Thank you for this! It helps but I need to know- what do you use to get your eyes to stand out so beautifully like this. It can't just be the lighting- I have perfect lighting and a great camera and I'd love for my eye color (which is green) to stand out. What are you doing in your video editing? Please share- it makes a huge difference, as people feel more connected when listening. Thanks!
Perhaps there are no secret editing techniques in use? In prior videos the creator has worn glasses; if he is wearing contact lenses in this video it might magnify the eye allowing the eye color to stand out more.
This is why you’re the best. You’re very realistic and tell it like it is. Print on demand is the process. Can you imagine what it was like back in the day when you had to test designs by buying the inventory and hoping it takes off? 😮
I created my shop thanks to your videos, and my approach is to create while having fun, if I manage to make sales so much the better, I try to create while improving myself and always with the idea of having fun. If one day it brings me an additional income, thank you to your videos
That graphic with the 115 dots - that was a HUGE eye opener! Been thinking something’s wrong because I listed so many designs that fell flat. But that graphic made me so happy!! This is normal ! I took a screenshot , gonna print it and place it by my computer as encouragement. No lie! Thank you ❤
I’m not a print on demand dude, and don’t know anything about it, but I’m glad I saw this video, because you are an authentic, realistic and practical UA-camr. There aren’t enough of you!!! Thank you.
HEY SHIMMY !! EACH AND EVERY POINT STATED IN THIS VIDEO IS TRUE AND PRACTICAL . YOU WERE SPEAKING MY MIND..I'VE BEEN IN THIS BIZ FOR AN YEAR AND A HALF NOW WITH NOT MUCH SUCCESS BECAUSE I FOLLOWED WHAT I SHOULDN'T HAVE BUT I DON'T BLAME ANYONE FOR THAT AS THE IDEA OF FINANCIAL FREEDOM (" PASSIVE INCOME") IS EXTREMELY TEMPTING FOR EVERYONE. MOST OF US HAVE TAKEN THE PLUNGE WITHOUT MUCH RESEARCH AND ARE CONFUSED OR DISAPPOINTED NOW. THE PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE AND CORRECT INFORMATION IS SO MUCH SCATTERED ON UA-cam. PLUS, WE ARE SO DRIVEN BY NUMBERS THAT WE OFTEN IGNORE THE TREASURE TROVES ONLY BCZ THERE ARE NOT MUCH VIEWS AND SUBSCRIBERS ETC. YOU DESERVE MORE SUBSCRIBERS AND HERE IS YOUR NEW ONE.
You speak the truth. I have been doing pod for about 5 years and it really took me 2 yrs to start making good money. I have had a ton of failed designs but I do have some winners. What helped me was selling other products like mugs, blankets poster etc where the profit margin is better than T-shirts. That's why a lot of people quit it takes a year or more to start making good money. Thanks for the great video.
Have u run into a lot of people stealing your design as is...?? I'm not talking about people copying. I feel like it comes with pod, I don't get those panic attacks anymore when I see a store selling my design..I just roll my eyes, get moving and think about reporting them ..but then I feel like it's too much work ..when I first did that on Etsy Im pretty sure I almost reported myself ...as for temu and amazon and private store..it's almost impossible to report it bc they ask for registration number which i dont have. Bc I just come up with new designs that no one has out there
How long does it take on average to make your first sale, what methods are implemented to make that first sale? I recently started an etsy shop print on demand, but only have a few shirts in it, I was wondering what avenues I should take to try to start making sales, even if only a few sales a week, it would be better than 0.
@@shawnsampson4065 it depends on the design. If I remember correctly it was a few months for my first sale. I would price it low maybe make a few bucks so I could get sales . That helps the algorithm in Etsy and you get bumped up in the search results. Once I get some tracking I raise the price to make a profit. I offer free shipping and that has worked for. The key here is don't give up! It may seem like you are going no ware but it just takes time. Make sure you have good titles seo is key for people to find you. Hope this helps
@@blissessentials524 that's part of the pod business china rips off my designs all the time. It not worth the time or effort I just move on to the next it's all you can do.
I’m always glad when people are honest about what it takes and what it looks like realistically. I started in mid 2021 and this year I might finally be in the six figure profit range but it took a lot to get here and it’s continued effort. It is not passive. While I have a completely flexible schedule, I also treat this like a job. If I did not, I don’t think I’d be making anywhere near as much. In the beginning you have to be willing to work for nothing for a while.
Thank you for this post. I started a POD business about 4 months ago and have found EVERYTHING you were talking about to be true. I've had one sale so far but am determined to turn my business into a profitable one. Thank you for solidifying what I have been finding out to be true on my own.
New follower! You're telling it like it is. I love this. Taking off the rose colored glasses dished out from other POD UA-camrs is the best thing for anyone looking to delve into the world of POD. 2 thumbs up!
Thank you, what you said in this video is the absolute truth, I experienced it myself, the only thing is if you have help and someone helps you, then you can upload designs on many platforms and it brings profit, but if you work alone, then yes, you are not a robot and cannot embrace the immensity!
Some platforms will take your design, use inferior product to produce your design and then you get a red mark. Red Bubble's gold, just does not stick to the mug I'm told. Quality does matter.
Subscribed! Mainly for the honest, no BS approach... also fantastic public-schoolboy accent. I haven't actually started my venture into POD yet, but this was definitely an eye-opening intro. I also liked the dot matrix, which puts the success or failure rate into perspective, and shows how much perseverance you need to get through the initial knock-backs.
