uses. These include:
- Start a Merch business. Merch is where ALL the moneyās at. Especially if you are a YouTuber, Social Media Personality, or Influencer. Did you know that Mr. Beast makes over $40 million from his merch business?? Well, now you do!
- Bring your business idea to life (and see how the market receives it). This has been my hack since the BC days. Listen, Iām not the type of eCom-preneur who will spend thousands of dollars on launching a new product. POD services help me test a productās potential to scale. Without stocking expensive inventory in my own store.
- Start an authentic product line. Yes, itās easy to find a HIGH-SELLING item and stock it in your own online store. EVERYONE IS DOING THAT THESE DAYS! But print-on-demand service helps you bring your unique designs to the online marketplace.
So, itās your call to make.
Just remember to give it your all. Stick around to find out how to launch your print-on-demand store the RIGHT WAY.
Looking for the Best China Sourcing Agent?
Leeline Sourcing helps you find factories, get competitive prices, follow up production, ensure quality and deliver products to the door.
Benefits Of Print-On-Demand Business
The print-on-demand business has TONS of benefits.
Iāll explainā¦
Easy to Start
You donāt need to wrestle a lion to get started here! In fact, you donāt even have to be a computer wizard.
Print-on-demand sites are EASY to use. Just sign up. Pick an item you want to design. Create designs. And start marketing.
Once you get an order, the POD company does ALL the donkey work. And you get to keep the profits. Pretty awesome, right?
Plus, you get easy-to-follow guides that make life much EASIER. Iāll break this stuff down in the starting a print-on-demand business section.
No Inventory Costs
That alone makes it much CHEAPER than any other business out there, IMO.
Think about it for a secondā¦
You only stock an item once a customer places an order. That automatically eliminates those EXPENSIVE warehouse costs. This is perfect for any cash-strapped entrepreneur, HANDS DOWN!
Also, itās a no-brainer since you wonāt lose sleep over dead stock. EVER.
Just stock what you need. Start selling. Restock. The cycle continues. Thereās no way you can go wrong with this!
Wide Product Range
Print on demand business model does NOT tie you to one product. Thatās the beauty of it.
Iāll tell you my story.
My friend introduced me to this business model a few years ago. Of course, I outsourced the designsā¦you prolly know I donāt like designing. (if youāve been reading my blogs).
I was selling custom products, especially t-shirts. And the profits were GREAT. But my sales exploded when I tapped into other products.
At that time, fitness was HUGE. So, I started selling custom yoga pants and gym apparel. I soon ditched that for wall art. And that was one of my BEST business decisions.
I was raking in thousands of profits from orders by new homeowners. Realtors all over the region.
Little to no fulfillment costs
Like I said before, print-on-demand companies handle almost EVERYTHING. That includes order processing, the actual printing, and shipping.
This helps lower shipping costs. As opposed to handling everything ALONE.
Well, hereās the other side of the coinā¦
What are the disadvantages?
No control over shipping
I know I said you stand to get lower shipping costs. But thatās not ALWAYS the case.
Shipping costs can get very messy at times. Especially if your orders are from a foreign country. Also, you donāt get to customize your shipping packages to your desired outcome.
This might lower customer satisfaction if done poorly. Limit your potential to scale in the competitive marketplace.
Relatively Low-Profit Margins
Get this ā this model involves on-demand printing and customization. That increases the overall price-per-unit compared to bulk sales.
Also, individual purchases further increase the profit margins. Hence, makes the entire business unprofitable if you have little to no sales.
Donāt worryā¦
With GOOD sales channels, you can run an EXTREMELY profitable print business.
Zero control on print quality
Since you arenāt handling inventory DIRECTLY. Itās hard to deliver high-quality products if you work with UNRELIABLE POD services.
Hereās my adviceā¦
Ask your print-on-demand supplier to ship you a sample. That will give you an insight into the overall quality and shipping experience.
Again, it ensures customers will be happy with their custom products. And youāll scale your pod store to six figures and beyond.
NOTE. Every business has its share of disadvantages. For this case, the pros outweigh the cons. Making it a PROFITABLE business venture.
Start A Print-On-Demand Business
Hereās my detailed guide for starting a print-on-demand online business:
1. Define Your Niche
Iāve been advocating for ALL e-commerce entrepreneurs to pick a niche. And stick to it. Being a jack of all trades is the FASTEST way to epic failure.
