The REALITY of Starting a Print on Demand Business
Summary
TLDRHeather, a top seller on Etsy, discusses the realities of starting a print-on-demand (POD) business. She clarifies that it requires an initial investment and significant time, especially in the beginning. Heather addresses the challenges of slow seasons, the need to wear many hats, and the loneliness of being a solo entrepreneur. She also talks about the importance of continuous listing updates and the prevalence of copycats on Etsy. Despite these issues, she affirms that POD is a lucrative business model with significant growth potential.
Takeaways
- 💡 Print on demand (POD) business is not free; it requires an initial investment ranging from $50 to a few hundred dollars.
- 🕒 Time commitment is significant in the beginning, but maintenance time reduces once the business is established.
- 📈 Heather, a top seller, emphasizes that patience is key as it can take 3-6 months to see organic growth and longer to scale sales.
- 🌈 Despite challenges, the benefits of POD outweigh the cons for Heather, who was able to quit her 9-to-5 job due to the business's success.
- 📉 Heather notes that January, June, and July are typically the slowest months for her POD business, advising preparation for seasonal fluctuations.
- 🎩 As a solo entrepreneur in POD, one must wear many hats, including designer, SEO writer, social media manager, and customer service.
- 🏡 Heather suggests setting boundaries to avoid burnout, such as using auto-replies and vacation mode, and planning work hours in a planner.
- 🔄 The necessity to pivot is a common challenge in POD, where trends and platform changes require adaptability in product offerings.
- 🆕 Continuously uploading new listings is crucial for maintaining and growing a POD business on Etsy, as inactivity can lead to declining sales.
- 🚫 Copycat culture is prevalent on Etsy, and Heather recommends filing DMCA takedown notices to protect original designs from unauthorized use.
- 🌟 Heather's success story and the growing market for POD indicate that despite challenges, it's a lucrative business model worth considering.
Q & A
What is the main topic of the video script?
-The main topic of the video script is the realities and expectations of starting and maintaining a print on demand (POD) business, specifically on Etsy, and the various challenges one might face as a seller.
What is Heather's role in the context of the script?
-Heather is a successful Etsy seller who shares her experiences and advice on running a print on demand business, having been a top 1% seller on the platform.
What is the common misconception about starting a print on demand business that Heather addresses?
-Heather addresses the misconception that starting a print on demand business is free. She clarifies that there is an initial investment required, typically ranging from $50 to a few hundred dollars.
How does Heather suggest new sellers should invest in their business?
-Heather suggests that new sellers should invest in their business by cutting down on personal expenses, such as fast food and coffee purchases, and instead using that money to invest in their business.
What is the time commitment like for someone starting a print on demand business?
-The time commitment for starting a print on demand business is significant, often requiring several hours a day, including early mornings, lunch breaks, and after work hours.
What are the slow seasons for a print on demand business according to Heather?
-Heather mentions that the slow seasons for a print on demand business are typically January, June, July, and sometimes February.
Why does Heather recommend having a diverse range of products in a print on demand shop?
-Having a diverse range of products helps to mitigate the impact of slow seasons, as Evergreen niches can continue to sell throughout the year, providing a more consistent income.
What does Heather mean by 'multiple hat wearer' in the context of running a business?
-A 'multiple hat wearer' refers to the various roles a business owner must take on, such as designer, SEO writer, social media manager, customer service representative, and technical support.
How does Heather recommend setting boundaries to avoid burnout as a business owner?
-Heather recommends setting boundaries by using auto-replies, vacation mode on Etsy, and planning time off using a planner or Google Calendar to mentally separate work from personal time.
What is the typical time frame Heather suggests for seeing growth in a print on demand business?
-Heather suggests that it typically takes 3 to 6 months to see listings start to grow organically, and it can take a year to a few years to see significant scaling and sales volumes.
What advice does Heather give for dealing with copycat culture on Etsy?
-Heather advises that if a seller's design is copied, they should consider filing a DMCA takedown notice with Etsy, which can result in the removal of the infringing listing.
Outlines
🛍️ Introduction to Print on Demand (POD) and Expectations
The speaker introduces their passion for selling on Etsy and managing a print-on-demand (POD) business. They discuss the importance of managing expectations before entering the POD world, noting that while it has its benefits, there are challenges that can be frustrating. The speaker shares their own experiences and offers reassurance that difficulties are part of any business model but are worth it in the end.
