Currently, the print-on-demand business is expanding exponentially! According to market research, the t-shirt printing market is anticipated to grow 10 billion dollars by 2025. And with several entrepreneurs venturing into this zone, the market for print-on-demand has become competitive. 

Coming up with a T-shirt business online is an increasing trend for eCommerce and marketing. It has resulted in the generation of many print-on-demand services, which can take away the load, especially when you are still in the starting phase. Even though these services have proved helpful for many, there are scopes of mistakes taking place, akin to any start-ups. 

So, when you are starting a print on demand business, here are a few mistakes that you should avoid. 

Giving significantly less importance to design

The print-on-demand domain is constantly growing! And since the market is competitive, it will be silly of you not to invest in the design process. If you are a part of the industry, it’s already with a few established stores with a favorable reputation. Hence, you have to create a name for yourself so that you get noted. Poor- and low-quality designs are unimpressive and will not make your business successful. And if the consumers don’t appreciate your designs, they will not return to your store. It will have a damaging effect on your brand and store. 

Overlooking customer service

When you are starting a print-on-demand business, it is essential to consider the way the clients feel about your brand when they purchase. As you start your business, chances are your team will be small. But when it is about customer care, you will never fail to put in the necessary work. A favorable store rating doesn’t just get consumers back, but it also acts akin to a marketing tool while attracting new clients. You might spend ample time answering emails and calls from clients to answer details about general product inquiries and even shipping details. You need to devote time to this process in the early stages. It will help in business promotion and will get back your clients.

Managing all operations by yourself

At times people think that they can manage an entire print-on-demand business by themselves. However, as your business expands, you will know that you can’t handle all business aspects and operations yourself. Hence, it becomes crucial to delegate. If you aren’t an expert in design, make sure to hire an ace designer who can get the job done. Also, if you don’t know how to manage marketing and lack time to learn about it, it’s better to appoint an expert marketer who can cater to the job. Delegation is essential for every business owner, more so once the orders start to roll in. It will ensure that your business is profitable and running simultaneously. When you start the business, there’s no guarantee that there will be full-time employees. Here you have a chance to get freelancers on board to work on specific projects and get someone else to manage your accounts. 

An unpredictable cash flow

As your business grows, it is natural for the product demand to go up! As a result, the supply will go up, thereby increasing your costs. You should expect low profit for some time at the start of the business before it gains momentum. Hence, before you leave a full-time job, you should assess secure funding and your business. The expert business owners suggest new businesses have ample cash for about 90 days. And in this time frame, there might be no sales, and it will allow you the space to concentrate on getting clients and enhancing the marketing strategies. While using print-on-demand services, you should keep your money aside for the operational expenses before the client sales. And based on the way your consumer pays you, it can take as much as 21 days to get the first payment. And during this phase, you might have orders which you should supply. 

Not assessing the designs are copyrighted

It is one of the crucial aspects to take note of when you are starting a print-on-demand business. As you browse online for inspiration, make sure that you take up any design and start using it on your products. It’s illegal, and it can result in a heavy penalty. The moment designs get created it becomes copyrighted automatically, and you can’t use them without permission. That means if you like any design, you might get inspired by it to create something different to avert copyright issues. 

And when it comes to catchphrases, you need to search the trademark search engine of your country and check whether the phrase is trademarked. The trademarks get filed in every country. Hence, if any phrase gets trademarked in England, there might not be a trademark in the U.S. That means you can use it legally in the U.S. 

Most print-on-demand businesses suffer because people overlook the mistakes mentioned above. Once you take note of it, you can manage your business seamlessly. 

SHARE THIS POST