There is a big problem with people spreading misinformation about POD, Etsy, Amazon KDP, and Audible lately who have little to no experience in those fields. Thank you for making this video. When I started out, I fell for a lot of bad advice from those people.
Because it's a grift, just like these crypto youtubers, or course sellers. Most of these guys have never even done pod. They copy from other youtubers about pod, and share fake income screen shots. It's all fake
Shimmy thank you for calling out the lies. Ive lost faith in most YTers. They constantly say "Use this marketing program for free or this platform for free" and you cannot do the features they say for free. I'm also sick of hearing the phrase "that being said." Thank you for your clear honesty and sharing useful info. I know its a lot of work. Thank you for being honest about that.
It drives me insane that people say Make $10,000 a month, but they never tell you what their net is. If you aren't making a profit after all expenses then you aren't making money. I'm also a Real Estate agent and the same thing there. I want to see a P&L!!! Great video thank you so much for shinning light on this!
Right! It’s like gworl 10k before taxes, before fees, before costs… leaves you with like 1k lol I rather keep my health care job. I’m just tryna sell stickers for fun
For what i have seen so far from people who share the information with reliable data from gross the net is at most 20%, so if someone states he makes 10k Gross, they should get around 2k Net on average.
Thank you Shimmy for your honesty! I watched quite a few videos that preach the passive income and almost a year ago opened a shop. I've worked most days, a couple of hours a day and had no sales. Then I watched some of yours and a couple of other true POD sellers. I even had you do a shop audit. I gleaned the truth, implemented some of your suggestions, started working on my shop for many hours a day, sometimes 12-15hrs and finally started seeing sales. Now my shop is making sales, getting 5 star reviews and Etsy is finally showing my listings without ads! It takes WORK! And anyone that tells you otherwise is lying. Thank you again for telling it like it is! ❤
i would to know something please ? what did you do during 12/15h a day on etsy ? i mean i try to post 1-2 listings a day and i don’t go over 2h on etsy per day. so if you can give me some advice please i’m interested !
I work on designing, mockups, my SEO. I do a lot of research as well. Each day I focus on something different. One day I spend researching, next designing, then publishing. Divide your days up and focus on one thing at a time. I also published 4-6 products a week and I put my designs on multiple products. That seemed to please the algorithm on Etsy and I started getting views. Main thing is, don't give up!! I almost did several times but now I see a future.
Shimmmmmmmmy! Thank you for your video. I'm a new POD seller on Etsy and the struggle is real. Finding UA-cam content that doesn't try to sell you on false hope with POD is a struggle to find, especially when just looking for answers to simple questions. Your channel has been great for me. It keeps me motivated, but realistic which I think is key for POD. Thanks!
I’ve had a bunch of quick niche money making websites, products, and other stuff. I would never tell anyone my secrets. No one with business sense would either. They’ll tell you once it’s dried up for affiliate income.
Thank you being upfront about Gelato. I think it's better to just do your own website then using Etsy or Amazon if you are using POD. I don't believe in over saturating any platform with a bunch of garbage that wastes peoples time. Integrity is definitely one of the most important things in any business or life.
Great video! UA-cam needs more creators who are honest and ethical. You’ve probably saved someone £100s worth of mistakes when embarking on this business.
What drives me nuts is they always assume any one Etsy seller who is making even a conservative 5% profit at 4k net per month has no other overhead and it's just pure profit. We don't know how much of that profit goes to taxes or to paid ads. Just because a listing does not appear as sponsored this "guru" has zero clue if the seller is running Google ads, Facebook ads, Pinterest ads or any combination thereof. Many times when you see that volume of sales it's because you are either running ads and driving lots of traffic to your listings or you have built up a large audience over time through your own site and have collected tons of emails. After factoring in ad spend that 4k he calculated could be down to 1k or less. Nobody ever talks about the possibility of ad spend. 🤦♀️
Thanks for being so realistic, im currently starting a blog, trying to sell on ebay, and made a ebook on Amazon. Starting these income streams are hard, im still in High School and have a job as a CNA. However if I get more videos like these, it would make the process a whole lot smoother.
Mark immediately lost me when he said he's run/sold million-dollar companies, yet he makes videos about POD. I suppose many folks DO have million-dollar POD businesses. But for a man with that apparent level of business skill, POD seems like small potatoes and wouldn't be worth his time.
I don't think there's an issue with that. Lots of people have million dollar businesses and just enjoy the world of UA-cam. I don't think I'll ever give up with UA-cam, however rich I get. I don't get why he made this video for Gelato though, that confuses me
@@shimmymorris1 I think he made the video because it was a big payday. That's the problem with the whole influencer game. Look at the way they work. A couple of years ago pitching crypto was the big thing, then it was NFTs, and lately it's AI. How many videos have you seen saying that you can make $10,000 or more per month by using AI to write a blog, create affiliate pitches, or even produce POD products, Total BS.
I’ve been watching you for 4+ years and love your content. Thank you for maintaining your integrity as you grow. I hope you find all the success bro. Keep up the good work.
Thank you for your honesty! I have been doing POD for almost 3 years, and everything you say in this video is true. It is NOT passive for the most part, it is NOT easy and most of us will not make big money with it. But I am having fun with it and making a somewhat of a profit. And good designs DO matter!
