If you’re someone who wants to start a business but does not want to invest and keep the inventory, or doesn’t want to deal with shipping issues, a print-on-demand business could be the perfect starting point for you. The print-on-demand business is kind of flexible, low-risk, and scalable, which means it has everything a modern entrepreneur needs to turn creative ideas into real profits.
Print-on-Demand business is one of the most effective ways to earn money online. If you want to start an online business, print-on-demand can be a perfect choice for you. Give it a try once.
Because this model is pretty much flexible and scalable. If you are creative and know how to get into your audience’s mind, go for it.
Key Takeaways
A print-on-demand business is one of the best ways to start an online business on your own. In this business model, you custom-design products. It could be like t-shirts, mugs, phone cases, and posters. When someone buys a product from your Shopify store, a third-party provider prints it and ships it directly to the customer. In simple words, you just create a design and then put it on your Shopify store. And then, your provider or manufacturer would print the design and send it to the customer directly.
As mentioned earlier, print-on-demand is one of the easiest ways to start an online business today, especially if you have a creative mind and a bit of technical and marketing skills.
If you look at the recent data about the print-on-demand industry, you can see consistent growth. According to Precedence Research, the global print-on-demand market size is valued at $12.96 billion in 2025. And it is projected to go over $102.99 billion by 2034.
Starting a print-on-demand (POD) business is probably one of the easiest and smartest ways to step into the eCommerce world, especially if you’re a content creator, artist, or side hustler trying to turn your ideas into income. Let’s break down the real benefits of running your own POD business:
You don’t need to buy inventory in bulk or worry about warehouse space. That means you can test out different product ideas without burning a hole in your pocket. Perfect if you’re just starting out or want to experiment before going all in.
If you have a new design idea, just create and add it to your Shopify store. If it’s not working after several months, you can remove it without a second thought. You’re not tied to any stock, so you can move fast, follow trends, and offer what people actually want, without the hassle of leftover products.
Once orders start rolling in, you don’t have to worry about packing or shipping. POD platforms handle all of that for you. So if you’re getting 10 orders or 1,000 in a day, your workload will not be that much. Because you’re technically not in the packaging and shipping department.
Since you’re not busy managing logistics, you get to focus on what you’re best at. Whether it’s designing cool t-shirts, writing catchy product descriptions, or promoting your brand, you have more time to grow the business instead of running around fulfilling orders.
With the print-on-demand business model, you can target a wide range of audiences, local or international. You can easily sell your designs with the help of eCommerce platforms like Shopify, Etsy, and WooCommerce.
You’re not stuck with just t-shirts or mugs. Most POD services offer everything from hoodies and posters to phone cases, tote bags, and even home decor. This means you can create a diverse catalog and appeal to different customer tastes without managing multiple suppliers.
The print-on-demand business model is a great choice. But before you dive in, here are some beginner-friendly tips that’ll really help you build a successful brand.
Anyone can put up a few designs and sell them, and earn money online. But if you want people to remember your brand signature or style, you should focus on building a strong brand first. You should keep the same style, the same tone in every single product you create.
You can use Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook to grow your brand. These platforms are key tools for visual products like POD merchants. You can share anything like lifestyle photos, behind-the-scenes content, and customer reviews. And you can also take the help of a digital marketing services agency to run paid ads for you.
Your products matter, but how you treat your customers matters even more. You should be quick with replies, helpful with solutions, and polite no matter what. People remember good service, and they tell others, too, about their experience.
Don’t just launch a store and forget about it. Keep creating new designs every day to keep things fresh and exciting. To get an idea, you can take a look at seasonal trends, meme culture, or even customer feedback. The more relevant your products, the more likely they’ll sell.
Your store’s data tells a story; make sure you’re taking advantage of it. Check which products are selling best, which platforms are driving traffic, and who your customers really are. Use tools like Google Analytics, your POD dashboard, or social media insights to make better decisions.
After reading all the above points, if you are ready to start an online business, then this section is for you. Here are the steps to start a print-on-demand business:
You can’t sell to everyone. This is why you need to pick a niche and build your design around the niche.
Because technically, your niche is your target audience. A specific group of people would come across and show their interest, and buy your designs. It could be dog lovers, fitness freaks, new moms, tech geeks, or even sarcastic introverts. Here’s how you can choose a niche:
When it comes to a print-on-demand business, t-shirts and mugs are not the only products you can start with. Apart from those, there are many other items you can choose to go with. For example, you can start with:
What you sell should connect with your niche. If you’re targeting ladies whose favorite thing is gardening, then you should focus on designing tote bags, mugs with plant quotes, or cute gardening journals. On the other hand, for pet parents, maybe custom pet portraits on canvases or bandanas.
And don’t ignore trends like sustainability. Gen Z and millennials love eco-friendly products. So, look for suppliers that offer organic cotton tees, reusable bags, or biodegradable packaging.
Pro Tip: Pick only 2–3 products core to start with. Don’t choose from hundreds of products. You can always expand later.
Since the POD business model is for creative designers, this does not mean you need to have out-of-the-box skills to grow. But you can start with your own idea or a perspective.
If you don’t have any ideas, you can always look around for inspiration. For example, you could:
And before you commit to a design, get feedback from other people around you. Post it on Instagram stories, ask your friends, or even run a poll in a Facebook group.
Pro Tip: You must not copy anyone’s work. Avoid using logos, quotes from celebrities, or anything that might land you in legal trouble.
The easiest and most effective way to sell your print-on-demand products is by building an eCommerce store with Shopify. Here’s what to ask before choosing a perfect print-on-demand platform:
Some great POD platforms to check out:
To start an online print-on-demand business, you have two options:
With this option, you simply create your design and sell it on big ecommerce giants like Amazon and Etsy, for example. But while they offer a lot of benefits, they also come with some negative points. So, before choosing this option, you should do some research.
Being a Shopify store development company, we have experienced that creators starting with Shopify stores grow quickly and make good money. We can help you set up payment methods, shipping options, and many other things you need to run a successful POD business. Or if you want to experience both options, you can use them together.
Start with your own store and later list on marketplaces to expand your reach. Many POD platforms let you sync your products across different channels so you don’t have to do double the work.
Now, at this stage, you have to set a price for your designs. How much you’re going to make will totally depend on the price you’ll set. Consider the following factors to set a price:
Launching your store is just the beginning. Now comes the real work: getting people to find and buy your stuff. Here’s how to get started:
Now that you have gone through this comprehensive guide, we believe that you have made up your mind to start your POD business. If yes, Appco Software can help you from the first step to the final step, and we are even here to help you after the launch.
If you already have an existing store, as a Shopify redesign services agency, we can help you rebuild your store and give it a fresh look.
If you want to start from scratch, just let us know what your requirements are, and then we will start building a custom store for you.
Also Read – How to Make Money Online With an eCommerce Business?
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