Here’s an out-of-the-counter guide to cashing in your creativity and if you’ve ever dreamed of transforming your passion into profit. And custom merchandising might just be your golden ticket. This can be the side hustle that doesn’t just let you flex your creative muscles – it offers the perfect blend of fun and practicality, especially for budding entrepreneurs like you.
Launching your custom merchandise side hustle isn’t just about slapping a cool design onto t-shirts and blouses. Oftentimes, success comes from balancing strategic planning with creativity and business-savvy decision-making. Here’s a little “how” of things.
You need to identify your audience group or theme that resonates with what you do. From pet lovers to sports fans or quirky pop culture references, focusing on a niche ensures your designs appeal to a specific group, no matter how selective they may seem. It’s like a marketing map pinning your chances of sales.
You don’t need to be a professional artist. Tools like Canva and Adobe Spark make creating stunning designs accessible to everyone. Focus on trends and visual aesthetics that align with your niche.
Knowing when to swim and float in your market means you need to research your sea of competitors and platforms ( if you’re selling online) to determine competitive pricing. Just make sure your costs can cover production, shipping, and marketing expenses while still leaving room for profit, not just a margin thereof.
A solid print-on-demand (POD) platform can take care of production, shipping, and inventory, freeing you up to focus on design and promotion.
Don’t just go with the first option. Compare a few based on product variety, print quality, shipping reliability, platform integrations, and pricing. The right POD partner can streamline your workflow and make it easier to grow your side hustle without the headaches.
Once your storefront is up and running, you’ll need a smooth way to accept payments. Offering flexible and reliable checkout options not only improves customer trust but also helps reduce cart abandonment. Tools like all-in-one payments by Planet can simplify the process by handling multiple payment types in a single, integrated solution, allowing you to focus more on growing your business, rather than juggling transactions.
When you’re all ready and your store is live, you can be best friends with marketing. Here are some tricks and tweaks to attract your first customers:
New-gen platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest are quite tailor-made for visual products like yours. You just need to use catching and trending hashtags, create short (and clickable) videos, and post consistently so you become unforgettable and build a more engaged community.
You may need to partner with micro-influencers in your arena to reach new audiences. More often, a shoutout or product review can lead to a surge in your sales.
Master creativity and optimize your product descriptions with keywords your customers are searching for (or can easily search for). For instance, instead of “Cool T-shirt,” go for “A Funny Cat Lover’s T-shirt.”
As your customers and orders grow, reinvest profits to scale operations and reach more merch clients. You can consider launching your own website, expanding your product line, or investing in premium marketing ads. Also, always stay updated on trends and customer feedback to keep your products fresh and most sought-after.
Starting your side hustle in custom merchandising can usher in endless opportunities to monetize your craftiness. By blending your smarts (in strategies and people) with eye-catching prints, you’re certainly on your way to building an exciting, thriving business, less the risks.
So, what are you waiting for? Pick up that pen, stylus, or mouse, and let your imagination run amok – it’s time to make your mark on the world of custom merch!
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