Hi, after 3 years working in POD, how much money do you make a month and how much time do you work on it every day ? I'd like to start but I want to know if it's worth it
This is a well done video, Shimmy! It can be exhaustive, and frustrating to fight back against the unrealistic expectations and oversimplified narrative some of the 'guru's' put out there.
Thank you! I spend so much time telling people who ask me why it’s not working that the videos they’ve seen aren’t realistic representations of POD at all!
You are the first and only UA-camr I have heard say honestly in plain language that these print on demand providers do not offer free as advertised. Yes, it is free to make listings but once you get a sale like you said, if you don’t have money in your bank to cover the sales you’ve made, then you’re up the creek. But as many people as I have watched, talk about print on demand and how much money they make, they never ever say this. I simply learned by experience and I wondered how come all of the people who talk about all these sales that they have never talk about what it actually takes to get into the business.
Me and some other members was just talking about this in the hub. glad you made a video on it. as someone that just started my store in the last week, this has been one of the biggest issues, everyone says there making all this money but no one shows there store or stats on sales. no one goes into details about the hidden cost or shows all the programs you need to pay for in order to make designs. took me 100s of videos before i learned about SEO how much shipping is based on your location ect.
Actually I had a 10k per month Etsy POD store but I worked like crazy. I mean like 20 hour days when I was off work from my part time job. All of the customer service expectations were crazy. I ended up closing my store because it was too much work.
@@howtoandwhatsnew couldn't you sell the store or get a business partner? 10k is money that may do not make on 9 to 5 jobs and would be happy to buy from you.
Bravo! I'm glad you're out there shining a light on the reality of POD. So many people are being attracted to POD thinking it's a get-rich-quick avenue that requires no effort, no time, and no talent. I think this video will save people from getting into POD with the wrong idea. Thanks!
I just started with POD and you are right that it's not a passive income as there is a lot of research you need to do for every design and quote you use. The biggest obstacle will be traffic, no traffic no sales no matter how great your designs are and that is where I am stuck, no traffic. I promote on other SM platforms and I get very little if any traffic. At the moment paid traffic is out of the question.
Thanks for pointing this out with certain UA-camrs I would not watch that anyway, but I know a lot of people do and they might believe that this is possible but good to know. I am thinking of doing print on demand really soon here as well.
Great video. Would be great to see more like this. I have been down this Print on demand road several times, and spent a lot of time on hope, financial investment, and loss in finding out that a lot of these UA-cam influencer’s are misleading people because of greed. Please make more content like this to help others. Many thanks.
Thanks for this @Shimmy! I love how honest you are. I am so disappointed to hear about Gelato and will think twice about using them from now on. But I have your Hub training to look forward to so I’m sure that all will be revealed!!
Thank you so much for illustrating the profit margin nonsense. I wish people understood how much it actually costs with product price, shipping, fees, etc. Everyone thinks you make so much profit... it's frustrating. You explained it well. I subscribed to your channel because of that. Good work. I look forward to seeing more of your content.
I have given up with print on demand and one by one I've closed most of my accounts and the only one I have now is shopify but eventually I may close that one too . There's so much miss information about POD and bad advice , I have fallen for a lot of it myself and I'm exhausted with it .
Nice video, some solid points. Transparency is extremely important to me, I do everything I can to be as thorough as possible and avoid making big unrealistic claims. I'll endeavour to be even more analytical in the future.
Thank you for responding Mark I appreciate you seeing my points. Honestly I’d like to talk print on demand with you. Or business in general. I’ve been watching a long time now. My main concern with your video and the reason I made this was because of the inexperienced advice that would cause people to make a ton of blunders. It’s hard for me as I’ve been in this business for so long, I hate seeing people come into it with unrealistic expectations because they watched yours or someone else’s video where the facts just weren’t laid out. (On a side note. You should really have sponsored content ticked for your video as we all know it was sponsored by gelato) considering transparency is so important.
I recently looked into starting an etsy shop and did a “free” consult. At the end of the 15 minutes of her employee sitting in what looked like a dorm room selling her course, she asked me was I ready to buy her $12,000 course. Oh, and to make it convenient for me, I could break it down into one of her payment plans…
Great video Shimmy, I have nothing against Mark, I love generally his content and I know he is a great businessman but when it comes to POD he doesn't have enough experience to teach anyone. I am a POD seller myself, on Amazon, Etsy, Shopify, and all the rest and I cannot agree more with what you said in this video. It's clear that Mark was paid to say what he said, and it's a shame. I hope he understands that if he continues like that he might risk losing his audience.
I really liked the way you are highlighting the time frames. Many you tubers are doing videos and dripping them in by scheduling outdated content...because they can't be bothered to do a daily or weekly video and make it current... I love that your facts are current and real. Thanks 😊
Great video Shimmy. It got me watching the whole thing wanting to see what other wrong thing he was going to say next. Great job man! Thanks for letting people know what’s real.
YES...this! They have almost cost me my shop and I'm LIVID! None will reply to you either when they misinform you and you question them about it.-April
Very smart im so glad you air this guy out 😂 I respect you buddy Im subscribing to your channel to be watching every single video you put out great content
Thank you for making this! I see more and more people on UA-cam now whose only goal is to get views (and therefore $$) as a 'trusted expert'. They don't seem to care if they're misleading viewers, just make it seem as easy as possible. Fortunately, the more I learn, the easier it becomes to see the difference between those out for themselves and those who really want to help others.