In my humble opinion, I don't think there is any passive income. You always have to do something actively to create a fluid income. Even if it's just analyzing.
At this point you re the only one i watch in terms of POD Authority. You talk about the ugly but necessary truths and realities of this type of business which makes you incredibily relatable. Ive just made a Shopify store and signed up for Printify lastnight. I know its gonna be a hella long road and havent even gotten to the logistics of it, the price calculations the SEO the email marketing. None of that do i have experience with but i am learning now because POD is what i want to do and master. Thanks to your videos my motivation will not be crushed like a snowflake everytime there s a bump in the road or it feels like im failing. Cause failing is still progress. Thanks for your content and inspiration ❤
Thanks. Three years into my own struggling stores. Lots of failure. But my persistence is greater. I keep learning, and trying again. Tons of mistakes, but all of them are different, so I count the process as a Win.
6:23 totally agree! no such thing as passive income... even property requires work. even if it were selling a book, creating it takes tremendous effort, and then you have to keep up the correspondence with the fans... so anything requires effort to create and maintain
Investments are traditionally referred to as passive income. This includes stocks, mutual funds, futures, Bitcoin, and anything else where you put up the money and someone else makes it work. It's amusing to hear eCommerce dropshippers refer to their work as passive income.
@@StopTheWorld65 yes i guess so, however a lot of investments take months of investigating, plus the constant worry of losing that money. I wouldn't say that's passive income, I would say that's a headache haha. I'm saying this as someone who is invested in all those things... I wish it was passive and I could genuinely forget about it
Thank you for being real. As a professional typist, creative passion and computer savvy it is extremely time consuming. You are right. I have started in various passive income niches and have not made any sales as yet. But I know it’s going to take research and time.
I'm so glad I found your channel. I put off POD for years but finally my friend got sick of me talking about it & said "JUST DO IT!" So I did last November. I think my designs are unique & original (all hand drawn) but my sales have been slow. I keep trying everything. You've definitely given me encouragement & good advice! Thanks so much! I'm going to subscribe & share this video with my friend that encouraged me. LMK if you want my link to my shop to give me an honest opinion on my creations. 😉
"You will have to fail a lot to create successful designs." This sentence brings up the level of trust for obvious reasons. And - when I get to those inevitable failures, I will be less likely to quit, because you said that. Being normal is a nice feeling.
Thank you for being honest ! You nailed it , no one really talks about reality. No one had actually made any video on step by step how to actually how to start. Like really STEP by STEP. Would love to you do one. Appreciate sharing your experience.
I wish that one was true. Shall I share a screenshot of my UA-cam ad revenue. Spoiler. I lose money every month on these videos when you factor in the expense to actually make them
BUT the channel helps you market your online stores my dude! Having an audience motivates people to support you especially if they feel you give them value through your content. It's the best kind of monetization pipeline! I think it's very morally sound for what's available these days@@shimmymorris1
Thank you for this. I actually created my POD store, haven't had any sales because I haven't had money to pay for ads. I was thinking of adding some more designs but was feeling discouraged. Your video has reminded me that its a long game. So I'll try again
I've been on Zazzle since 2009 and I probably sell the same 20 designs over and over. When I sell a design that's never been sold before, it's just weirdly exciting.
I love this level-setting video. It's so much better to approach this or any business with a realistic attitude. It's gonna be a slog until you get enough experience by working hard at it. I don't actually know of any "easy" business. Everything will test you.
I absolutely LOVE your content and watch most of your videos. I would like to see a video where you explain how you start a POD store from start to finish. Including paid traffic, how much you pay and how / where you market. If you have such a video, please will you direct me? How do you get your shops to be so successful so early? How do you stay ahead of the competition?
Good video, i agree. Another lie: You get a tier up as soon as you have reached your sales for amazon merch. It took me 3 YEARS to get the tier up to T100. Enough sales, no returns. Amazon didn't care. Thats some other truths out there.
Print on demand is so difficult because hundreds of thousands of people are doing it now. And youtubers told them to make a thousand listings flooding the marketplace with junk, and diluting any chance for new shop sales to be found. Absolutley do not go make hundreds of designs it's ruining it and it doesn't work.
First time viewing your channel great down to earth honest advice. I have had a Etsy digital download store for over a year now and it has become a 5 figure business. I am looking to scale and add my designs to physical products but not sure on what I should do in regards to returns? As a UK seller like yourself, I just wondered what obstacles you faced selling overseas in regards to returns on POD items. Thank you
Love your videos! Yes, my sales won’t be buying me a house, but all my ‘spinning plates’ of many other creative activities add up to enough to make it worth doing, and it is fun designing and concocting ideas. I advise people to study guerrilla marketing, copywriting, sales psychology, product photography so you don’t end up with outdated techniques and stock photos that look the same as other sellers
It seems many folks are leaving out the human factor. Shimmy, by sharing the things he does, is creating community, helping us sort out the reliable info from the misleading stuff and meanwhile enjoying the process because that's who he is. I salute him for that. We're getting so suspicious and quibbling with each other these days, it obscures our vision from seeing value and being grateful sometimes.
Great video dude. lol crazy how many designs I have up or have taken down from Merch over the years. Thousandsssssss. And majority of sales are only the smallest percentage of what I’ve uploaded. Different for everyone. But yea, majority of what you put up will not sell
Great insights on the real hustle behind print-on-demand success! 🚀 Emphasizing the importance of experimentation and resilience in design selection truly underscores what it takes to thrive in this dynamic market.