💸 Initial Investment for Starting a POD Business
Starting a POD business requires a financial investment, ranging from $50 to a few hundred dollars. The speaker debunks the myth that starting such a business is free, emphasizing that the initial costs are manageable compared to traditional brick-and-mortar businesses. They share personal anecdotes about how they cut back on daily expenses, such as fast food, to invest in their business and how this strategy helped grow their profit over time.
⏳ Time Commitment and Workload for POD Business Owners
Managing a POD business requires a significant time investment, especially in the beginning. The speaker describes how they balanced working a full-time job with building their business, sacrificing personal time to manage listings, customer service, and orders. Over time, as their business became more established, they could reduce their hours to 5-10 hours a week, highlighting the lighter maintenance load once the business stabilizes.
📉 Dealing with Slow Seasons and Diversifying Listings
The speaker discusses the challenges of slow sales periods, particularly in January, June, and July. They suggest diversifying product listings to include both evergreen and seasonal items to mitigate the impact of slow months. They emphasize that certain niches like dog lovers or anniversary gifts tend to sell year-round, which helps balance out slower periods.
🎩 Wearing Multiple Hats as a Solo Entrepreneur
Running a POD business means taking on many roles, including product design, SEO writing, social media management, and customer service. The speaker highlights the difficulty of constantly managing these tasks, often without taking a break. They recommend setting boundaries using auto-replies, Google Calendar, and planners to organize their time and ensure mental separation from work.
🧘 Patience and Time Required to Succeed
Success in POD takes time, usually 3-6 months to see significant organic growth and 1-2 years to scale to higher profit levels. The speaker advises realistic expectations, noting that while some sellers make significant profits, most will see moderate income from their shops. The key is patience and persistence to avoid burnout.
👥 Overcoming Loneliness as a New Seller
The speaker acknowledges that starting a POD business can be lonely, as new sellers may not feel comfortable sharing their business with others. They describe their own experience with isolation and offer advice to connect with like-minded sellers, such as joining memberships or communities. The speaker promotes their own membership program for guidance and support.
🔄 Pivoting When Necessary in the POD Business
Adapting to market changes is critical for success. The speaker shares an example where they had to pivot from selling a specific sweatshirt color that went out of stock and switched to another color that ended up being more successful. The message is to stay flexible and willing to adapt to ensure business growth.
📈 Continuously Upload New Listings to Stay Relevant
The speaker emphasizes the importance of consistently uploading new listings to maintain engagement and visibility on Etsy. They explain that new uploads notify past customers and help sellers stay relevant in an evolving market. They stress that even past best-selling items may lose traction, so regular updates are essential.
📋 Dealing with Copycat Sellers on Etsy and Other Platforms
Copycat sellers are a common problem in the POD world, especially on platforms like Etsy. The speaker recounts their personal experiences with having designs copied and resold, recommending the use of DMCA takedown notices to address these infringements. They also note that while Etsy is prone to this issue, it is prevalent across many online marketplaces.
📢 Conclusion: Is Print on Demand Worth It?
Despite the challenges discussed, the speaker concludes that print on demand is a lucrative and rewarding business model. They encourage potential sellers not to be discouraged and reassure them that with patience and passion, the POD business can grow into a profitable venture. They offer a free crash course for those interested in starting their own POD business.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Print on Demand (PRUND)
💡Etsy
💡Investment
💡Time Management
💡Multiple Hat Wearing
💡Slow Seasons
💡Pivot
💡Uploading New Listings
💡Copycat Culture
💡Bestseller Insider Membership
Highlights
Selling on Etsy is not free and requires an initial investment of $50 to a few hundred dollars.
Time investment is crucial in the beginning stages, but as the business grows, the required time decreases significantly.
Heather, the speaker, was able to quit her 9-to-5 job after her print-on-demand business took off.
Slow seasons, particularly in months starting with 'J' like January, June, and July, are common for Etsy sellers.
Diversification of product listings, such as offering both evergreen and seasonal items, helps mitigate slow sales periods.
As a solo entrepreneur, you must wear multiple hats, handling everything from design to customer service.
Setting boundaries, such as auto-replies and vacation mode on Etsy, can help prevent burnout and maintain work-life balance.
It typically takes 3 to 6 months to start seeing organic growth in listings, and up to a few years to reach the point of scaling to significant sales.
Feeling lonely as a new seller is common, as it can be challenging to connect with others and discuss your business.