@@shimmymorris1he suckers people in and then after the spiel he quietly points out you need to drop a couple hundred bucks. He is a content creator now not a business adviser guru.
I think a major problem is also that the average person does not have a lot of business sense (I.e running a business, hidden costs, taxes, etc), simply because they aren’t exposed to how a business runs, and so they fall into the trap of these videos and think these methods are easy/passive. It’s very easy to fall into this trap, especially if someone is unhappy with their current job.
I actually did watch the video, and I did not get this impression at all. He was not saying that his POD stores made millions; he was saying that he knows a thing or two about business (and he does), so certain tips that he gives are from some kind of knowledge. I think some of the clips used in this video are out of context. But, I also learned many things from you, too, so I appreciate your help.
@@LetsGoChaseThatTrainAmazon Kindle Direct Publishing. Bits it not just Kindle publications. They print paperbacks and hardback books on demand. Like POD but with books. I'm working on a colouring book for kdp now.
@@LetsGoChaseThatTrain Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. It's POD for paperbacks and hardbacks. I'm working on my first colouring book to publish on Amazon kdp.
The first is do the foot work and set passive income as the end goal. I am very picky of the work I do and I’ll be putting pride on the product I’ll be selling. “No none would do job as you except to be done”
One other thing - the sites that show the data on each listing, don't take into account the store sale. So if the mug is on "sale" for 20% off, the actual sales price won't be the number they used to calculate profit for a listing - such as that mug. So that number can appear as much as 50% (or more) higher than the real amount of revenue.
I have seen so many of these guys (Alura, the etsy data mining tool, showcases a lot too). I am a constant skeptic as it always sounds to good to be true. Though a few youtubers do seem to show more behind the scenes which is intriguing and feels more honest than the others. Great vid
Thank you for bringing some value to the creative process and all the technical and nonsense that you have to go through just to put up a T-shirt and design it and do all the work. I’m glad you’re making people realize that it is a lot of work sometimes it doesn’t even feel like it’s worth it for the amount of profit. You make a good video.
Thank you very much, wish more people like you would call out these people, unfortunately some of them start very honest but after just few months they run out of topic to talk about to make videos, so they start lying
I think you saved me a lot of hassle here brother. I’ve been following Mark for the last few months and like you mention in the video his content is enjoyable. I’m an amateur photographer who loves heading out and snapping beautiful landscapes and after watching Mr Tilbury he had the dollar (GBP 😅) signs rolling in my eyes. Here I am with a few print ideas uploaded to Gelato and in the process of linking my Etsy I just completely gave up. His timelapse clips make everything look so straight forward when uploading to websites etc. anyways I’ve already had second thoughts and this vid has confirmed that I’m just not cut out for the hassle of POD. I feel like I should research Shopify before completely giving up but thank you so much for the insight about Mark. I defo’s felt the ‘paid sponsor’ vibe with those passive income videos.
I started this video a bit annoyed that you'd targeted Mark and assumed that you just misunderstood but now I've seen you break it down you make some great points, amazing content and well-presented
I watched his video last night and I saw a lot of discrepancies too. I’m a POD seller and his video made no sense and even made me angry. Thanks for calling him out.
Personally, when I watched his video, I didn't assume print on demand was one of his streams of income. However, hearing your perspective of his video was really helpful because of the large amount of misinformation in this side of social media.
Exactly, as you mentioned, there's no proof that they made it, if a creator made something and used it in a tutorial, he'd put it in the description for people to support him.
Erm I dunno though. I never post my pod products because I know they’d get ripped off in seconds. It’s hard to share certain things as it’s important to keep some details private
Shimmy...thank you for this vid...also watched his , but felt very irritated by so much of what he was saying....so glad you pointed all this out. He says its easy....IT IS NOT!!!!!!
Shimmy thanks for the content. I literally just finished watching his video and am now a new subscriber to your channel. My wife and I would love to start a print-on-demand business but have a couple questions. Should we start by first creating an LLC? What POD options would you recommend?
You're welcome! Thanks for subbing! You don't need an LLC, but it is helpful if you want to ake this further. I would stay with some training of some sort so you know what to do. Then it's finding a niche, finding designs, connecting to a printing partner, making a brand, uploading designs to a store front, driving traffic and getting sales... this is very simply put
He, like others, realises that you can feed your audience whatever and they will believe it....Not only they will believe it but they won't question and the easier you present it to them the more they think it'sall possible and true!!! People don't even use their mind to think anymore.
Thank you for making this video. I did recently watch Mark's video and I then started looking into having a Print On Demand shop. I wont be doing the print on demand business now.
It’s still a good business model. And I do recommend it for sure. Just make sure you’re getting advice from the right people. There’s a lot of good POD UA-camrs out there
It's weird (and wrong) that UA-camrs try to sell POD as passive income! Passive income would be like creating a digital book or an app. You create it once and walk away. There's no returns to deal with so it's as close to passive as one can get. Yes, you still work, but you don't have to lose time as youbdo with physical returns and customer service. Great video. Another one needs to be made on people who are looking to get rich off of minimal efforts and shortcuts! Spam your way to success. The ones who lack creativity, discipline and enduring persistence often fail or give up in a few months or a year without trying new ways or minor tweaks. I see people fail all because they won't read! These same people will upload videos calling the whole thing a scam! If I opened a cake shop and it failed, I wouldn't call cake shops a scam lol. Theres so many factors involved. You make very nice videos, Shimmy. One day, I'll tell you a funny story about your name 😊
The only way to make that kind of money that fast is to sell trademarked designs... and it's not worth it. You'll get caught and lose everything you have and everything you ever hoped to have.