Honestly, I donāt know how else to say this. Thatās just facts. With a well-defined niche, you get minimal competition. Reduced spending on paid advertising. Better profits!
I really struggled with picking a niche when starting. Everything looked blissful. Until I came across Neil Patelās blog on picking a niche.
Here are three things I took home (it boils down to lower competition):
- Picking a niche makes marketing much EASIER (because of little to no competition)
- Easy to scale when the competition is low
- EASIER to make lots of cash due to lack of competition
I can go on and on, but you get the pictureā¦
So, how do I find my niche market?
Hmmmā¦
Iād advise you to go after your interests. That way, you are more attached and motivated to scale it to greater heights.
Like I said, I started with t-shirts since Iām more of a fashion ninja myself. Then, when I got into fitness, I started designing yoga pants. Going after what I like has worked MIRACLES.
Donāt focus too much on finding a PROFITABLE niche (even though that is still a valid option). But what you love. So, you will be making money doing what you are passionate about!
Alternatively:
- Use Google Trends to your advantage. Gives you insight into what people are searching for. And gives you countless product ideas to start selling online.
- Find inspirations from popular online marketplaces. Analyze what people are really buying on each platform in the pod category. Such eCommerce marketplaces include Etsy, Amazon, and eBay.
- Examine social media feeds. Identify whatās trending on X, TikTok, or Instagram. You can also join our Facebook group. We give products to what products are trending.
Looking to find a reliable Chinese supplier?
As the best China sourcing agent, we help you find factories, get competitive prices, follow up production, ensure quality and deliver products to the door.
2. Choose What Products to Sell
I know most people donāt like cracking their skulls open to find unique POD products. So, the cop-out is ALWAYS to design and sell t-shirts (Iām guilty, to some extent).
Donāt worry! I have been in the game for decades ā I know what sells. Here are some cool products to choose for your pod business:
- Tote bags
- Die-cut stickers
- Coffee mugs
- Hoodies
- Phone cases
- Home Decor Items
TIP. Keep your ideal customers in mind. So, you donāt get lost in the never-ending cycle of picking products nobody wants. Thatās demoralizing!
I ALWAYS visit eCommerce platforms to check on what sells.
For exampleā¦
- Amazon ā their product category shows whatās popular, top rated, etc
- Etsy ā good for finding product and design inspirations
- eBay ā find whatās trending
Thatās it!!
Now, letās bring those crazy designs to life.
3. Develop Your Designs
Allow me to reiterateā¦
You donāt need to be SUPER TALENTED to create custom products. Anyone that tells you otherwiseā¦just ignore them!
With that said, you can start designing your print-on-demand products today. Just take a pen and paper. Draw inspirations from Pinterest or Behance. And come up with Christian Dior typa stuff.
Alternatively, you can use sites such as PiktoChart. Or Design Wizard to spark your creativity.
Personally, Iām not that GREAT at design. So, I sought help from freelance platforms for less than $500. Just remember to choose a freelancer with the best ratings if you donāt wanna get SCREWED.
My favorite freelance platforms to find print-on-demand designers include:
- Upwork ā the worldās LARGEST freelance platform. Itās free to sign up, and you can get the BEST designers in seconds.
- Fiverr ā my no.1 go to the site. Iāve worked with dozens of designers whoāve EXCEEDED my expectations
- Dribbble ā find top-tier graphic designers at affordable rates
EXPERT ADVICE. Share your designs on social media to get customer feedback.
Is the reception great? YES! Do customers like them and are willing to give away their money? YES. Picasso, letās go and build an online store.
4. Set Up Your Online Store
There are two approaches to this:
Build your own print-on-demand website
This is my favorite.
However, itās demanding and tiresome. The rewards are MASSIVE, too.
You get to have full control of your storeās appearance and overall buyer experience. Also, it portrays you as an authentic seller. Give you a competitive advantage.
Iāve used Shopify to build my eCommerce websites. They have tons of automation tools and features that make the entire process a breeze.
Again, youāll need to invest hundreds of dollars into marketing. To boost your websiteās traffic and skyrocket your sales.
Open a store on Popular Marketplaces.