How about taxes settings sales permits ? They are headache, how do you deal with returns ? Have you ever try to make a collab? How do you approach to someone to do that ?
Possibly my favorite video from you. Many of the lies mentioned here are the ones continually being parroted by Greg Gottfried and I'm glad you debunked them.
Yesss! My thoughts exactly. I’ve been commenting on his stuff lately calling him out but he ignores them. Its creators like that that really frustrates me because he clearly doesn’t do it and is just pushing an impossible dream with Redbubble and teepublic!
@@shimmymorris1 I'm so glad to see this comment! I was totally taken in by him and his nice guy act only to realise his content is just a sales funnel for his affiliate links and courses. He either doesn't know or intentionally hides the real details of being a POD seller. I call him out in his comment section too and he deletes them.
good design is on the eyes of the beholder, what's ugly for you maybe awesome for others, what's great for you, may not be so for others, also everything is on the right time and on the right place. I have design sold after 5 years. my first sale is after 6 months back then, Print on Demand is NOT for everyone, products and designs can all be seasonal. people also buy base on economy and mood, even if you have good designs, if they don't have money, they can't buy from you, Store traction is another problem, it takes time for search engine algorithm to catch up on your product.
When you do ads for your Shopify store how do you get "marketing experts" to stop messaging you and wasting your time? Also what social media platform is best to drive traffic to a Shopify Store?
Thank you for video. There is lack of truth on youtube. Most of the money was made during pandemic. We are in a new world now. Discernment will dominate the landscape for next few years. Be selective on videos your clicking on.
The ONLY thing I don’t like about this wonderful video is the thumbnail image. The text in the image is a bit clickbaity. But the rest of it is perfect.
Hey Shimmy, can you do a video on how to do pod (or other ways to make money) in the US as a UK seller? What r the pitfalls … how to avoid them, how to practically set it up, how to get paid etc……??? 🙏🏼❣️
Couple of questions about the Shopify store: 1) Did you or are you doing SEO? I've read that most don't which surprised me. I know it's a long term investment, but it seems worth it. 2) Do you have as much problems with design theft on Shopify? I know all the platforms have tools that show the trending designs which is basically a shopping cart for design thieves. My guess is it's not as bad but I could be wrong. (ok you just answered it while I was typing this!) :P Thanks for the video!
Another great video. This time, busting the myths around POD. I'm about to launch my store ans you have been an inspiration to me while getting started. As a UK-based seller, I'm struggling with how best to sell internationally, especially to the US. Fulfill from the UK and ship internationally (bad customer experience with customs fees, etc?), or use a US-based print provider and work out how to handle taxes, etc. Might make a good subject for a future video?
that's a great topic and a lot of people have been asking me about it recently. What platform are you selling on? that'll help with the how-to. also a side note, this question has been asked a few time in the community, if you're not already in it, you should totally join :D
@@shimmymorris1 I’m planning on using Printify integrated with a Shopify store. It feels like international shipping from the UK to the US is easier for me but I’m worried about a poor customer experience if any customs duties, tax, etc need to be dealt with by the recipients
The threshold at which Americans have to pay customs duties and tax is much much higher than it is for the uk. It’s like USD$800. You’re unlikely to have to worry about that. Where you fall down is shipping cost. Americans aren’t used to paying the kinds of shipping costs the rest of the world is.
But the pod realms are all different or aren't they? Surely some are more passive and some people just want a big of extra money not thinking they'll get 5 figures?
Tip so robbers think twice when stealing design is add your logo and brand name on a design that is hard to edit they can just save file and put on shirt
I've stopped worrying about that. The pod platforms are just holding bins and payment providers for your product. If there are 10 copies of a design all on the same platform, the bulk of the sales will go to the seller who drives their own traffic using free social media marketing or paid ads. I'm not a fan of paid ads. Anyway, the bottom line is to drive your own sales and don't worry about competition. This is true for Etsy too. The so-called "built-in traffic" barely does anything.
Good info here. I noticed that you used the term "failed designs" a few times. and it got me wondering. Do you mean complete failures", like not even one sale ever? Or are you talking about designs that never get popular, but maybe make a sale or two here or there? I would love to know what the stats generally are on your "failed designs". THANKS
If you're spending a few hundred bucks and you're not getting sales there's something wrong with your designs most likely. But there can be many factors. Price, website, design, niche, etc
Thank you soo much shimmy for such valuable videos. I wanted to make good designs but I was confused on one thing that are simple text graphic designs are more sellable or high graphic & template designs are better? and should I continue with free tools like canva or should I go for paid design tools as I want to level up the game? Can you please advice me !
Hey Simple text works just as well as graphics if not better. You can use whatever tool you find easiest. The quality of the tool won't make a difference on sales. My biggest selling design could literally have been made on anything, it's more about the design idea than the way it's made
I heard you briefly mentioned that shopify is safer than etsy...do you have a video on why this is? Is it more to do with having you own platform (so WordPress incl)?
Hey Shimmy, from absolute scratch, as a top level conceptual creative and designer, happy to work full time and invest as much money as needed, is it realistic to make say 10k a month profit with a POD shopify store. I have no prior experience - but I am a globally awarded advertising copywriter and art director. Cheers, nick
hey Nick. With that attitude, yes anything is possible for sure. It's a lot of work, and it's hard work. But being open to really working hard on it, I have no doubts anyone could make it work. The way you approach the business is the most important element and you sound very positive.
