Learn how to start a print-on-demand drop shipping business that generates passive income. Whether you have an online or brick and mortar store, this article will help you get started!

What is Print on Demand?

Print on Demand is a process where products are printed only after a sale goes through. This means that the products will never require management, storage, or protection on your end. You can print quantities of custom merchandise with no inventory management by sending it directly to customers. This fulfillment model allows a customer to buy products in your shop and the order goes directly to the printing company. This eliminates the need for order fulfillment and storage space — the printing company does it all for you, all you need to do is design and publish your product.

1. Choose the product you want to sell

With print-on-demand drop shipping, you can sell a variety of custom-printed products such as items like coffee mugs, t-shirts, notebooks, and more. But before you decide on a product, it’s important to do your research. Choosing the right product is essential to the success of your business. Here are some tips to help you choose the right product:

• Think about what you’re passionate about. If you’re excited about your product, chances are your customers will be too!
• Do your research. There are many products that can be sold through print-on-demand, so take some time to find a niche that interests you.
• Start small and focus on doing a few products really well. You can build out a shop with more products later, but it’s important to get started a get your products in front of others. You can add more variety as you build a clientele and learn more about what works best for your audience.

Create an account with Printful to get started on your print-on-demand journey. This is where you will upload your designs and choose your products.

Once you’ve chosen a product, it’s time to start designing!

2. Create your design or have one created for you

Creating your own design can be a fun and rewarding process, but if you’re not artistically inclined, don’t worry. There are many services that can help you create a professional-looking design for your products. A quick Google search for “print-on-demand design services” will turn up plenty of results.

Here are a few options for getting a quality design:

1. For the Artistically Inclined – Use art software such as Procreate to create digital specific to your style.
2. For Graphic Beginners – Create an account with Canva if you don’t have one already — it’s free! Search for “T-Shirt Designs” or something similar to get started. From there, use your own creativity to make the designs your own or create something from scratch.
3. Done-for-You – Hire an artist on Fiverr! If you have a concept in mind, but zero artistic abilities, you can hire someone to create a digital art piece for you.

When your design is ready, go back to the Printful catalog and upload your art to the product(s) that you chose in step one.

3. Set up your shop and add your products

Once you have a design uploaded and ready to go, it’s time to set up your shop and add your products. This process is simple, and most print-on-demand companies offer tutorials and guides to help you get started.

You might think, well, I don’t have a shop, Jenna! No shop, no problem!! Create your product and post it to a reselling website such as Etsy or eBay. As you grow your product variety, you can introduce new purchasing outlets, but while you’re getting started, keep it simple and focus on doing one shop really well.

4. Start marketing your products

Now it’s time to start marketing your products! Use social media, your blog, or any other marketing channels you have at your disposal to get the word out about your new products.

Friends and family will be excited to see your new products and ready to support you. As you build a clientele for your products, don’t be afraid to ask your circle of friends to share and promote your products.

5. Ship orders and receive payments

And finally, once you’ve made a sale, it’s time to ship the order and receive payment. This is where passive comes into play! Most storefronts have automated fulfilments set up where you can fulfill orders with a click of a button. From there, Printful prints your product, packages, and ships it to your customer! You never have to keep inventory or shipping supplies because the printing company handles all of the shipping processes for you.

Print-on-demand drop shipping is a great way to generate passive income. With just a little effort, you can have your own shop up and running in no time, and watch the orders start rolling in! So what are you waiting for? Get started today and let me know what products you put out into the world!