Great Video - just wanting to sell printed artwork and looking into it. Yeah the AI , sloppy design - it needs to be cool but its not. I am looking at some more of your vids to save some time and head in the right direction. Thanks for your honesty!
Love your videos, I started looking at your videos because I'm thinking about setting up a shop to sell my wife's art , as print on demand etc , number of art work is limited but is suitable for prints , mugs and clothing , so any tips would be helpful or a pointer to your videos for me to watch, keep up the great work .
it's essential for new entrepreneurs to differentiate between realistic guidance and flashy, unrealistic promises. Always vet the credentials and actual experience of those who offer advice, ensuring they have a track record of genuine success. 👍
@@shimmymorris1 I don’t do print on demand business I know it is hard for people to make money you can check the money or the profit you make per shirt.
I salute your transparency! I do agree, there are VERY many of these videos which are kind of misleading. You can make it big, but not as a side hustle. If you keep it as a side hustle, it can bring in some nice dollars (or pounds ;)), especially if you actually enjoy your niche, but don't expect that Bugatti xD.
Thank you! I do think you can make it your main income. There’s no reason why POD can’t be big. It’s a normal business and like any business if it’s given time and attention there’s absolutely no ceiling for growth
There is a big problem with people spreading misinformation about POD, Etsy, Amazon KDP, and Audible lately who have little to no experience in those fields. Thank you for making this video. When I started out, I fell for a lot of bad advice from those people.
you're welcome!
Not only in POD, they lie in every business, the ones about affiliate marketing are the worst, big time liars
Because it's a grift, just like these crypto youtubers, or course sellers. Most of these guys have never even done pod. They copy from other youtubers about pod, and share fake income screen shots. It's all fake
Shimmy thank you for calling out the lies. Ive lost faith in most YTers. They constantly say "Use this marketing program for free or this platform for free" and you cannot do the features they say for free. I'm also sick of hearing the phrase "that being said." Thank you for your clear honesty and sharing useful info. I know its a lot of work. Thank you for being honest about that.
hahaa, we all know who says "that being said" 100s of times in his videos 😂
It drives me insane that people say Make $10,000 a month, but they never tell you what their net is. If you aren't making a profit after all expenses then you aren't making money. I'm also a Real Estate agent and the same thing there. I want to see a P&L!!! Great video thank you so much for shinning light on this!
Right! It’s like gworl 10k before taxes, before fees, before costs… leaves you with like 1k lol I rather keep my health care job. I’m just tryna sell stickers for fun
Most of these pod/drop ship youtubers don't even do it themselves, and they just screen shot fake income statements
For what i have seen so far from people who share the information with reliable data from gross the net is at most 20%, so if someone states he makes 10k Gross, they should get around 2k Net on average.
STOP BEING LAZY AND NEGATIVE GET UP YOUR A... How You Do one thing is how you do everything.
Thank you Shimmy for your honesty! I watched quite a few videos that preach the passive income and almost a year ago opened a shop. I've worked most days, a couple of hours a day and had no
sales. Then I watched some of yours and a couple of other true POD sellers. I even had you do a shop audit. I gleaned the truth, implemented some of your suggestions, started working on my shop for many hours a day, sometimes 12-15hrs and finally started seeing sales. Now my shop is making sales, getting 5 star reviews and Etsy is finally showing my listings without ads! It takes WORK! And anyone that tells you otherwise is lying. Thank you again for telling it like it is! ❤
THAT'S AMAZING!!! woohoo. So happy for you. Nice work
"she smiles and gives a curtsy" Thanks Shimmy 😊
i would to know something please ?
what did you do during 12/15h a day on etsy ? i mean i try to post 1-2 listings a day and i don’t go over 2h on etsy per day.
so if you can give me some advice please i’m interested !
I work on designing, mockups, my SEO. I do a lot of research as well. Each day I focus on something different. One day I spend researching, next designing, then publishing. Divide your days up and focus on one thing at a time. I also published 4-6 products a week and I put my designs on multiple products. That seemed to please the algorithm on Etsy and I started getting views. Main thing is, don't give up!! I almost did several times but now I see a future.
@@gypsyqueen2u wow okay thanks a lot for you’re advices !!!! i will follow them tanks !
Shimmmmmmmmy! Thank you for your video. I'm a new POD seller on Etsy and the struggle is real. Finding UA-cam content that doesn't try to sell you on false hope with POD is a struggle to find, especially when just looking for answers to simple questions. Your channel has been great for me. It keeps me motivated, but realistic which I think is key for POD. Thanks!
That really means a lot! Thank you so much! I hope you find the answers you’re looking for
bro go watch the mark tillbury video yourself...he is completely not true
I’ve had a bunch of quick niche money making websites, products, and other stuff. I would never tell anyone my secrets. No one with business sense would either. They’ll tell you once it’s dried up for affiliate income.
Hmm I dunno though. I watch and know a lot of people who make a ton of money and share it in videos because they just love making content and teaching
There is that too.
I agree which is why restaurants do have secret ingredients. However, secret and misleading/minformation are two different things.