@@Onlylovelystuff hmm depends how fast you work. Realistically you could be up and running in 4 weeks or less if you’re going at it full time. Then it’s about testing and finding winning designs. Hitting 10k profit is around 30k revenue. Those are the aims. Depending on your marketing budget and how much you’re willing to test. + how good your designs are… I wouldn’t say 3 months is impossible. But hard. 6 months is much more realistic. But again. Depends on how quickly you can get up and running
Got a question for you ! If you have 2 creatives in an Ad that are not performing and you are going to switch one off. One has 10k impressions and no clicks and the other has 500 impressions and no clicks. Which one do you switch off and why ? Both have been running for the same amount of time.
if one has 10k impressions and no clicks then something would be wrong so i would turn that off. Has the ad got any comments, or anything.. it's strange to have no clicks from that number of impressions. The 500 impression ad sounds like it's still early days. It has probably spent far less
@@shimmymorris1 The reason I've been unsure is the 10k one is getting traffic to website but not converting. I've got a few with high impressions that have this profile. I switch them off and traffic disappears.
Wel...... There is no such thing as "passive income" even if you are a millionaire you will have to work somehow. The term "passive income" is used as a hook for losers. They will never achieve glory with that mentality. Excellent video as always!
Have you seen your designs copied on Walmart website? It’s a thing. Overseas peeps are getting approval to be sellers on Walmart and just stealing every design on Amazon and pasting it onto Walmarts website for $10.99 of course it ships from overseas. I’ve seen a lot of my top sellers on it.
Have you joined the free Print-on-demand community yet? It's really awesome! --> www.skool.com/podexperts/about
Thank you for this! It helps but I need to know- what do you use to get your eyes to stand out so beautifully like this. It can't just be the lighting- I have perfect lighting and a great camera and I'd love for my eye color (which is green) to stand out. What are you doing in your video editing? Please share- it makes a huge difference, as people feel more connected when listening. Thanks!
Perhaps there are no secret editing techniques in use? In prior videos the creator has worn glasses; if he is wearing contact lenses in this video it might magnify the eye allowing the eye color to stand out more.
This is why you’re the best. You’re very realistic and tell it like it is. Print on demand is the process. Can you imagine what it was like back in the day when you had to test designs by buying the inventory and hoping it takes off? 😮
aw thank you so much! Really appreciate that!
I created my shop thanks to your videos, and my approach is to create while having fun, if I manage to make sales so much the better, I try to create while improving myself and always with the idea of having fun. If one day it brings me an additional income, thank you to your videos
that's amazing! nice going! Thank you so much for the kind comment!
@@martinsanders1283😊
I'm interested, how have you been doing? You made any sales yet?
@@09WigginsL unfortunately no
Great summary of a lot of common misinformation floating around in the pod space. Good job Shimmy!
Thanks Philip!
That graphic with the 115 dots - that was a HUGE eye opener! Been thinking something’s wrong because I listed so many designs that fell flat. But that graphic made me so happy!! This is normal ! I took a screenshot , gonna print it and place it by my computer as encouragement. No lie! Thank you ❤
I'm so glad!!
That graphic is great, it informs your expectations
I’m not a print on demand dude, and don’t know anything about it, but I’m glad I saw this video, because you are an authentic, realistic and practical UA-camr. There aren’t enough of you!!! Thank you.
thank you so much! really appreciate that
HEY SHIMMY !! EACH AND EVERY POINT STATED IN THIS VIDEO IS TRUE AND PRACTICAL . YOU WERE SPEAKING MY MIND..I'VE BEEN IN THIS BIZ FOR AN YEAR AND A HALF NOW WITH NOT MUCH SUCCESS BECAUSE I FOLLOWED WHAT I SHOULDN'T HAVE BUT I DON'T BLAME ANYONE FOR THAT AS THE IDEA OF FINANCIAL FREEDOM (" PASSIVE INCOME") IS EXTREMELY TEMPTING FOR EVERYONE. MOST OF US HAVE TAKEN THE PLUNGE WITHOUT MUCH RESEARCH AND ARE CONFUSED OR DISAPPOINTED NOW. THE PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE AND CORRECT INFORMATION IS SO MUCH SCATTERED ON UA-cam. PLUS, WE ARE SO DRIVEN BY NUMBERS THAT WE OFTEN IGNORE THE TREASURE TROVES ONLY BCZ THERE ARE NOT MUCH VIEWS AND SUBSCRIBERS ETC. YOU DESERVE MORE SUBSCRIBERS AND HERE IS YOUR NEW ONE.
wow thank you so much! really appreciate that.
You speak the truth. I have been doing pod for about 5 years and it really took me 2 yrs to start making good money. I have had a ton of failed designs but I do have some winners. What helped me was selling other products like mugs, blankets poster etc where the profit margin is better than T-shirts. That's why a lot of people quit it takes a year or more to start making good money. Thanks for the great video.
you're welcome!! thanks for commenting. It's nice to hear you're now getting sales with POD and it's working for you
Have u run into a lot of people stealing your design as is...?? I'm not talking about people copying. I feel like it comes with pod, I don't get those panic attacks anymore when I see a store selling my design..I just roll my eyes, get moving and think about reporting them ..but then I feel like it's too much work ..when I first did that on Etsy Im pretty sure I almost reported myself ...as for temu and amazon and private store..it's almost impossible to report it bc they ask for registration number which i dont have. Bc I just come up with new designs that no one has out there
How long does it take on average to make your first sale, what methods are implemented to make that first sale? I recently started an etsy shop print on demand, but only have a few shirts in it, I was wondering what avenues I should take to try to start making sales, even if only a few sales a week, it would be better than 0.
