5 Tips on How to Create a Print-on-Demand Business

Starting your own business can be challenging, especially if you’re inexperienced in the field you’re entering. Fortunately, one way to keep your startup costs low while staying profitable is to set up a print-on-demand business, which allows you to sell physical products online without investing in expensive inventory or warehousing. Print-on-demand businesses may not make you rich, but they can be very profitable and give you the freedom to work on other projects when you want to take a break from your main business line.

1) Decide What You Want to Sell

There are many options for you when it comes to creating and selling print-on-demand products. While most businesses will start with either digital or physical goods, you have more options than that if you want to create a true print-on-demand business. Some possible product ideas include Books Posters Children’s items like clothing and backpacks Calendars Banners Tote bags Buttons Invitations Stickers There are other ways of making money, but those are some of your options. You may also want to consider partnering with an existing company that sells POD items, so your customers aren’t just limited to what you can design in your home office.

2) Register as a Business

The first step to creating a print-on-demand business is registering your company as an official business. Even if you’re an individual freelancer, you need to file for self-employment tax and include taxes in your business plan. You can register as self-employed by creating a sole proprietorship or limited liability company, which allows you to start making money faster than working through a corporation. The downside of choosing one of these two structures is that all liability falls on your shoulders. Consult with an attorney about what type of entity makes sense for your situation before setting up shop.

3) Choose the Best Selling Platforms

The most successful POD businesses are built around large print-on-demand platforms. These print-on-demand (POD) companies have become online marketplaces where you can upload your designs, choose pricing and shipping, manage inventory, and track sales. For example, with Zazzle, you can create hundreds of designs for everything from phone cases to beach towels. At Cafepress, you can make money by designing high-quality shirts, posters, and mugs for people all over the world. Both platforms make it easy for consumers to buy from you, so your time is better spent making great art than trying to drive traffic to your online store.

4) Develop an Ecommerce Website

Websites are great if you want to make money without touching any inventory or doing any customer service. However, that's pretty much all they're good for. Still, there's a huge market for selling your products online because it's cheap and easy. If you can provide customers with information that helps them make decisions about what they want (even if it's just showing them how you work), it can be very profitable. In fact, some entrepreneurs have turned e-commerce into multiple 6-figure businesses just by building their brand online and telling people exactly where to buy their products or services.

5) Explore Other Opportunities

If you have an idea for a print-on-demand business, take your time in researching and pursuing it. With so many entrepreneurs starting POD businesses, opportunities abound. One popular option is to pursue other POD products beyond books, with T-shirts being one common route. You can also consider selling CDs and DVDs as another means of making money via print on demand.