Products You Can List and Sell on Amazon Right Now!
Have you ever had a great idea for a product, but were not sure if it would do well enough to buy in bulk for your Amazon shop? Have you ever bought something in bulk that didn’t do as well as you hoped and want a better way to test it?Are you new to the Amazon FBA journey and you just want to test the waters before diving in? Are you just ready to start a new venture and start making money today? If any of these have crossed your mind we have a solution for you! Today we’re here to introduce you to Print on Demand (or PODs for short).
What is Print On Demand?
Print on demand is exactly what it sounds like; a company that you can use to print your image on your product the moment you make a sale.
For example: let’s say you have an idea for an awesome t-shirt, so you hire a designer from Fiverr to create the design, use a POD site to create the mock up and then post the image on your Facebook Marketplace, Etsy, Shopify, etc.
Once you make a sale, you then use your POD to create the shirt, mail it out and you’re done! It’s really as simple as that.
Some POD sites will require a little bit of work on your end to create the order for the customer, and some sites will link directly to your Etsy and Shopify accounts to completely cut out the middleman for you, making it even easier to start getting products out and making money.
One of the benefits of using POD services is that you don’t even have to create the product or design yourself! As you know, we are huge supporters of outsourcing jobs that aren’t always our strong suit or things that are outside of your range, so partnering up with a designer from Fiverr, Upworks or other market for freelancers is a win-win. This not only supports creative designers by giving them a chance to show their work, but it frees up time for you to spend however you want.
Once you decide on a design, product and a service provider, you’ll then need to decide on what kind of mark-up you need in order to become profitable. You need to take into account the cost of the item, if you need to pay a designer, shipping costs, and value to your customer when making your final price. This is another great thing about using PODs because if you overshoot the cost, you can always run a special and mark the price down. Likewise, if it ends up selling like crazy, you can bump the price up a bit and see if it still makes sales.
Some people worry that customers might notice that their package is coming from a different company and start asking questions. If you think about your own purchases, most of the time you tear open the package to get your item and never look back at the packaging or slip.
If this happens (which we have found is very rare) just be honest! Let them know that you use the company to help fulfill your orders and in this case their order was one that you used. Most of the time people will respect your honesty and never give another thought to it.
Trying out Print On Demand is a great way to test out a product and see what kind of response it gets from your customers to decide if it’s worth buying in bulk or wholesale, to use for limited offers/designs, seasonal items, things that you want to offer as an extra option to you customers, or even as your foot in the door to creating a hands off business, there’s really no limit to possibilities you can create!
Print On Demand Services
Now that you know what a POD is, we want to share some of our favorite sites and even give you the inside scoop on which services we use for some of our own Rainmaker items.
Teelaunch focuses specifically on t-shirt styles and designs at a great price. This service is great for testing products, offers a wide range of t-shirt styles, colors, and sizes, all at a very affordable price.
You will need to go in and actually make the purchase yourself and enter in all the details and shipping information after making a sale, so it does take some time and effort on your part.
Gooten offers more than just t-shirts in their product line, so you could get anything from shirts, cups and coozies, to cutting boards, pillows, blankets, and so much more. Their retail catalog is very diverse and can fit almost any need or item you can think of.
Another great thing about Gooten is that they have an ecommerce integration option that will link to your Etsy and Shopify accounts, taking out the middleman and leaving more time for you.
Printful has a massive selection of products! While their pricing is higher than some items on Teelaunch or Gooten, you are getting a larger catalog to choose from and also higher quality items. (Insider secret; this is actually the site we use for some of our Rainmaker hoodies.)
Take Action
Now that you have a new resource in your toolbox, it’s time to get started and take that leap of faith. We truly believe this is a powerful tool to use in your ecommerce journey, and that the time it saves, and the turnover it makes can be huge!
So put your thinking cap on, start dreaming, and make a list of items that you could create. Think about what items you personally like to shop, what things you could create, things that you’ve heard from your community about, what holidays or seasonal things are coming up.
Once you have your ideas, go for it! Take a chance on yourself and your ideas and make them a reality! Once you do please share your story with us and let us know how PODs worked for you and your business. We are so excited to hear your stories, celebrate your success, and help you Make it Rain!
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