@@shawnsampson4065 it depends on the design. If I remember correctly it was a few months for my first sale. I would price it low maybe make a few bucks so I could get sales . That helps the algorithm in Etsy and you get bumped up in the search results. Once I get some tracking I raise the price to make a profit. I offer free shipping and that has worked for. The key here is don't give up! It may seem like you are going no ware but it just takes time. Make sure you have good titles seo is key for people to find you. Hope this helps
@@blissessentials524 that's part of the pod business china rips off my designs all the time. It not worth the time or effort I just move on to the next it's all you can do.
I’m always glad when people are honest about what it takes and what it looks like realistically. I started in mid 2021 and this year I might finally be in the six figure profit range but it took a lot to get here and it’s continued effort. It is not passive. While I have a completely flexible schedule, I also treat this like a job. If I did not, I don’t think I’d be making anywhere near as much. In the beginning you have to be willing to work for nothing for a while.
Thank you for this post. I started a POD business about 4 months ago and have found EVERYTHING you were talking about to be true. I've had one sale so far but am determined to turn my business into a profitable one. Thank you for solidifying what I have been finding out to be true on my own.
New follower! You're telling it like it is. I love this. Taking off the rose colored glasses dished out from other POD UA-camrs is the best thing for anyone looking to delve into the world of POD. 2 thumbs up!
Wow thank you so much!!
Thank you, what you said in this video is the absolute truth, I experienced it myself, the only thing is if you have help and someone helps you, then you can upload designs on many platforms and it brings profit, but if you work alone, then yes, you are not a robot and cannot embrace the immensity!
thanks for commenting! it's always easier with other peoples help. that's one of the main reasons why i built the community
Some platforms will take your design, use inferior product to produce your design and then you get a red mark. Red Bubble's gold, just does not stick to the mug I'm told. Quality does matter.
Subscribed! Mainly for the honest, no BS approach... also fantastic public-schoolboy accent. I haven't actually started my venture into POD yet, but this was definitely an eye-opening intro. I also liked the dot matrix, which puts the success or failure rate into perspective, and shows how much perseverance you need to get through the initial knock-backs.
I really appreciate your transparency. Thank You 🙏
You’re so welcome!
So glad to finally hear someone say this!!! POD is NOT Passive! If you treat it as passive, you can't expect much out of it at all.
exactly!
In my humble opinion, I don't think there is any passive income. You always have to do something actively to create a fluid income. Even if it's just analyzing.
I have been feeling very discouraged in my POD journey and am excited to have found your channel. Thanks for the practical advice.
You are so welcome!
At this point you re the only one i watch in terms of POD Authority. You talk about the ugly but necessary truths and realities of this type of business which makes you incredibily relatable. Ive just made a Shopify store and signed up for Printify lastnight. I know its gonna be a hella long road and havent even gotten to the logistics of it, the price calculations the SEO the email marketing. None of that do i have experience with but i am learning now because POD is what i want to do and master. Thanks to your videos my motivation will not be crushed like a snowflake everytime there s a bump in the road or it feels like im failing. Cause failing is still progress. Thanks for your content and inspiration ❤
Thanks. Three years into my own struggling stores. Lots of failure. But my persistence is greater. I keep learning, and trying again. Tons of mistakes, but all of them are different, so I count the process as a Win.
6:23 totally agree! no such thing as passive income... even property requires work. even if it were selling a book, creating it takes tremendous effort, and then you have to keep up the correspondence with the fans... so anything requires effort to create and maintain
yes exactly!
Investments are traditionally referred to as passive income. This includes stocks, mutual funds, futures, Bitcoin, and anything else where you put up the money and someone else makes it work. It's amusing to hear eCommerce dropshippers refer to their work as passive income.
@@StopTheWorld65 yes i guess so, however a lot of investments take months of investigating, plus the constant worry of losing that money. I wouldn't say that's passive income, I would say that's a headache haha. I'm saying this as someone who is invested in all those things... I wish it was passive and I could genuinely forget about it
Thank you for being real. As a professional typist, creative passion and computer savvy it is extremely time consuming. You are right. I have started in various passive income niches and have not made any sales as yet. But I know it’s going to take research and time.
Like i said before, You're probably one of the only youtubers who is sincere and honest about the print on demand business. 👍
wow thank you so so much!
I'm so glad I found your channel. I put off POD for years but finally my friend got sick of me talking about it & said "JUST DO IT!" So I did last November. I think my designs are unique & original (all hand drawn) but my sales have been slow. I keep trying everything. You've definitely given me encouragement & good advice! Thanks so much! I'm going to subscribe & share this video with my friend that encouraged me. LMK if you want my link to my shop to give me an honest opinion on my creations. 😉
nice oneeeee! Glad you persevered. Feel free to DM in the free group. I think if you keep going you'll go far!
"You will have to fail a lot to create successful designs." This sentence brings up the level of trust for obvious reasons. And - when I get to those inevitable failures, I will be less likely to quit, because you said that. Being normal is a nice feeling.