Pivoting is often necessary in response to trends, such as when a product goes out of stock, requiring sellers to adjust their listings.
Continuously uploading new listings helps maintain shop visibility and attracts notifications to past customers.
Copycat culture is prevalent on Etsy, where other sellers may copy designs or steal images, requiring sellers to file DMCA takedown notices.
Although managing a print-on-demand business can be frustrating at times, the long-term rewards can outweigh the challenges.
The print-on-demand industry is projected to grow significantly in the coming years, making it a viable business model for new entrepreneurs.
Heather provides a free crash course for those looking to start their own print-on-demand business.
Transcripts
I genuinely love selling on atsy and
being a pron man business owner however
I wanted to take a moment today to just
talk about the expectations you should
have in going into this business model
and becoming a prund man seller on any
platform there are some things that are
mildly infuriating and annoying to say
the least and I wanted to validate maybe
some experiences others have had I
personally have had I've been selling on
the platform atsy for the past few years
I've sold hundreds 2000s with atsy and
my prun man business if you're looking
to enter into the business model of PR
man it is a beautiful world I want to
welcome you in if you're new to this
channel my name is Heather I've been a
prior 1% top seller on the platform and
I don't want to make this video to scare
anyone off of selling any business model
you're going to come across issues and
that's just kind of the give and take
but the benefits for print on demand's
sake always outweigh the cons in my eyes
at least I was able to quit my 9 to-5
for this so I just want to start the
video off by saying that I just wanted
to also go over that it's not all
rainbows and butterflies out there in
being a print on demand seller there are
some nuisances and some things that
aren't fun and we're going to talk about
it in this video today so we're going to
hop straight into it guys so the first
thing that we need to address is the
investment of time and money to start a
print on man business to start a print
on man business it is not free I think
that was something that I've seen kind
of floating around the internet that it
is free it is not free you do have to
invest about $50 to as much as a few
hundred to start up this business model
the process of signing up for a printify
account is completely free and signing
up on Etsy isn't though anymore as far
as 2024 goes one thing that I thought of
when I was starting this business model
and something that convinced me to start
was the fact that I was spending so much
money on fast food probably every single
week was way higher than the cost of
investing into a new business and that's
where I started making PB and JS at home
or packing a lunch for work and instead
of going out for lunch for work or
buying a coffee in the morning I would
invest that $5 to $10 a day into my
business and over time I was able to
reinvest my business continuously to the
point that it grew to hitting multiple
for figures of profit amount and I also
want to say that this is nothing like a
brick and mortar business right a lot of
brick-and-mortar businesses have to
invest in their rent their lease per
month in their inventory employees and
so many other parts of owning a brick
and mortar business is very high as far
as Investments go in comparison to the
print on demand business model which
we're looking at $50 to a few hundred
what I found for my own experience was I
audited myself and said okay what am I
spending every week that I can invest
into a business in set instead to make
me more money and then later I can reap
the benefits a rough couple of weeks and
months of doing that but again I'm just
so happy that I took that step in saved
and reinvested into my business so the
next thing to address is your time
investment now the amount of time that
you invest when you begin is very
different than the time that you'll
invest when you're maintaining your
print on demand and atsy business when I
first started out I woke up earlier
before work to work on my business I
would work on my business during my
lunch breaks and then after my work
hours I would check in on messages I
would make sure orders are going through
correctly and then I would still create
new listings after work I was working at
hospital too and I was on call so in
between me being on call and working
regular hours it was a lot to juggle but
I did it and then I eventually quit my 9
to5 I know when I told my manager about
my shop initially they were like oh haha
that's cute that you have a little
business and then the business ended up
becoming way bigger than a cute little
business and I ended up quitting and
they were just like oh we're losing an
employee I didn't realize it was that
big of a business it is a Time
investment and for me I was so
passionate in designing for listings and
creating more and more listings this
might just not be the thing for you if
if you find you don't have passion in it
I know I love creating I love designing
and I know a lot of people who watch
this channel do as well so besides
talking about the startup hours once I
have a full-fledged business and I quit
my 9 to5 my hours of work was about 5 to
10 hours a week that I worked on my
prandi and business after I quit my job
because I wasn't actively uploading as
many listings and I didn't really need
to upload that many listings cuz I
already had bestsellers if I was really
trying to upload a lot of listings I
would work maybe more like 20 hours
again but maintenance is far less than
how long it takes to build a shop so
just keep that in mind if you're looking
