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 an easy business model.
- A third-party service provider ships orders on your behalf.
- The global print-on-demand market size is valued at $12.96 billion in 2025.
- Shopify is a great platform to set up and customize your POD store.
What is the Print-on-Demand Business Model?
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.
Benefits of a Print-on-Demand Business
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:
1. Low-Cost
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.
2. Flexibility
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.
3. Easy to Scale
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.
4. Creativity
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.
5. Sell Globally
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.
6. Wide Product Range
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.
5 Important Tips for Print-on-Demand Beginners
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.
1. Build a 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.
2. Use Social Media
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.
3. Customer Service
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.
4. New Designs
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.
5. Check Analytics
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.
How to Start a Print-on-Demand Business
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:
1. Choose a Niche
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:
- Scroll through Instagram, Facebook, or any other relevant channel. See what’s trending and who’s buying.
- Research on Reddit or Facebook Groups, and check the conversations your target audience is having.
- Use tools like Google Trends or AnswerThePublic to find what people really care about.
- Spy on your competitors and check what they are selling, and how.
2. Decide What You Want to Sell
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:
- Hoodies, sweatshirts, tank tops
- Mugs, tote bags, stickers
- Phone cases, water bottles, posters
- Yoga mats or beach towels
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.
3. Create Your Designs
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:
- Use free tools like Canva or AI image generator tools to create unique but beautiful designs.
- Buy ready-made designs on platforms like Creative Market or Shutterstock.
- Hire a freelance developer or a Shopify store development company.
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.
4. Decide Where to Sell
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:
- What products do they offer?
- Where do they ship from?
- How much do they charge per product?
- Do they integrate with Shopify, Etsy, or wherever you’re building your store?
- Can you order samples?
- Do they offer branding options like custom labels or packaging?
Some great POD platforms to check out:
- Printful: Printful is a popular print-on-demand platform because it has a wide range of high-quality items and a selection of brands (Gildan, American Apparel, etc.). It also offers an easy-to-use mockup generator and the option to customize the unboxing experience with your own branding.
- Printify: Printify is another print-on-demand service that offers a wide range of t-shirts, sweatshirts, and popular items. It also has a worldwide seller network and offers a wide variety of white-label products, including jewelry, shoes, and water bottles.
- Gooten: Gooten is also one of the best POD platforms. It offers a wide range of customizable products, including products unique to Gooten, like calendars and dog beds.
- Lulu Direct: Lulu Direct is a self-publishing platform that lets you print and distribute your books and ebooks. It offers a variety of book sizes, binding options, and paper stocks to create your own book output.
5. Build Your Own Online Store
To start an online print-on-demand business, you have two options:
Option 1: Marketplaces like Etsy or Amazon
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.
Option 2: Build your own store with Shopify or Wix
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.
6. Set a Price
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:
- Your total costs – That includes production, shipping, taxes, platform fees — the whole package. If you’re offering free shipping, make sure you’ve already built that cost into your retail price so you’re not losing money.
- What others are charging – Check out similar products on other stores or marketplaces. See what the average price range looks like and position yours smartly — not too cheap, not overpriced.
- Where your customers are – If most of your buyers are from one region, pick a print provider closer to them. It’ll reduce shipping times and costs, which makes customers happier and saves you money too.
7. Market Your Products
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:
- Let your circle know – friends and family can help spread the word.
- Create content – post on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest – wherever your audience meets.
- Start a blog – write posts that answer your key Google questions.
- Email marketing – build a list and send out product updates, promo codes and the stories behind your designs.
- Influencer collabs – reach out to your niche’s micro-influencers. Offer them free products or affiliate deals.
- Run ads – once you’ve validated your products and audience, grow them by investing in Facebook or Instagram ads.
Time to Launch Your POD Business and Start Selling
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?
FAQs
1. How can I increase sales on my Shopify store?
To increase sales on Shopify, you first need to build a good portfolio. And with the right marketing, you can do much better.
2. Why is Shopify speed optimization important?
If you want your store to grow with Shopify, it is one of the best ecommerce platforms. The speed of your Shopify store is very important. Because if it loads so slowly, your potential customer might leave your site.
3. Do I really need Shopify store app development services?
Definitely, yes. If you want some custom features, for example, then Shopify store app development services are perfect for you. We have been in this field for more than a decade. Just ping or call us, and we will help you.
4. When should I consider Shopify store rebuild services?
If your existing store design is outdated and you want something new, then you should consider our Shopify store rebuild services. We can help you launch a new store with the design, features, and security you want.
5. What is included in expert Shopify theme customization services?
Well, to get a clear idea of this, you can call our expert, who will help you based on your individual needs. But, generally, if you want something very unique that no Shopify theme is providing, our team of experts has created it for you.
6. Can you help me migrate from another platform to Shopify?
Yes, we can. With our eCommerce to Shopify migration services, we can help you transfer all your data, categories, and products to a new setup. In the migration process, we make sure that you don’t face any downtime. To get more information or offers about the migration, you can contact us.
7. Do you provide SEO expert services for Shopify stores?
Yes. Appco Software has been a trusted SEO expert service provider for years. Our team consists of Meta and Google-certified experts who know how to rank your site on top. From keyword research to on-page SEO and technical SEO, we are here to help you.