Thank you for being honest ! You nailed it , no one really talks about reality. No one had actually made any video on step by step how to actually how to start. Like really STEP by STEP. Would love to you do one. Appreciate sharing your experience.
Lie number 371 - print on demand is more profitable and easier than making videos about print on demand 🤣
I wish that one was true. Shall I share a screenshot of my UA-cam ad revenue.
Spoiler. I lose money every month on these videos when you factor in the expense to actually make them
BUT the channel helps you market your online stores my dude! Having an audience motivates people to support you especially if they feel you give them value through your content. It's the best kind of monetization pipeline! I think it's very morally sound for what's available these days@@shimmymorris1
@@shimmymorris1 maybe you doing is wrong than.
@@Alex-nj4xk who knows
So then do you use YT as advertising, because it it's not bringing in any revenue it's a waste of time and time is.....$.
Thank you for your honesty. I started my pod business a week ago and i'm already thinking of quitting.
Oh gosh! You should watch my latest video
Yes its always lot of work putting up a net shop and crap when people say on UA-cam “ little work and passive” LOT to know and find out.
Thank you for this. I actually created my POD store, haven't had any sales because I haven't had money to pay for ads. I was thinking of adding some more designs but was feeling discouraged. Your video has reminded me that its a long game. So I'll try again
nice one!! :D glad i could help
@@shimmymorris1 👍
You have no idea how much you helped me... just subscribed. Finally a sane channel on this niche
I've been on Zazzle since 2009 and I probably sell the same 20 designs over and over. When I sell a design that's never been sold before, it's just weirdly exciting.
That's good you're getting sales though, even if it's just the same designs :D
I love this level-setting video. It's so much better to approach this or any business with a realistic attitude. It's gonna be a slog until you get enough experience by working hard at it. I don't actually know of any "easy" business. Everything will test you.
I absolutely LOVE your content and watch most of your videos. I would like to see a video where you explain how you start a POD store from start to finish. Including paid traffic, how much you pay and how / where you market. If you have such a video, please will you direct me? How do you get your shops to be so successful so early? How do you stay ahead of the competition?
I'm working on that video at the moment. Hopefully it'll be out soon
Good video, i agree. Another lie: You get a tier up as soon as you have reached your sales for amazon merch. It took me 3 YEARS to get the tier up to T100. Enough sales, no returns. Amazon didn't care. Thats some other truths out there.
Thanks for telling the truth. I run 3 shops and it is a 50-60 hrs a week job. Yes, you can make figures, but it takes a shit load of work.
Yup!!!! A shittttload of work
Print on demand is so difficult because hundreds of thousands of people are doing it now. And youtubers told them to make a thousand listings flooding the marketplace with junk, and diluting any chance for new shop sales to be found. Absolutley do not go make hundreds of designs it's ruining it and it doesn't work.
Also, you need money to make money ..... or you'll get lost in the sea of stuff.
First time viewing your channel great down to earth honest advice.
I have had a Etsy digital download store for over a year now and it has become a 5 figure business. I am looking to scale and add my designs to physical products but not sure on what I should do in regards to returns?
As a UK seller like yourself, I just wondered what obstacles you faced selling overseas in regards to returns on POD items.
Thank you
Love your videos! Yes, my sales won’t be buying me a house, but all my ‘spinning plates’ of many other creative activities add up to enough to make it worth doing, and it is fun designing and concocting ideas. I advise people to study guerrilla marketing, copywriting, sales psychology, product photography so you don’t end up with outdated techniques and stock photos that look the same as other sellers
Thank you!! Yes exactly! Great skills to have
Finally a truthful video about Print on Demand. Thank You!!
glad you liked!
Finally, someone who spoke the truth! Thank you!
Thankyou! It's good to know my own independent brain is lining up with what you're saying here.
you're welcome!
It seems many folks are leaving out the human factor. Shimmy, by sharing the things he does, is creating community, helping us sort out the reliable info from the misleading stuff and meanwhile enjoying the process because that's who he is. I salute him for that. We're getting so suspicious and quibbling with each other these days, it obscures our vision from seeing value and being grateful sometimes.
Hi 👋 Shim, I’m your latest Subscriber! Well said mate! 👏👊
thank you so much!
Great video dude. lol crazy how many designs I have up or have taken down from Merch over the years. Thousandsssssss. And majority of sales are only the smallest percentage of what I’ve uploaded. Different for everyone. But yea, majority of what you put up will not sell
yup! really mad how much you have to make to find a winner
Refreshing to hear someone tell the truth!!! Thank you.
Great insights on the real hustle behind print-on-demand success! 🚀 Emphasizing the importance of experimentation and resilience in design selection truly underscores what it takes to thrive in this dynamic market.
thanks!
“You just aren’t working hard enough!! “ 😂😂- great video! Thanks for the reality check-
How about taxes settings sales permits ? They are headache, how do you deal with returns ? Have you ever try to make a collab? How do you approach to someone to do that ?
The truth is empowering. Thanks for the video!
You're welcome
Possibly my favorite video from you. Many of the lies mentioned here are the ones continually being parroted by Greg Gottfried and I'm glad you debunked them.
Yesss! My thoughts exactly. I’ve been commenting on his stuff lately calling him out but he ignores them. Its creators like that that really frustrates me because he clearly doesn’t do it and is just pushing an impossible dream with Redbubble and teepublic!
@@shimmymorris1 Remember when he kept on promoting Teespring?