I hope more creators will begin to expose false info on youtube
Me too!
It’s rampant.
I love that you did this I haven’t been in the biz for years but it’s more work than I was lead to believe. It’s annoying. Expose all those phonies.
I’m starting to disbelieve things on UA-cam now
:(
I think you eventually understand who is transparent and who's not
Ya think? 😆
It's a damn cesspool!
There's lots and lots of lies out there 😢
Thank you being upfront about Gelato. I think it's better to just do your own website then using Etsy or Amazon if you are using POD. I don't believe in over saturating any platform with a bunch of garbage that wastes peoples time. Integrity is definitely one of the most important things in any business or life.
Great video! UA-cam needs more creators who are honest and ethical. You’ve probably saved someone £100s worth of mistakes when embarking on this business.
Thank you! I really hope so
What drives me nuts is they always assume any one Etsy seller who is making even a conservative 5% profit at 4k net per month has no other overhead and it's just pure profit.
We don't know how much of that profit goes to taxes or to paid ads.
Just because a listing does not appear as sponsored this "guru" has zero clue if the seller is running Google ads, Facebook ads, Pinterest ads or any combination thereof.
Many times when you see that volume of sales it's because you are either running ads and driving lots of traffic to your listings or you have built up a large audience over time through your own site and have collected tons of emails.
After factoring in ad spend that 4k he calculated could be down to 1k or less.
Nobody ever talks about the possibility of ad spend. 🤦♀️
Thanks for being so realistic, im currently starting a blog, trying to sell on ebay, and made a ebook on Amazon. Starting these income streams are hard, im still in High School and have a job as a CNA. However if I get more videos like these, it would make the process a whole lot smoother.
thank you!! i'll make sure to do that
My fellow highschool grinder 🔥🔥
This is the most honest conversation. You all speak honestly. I know it. I did this business. It's not an easy business
totally
Mark immediately lost me when he said he's run/sold million-dollar companies, yet he makes videos about POD. I suppose many folks DO have million-dollar POD businesses. But for a man with that apparent level of business skill, POD seems like small potatoes and wouldn't be worth his time.
My thoughts exactly!!!!
I don't think there's an issue with that. Lots of people have million dollar businesses and just enjoy the world of UA-cam. I don't think I'll ever give up with UA-cam, however rich I get. I don't get why he made this video for Gelato though, that confuses me
Agree!
@@shimmymorris1 I think he made the video because it was a big payday. That's the problem with the whole influencer game. Look at the way they work. A couple of years ago pitching crypto was the big thing, then it was NFTs, and lately it's AI. How many videos have you seen saying that you can make $10,000 or more per month by using AI to write a blog, create affiliate pitches, or even produce POD products, Total BS.
Bingo.
I’ve been watching you for 4+ years and love your content. Thank you for maintaining your integrity as you grow. I hope you find all the success bro. Keep up the good work.
thank you so much! really appreciate that
Thank you for your honesty! I have been doing POD for almost 3 years, and everything you say in this video is true. It is NOT passive for the most part, it is NOT easy and most of us will not make big money with it. But I am having fun with it and making a somewhat of a profit. And good designs DO matter!
Hi, after 3 years working in POD, how much money do you make a month and how much time do you work on it every day ? I'd like to start but I want to know if it's worth it
This is a well done video, Shimmy! It can be exhaustive, and frustrating to fight back against the unrealistic expectations and oversimplified narrative some of the 'guru's' put out there.
Thank you! I spend so much time telling people who ask me why it’s not working that the videos they’ve seen aren’t realistic representations of POD at all!
You are the first and only UA-camr I have heard say honestly in plain language that these print on demand providers do not offer free as advertised. Yes, it is free to make listings but once you get a sale like you said, if you don’t have money in your bank to cover the sales you’ve made, then you’re up the creek. But as many people as I have watched, talk about print on demand and how much money they make, they never ever say this. I simply learned by experience and I wondered how come all of the people who talk about all these sales that they have never talk about what it actually takes to get into the business.
Everything should be uncovered with this business so there's no surprises
Me and some other members was just talking about this in the hub. glad you made a video on it. as someone that just started my store in the last week, this has been one of the biggest issues, everyone says there making all this money but no one shows there store or stats on sales. no one goes into details about the hidden cost or shows all the programs you need to pay for in order to make designs. took me 100s of videos before i learned about SEO how much shipping is based on your location ect.
Ye it’s a lot more complicated than a 30 min video
@@shimmymorris1 agreed. but its better then nothing. atleast someone ppl will know more now.
I live in the UAE and have done for 30 years and I can tell you that this is seriously not possible! Thank you for pointing out the pit falls!
you're welcome!
I realised a while ago that all these "Make $10,000 a month with POD using Etsy" videos are a con. I'd be happy with a grand a month!
It’s possible! But a lot harder than his video suggests
I'd be happy with a sale. 🤣
Actually I had a 10k per month Etsy POD store but I worked like crazy. I mean like 20 hour days when I was off work from my part time job. All of the customer service expectations were crazy. I ended up closing my store because it was too much work.
@@howtoandwhatsnew couldn't you sell the store or get a business partner? 10k is money that may do not make on 9 to 5 jobs and would be happy to buy from you.
@@Nicole9_ He's obviously lying.
