How to Start a FREE Print-on-Demand Business from Scratch and Make Your First $$$ Online (Step-by-Step Guide!)
(Learn the art of turning designs into cash.)
Do you want to make $$$ online?
I’m sure your answer is YES, and why shouldn’t it be a NO, because money is something we all need.
It’s the basic fundamental necessity to live a life that you always wanted to live.
But, the question is how do you actually want to make money — sitting at a desk job, working 9–5 or working at your own terms, owning your time?
Both the options mentioned above have their own pros and cons.
It ultimately depends on individual preferences.
I’ve been through the 9–5 routine, seen the highs and lows, and dealt with all the office politics that come with it. But I’ve moved on from that and said goodbye for something better.
If you’re a part of my community, you must be knowing that I’ve started this online thing with my 9–5.
I’ve tried a lot, failed, learned, and tried again until I found my way to success.
When it comes to start a FREE online business, Print on Demand is one of the most fascinating options.
Isn’t it?
Have you ever heard about this term?
I’m sure most of you’ve heard about this.
If you’re not familiar with this term, let me give you a brief intro about this.
In the Print on Demand (POD) business model, you design and upload your creations to a POD platform. When someone buys your design, the platform prints and ships it, and you get a commission.
Easy, right?
But figuring out how to actually get started and make real money with this business model is still a common question.
So, I’ve decided to create a step-by-step POA (Plan of Action) to help anyone who’s looking to give a try to this business model, through this blog post.
Stick around, and I’ll walk you through everything you need to know.
Let’s begin!
Step 1 : Choosing the Right Platforms
First step in starting this business model is — choosing the right platform.
There’re tons of Print on Demand platforms available online which you can use to start your own store like Redbubble, Teepublic, Zazzle, Society6, Displate, etc.
But, before choosing any platform, take some time and analyze the pros and cons.
You can read the following article by Michael Essek to do so!
Source: https://www.michaelessek.com/print-on-demand-companies/?
He’s damn good when it comes to Print on Demand!
I’ve also learnt a lot from him.
Step 2 : Selecting the Niche
Specifying your niche is very crucial.
It’s basically the category you’re focusing on for your products.
There are plenty of niches to choose from, whether it’s animals, sci-fi, or anime.
But, while deciding the niche, you need to be very careful.
Wondering why?
I’ll explain.
The internet is flooded with a ton of designs for the high-competition niches like cats, and if you start creating designs for these niches, there’re very low chances of you to get sales organically.
So, what should you do?
As per my suggestion, you should find some low competition and high-demand niches by using the FUNNEL TECHNIQUE.
I’ve explained about this technique in this article. Check it out! ⬇️
Step 3 : Generating Phrases or Design Ideas
Once you’ve identified your niche, it’s time to decide what types of designs do you want to create.
Note : Since T-shirts are one of the top sellers in a Print on Demand store, I’ll focus on how to design them. However, you can also apply these designs to other products.
Generally, you can create the following type of designs:
- Text-based
- Graphic based
- Combo of Text & Graphic
As you can see, phrases placed on these t-shirts play a crucial role in grabbing people’s attention.
You need to come up with catchy phrases if you want to make sales.
To generate phrases related to your niche, you can use the following options :
(i) Surf the Marketplaces
Take inspiration from the designs already uploaded on the platforms like Redbubble, Teepublic, Amazon, Pinterest, etc.
Type in your keyword, let’s say — Jeep in the search bar and you’ll get tons of results.
Make a list of phrases that catches your attention.
Then incorporate them in your niche and come up with a unique phrase.
We can take another example.
Let’s say you decided to go for the ‘Funny Office Quotes’ niche.
You can use the above mentioned phrase i.e. ‘Wooden Spoon Survivor’ and change it to something like ‘Office Hours Survivor’.
This phrase is funny and it’s also specifically target to working professional.
So, you’ve actually narrowed your competition by targeting a specific group which ultimately increases the likelihood of your designs to get sales.
(ii) Use ChatGPT OR Bard
These 2 AI tools can really help you in generating phrases.
Simply, type in your prompt, tell the bot what you want it to do and then wait for the result!
Make an excel or doc file to store your phrases.
Step 4 : Checking for Trademarks
Checking patents and trademarks for print-on-demand designs is very important.
You cannot copy and paste every phrase that you come across while surfing the web, it may be copyrighted.
And you have to face legal consequences of doing something offensive like this.
So, it’s advisable to double check the phrase or tagline that we’re going to use in our designs to make sure it isn’t copyrighted or trademarked.
To do this, we can use USPTO.
USPTO i. e. United States Patent and Trademark Office is a website where you can search for registered patents and trademarks.
Visit the site and click on the ‘Trademarks’ option then choose ‘Trademark Search’.
Type in your phrase.
You’ll get the details!
Bonus Hack:
You can also use TM Hunt.
Follow the same procedure and you’ll get to know whether the phrase is copyrighted or not.
OK!
So, now that you’ve got our copyright free phrases, it’s time to DESIGN.
You can use Canva, Kittl or any other graphic design software of your choice for designing.
Choice is completely yours!
Note : Be sure to review the sizing and uploader requirements before designing. That way you don’t have to worry about the after effects of uploading a file in the wrong dimension.
Here’re some of the resources you can use.
Step 5 : Promoting Your Store
Now that you’ve followed the steps above and created a bunch of awesome designs, it’s time to spread the word about your store.
You can use different social media platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, etc. to promote your store.
But, the thing is whatever platform you choose, stay consistent on that.
No platform like lazy creators!
You’ve to be ready to put in the efforts, whether it’s about creating designs or promoting them to your target audience, you’ve to be consistent.
That’s the only way you can take it forward.
Remember — The more exposure you get, the more potential sales you’ll see.
Final Thoughts🎯
Follow the steps mentioned above, stay consistent and you’ll definitely make your first $$$ soon, for sure🙌
See you in the next value-packed article.
Till then, keep learning, keep growing!
Hey, pals! 👋 I’m Sweta — An Editor Turned Digital Content Creator.
If you’re on the lookout for content related to Passive Income, Digital Marketing, AI, etc. tap that ‘Follow’ button and be a part of my amazing community.
It feels great to have awesome people in team❤️
PS: I’d love to hear your thoughts and suggestions!
Feel free to drop a comment or message. Your input makes this journey even more special. 🌟
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