@@shimmymorris1 I'm so glad to see this comment! I was totally taken in by him and his nice guy act only to realise his content is just a sales funnel for his affiliate links and courses. He either doesn't know or intentionally hides the real details of being a POD seller. I call him out in his comment section too and he deletes them.
good design is on the eyes of the beholder, what's ugly for you maybe awesome for others, what's great for you, may not be so for others, also everything is on the right time and on the right place. I have design sold after 5 years. my first sale is after 6 months back then, Print on Demand is NOT for everyone, products and designs can all be seasonal. people also buy base on economy and mood, even if you have good designs, if they don't have money, they can't buy from you, Store traction is another problem, it takes time for search engine algorithm to catch up on your product.
I think that having a store makes it much easier for people to copy from you. All your designs are right there in one easy place to copy from.
If people want to steal designs from you, they can do it anywhere.
If it's a shopify store, how would they find it.. and it doesn't really matter where your designs are, if someone wants to steal them, they will
It's a helluva lot harder to copy from a self-owned store than from places like Amazon and Etsy where it's all in front of millions of eyes!
You can control the mockups you're using. It's harder to make a screenshot when you use a wrinkled shirt IMO
appreciate for sharing this with us, excellent video
THANKS A BUNCH, AMAZING VIDEO!!!
ill definitely try that, thanks!
Excellent video Shimmy! Thanks!🧡
Thanks so much!
When you do ads for your Shopify store how do you get "marketing experts" to stop messaging you and wasting your time?
Also what social media platform is best to drive traffic to a Shopify Store?
You're awesome. Don't listen to the haters.
thank you!
Thank you for video. There is lack of truth on youtube. Most of the money was made during pandemic. We are in a new world now. Discernment will dominate the landscape for next few years. Be selective on videos your clicking on.
I wanna be like you shimmy 🙂, U are really my inspiration
aw that's very sweet
wow, great video. thanks so much
The ratio of designs that sell to flops is probably similar for embroidery designs.
Is SPRING any good?
The ONLY thing I don’t like about this wonderful video is the thumbnail image. The text in the image is a bit clickbaity. But the rest of it is perfect.
glad you liked the video :D
you just convinced me on doing it
Truth bombs being dropped here... I'm working between 11pm and 1am, possibly 2am, it is hard graft.
yup! the grind doesn't stop
Nice vid thank you for sharing with us
Hi mate,I see u are on Shopify,but who do u use for your print on demand, please let me know.Thanks
Hey thank you bro for being honest.
Hey Shimmy, can you do a video on how to do pod (or other ways to make money) in the US as a UK seller? What r the pitfalls … how to avoid them, how to practically set it up, how to get paid etc……??? 🙏🏼❣️
yes! i am already working on a video like this
@@shimmymorris1 YOU are my absolute favourite Tuber❣️❣️
Thank you for this video!
Hi - do you use Customily with your Shopify so you can sell personalized products? Your opinion of it or other options?
I'm working with Customily and Merchize for my Shopify store. But I prefer Merchize, because of their competitive base cost and branding package.
I've been hearing that POD mugs is a bad way to go. Any thoughts? Just started watching and I agree, you're videos are good stuff.
No, POD mugs is really potential! I'm running my own POD from 2019 and the ROI of POD Mugs is quite good!
Couple of questions about the Shopify store: 1) Did you or are you doing SEO? I've read that most don't which surprised me. I know it's a long term investment, but it seems worth it. 2) Do you have as much problems with design theft on Shopify? I know all the platforms have tools that show the trending designs which is basically a shopping cart for design thieves. My guess is it's not as bad but I could be wrong. (ok you just answered it while I was typing this!) :P Thanks for the video!
Hey, 1. No i'm not doing SEO at the moment. 2. I have no issues with design theft at the moment. Hope that helps
@@shimmymorris1 It does! :) Can I assume you are concentrating on ads to jump start the store and do SEO later or not at all? Thanks. :)
@@ljwhitmire200 yes exactly! I will do SEO later on, but for now Ads are alot faster
@@shimmymorris1 Thanks for the responses. I've been trying to figure out which order to do those in. I guess I have my answer! :P Thanks!
@@ljwhitmire200 you’re welcome!
Another great video. This time, busting the myths around POD. I'm about to launch my store ans you have been an inspiration to me while getting started. As a UK-based seller, I'm struggling with how best to sell internationally, especially to the US. Fulfill from the UK and ship internationally (bad customer experience with customs fees, etc?), or use a US-based print provider and work out how to handle taxes, etc. Might make a good subject for a future video?
that's a great topic and a lot of people have been asking me about it recently. What platform are you selling on? that'll help with the how-to. also a side note, this question has been asked a few time in the community, if you're not already in it, you should totally join :D
@@shimmymorris1 I’m planning on using Printify integrated with a Shopify store. It feels like international shipping from the UK to the US is easier for me but I’m worried about a poor customer experience if any customs duties, tax, etc need to be dealt with by the recipients
The threshold at which Americans have to pay customs duties and tax is much much higher than it is for the uk. It’s like USD$800. You’re unlikely to have to worry about that.
Where you fall down is shipping cost. Americans aren’t used to paying the kinds of shipping costs the rest of the world is.
Could you walk us through how you advertise (paid) and whether you use broad or targeted ads?
Finally someone telling the real truth!
But the pod realms are all different or aren't they? Surely some are more passive and some people just want a big of extra money not thinking they'll get 5 figures?