Bravo! I'm glad you're out there shining a light on the reality of POD. So many people are being attracted to POD thinking it's a get-rich-quick avenue that requires no effort, no time, and no talent. I think this video will save people from getting into POD with the wrong idea. Thanks!
it's definitely not a get rich quick business. but it does have a lot of potential. it's just hard and time consuming
Go on with this good work. There are too many people in the internet who do not tell the plain truth and push others to make wrong decisions
I just started with POD and you are right that it's not a passive income as there is a lot of research you need to do for every design and quote you use. The biggest obstacle will be traffic, no traffic no sales no matter how great your designs are and that is where I am stuck, no traffic. I promote on other SM platforms and I get very little if any traffic. At the moment paid traffic is out of the question.
Open your own website
Thanks for pointing this out with certain UA-camrs I would not watch that anyway, but I know a lot of people do and they might believe that this is possible but good to know. I am thinking of doing print on demand really soon here as well.
Great video. Would be great to see more like this. I have been down this Print on demand road several times, and spent a lot of time on hope, financial investment, and loss in finding out that a lot of these UA-cam influencer’s are misleading people because of greed. Please make more content like this to help others. Many thanks.
That's the one thing that pisses me off most about youtube, you should be required to say if your video is being sponsored by a company
Thanks for this @Shimmy! I love how honest you are. I am so disappointed to hear about Gelato and will think twice about using them from now on. But I have your Hub training to look forward to so I’m sure that all will be revealed!!
awesome!! Yes everything will be! Thanks for joining :D
Thank you so much for illustrating the profit margin nonsense. I wish people understood how much it actually costs with product price, shipping, fees, etc. Everyone thinks you make so much profit... it's frustrating. You explained it well. I subscribed to your channel because of that. Good work. I look forward to seeing more of your content.
Thank you!! Really appreciate that ☺️
I have given up with print on demand and one by one I've closed most of my accounts and the only one I have now is shopify but eventually I may close that one too . There's so much miss information about POD and bad advice , I have fallen for a lot of it myself and I'm exhausted with it .
Nice video, some solid points. Transparency is extremely important to me, I do everything I can to be as thorough as possible and avoid making big unrealistic claims. I'll endeavour to be even more analytical in the future.
Thank you for responding Mark I appreciate you seeing my points.
Honestly I’d like to talk print on demand with you. Or business in general. I’ve been watching a long time now.
My main concern with your video and the reason I made this was because of the inexperienced advice that would cause people to make a ton of blunders. It’s hard for me as I’ve been in this business for so long, I hate seeing people come into it with unrealistic expectations because they watched yours or someone else’s video where the facts just weren’t laid out.
(On a side note. You should really have sponsored content ticked for your video as we all know it was sponsored by gelato) considering transparency is so important.
I would suggest getting an expert on for your next POD video to give some advice regarding the business. It’ll give you a lot of integrity
you should start by clearly disclosing any sponsors of your videos
thanks for being sincere and for exposing this kind of scammers / scammy speech talking to beginners about duba and bugattis
And UA-cam does nothing about these fake youtubers.
He’s a legit guy and has a ton of awesome
Content. But ye it seems he strayed a bit from his lane in this video
I recently looked into starting an etsy shop and did a “free” consult. At the end of the 15 minutes of her employee sitting in what looked like a dorm room selling her course, she asked me was I ready to buy her $12,000 course. Oh, and to make it convenient for me, I could break it down into one of her payment plans…
Scammers… 🙄
Great video Shimmy, I have nothing against Mark, I love generally his content and I know he is a great businessman but when it comes to POD he doesn't have enough experience to teach anyone. I am a POD seller myself, on Amazon, Etsy, Shopify, and all the rest and I cannot agree more with what you said in this video. It's clear that Mark was paid to say what he said, and it's a shame. I hope he understands that if he continues like that he might risk losing his audience.
yes i hope he does because I do really enjoy his content!
thanks! I am having a problem with POD you tubers having conflicting advise. Not knowing who to trust at this point.
I hear you. There’s a lot of voices. It’s tough
I really liked the way you are highlighting the time frames. Many you tubers are doing videos and dripping them in by scheduling outdated content...because they can't be bothered to do a daily or weekly video and make it current... I love that your facts are current and real. Thanks 😊
Great video Shimmy. It got me watching the whole thing wanting to see what other wrong thing he was going to say next. Great job man! Thanks for letting people know what’s real.
thanks Juna! appreciate that :D
YES...this! They have almost cost me my shop and I'm LIVID! None will reply to you either when they misinform you and you question them about it.-April
no course they wont! they never respond
Is there any advice you could give from your struggles? What was the mistake that almost cost you your shop?
You are so right because I just recently saw a UA-camr that was talking about POD and she doesn’t even do it herself so she has no idea how to do it.
Ye it’s those people that annoy me. Trying to jump on the bandwagon
Finally. Someone with some common sense
Very smart im so glad you air this guy out 😂 I respect you buddy Im subscribing to your channel to be watching every single video you put out great content
I appreciate that! Thank you
Thank you, it annoys me so much the people promising POD is easy money.
i know! same, because it's really not
Thank you for making this! I see more and more people on UA-cam now whose only goal is to get views (and therefore $$) as a 'trusted expert'. They don't seem to care if they're misleading viewers, just make it seem as easy as possible. Fortunately, the more I learn, the easier it becomes to see the difference between those out for themselves and those who really want to help others.
yes totally!