to start a print on demand business is
you may have more hours at the beginning
and then to maintain a business for
print on demand it's a lot less hours
over time but I will say it does rev up
during the holiday season the next thing
that kind of stinks as far as being a
print on demand business owner is the
slow Seasons you will have slow seasons
of your business and typically I like to
say that these slow seasons start with
the letter j because this has always
almost always been the slowest months
for my own shop so January June and July
are the slowest month that I have
historically seen in my own shops I will
say also February is really slow some of
the reasons could be due to the amount
or the types of listings that you were
selling in your shop if you have
listings that are more geared towards
Evergreen niches Maybe occup s or the
dog loving Niche or maybe anniversary
gifts birthday gifts that sells all year
round so that's just something to think
about is the diversification of your
niches versus products and your listings
as a whole if you have Evergreen and
seasonal listings in your shop that's
usually the better route to take so you
don't see that quick of a drop off in
sales once January and February hit so
the next thing that is tough in running
an aty imprint demand business is you
are a multiple hat wearer of your
business and this is the struggle of
just being a solo entrepreneur is that
you are the designer of your product you
are the SEO writer your social media
manager you're the customer service rep
and the technical support for your
business to be quite honest once you
start a print on demand in atsy business
you really don't technically get time
off unless you have maybe a family
member take over and log into your shop
and handle customer service when you're
unable to or maybe you eventually have
the means to hire someone out but that's
one of the struggle buses so to speak
with running and aty and print on demand
business and this is something at first
I didn't see as a problem because I was
like well I'm getting sales 247 so I'm
cool with that if that's if that's kind
of the give and take I have to take on
in order to see sales 24/7 then that's
fine what's really tough about being a
solo entrepreneur is sometimes you feel
like you have to always be answering
messages or there might be an emergency
that someone might want to refund and
they might want to order canceled and
just know that you can set boundaries by
setting as simple as a auto reply on
your Etsy shop maybe on the weekends
there is also vacation mode on Etsy I
will say it's kind of not a vacation
mode in a way because you still have to
answer messages but at least that auto
reply triggers and sends to your
customers automatically also I've got
into the habit of going on Google
Calendar and I will set certain days
where I'm in email and I'm out of email
or maybe that I'm going to be working on
my Etsy shop for 4 hours getting out
planners is a really great way to set
boundaries mentally as well really
organizes my thoughts personally and
that's what I recommend commend to those
of you as well I'm actually going to
show I'll show a little bit Yeah so this
is my planner and as you guys can see I
just have like 2hour time blocks I have
if I have appointments or anything and
then if I'm like taking off a few days
here there it's it's my birthday coming
up so I have my birthday on there but I
have my birthday weekend that we're
we're leaving but this just helps like
organize in my brain like hey Heather
you have off time mentally separate
yourself from work so the next thing to
talk about is that it takes time and a
lot of patience to make this business
model work I would say it takes
typically 3 months to 6 months to see
listings start to really organically
grow on Etsy and on top of that it takes
a year to a few years to really see
scaling and sale volumes that some
people are able to quit their 9-to-5s
and I like to say that my story is a
skewed data point as far as what on
average a lot of sellers make I've seen
a lot of sellers typically make four to
five figures maybe a year some make six
figures in a year but a lot of sellers
may just make a few hundred in a year
but still that's a additional income
stream right so just keep that in mind I
know some people go into this business
model expecting a lot within maybe a
year time frame and it's good to to keep
it as realistic as you can because you
again don't want to burn yourself out so
the other thing that's a struggle that
goes along with multiple hat wearing is
just feeling lonely as a new seller
maybe not feeling connected to others
such as co-workers or friends or family
it's kind of hard to talk about your
business when you first start out and I
know for me it was very lonely because I
was scared to tell people until I
started telling people and it's kind of
just one of those awkward things when
you first start out cuz you almost don't
want to tell people but then you want to
grow your business and ask for advice
one thing and resource that I have is I
do have a membership called the
bestseller Insider membership you can
check that out down below but this is a
live Community I do coaching calls twice
a month in there I go over monthly
Trends what to design for products
niches there's so much within that
monthly memberships so if you're
interested in finding like-minded
Sellers and getting some advice within
there highly recommend checking that out
but that's something that I created for
that very reason cuz it is very lonely
when you start out as a Nazi seller and
that was one of the primary reasons why
I decided to create that membership the
next issue that you may face as a printa
demand seller is that you may have to
Pivot every business experiences a time
