You’ve likely heard of platforms like Spring and Spreadshirt and how you can start a print-on-demand business from home. But how do you actually get started? How much can you really earn? And what types of products can you sell? In today’s interview, we’re talking to Jessica Roop from I Love Print on Demand.
Jessica initially started her online business by buying inventory, storing it, packing up products, and sending them to the post office for shipment. Then, she decided to try the print-on-demand business model. With this small adjustment, she took the hassle out of her business and created a solid revenue stream. Today, she earns income from a variety of sources, including an Etsy shop and multiple food blogs, as well as a virtual assistance business!
Keep reading to find out if a print-on-demand business is right for you!
Tell Us How You Got Started as a Print-on-Demand (POD) Seller.
I launched my Etsy shop featuring print-on-demand products in May 2022. It started as a fun project, but also kind of as a “please let this work!” sort of thing.
That’s because, a year prior to that, I started working on an e-commerce gift store. At the time, e-commerce was growing massively because of the pandemic, so I thought it sounded like the perfect side hustle. Well, long story short, I ended up with a ton of inventory stuffed into my 692-square-foot apartment and a feeling of total dread every time a sale came in.
With every sale, I had to pull the products, package them, purchase and print shipping labels, and drop the boxes off at the post office. It was exhausting!
One day, I suddenly remembered print-on-demand. I had toyed around with it a few years prior but never took it seriously. In contrast to my current situation, it sounded like a dream come true: I could sell physical products by only creating a digital design file. From there, a “production partner” would print, package, and ship my products with no effort on my part.
I launched my shop on Etsy with a few products. I was lucky enough to have a best seller within about a month, and I was hooked. Print-on-demand was the best of both worlds: I could design and sell physical products without any of the typical inconveniences of selling physical products, like packaging and shipping them or holding inventory.
What Kind of Products Can You Sell as a POD Seller?
Just about anything! Here’s just a handful of products:
- Mugs
- T-shirts
- Sweatshirts
- Blankets
- Ornaments
- Tote bags
- Journals
- Rugs
- Garden flags
And hundreds more, with a wide variety of options within every product. (There are probably 50+ different mug options, for example.)
Do You Need a Specialized Background or Equipment for This Business?
No specialized background is required! I started POD with no clue how to design a product or use design software. And honestly, although I consider myself a POD success story, some of my best-selling products to this day are text-only designs. Simple can – and does – sell.
For equipment, I recommend a laptop or desktop because it’s easier to design on a larger screen. You’ll also need design software (I use Adobe Illustrator) and a place to source inexpensive fonts and graphics (there are several sites for this) to use in your designs.
Because you’ll be working with a production partner that prints, packages, and ships your products for you, no other equipment is required! You just press a button to send an order to your production partner, and they take care of the whole production and fulfillment process.
Is POD the Same as Dropshipping?
They’re similar but not exactly the same.
With POD, you create the product design yourself. Although every skill comes with a learning curve, product design is 100% doable, even if you don’t have any graphic design experience – I definitely didn’t!
With dropshipping, you’re working with pre-made products that anyone can sell. That means you have competition from Day 1, and it also means that you can’t sell on Etsy. Etsy is a great marketplace for people who are just getting started because it comes with a massive existing audience of hungry buyers, but they don’t allow dropshippers. (POD sellers are welcome, though!)
How Much Money Can You Make as a POD Seller?
Some people make a hundred bucks a month in profit; others make $10,000 a month. Some of the advanced POD sellers who sell on their own websites and run paid ads make multiple five figures a month.
I personally run my POD business as a side hustle because it works best for my life and my schedule. I average between $500 and $1,500 in profit a month.
What Sort of Personality Does Best With a POD Business?
You need to be someone who loves to learn new skills while also having some grit and curiosity. You should be willing to put in some work, stick with it, and be passionately curious about creating new products that people are willing to buy.
How Long Does It Take to Launch a Print-on-Demand Business?
If you sell on Etsy, technically, you can launch your business in a day or two. That’s what I did, but I was in constant learning mode for the first few months because I had no idea what I was doing!
Tell Us About Your Print-on-Demand Course.
I Love Print on Demand: How to Start a Profitable Print-on-Demand Business is the course I wish I had at the beginning of my POD journey.
As I said, I had no idea what I was doing those first few months. I just jumped in and had to learn everything on the fly, which was really stressful.
I Love Print on Demand teaches you about all aspects of POD while also helping you launch your POD shop on Etsy with maximum success. I show you how to sell some of the best-selling products with the best (in my opinion) production partner out there, so your path to profit is much shorter than someone who launches their shop without any knowledge.
By the end of the course, you will have designed, uploaded, and launched your first ten products and have a solid understanding of how to proceed successfully.
What Will People Learn in Your Free eBook?
In my eBook, 17 Hot-Selling Print-on-Demand Products, I share some of the most popular POD products (with examples), dive further into how to run a POD business, and share how POD is one of the hottest businesses out there currently!
Anything Else You’d Like to Share?
If you’re on the fence about starting a POD shop, I encourage you to believe in yourself and take the leap. You don’t have anything to lose, and you have the opportunity to gain the ability to make money in a super fun and completely flexible way.
I always say one of the best things about a print-on-demand business is that you have the freedom to fail. I don’t mean that in the sense that your shop will fail, but that you don’t have to take any big risks to put a product out there. You don’t have to buy and store a thousand mugs of a particular design and cross all your fingers and toes that it will sell. You can instead try out a bunch of different designs and see what resonates with people, and all you’re out is your time and an Etsy listing fee of $0.20 per item.
Don’t let your lack of creative skills discourage you. Whether you’re creative, creatively curious, or not creative at all, you can be successful with POD!
Ready to begin your print-on-demand business? Get Jessica’s POD course HERE.