1000 listings on Etsy is $200 min. Why is he not mentioning that? You are right he is being dishonest.
He does mention it after. But it’s certainly not free to start as he claims
@@shimmymorris1he suckers people in and then after the spiel he quietly points out you need to drop a couple hundred bucks. He is a content creator now not a business adviser guru.
I think a major problem is also that the average person does not have a lot of business sense (I.e running a business, hidden costs, taxes, etc), simply because they aren’t exposed to how a business runs, and so they fall into the trap of these videos and think these methods are easy/passive. It’s very easy to fall into this trap, especially if someone is unhappy with their current job.
mad respect for your transparency!!
thank you!
I actually did watch the video, and I did not get this impression at all. He was not saying that his POD stores made millions; he was saying that he knows a thing or two about business (and he does), so certain tips that he gives are from some kind of knowledge. I think some of the clips used in this video are out of context.
But, I also learned many things from you, too, so I appreciate your help.
yes i agree, but some of his POD "tips" were wrong and misleading which can confuse people
Finally, someone who posts a reasoned response on all those money grabbing passive income videos on POD! On spot, well done!
Glad you liked it!
The Shopify clowns are lying, too.
Guy also did a complete scam video in the KDP niche also. Was tempted to make a similar video - thanks for creating this!
KDP?
@@LetsGoChaseThatTrain Kindle Direct Publishing - was quite the thing for the "Easy Money" Gurus a few years back.
@@LetsGoChaseThatTrainAmazon Kindle Direct Publishing. Bits it not just Kindle publications. They print paperbacks and hardback books on demand. Like POD but with books. I'm working on a colouring book for kdp now.
@@LetsGoChaseThatTrain Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. It's POD for paperbacks and hardbacks. I'm working on my first colouring book to publish on Amazon kdp.
There’s a lot unfortunately
Pod is not passive income! You cant just sit around and money rolls in. You are 💯 % correct.
The first is do the foot work and set passive income as the end goal. I am very picky of the work I do and I’ll be putting pride on the product I’ll be selling. “No none would do job as you except to be done”
Thanks for the video shimmy i was thinking of doing print on demand you've opened my eyes a lot😅
i still think it's a great business model
All UA-camrs and 'Guru's' should be as transparent as Shimmy's glasses! Another great, common-sense video - thanks a million Shimmy.
hahaha! it's my sophisticated look! but also ads a blue tint to my face! glad you liked the video
One other thing - the sites that show the data on each listing, don't take into account the store sale. So if the mug is on "sale" for 20% off, the actual sales price won't be the number they used to calculate profit for a listing - such as that mug. So that number can appear as much as 50% (or more) higher than the real amount of revenue.
I have seen so many of these guys (Alura, the etsy data mining tool, showcases a lot too). I am a constant skeptic as it always sounds to good to be true. Though a few youtubers do seem to show more behind the scenes which is intriguing and feels more honest than the others. Great vid
I value authenticity above all else. This guy really makes me cringe. Thank you for sharing this video and for being so genuine and authentic.
you're welcome. his other content is really good
Shimmy, you just gained an avid follower- integrity is gold. Thanks!
Thank you so much! Really appreciate that
Thank you for bringing some value to the creative process and all the technical and nonsense that you have to go through just to put up a T-shirt and design it and do all the work. I’m glad you’re making people realize that it is a lot of work sometimes it doesn’t even feel like it’s worth it for the amount of profit. You make a good video.
thank you!
thank you for the transparency!
Thank you very much, wish more people like you would call out these people, unfortunately some of them start very honest but after just few months they run out of topic to talk about to make videos, so they start lying
Thank you Shimmy for your reviewing the video.
I just got a Gelato advert on your midroll. Right as you said "there is a problem with them doing dodgy youtube sponsors" hahahahahaha
oh lord i just watched his video and I have watched yours..THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING THE THINGS CLEAR AND REALISTIC
Your welcome ☺️
I think you saved me a lot of hassle here brother. I’ve been following Mark for the last few months and like you mention in the video his content is enjoyable. I’m an amateur photographer who loves heading out and snapping beautiful landscapes and after watching Mr Tilbury he had the dollar (GBP 😅) signs rolling in my eyes. Here I am with a few print ideas uploaded to Gelato and in the process of linking my Etsy I just completely gave up. His timelapse clips make everything look so straight forward when uploading to websites etc. anyways I’ve already had second thoughts and this vid has confirmed that I’m just not cut out for the hassle of POD. I feel like I should research Shopify before completely giving up but thank you so much for the insight about Mark. I defo’s felt the ‘paid sponsor’ vibe with those passive income videos.
i agree, if you use some pod platforms you can reduce the workload, but not extenguish it
there's still a ton of workload for sure
I started this video a bit annoyed that you'd targeted Mark and assumed that you just misunderstood but now I've seen you break it down you make some great points, amazing content and well-presented
I watched his video last night and I saw a lot of discrepancies too. I’m a POD seller and his video made no sense and even made me angry. Thanks for calling him out.
Yup a ton!
none of them show their store or provide a link to the store where you can buy
who?
Your honesty won me. Keep it up
thank you!
Personally, when I watched his video, I didn't assume print on demand was one of his streams of income. However, hearing your perspective of his video was really helpful because of the large amount of misinformation in this side of social media.
