Print On Demand Drop Shipping

All You Need To Know About Print On Demand Drop Shipping

Print on demand drop shipping business is a business model in which you can get your custom designed products printed and manufactured by a third party supplier. Particularly ideal for graphic designers, artists and other creative professionals, the store owner only has to add a custom design printed on the products that they will offer to the audience. A print on demand store will provide a platform to the audience where they can place orders for their choice of products. Once they have placed the order, the supplier will be notified. They will get the product ready for shipping. Your drop shipping logistics and delivery partner will then take on the task of shipping out the product directly to the customer in consideration.

The print on demand business has become an industry of its own. The business model sells custom designed products to different customers across the globe.

Print on demand essentially involves addition of custom designs on a range of products from pens to apparel to car bumpers. With a print on demand drop shipping business model, you can automate the entire selling process. First the customer will pick a custom designed product for himself/herself. They will then checkout and make the payment for the chosen product. You will then notify your supplier about the order, along with customer details, through an automated process. The responsibility of shipment and delivery then falls in the hands of your supplier, something they specialize in.

A print on demand drop shipping business means no headache over management of inventories. Yes, with this business model, you do not have to maintain an inventory of products. Only once the order for a product is placed will the manufacturer get your custom designs printed on the products. This also means that, as a print on demand business owner, you need not make up front payments. You need to make the payments only after your customer has made the payment for the product (s).  In this sense, the absence of inventory sets is an advantage for print on demand businesses which makes it a low-risk business model.

Print on demand businesses can make for a lucrative business option or even a side business for creative types, like artists and graphic designers. As a print on demand business owner, you cannot rely only on your design skills. To keep a print on demand drop shipping business up and moving, you need to be on top of your game in certain other areas as well. You need to ensure that you are doing your best at advertising and marketing your print on demand website. At the same time, you also need to be spot on with your customer support skills.

Like any other business model, the print on demand drop shipping business also comes with its own set of pros and cons.

Advantages Associated With A Print On Demand Drop Shipping Business

• Custom-designed products

Customized products with your designs become your unique selling proposition and help you build a brand identity.  A print on demand drop shipping business gives you the liberty to design as per your instincts and inclination. You can simply get your designs printed on different products through your suppliers. You can showcase them through the ecommerce platform and the moment you receive an order, you pass it on to your supplier who will be shipping it to the customers.

• Automated process

The good thing about a print on demand business is that you can employ automation tools in the different stages of the sale and purchase of products. From marketing to advertising to handling basic customer service, you can bring in automation tools for smoother and more streamlined operation of the entire process.

• Customized Packaging

A print on demand drop shipping business also gives you the opportunity to use your own customized packaging. Just like custom designed products can become a unique selling proposition for your brand, so is the case for packaging. Designing your own customized packaging is made possible with the print on demand business model and works well in building a brand identity.

Cons Associated With Print On Demand Drop Shipping Businesses

• Need For An Artistic Skill Set

In the print on demand business industry, it is essential for you to be a graphic designer or someone for a similar niche. Experienced graphic designers come with the right skill set to run a print on demand business. In this sense, the absence of the right skill set can actually become a barrier to entry in this industry. One must also have a knack of identifying what it is that will click with the intended target audience. So experience with what works and what doesn’t is also required to make it big in this space.

• High Shipping Costs

Since print on demand drop shipping is not a bulk-production based business model, the drop shipping costs can be high. The products are custom printed with the designs and can end up becoming more expensive than what most customers are used to paying for. However, if the product is unique and the store owner manages to get the customer captivated by the product, you can be sure that the customer will pay up!

If you want to see some print on demand drop shipping businesses that are in action and are up for sale, head over to ExchangeMarketplace. They have a wide variety of print on demand dropshipping businesses with verified data displayed against each site. This can also be a great place to conduct research and learn from an existing business that is successful!