In October 2021, eRank included stickers in its monthly Top 20 Etsy Searches, and it’s no surprise. Stickers are always an attractive and in-demand product, and a sticker-selling business is a very affordable start for newcomers to the POD industry. If you’re one of them, you may be wondering about where, what, and how to sell better and how profitable it can be. We’ll answer those questions in this article, according to this content.
What kind of income can you expect to make?
Your decision to work with a fulfillment company like PodZa or create goods on your own will depend on the size of those or other costs and income. You should understand that the first option is preferable if you’re not ready to spend money on production and operating equipment.
We estimate the profit potential of this business from 200 – 800 dollars to 10 000 dollars a month. In the first case, stickers are your paid hobby, and in the second, they are the main work and a full-fledged source of income. And even these figures may not be the limit. Some bloggers talk about profits on Etsy of $30,000! Ultimately, your income will depend on several factors:
Cost of goods. You have to choose the material from which the stickers will be produced (see below).
Outsourcing costs (such as working with a Sticker Mule or Sticker Ninja POD partner),
The final price of the product (a typical sticker price is $2-$6),
The volume of orders being fulfilled.
4 popular types of stickers
Let’s find out what stickers for printing on demand are most popular in the market today.
Logo stickers. Such stickers are in constant demand among commercial and non-commercial companies. They are used to place different information on them, such as contacts, promotions, discounts, and other advertising, on various things: windows, doors, walls, floors, and even vehicles. Another option – 3D logos for souvenirs for customers and partners, made with a special polymer resin. Of course, the development of such stickers is caused by close work with the customer. The design can be predetermined, and you will have no space for creativity. However, this work can bring you the first income and is absolutely worth it.
Clear stickers. These are special stickers with transparent backgrounds for the unobtrusive highlighting of items from stationery to furniture. It’s easy both to use and make them: digital printing or other technology designed for non-absorbent materials is required. Choose colors carefully so they can match the final surfaces.
Bumper stickers. Since this type of sticker is popular with drivers, it can have several uses: to decorate a car, SUV, or truck, or to inform other road users and pedestrians. Stickers can also be used to camouflage defects or prevent you from getting one. If you feel this is your direction, study in advance all the signs, symbols, and inscriptions that drivers use.
Die-cut stickers are a sheet on which stickers of various shapes and sizes are already cut out. Offer customers different themed sets: nature, animals, food, etc. An alternative to Die-Cutting technology is Laser Cutting, which is suitable for small runs.
Choosing a backing: paper or vinyl?
If you are new to the POD business, we advise you to choose paper stickers. Paper is not as expensive as vinyl, and paper labels are quick and easy to make. They glue well to almost any surface but feature low resistance to moisture, damage, and wear. Paper will be a good way to develop your store and move on to more sophisticated and refined materials like vinyl.
Vinyl is completely versatile, these stickers will stick to any surface (even non-smooth) for a long time and will not damage as quickly as paper. PVC resins and plasticizers, stabilizers, and various pigments are used in the vinyl manufacturing process. This combination can give vinyl stickers any shape, size, style, and transparency.
How to design?
To know what products will interest your customers, monitor the market (for example, on Redbubble), and analyze design trends. You can use not only professional print-on-demand software but also universal tools like Canva.
In cases, you are not very good at creativity, or you’re offering stickers for corporate customers, it’s better to buy a ready-made design from professionals.
How to set up production?
Launching your own POD sticker production requires a huge investment in printing equipment, licensed software, product and packaging material, and other tools. You will incur expenses for rent, salaries, and management of an online store. Therefore, many newcomers abandon such a business plan in favor of cooperation with companies professionally engaged in POD orders. For example, GotPrint, Sticker Ninja and Sticker Mule, or the previously mentioned Redbubble.
What e-commerce platform to choose?
If you’re in search of customers to sell your custom stickers, you can set up a store on platforms like Etsy, Handmade by Amazon, Society6, Shopify, Wix, WooCommerce, or Artsy. We recommend that you read the rules of the store management on these platforms, so you don’t have to stay in the red.