I literally just watched this video yesterday. Thank you so much shimmy!
Exactly, as you mentioned, there's no proof that they made it, if a creator made something and used it in a tutorial, he'd put it in the description for people to support him.
Erm I dunno though. I never post my pod products because I know they’d get ripped off in seconds.
It’s hard to share certain things as it’s important to keep some details private
THANK YOU SO MUCH for being honest!! 🙏
Shimmy...thank you for this vid...also watched his , but felt very irritated by so much of what he was saying....so glad you pointed all this out. He says its easy....IT IS NOT!!!!!!
Shimmy thanks for the content. I literally just finished watching his video and am now a new subscriber to your channel. My wife and I would love to start a print-on-demand business but have a couple questions. Should we start by first creating an LLC? What POD options would you recommend?
You're welcome! Thanks for subbing! You don't need an LLC, but it is helpful if you want to ake this further. I would stay with some training of some sort so you know what to do. Then it's finding a niche, finding designs, connecting to a printing partner, making a brand, uploading designs to a store front, driving traffic and getting sales... this is very simply put
@shimmymorris1 thanks for the reply. We appreciate the guidance! Eager to get started.
He, like others, realises that you can feed your audience whatever and they will believe it....Not only they will believe it but they won't question and the easier you present it to them the more they think it'sall possible and true!!! People don't even use their mind to think anymore.
I just want people to read and enjoy my books and stories. It’s hard enough to get a sale or to not have someone steal your name or ideas.
100%... I hate the Gildan 5000 ... if you can use AS colour, try the Staple tee, and see the difference!
Thank you Shimmy for taking the time to debunk these myths around POD. I love your attention and depth of analysis.
Glad you like them! Really appreciate that
I work from 7 am til at least 7 pm EVERYDAY of the week, that's not passive lol-April
Thank you so much for this video! It’s amazing that you told the truth as it is! ❤️
Thank you for this. Very necessary information.
You’re welcome. Glad you liked it
@@shimmymorris1 Very helpful. I see too many videos about how easy / passive Etsy is.
I print ts, sleeves, tags, direct to garment, and heat press. I’m quite curious what’s going on here…
Thank you for making this video. I did recently watch Mark's video and I then started looking into having a Print On Demand shop. I wont be doing the print on demand business now.
It’s still a good business model. And I do recommend it for sure. Just make sure you’re getting advice from the right people. There’s a lot of good POD UA-camrs out there
@shimmymorris1 can you recommend me some please.
It's weird (and wrong) that UA-camrs try to sell POD as passive income!
Passive income would be like creating a digital book or an app. You create it once and walk away. There's no returns to deal with so it's as close to passive as one can get. Yes, you still work, but you don't have to lose time as youbdo with physical returns and customer service.
Great video. Another one needs to be made on people who are looking to get rich off of minimal efforts and shortcuts! Spam your way to success.
The ones who lack creativity, discipline and enduring persistence often fail or give up in a few months or a year without trying new ways or minor tweaks.
I see people fail all because they won't read! These same people will upload videos calling the whole thing a scam! If I opened a cake shop and it failed, I wouldn't call cake shops a scam lol. Theres so many factors involved.
You make very nice videos, Shimmy. One day, I'll tell you a funny story about your name 😊
The only way to make that kind of money that fast is to sell trademarked designs... and it's not worth it. You'll get caught and lose everything you have and everything you ever hoped to have.
In his defence he never said own a bugatti he said drive lol😅
Love your honesty! Thank you very much!
You are so welcome!
Thanks for your content! Do you have a review for Hello Custom?
Great Video - just wanting to sell printed artwork and looking into it. Yeah the AI , sloppy design - it needs to be cool but its not. I am looking at some more of your vids to save some time and head in the right direction. Thanks for your honesty!
Kudos to you for making this 👏
Great video! I also like Mark but it is pretty clear he doesn't have much of a clue about pod
ye same! I really enjoy his stuff, but this video just frustrated me! people see through BS so easily these days
Unfollowing mark😉
Love your videos, I started looking at your videos because I'm thinking about setting up a shop to sell my wife's art , as print on demand etc , number of art work is limited but is suitable for prints , mugs and clothing , so any tips would be helpful or a pointer to your videos for me to watch, keep up the great work .
nice one! good luck with it. You should join our free community, that'll give you some ideas as to where to get started :D
I got a Gelato ad watching this lol
Hahaha
it's essential for new entrepreneurs to differentiate between realistic guidance and flashy, unrealistic promises. Always vet the credentials and actual experience of those who offer advice, ensuring they have a track record of genuine success. 👍
for sure!
Thanks for your nice work. I don’t watch those gurus videos anymore.
glad you like the videos! thanks for watching
@@shimmymorris1 I don’t do print on demand business I know it is hard for people to make money you can check the money or the profit you make per shirt.
Hey man. Great video. Very informative. Thanks a lot and cheers!
you're welcome!
I salute your transparency! I do agree, there are VERY many of these videos which are kind of misleading. You can make it big, but not as a side hustle. If you keep it as a side hustle, it can bring in some nice dollars (or pounds ;)), especially if you actually enjoy your niche, but don't expect that Bugatti xD.
Thank you! I do think you can make it your main income. There’s no reason why POD can’t be big. It’s a normal business and like any business if it’s given time and attention there’s absolutely no ceiling for growth