Thanks for being honest
Please make a Facebook ad tutorial
im making that now, it's just taking a while
Your content is extremely helpful. I’m a new artist with a Shopify shop.. now tackling the marketing. Thank you for helping others like me🫶✨
Tip so robbers think twice when stealing design is add your logo and brand name on a design that is hard to edit they can just save file and put on shirt
Thank you Jimmy
biggest problem I see is ripoff artists steal my design and sell way more than me
have you tried to get them taken down? It really sucks when this happens!
I've stopped worrying about that. The pod platforms are just holding bins and payment providers for your product. If there are 10 copies of a design all on the same platform, the bulk of the sales will go to the seller who drives their own traffic using free social media marketing or paid ads. I'm not a fan of paid ads. Anyway, the bottom line is to drive your own sales and don't worry about competition. This is true for Etsy too. The so-called "built-in traffic" barely does anything.
Good info here. I noticed that you used the term "failed designs" a few times. and it got me wondering. Do you mean complete failures", like not even one sale ever? Or are you talking about designs that never get popular, but maybe make a sale or two here or there? I would love to know what the stats generally are on your "failed designs". THANKS
to me, designs that don't get any sales at all after having sufficient marketing sent there way.
Do you also sell accent on demand? I could use it 😊. On another more serious note, thank you for the video 👍
Thanks for uploading. V helpful 🙌🏽.
Glad it was helpful!
Regarding the "designs stealing" - water mark can't solve this issue?
Hello Shimmy
Great video . Could you show us how do you make your own templates for your shopify store. Thank you
when you say templates, do you mean the theme or the mockups
@@shimmymorris1 Sorry i wanted to say mockups.
What kind of money should I be spending on ads? Because a few hundred bucks a month has gotten me nothing.
If you're spending a few hundred bucks and you're not getting sales there's something wrong with your designs most likely. But there can be many factors. Price, website, design, niche, etc
Thank you soo much shimmy for such valuable videos. I wanted to make good designs but I was confused on one thing that are simple text graphic designs are more sellable or high graphic & template designs are better? and should I continue with free tools like canva or should I go for paid design tools as I want to level up the game? Can you please advice me !
Hey
Simple text works just as well as graphics if not better. You can use whatever tool you find easiest. The quality of the tool won't make a difference on sales. My biggest selling design could literally have been made on anything, it's more about the design idea than the way it's made
I heard you briefly mentioned that shopify is safer than etsy...do you have a video on why this is? Is it more to do with having you own platform (so WordPress incl)?
It's because you own the store. You won't get banned, there's no competition etc.
Hey Shimmy, from absolute scratch, as a top level conceptual creative and designer, happy to work full time and invest as much money as needed, is it realistic to make say 10k a month profit with a POD shopify store. I have no prior experience - but I am a globally awarded advertising copywriter and art director. Cheers, nick
hey Nick. With that attitude, yes anything is possible for sure. It's a lot of work, and it's hard work. But being open to really working hard on it, I have no doubts anyone could make it work. The way you approach the business is the most important element and you sound very positive.
@@shimmymorris1 Thanks Shimmy, and to clarify, I mean hitting 10k within 3-6 months. (Still realistic?)
@@Onlylovelystuff hmm depends how fast you work. Realistically you could be up and running in 4 weeks or less if you’re going at it full time. Then it’s about testing and finding winning designs. Hitting 10k profit is around 30k revenue. Those are the aims. Depending on your marketing budget and how much you’re willing to test. + how good your designs are… I wouldn’t say 3 months is impossible. But hard. 6 months is much more realistic. But again. Depends on how quickly you can get up and running
@@shimmymorris1 Thank you. I appreciate this.
@@Onlylovelystuff np! happy to help
Got a question for you ! If you have 2 creatives in an Ad that are not performing and you are going to switch one off. One has 10k impressions and no clicks and the other has 500 impressions and no clicks. Which one do you switch off and why ? Both have been running for the same amount of time.
if one has 10k impressions and no clicks then something would be wrong so i would turn that off. Has the ad got any comments, or anything.. it's strange to have no clicks from that number of impressions. The 500 impression ad sounds like it's still early days. It has probably spent far less
@@shimmymorris1 The reason I've been unsure is the 10k one is getting traffic to website but not converting. I've got a few with high impressions that have this profile. I switch them off and traffic disappears.
@@pantzoidprobably look at your website
Thank you for this.
My pleasure!
why can you not sue the people who steal your designs
Wel...... There is no such thing as "passive income" even if you are a millionaire you will have to work somehow. The term "passive income" is used as a hook for losers. They will never achieve glory with that mentality. Excellent video as always!
thank you so much!
Who will print and ship them to customers ?
I use SwiftPOD through Printify
Thank you! 👏👍❤️
You are so welcome!
thumbnail - "It's actually dead"
Video - "It's not dead"
Have you seen your designs copied on Walmart website? It’s a thing. Overseas peeps are getting approval to be sellers on Walmart and just stealing every design on Amazon and pasting it onto Walmarts website for $10.99 of course it ships from overseas. I’ve seen a lot of my top sellers on it.
I've never looked to be honest. If they are, so be it... Rather focus on my business and growing that. They'll always be rip off artists out there
@@shimmymorris1 exactly my thoughts. When I see my work on there I’m proud someone thought enough to steal it lol. I only do Amazon since 2015.
Starting today, for the energy, time, money involved, what makes more sense: print on demand or affiliate marketing?