Contents
“The things you regret most in life, are the risks you didn’t end up taking.”
Do you have an idea for a print-on-demand business but you don’t know how to go about it? And you’re scared that if you go after this dream, you’ll lose? Well, don’t be afraid! Some risks are worth taking.
Keep reading and we’ll give you some helpful tips not only on the business part but also about different print-on-demand services.
This business is extremely creative, and it needs a creative mind to make sure it succeeds. You can put anything on your product lists, from T-shirts to phone cases, notebooks, mugs, and more. You can print any design your customers ask for easily. Best of all, this on-demand service also gives you an edge over the traditional business market.
Pros And Cons Of The Business
Before we go on to talk about the tips, let’s first understand what POD, i.e. Print On Demand is. This is a business model where you don’t have to keep any product in stock. You create a new product on an order per order basis.
Pros:
- On-demand, businesses are easy to start
- They require very low investment
- No inventory or shipping is needed
- It saves time and also reduces the risk of loss
Cons:
- You have less control over shipping cost
- You have lower price margins
- Customization options are limited
- Higher chance for supplier errors
Here are 5 tips to help you create your start-up print- on demand business!
Choose A Niche
The first tip on how to start POD business is choosing a niche, and finding a target market. You also need to decide what kind of products you’re going to sell, where you’re going to sell them, and who your secondary customers will be. You can use tools like Google trends to figure out what kind of products are in demand at the moment.
Create Your Designs
The next step is to design the customized white-label products. You do this using your creativity, your prior research, and your understanding of trends. You can create design through copyright-free avenues, or you can hire a professional media design artist from places like Fiverr, Upwork, or Dribble.
Time To Set The Store
Once your niche is chosen, and designs are figured out, it is time to set up your store. To keep your business as investment-free as possible, choose an e-commerce platform that is free, and easy to set up. Make sure that the free platform you choose gives you a domain, web hosting, website builder, and eCommerce functionality. A good example is Shopify.
Choose Supplier And Products
Once your store has been launched, find a good POD supplier that can easily print your designs on the products. They must also be able to ship the product to the customers. While picking the supplier here are some things you need to keep in mind:
- Shipping costs
- Customer service
- Product variants
- Product samples
- Check for faults in samples
- Once you’ve checked the above-mentioned points, you’re all set.
Promote The Store
Your store has been set up, and a supplier has been chosen. Now it’s time to promote! Create a marketing strategy that gets your store name out as quickly as possible. Use all the social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Also, use SEO practices to get more traction and visibility in google search results.
What Are You Waiting For?
Hurry up and start your own POD business by following these 5 easy steps. And if you want any help for POD services, feel free to reach out to MPS – you won’t regret it!