Starting a print on demand (POD) business has been a fantastic journey.

I remember the day I received my first POD order from the other side of the world.

However, to get to that point, I had to overcome many challenges in marketing, designing products, and customer service, which has given me the experience I have today.

In this article, I will discuss the eight advantages of POD and whether it’s worth it for you!

1. No need to buy or manage stock

One of the first things I noticed when I began was how tricky it would be to handle inventory.

Imagine having a room full of products, some of which might never get sold. This is a common problem, especially for those just starting!

However, POD solves this.

The product is only created after a customer buys it.

This means:

• No more rooms filled with unsold items.
• No more guessing how many of each product to order.
• No more money tied up in products, just sitting there, waiting to be sold.

Instead, I could put all my energy into designing and marketing my products. I could experiment with different designs without fearing wasting money on unsold stock.

This freedom to try new ideas without financial risk is a huge advantage! Especially when trying to find your niche or stand out in the market.

2. You only pay for products after the sale

Paying for products only after they’ve been sold was a turning point for me.

Typically, the traditional approach requires investing money upfront and buying products before you know if they’ll sell.

But with POD, this whole scenario turns around. I don’t have to pay for any product until a customer buys it.

I can now budget for other important areas like marketing, design, or personal expenses.

3. Easily create new products for specific niches

I’ve found great success focusing on niche markets. These are specific groups of people with unique interests or hobbies.

Creating products for a small, specific group in traditional retail can be risky. You might end up with many products that only a few people are interested in.

But with POD, I can design products that cater to these unique interests without the risk of overproducing.

Let’s say there’s a community interested in a rare hobby like vintage kite photography. I can create and offer products like t-shirts, mugs, or posters featuring vintage kite photography designs with POD.

I can do this without worrying about selling hundreds or just a handful. The product doesn’t exist until someone orders it.

This allows me to experiment with ideas that resonate well with smaller communities.

4. Product designs can be easily changed

The flexibility to easily change product designs is a significant advantage of POD!

Modifying a product design can be slow and costly in a traditional retail setup.

You might have a lot of pre-made items with old designs that might not sell now.

But with POD, if I notice a design isn’t catching on or if there’s a shift in trends, I can quickly and effortlessly make changes.

I created a t-shirt design that I thought would be popular, but it turned out that customers weren’t as excited about it as I had anticipated.

I’m not stuck with a batch of unsold t-shirts. Instead, I can immediately return to the drawing board, tweak the design, develop something new, and relaunch it.

I remember tweaking a t-shirt design late one evening, and orders were coming in the following day. It felt like magic!

The speed of change is a huge plus. My store can always stay fresh and aligned with the latest trends and customer preferences.

There are no problems with market changes, and I’m not burdened with outdated stock.

5. Less waste during the production process

As someone who cares about the environment, I find POD an excellent way to make my business more eco-friendly.

In traditional ways of selling things, companies make many products at once. This can lead to too many items being made that no one buys.

These extra items can become waste, which is unsuitable for the environment.

But with POD, things are different. We only make a product when someone orders it. This means there is almost no chance of making too many items that no one wants.

Also, being eco-friendly is important to many customers today. They like to buy from businesses that care about the environment.

For those who want to invest in sustainability, check out our article on eco-friendly dropshipping suppliers to offer further environmental benefits!

6. Possibility to sell worldwide

One of the most exciting parts of my journey with POD has been the ability to sell to people worldwide.

You had to worry about storing your products, shipping them long distances, and dealing with customs and shipping rules for each country.

It was thrilling when I received an order for one of my art prints from a customer in Spain.

POD made this global connection possible.

This has opened up a whole new world of possibilities. I can create designs and products that appeal to people in many countries without worrying about how I’ll get my products to them.

Seeing how successful POD stores sell worldwide can also give you lots of inspiration!

7. No need to buy printing equipment

When I wanted to start my business, one big worry was the cost of buying printing machines. These machines can be costly.

But with POD, I didn’t have to buy any of these big machines. This made starting my business much easier and less expensive.

This was a big help for me.

It meant I could start selling my designs immediately without saving much money for machines. I could focus on creating good designs and marketing my products instead of worrying about how to print them.

This is one of the reasons why POD is an excellent option for people just starting to sell their products. It lets you start a business without the hurdles of getting printing equipment.

8. It’s easy to start a brand

When I began my journey with POD, I was amazed at how easy it was to start my brand. All it took was a good idea and a way to share it online.

This simplicity is perfect for entrepreneurs with many creative ideas who might not have much money or other resources.

Besides having great product designs, what was missing was the overall branding experience of when someone received their package; they knew it came from my store.

Many POD suppliers I’ve used, such as Printful, allow much customizability in packaging, including your logo, graphics, and small goodies such as a thank you note and stickers!

Creating a compelling brand story is crucial when starting your POD brand; learn more about how to tell your brand’s story effectively.

Summary

Before we go, we’ve created a quick summary of this article for you so you can easily remember it:

• Explore niche markets with unique designs tailored to specific interests.
• Stay flexible by quickly updating product designs to keep up with changing trends.
• Embrace an eco-friendly approach by producing items on demand, significantly reducing waste and appealing to environmentally conscious customers.
• Expand your reach by selling worldwide, taking advantage of POD’s streamlined process for international shipping and production.
• Avoid the high costs and complexities of purchasing and maintaining printing equipment, making it easier to start your business.
• Utilize POD to launch your brand quickly, focusing on creative ideas and digital presence without significant upfront investment.

Conclusion

If you’ve been doubting about starting with print on demand, I hope this article has helped you better understand the benefits of this business model.

However, one question remains unanswered: is POD worth it?

Conclusion: Print on demand is worth it for beginners or creatives because it is an easily accessible and low-risk method to start selling custom items.

But it’s not all positive.

Print on demand also has disadvantages, like lower profit margins and lengthy fulfillment times, so keep those in mind!

Thank you for reading, and have a great day!

Want to learn more about POD?

Ready to move your print on demand store to the next level? Check out the articles below:

Plus, don’t forget to check out our in-depth how to start a print on demand business guide here!