Physical Products

Many artists choose to design and sell their own products such as art prints, greeting cards, jewelry, t-shirts, etc…. Artists can sell these products via their personal websites, Etsy, at local events like craft fairs, or even through larger retail shops via consignment or wholesale.

How It Works

This income stream can be rewarding and profitable, but it requires a lot of research and planning (and, depending on what you choose to create, it could require a financial investment too). Artists are in charge of all steps of the process, from initial market research and ideation to production and, finally, marketing and distribution.

Helpful Articles

Blog

What is Sales Tax and How Does it Apply to Your Art Business?

How to Sell Wholesale: Get Your Hand Lettered Products Into Retail Stores

Producing Your Own Products

Producing your own products all by yourself, or with the help of vendors that you manage, can be a lot more profitable than if you use print on demand (POD) services. However, it requires more initial risk and investment.

      The Pros
  You keep all the profits
You have control over what you make & how it turns out
Ownership & pride over having your art physically out in the world
Ability to build a brand presence and loyal customers


    

      The Cons
  Depending on what you make, it can cost a lot of $$ and require a lot of prep time
It can be difficult to manage multiple products (finding space to store them, keeping inventory, updating listings, creating whole sale line sheets, etc...)
Shipping can be a drag
It's never guaranteed that your products will sell after you produce them 
 
  

Print on Demand

Print on demand services allow you to simply upload your art files so they can print and ship products to order. However, they take a BIG cut of profits, and you have no control over the customer’s experience or the quality of the product.

      The Pros
  No physical inventory to manage
No dealing with shipping
Way less risk, since you don't have to produce products in bulk and hope they sell
Becomes passive income


    

      The Cons
  A much smaller cut of the profits
P.O.D sites are saturated and it can be difficult to get noticed (especially if you only offer a few designs)
No control over quality of products and customer experience
No access to your customers 
 
  

A product biz could be right for you if…

• Imagining holding your product in your hands gets you super stoked
• You’re willing to take on lots of logistics & business stuff (or hire someone else)
• You’re detailed and organized
• You’re confident talking about and selling your own work (or willing to work on it)
• You’re able to be objective with yourself about what people realistically would want to buy from you

How to Get Started

Before you start your selling physical products, some thing’s you’ll need to consider are:

1. What do I want to make / what does my audience want / where do those things align?

2. How will I produce the products? Do I need an outside vendor or supplier?

3. What are the costs associated with producing, marketing, & shipping the product(s)? How much will I need to charge customers to make the profit I want to make?

4. Where will I sell the product?

5. How will I market the product?

6. How will I ship the product? Will I do this myself or do I need help?

7. What will the packaging & branding look like and how do I produce it?