This is good for cash-strapped entrepreneurs.
You donāt have to set aside loads of cash for marketing. Thatās because these sites have millions of buyers ready to purchase what you are selling.
Some of these websites are:
- Amazon
- Etsy
- eBay
Just a few clicks and BAM ā start selling custom products today!
The catch?
Subscription fees, transaction fees, shipping fees, listing fees, etc.
I hate these fees, tbh!
5. Pick the RIGHT supplier
I want to help you, honestly. So, hereās an overview of your business trajectory without a supplier:
Iām seriousā¦
Your life as a print-on-demand business depends on your supplier. And not just any supplier, a RELIABLE one.
The last thing you want is to have a supplier who suddenly loses his phone. When a customer places an order.
Iāll not even go further into what could possibly go wrong with a QUACK.
A good supplier who ensures top-notch products. 24/7 communication. And SUPER FAST delivery. Youāll attract customers and retain them. Ensuring repeated, profitable sales.
My best print providers in the POD market are:
- Printful
- Printify
- Lulu Xpress
- SPOD
- Teelaunch
- CustomCat
Check out reviews from other sellers saying about every seller. Pay attention to their services. Communication. And prices.
Alternatively, reach out to us as Leeline Sourcing. We will help you deliver TOP QUALITY print-on-demand products to your customers.
A Fast , Easy and Cheap Way to Ship from China
Do not hesitate to contact Leeline Sourcing at any time regarding your shipments from China.
6. Identify the Right Sales Channel
Now to the most important partā¦
Where do you sell your products?
Your online store. Iāve talked about creating your online store through Shopify. Thatās your main office if you go down this rabbit hole. Thatās where customers interact with your products. And make the purchases.
Invest in a good-looking online store for MAXIMUM results.
Sell on an eCommerce platform. Iāve mentioned the websites three times. Iāll do it again. Amazon, Etsy, and eBay. Sign up for a merchant account and list your items. They have existing customers that are RESTLESS in finding unique POD products.
Just brace yourself for the competition!
Practice MultiChannel Selling. Who said you canāt have an online store and sell on Amazon? I have integrated my stores with top eCommerce platforms and enjoy high profits.
Did you know? Sellers whoāve integrated their stores with eCommerce platforms enjoy 12% increased sales.
Lastly, sell on social media. Tiktok and Instagram are a good place to sell your POD products online. Itās much HARDER in the beginning. But itās totally rewarding if you produce unique products.
7. Create a Smart Pricing Strategy
Three things you need to consider when setting a price:
- Location of your customers. Are they in the same country? Do they live abroad? This will help you identify shipping costs. Take into consideration other factors such as delivery time. Which might affect the prices of your products.
- Average prices for similar products? You donāt want to set too high or too low prices. You are still a newbie, and you need to attract customers. Compare prices and come up with a favorable price.
BONUS TIP. Remember to cover your costs. Donāt worry too much about making a loss. But making the customer happy, ALWAYS.
8. Market the Hell Out of Your Store
Now, letās make our store popular in every corner of the world.
Iām pumped; please show me how.
Okay!
Let me make this clear first: thereās no BEST way to market your product. Every technique works wonders when done correctly.
Hereās a few tricks of the trade to get your print-on-demand business out there:
Influencer Marketing
This has helped me to popularize my business in a huge way. I just approach influential personalities and make them an offer they canāt refuse. Clearly define my goals. Watch my sales explode.
Email Marketing
Building an email list is the DAUNTING part for any business.
You can start by offering promotional items for the exchange of email addresses.
Donāt just sit pretty after getting that email address. Constantly send your customers relevant and engaging newsletters. And new product launches.
Content Marketing
Involves creating blog posts and guides that connect with your audience.
Hire a freelance writer to help you generate SEO blog posts. That boosts your storeās ranking on Google. Thus improving your overall sales margins.
Tips For Print-On-Demand Business
Print-on-demand can be very challenging at first. You can get screwed. The quality might be off. Delayed shipping. A lot of things can go wrong.
Follow my best practices to stay ahead of your game:
Ask for samples
Quality should be your No.1 priority when starting a print-on-demand business.
I was naive when starting to sell custom products..
Rant incomingā¦
I set up my store. Paid a designer. And sought the cheapest supplier I could find at that time.