and a place where they have to Pivot and
change maybe the types of products
they're selling or the designs or the
services they're offering and some of
the reasons why is just because Trends
come and they go and that can happen for
platforms too right for me personally I
have had times where I've had to
completely change my game plan on
products I sold I sold primarily the
sand Gilden 18,000 crewet sweatshirt one
of my first Christmas and holiday
seasons that I sold in and come to find
out that product went out of stock since
everything was out of stock I wasn't
getting as many orders and I had to
Pivot instead of selling the sand
colored sweatshirt I sold the ash
colored sweatshirt as my main mockup
photo from doing that switch I ended up
making five figures in selling the ash
colored sweatshirt and from then on ash
was my new most popular color so it's
okay to Pivot sometimes your pivots
going to be better than your initial
idea too so just keep that in mind as
being a seller with print on demand if
one color is out of stock or one
product's out of stock or you're not
able to sell that product anymore what
can you change that product to still
stay at the top of the market and the
top of the page on Etsy so another thing
to expect that goes along with pivoting
in your business is that you do want to
actively upload new listings monthly in
your shop now this is platform specific
as far as selling on the atsy platform
I've noticed that if you are inactive
for some time on your shop you may
notice your sales and visits start to
decline over time and usually that
happens in a span of a year to a few
years but you do want to keep uploading
new listings one reason why is because
your past customers will get
notifications when you upload new
listings to your shop so that's a huge
bonus of adding new listings also like I
was talking about with pivoting that
Trends come and they go so if you have
listings that performed well in the past
new listings may come up that may take
over that status of that initial listing
that did really well on Etsy so this is
just an example of why you should always
continuously keep uploading listings and
just working to improve your products
that you're selling in your atsy shop
that can go a long way in the long term
of selling on Etsy just because you
ranked in the past doesn't mean you can
keep your rank you can keep it for some
time but it's always good to add new
products and new listings to your Etsy
shop again just in the long term the
last I would say struggle that is
specific to selling on Etsy is that the
copycat culture is very strong on atsy
and if you end up having a best seller
on atsy or a top selling product a
popular now badge product then this is
something that may happen to you where
people are starting to copy the design
you created or screenshotting the
picture of your listing and selling it
as your own now I've had this happen to
me more times than I can count and it is
very inferior inferior rating I can't
say that word type inferior rating Down
Below in the chat to troll me in the
comment section if you made it to this
part of the video but I will just say
annoying from this point on this is
something that is mildly and not mildly
but it's just annoying that this is a
culture that exists on atsy but if
you've went on any other platform or
sold on any other platform this is
prevalent across the internet not just
at se there has been Shopify stores I
have found and other websites and
Redbubble that have taken my designs and
resold them on their websites this is
where I recommend to some of you to look
into filing a dmca takedown notice this
is a claim you can Report with most
major platforms so Etsy has a dmca
takedown claim form that you can fill
out if you catch another seller who is
selling your design and stating its
their own design so what happens when
you file this is atsy will take down
that listing most of the time right away
for a week and that gives the option to
the other seller if they want to file a
counter claim now this is where
sometimes situations can get a little
bit sticky because I have had some
sellers in the past file the counter
claim and that does happen but sometimes
Etsy will report that hey you're in the
right as the original seller of this
design so we're not going to allow them
to file that counter claim that can
happen too but just know that that is a
option for those of you who have had
copycats that's just something I would
recommend to those of you who end up
hitting those higher sale volumes and
have a bestseller popular now that's it
for this video guys thank you so much
for watching and I know at the end of
this video a lot of people ask hey
Heather with all of these problems is
prand deand worth it and let me just say
that it is so worth it and like I said
at the beginning of this video I
genuinely believe prant man is one of
the most lucrative business models that
you can really go into and it's
something that can be done as a almost
like hobby like I did when I began and I
love designing for products and creating
listings and over time that passion led
to profit for me so if you feel like
you're late to the game the print on
demand industry is projected to grow
almost n times more than what it was
projected last year so I hope that helps
those of you who may have those feelings
right now at the end of this video thank
you all for watching don't forget to hit
that subscribe button on the way out
also if you haven't started a print on
demand business yet I do have a free
crash course that's a toz how to start
your own print on demand business links
in the descrip description below for
signing up for that and getting that
free course besides that I'll see you
all in the next video here
[Music]
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