What Is Print On Demand?

Print on demand is a business model that enables customers to order personalized items such as hats, hoodies, or mugs, and have them delivered directly to their homes. It's a good business model for people looking for all the advantages of selling products without the drawbacks of having a brick-and-mortar store.

Why Is Print On Demand So Popular?

In our global market, ideas and trends ebb and flow quickly. There’s a huge market for customized goods. Everyone is looking for clothes or accessories that perfectly fit their personality and needs. Print on demand can fill that demand by offering a wide variety of goods that can be customized and sent out.

The nature of print on demand also alleviates many of the obstacles that traditionally get in the way of people starting a business or launching a product. In this way, the process is opening up previously inaccessible avenues.

What Do I Need To Do For Print On Demand?

Do you have a great design idea that’s just dying to be on a t-shirt or mug? Maybe a hoodie, or a notebook? If there’s something that you’ve thought, “Man, I would love to make that into a shirt” and imagined wearing that shirt or selling that shirt, print on demand might be a good fit for you. Print on demand takes away the need for you to have a printing press in your garage, or a store to sell your goods out of.

Focus on designing and selling your products without having to fabricate or ship them. This gives you creative control and freedom without being bogged down by the physical logistics of owning a business and selling goods. No buying expensive machinery or running to the postal office to ship your goods.

You work with a supplier to customize t-shirts (or totes, baseball hats, mugs and more) with your artwork or idea. These goods are made on a per-order basis. This eliminates the need for buying thousands of units of the merchandise and stashing it away until it all sells out. You also don’t pay for the cost of the product until after it’s sold, so it’s a lower-risk venture.

It also takes a lot of the physical work out of selling merchandise. Everything after the point of sale is handled by the supplier, including digital printing, order fulfilment and shipping.

What Are the Pros and Cons of Print on Demand?

Pros

• Quick Creation- Once you have your design, your product can be up for sale in minutes.
• Third-Party Shipping and Fulfilment- Rather than physically making the product yourself and shipping, all you’re responsible for is sales.
• Low Investment- You aren’t charged for the product until it’s sold.
• Low Risk- No worrying about making a sales quota or moving a product that’s been sitting in your garage forever.

Cons

• Lower Profit Margins- Because you’re not buying in bulk, your cost per item is higher.
• Less Control Over Shipping- As you don’t ship the product, you don’t have as many options for creating a memorable unboxing experience for customers. Shipping costs can also become complicated, as the cost to ship varies from product to product.
• Limited Products- Depending on what supplier you choose you may not have a wide variety of base products to choose from to customize.

Using Print on Demand for Passive Income

Print on demand is a great tool to add to your growing passive income stream. While there are a wide variety of companies that can act as suppliers for your print-on-demand business, we offer print-on-demand services that will help you customize the products and the business that you want.