How Print on Demand Can Help Your Business
Print on demand could just be the thing that you have been looking for and could help you grow your brand recognition, decrease overheads and get products to your customers with less stress. But before we go any further what exactly is print on demand?
Print on Demand.
It really is as simple as the name suggests. Your product gets created and printed once there is an actual order placed for it. That means you don’t have to guess how well an item might do and then order in stock according to that estimate. This means you have just removed the risk of being left with stock that you can’t sell and have to store somewhere. Print on demand is a great way to test new products in the market and get a feel for if they will sell well.
Most print on demand providers will also take care of the whole shipping process as well and will send the item direct to customers, thus removing the stress and time of packing and shipping from you. Of course, that does also mean that you can’t add any extra special little touches as you pack and post – unless you get the product sent to you first.
Using a print on demand service means that you can create custom designs which can then be printed onto a range of products.
Popular products to print on include:
- Mugs
- T-shirts
- Hoodies
- Bags
- Notebooks
- Water bottles
- Mobile phone cases
Who can use print on demand?
Essentially any kind of business that wants to create customised items but doesn’t want to have to order in bulk, have an upfront cost outlay, need to find storage, or have the stress of packing and posting, will benefit from print on demand services. So, is that you?
Print on demand is really great for:
- Creative types – content creators, artists, designers.
- E-commerce business owners.
- Small start ups wanting to use products to build brand recognition.
- Businesses or influencers that are developing a bespoke range of merchandise.
- Non-profits creating items that can be used for fundraising activities.
Small business owners who want a unique product, designed by them, to use for customer recognition or staff rewards.
The list of who can benefit from this type of service could go on and on, but I think you get the picture. Print on demand is flexible, convenient, and very accessible making it a great choice for you.
Pros of POD
Let’s take a closer look at the pros of print on demand:
- No warehousing or storage needs which helps to save on costs and overheads.
- Ship direct to customer – take out the time and stress of packing and shipping by having it done for you.
- Create your own custom designs – the product being printed on may be popular and used by others, but your design can be unique and specific to you.
- You can add your branding alongside you design.
- Minimal costs involved for you as products are only created when orders are placed and paid for.
- Free up your time by outsourcing.
- Convenient and cost effective versus having to order product in bulk and store it.
- Great way to test the market with a new product or design as there is minimal risk.
How can print on demand help you as a small business?
As with anything this will partly depend on what your overall aim and strategy is but here are a few ways that this convenient and cost-effective way can support your business.
Build you brand awareness – products with you branding or logo on can make it into the hands of more people. Encourage your customers to share pictures and reviews on social media and get them to tag you.
Diversify your product range and test the market without having huge upfront costs. Have you ever woken up at 2am with that incredible idea for a new line or product but they you have been too worried about costs or it not being a success and you haven’t gone for it? Remove those worries, on produce the actual products ordered.
Create a handsfree sales platform – you do the marketing and get you products in front of the right people but when the order is placed allow the printer to take over, produce the product and ship it. That means you can focus on creating. Creating new products and designs, creating new content, and creating more avenues to get visible.
How about making your repeat customers feel extra special by creating unique designs that only they have the option to order?
All of this and more can be done through a print on demand supplier. Get in touch today to see exactly how we can help you.