The result?
MASSIVE FAILURE!
I just kept getting 1-star reviews. All of them complain about this or that. If it wasnāt the quality. It is the quantity. Took me months to realize I was working with a BAD supplier. Had to close down and strategizeš.
Ensure you ALWAYS ask for samples. To get first-hand experience of the supplierās services and delivery.
This will also help you get quality product photos to upload on social media.
Pick a niche and be the BEST
I emphasized this in the last section.
You wonāt go far without picking a target market. You want to clearly define your brand to establish yourself as a trusted authority.
For instance, if you pick the fitness niche:
- Open social media pages for your brand and create fitness-related content
- Offer promo items to build an email list for fitness enthusiasts
- Run social media ads specifically for your target audience
See ā this might be tiresome, but itās strictly for your fitness audience. Itās A LOT CHEAPER than marketing a bunch of products from different niches.
Plus, it gives you time to plan that vacatiā¦errā¦brainstorm income-generating activities.
Prioritize mockups to show off your designs
Donāt get me wrong, models are GREAT.
Iām just saying that mockups are a good alternative.
Hereās why:
- Cost-effective. I canāt remember the last time I paid a model or photographer for a shoot. I just fire up my laptop and get some crazy mockups for less than $8!
- Flexibility. Mockups help me keep up with industry trends. I can just change the color or image with a few clicks. Iād need to book an entire photo shoot session if working with models.
- Time efficiency. I prioritize my time. Shooting product photos just takes too much time. From the actual shoot to editing to uploading. Count me out, please!
I use Placeit to create compelling mockups for my print-on-demand items. You get HIGH-QUALITY mockups for less than 8 dollars.
8. Dollars.
Pretty cool, aye?
Ensure seamless Shipping Options
Shipping is a CRUCIAL factor when starting a POD business.
You need to ensure customers get their goods on time. Share potential delays in advance.
That brings me back to partnering with RELIABLE print-on-demand services.
Be open about your shipping times (which should be between 2 ā 4 working days). Shipping charges. And address any other shipping questions ON TIME.
If you plan to offer free shipping. Ensure to price your items CORRECTLY to avoid low profit margins.
People Also Ask about Start a Print-On-Demand Business
1. What is the best print-on-demand product to sell?
The best print-on-demand products to sell include:
Hoodies
Mugs
T-shirts
Posters
Water bottles
Socks
Stickers, just to mention a few.
These products will ensure you ensure consistent PROFITABLE sales.
2. Where can I find customers for my print-on-demand business?
Finding customers can be very daunting. Here are a few tips to help you get started:
Influencer marketing
Email marketingĀ
eCommerce marketplaces ā such as Amazon or Etsy
Content marketing ā boost your siteās ranking through blog posts, guides, etc
3. Is starting a print-on-demand business a good idea?
Yes, 100%.
Itās a pretty solid income stream if done the right way. Also, you need to put in the work to ensure MAXIMUM returns.
4. Where do I find suppliers for my print-on-demand business?
There are a lot of places to find suppliers for your POD business. These include:
Attending trade shows and expos
Networking
Online platforms such as Printful and Prinitify
Direct outreach ā finding suppliers online and contacting them DIRECTLY. Leeline Sourcing can be your best choice.
5. Can you sell print on demand on Amazon?
Absolutely!
You can sign up for Amazonās Merch On Demand. Create. And sell your designs on their platform.
Whatās Next
Woahā¦that was a lot to take in!
I hope that Iāve answered all your burning questions about starting a POD business.
Rememberā¦
You cannot succeed as a print-on-demand seller without proper marketing. So, ensure you are selling your business EVERYWHERE. From social media, influencer marketing, email marketing, you name it!
If you follow this guide step-by-step, nobody can beat you. Simple!
Not sure you can do it alone? Want help launching your print-on-demand business? No problem! Leeline Sourcing has your back! Contact us today, and our team will be in touch.
Weāll help you build a PROFITABLE print-on-demand business from the ground up. Share proven success strategies. And help your scale to six figures and beyond.
Related Resources
Ecommerce Business Guide
Do you want a successful import business?
Hey, Iām Sharline, co-founder of LeelineSourcing. Weāve helped 2000+ customers import from China.
Do you want a better price on product or shipping?