Introduction; As an artist with a deep love for nature, animals, and wildlife, it suddenly occurred to me....... how great it would be to see my art as part of people's daily lives! That's why I decided to start a Print On Demand (POD) business, transforming my nature-inspired designs into everyday items like T-shirts, Hoodies, Mugs, Tote bags, and more. Here I talk about this journey and why I believe it's a good revenue option. Ultimately, if I can't earn enough money, I cannot continue with this dream life that I have created for myself!
Inspiration; My journey began with a basic desire...to draw and paint! My simple plan was to start as a portrait artist..... to gain a reputation through my love of cats and dogs. To earn money, get followers, and establish a 'Brand'. To then branch out more with my art, to nature and wildlife.
Whether it's the vibrant wings of a butterfly, the ears of a Spaniel, or the majestic presence of a Tiger. I hope that my designs reflect the world's natural wonders and colours! Oh! How I love all the colours!
Choosing the right Products; I would like my artwork to be accessible and functional, so I have chosen products that people can use everyday.
Tee shirts and Hoodies; are perfect for those who like to wear something a little different
Mugs; are ideal for coffee and tea enthusiasts who appreciate art.
Tote bags; are practical and stylish for daily use.
Wall art: bringing nature inside with prints and posters
Greetings Cards; to brighten someone's day with your love of animals, nature, and wildlife.
Diversifying the product range has allowed me to reach out to many different types of customers and ensure my art can be appreciated in many forms! Imagine the thrill of doing your weekly shopping in the local supermarket to see a Tote bag with your design being loaded up at check-out!
Selecting the best print-on-demand service; Finding the right print-on-demand platform was crucial to me. I chose services that ensured high-quality products, excellent printing methods, and reliable shipping times. Platforms like Teemill, Printful, and Pintify stood out for their ability to bring my designs to life with precision and care. I decided on Teemill for its 'eco-minded' organic offerings and circular manufacturing ethics, and Printify for its lower-cost non-organic items. As my website charges me less commission I have decided to keep the organic items from Teemill available only from my website and to start with, the Printify items will be available from my Etsy shop. The non-organic items will gradually filter onto my website in the future though!
Setting up my online shops; an exciting next step in this process! And fairly straightforward as I already had a website and an Etsy shop. I am still reading many articles and watching many videos to find the 'do's and don'ts' and the 'best practices' to create an enticing show page! And with time I will improve! I have discovered so far that I need;
High-Quality images
Clear and simple pages
Detailed descriptions that work well for SEO
Competitive Pricing
Marketing My Products; sharing my passion with the world requires marketing.....a difficult skill that I am still trying to hone! I am learning to utilize;
Social Media. Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest..... although I'm not convinced how effective it is to share on Pinterest. Maybe you could help me by telling me if you use Pinterest?
Blogging; writing articles like this. Sharing my inspiration. I am also hoping to share some scary facts and figures from Teemill about the effect that the fashion industry has on the planet.
Email marketing; emailing subscribers about new products and special promotions.
Focusing on Customer Experience; is a priority for me and I am striving to;
Respond promptly; to queries and concerns.
Quality; choose a high-quality POD service to meet and exceed customer expectations and experience.
Personalization; when I am more confident and experienced in the process I will add personalization and little touches like logoed thank you cards and printed neck labels. But one thing at a time.... let's not run before we can walk!
In Conclusion; starting my new Print on Demand business has been aan exciting experience with a huge learning curve that I continue to try to master. It is allowing me to share my love for animals, nature, wildlife, and art through everyday items that people can cherish and use. My challenge now is to create more artwork that can be used in this new venture, as well as to continue with my first love....Pet Portrait Commissions!
Hopefully, by creating unique designs, choosing the right products, and effectively marketing the store, I will turn my passion into a successful venture, and so, allowing me to continue living this dream life.
This journey is more than about the business, it's about bringing the natural world into people's lives, one product at a time!
If you're as passionate about nature as I am, please visit my website www.dogroseandcatnip.art or my Etsy shop www.etsy.com/uk/shop/DogroseandCatnip to explore my print-on-demand collection as it continues to expand.
***Subscribe to my website to be the first to know of new products and special offers! And be able to have your say on new artwork designs for the tee-shirt and mug range!***
REMEMBER!
If there is ever a design that you would like to see on a certain style of t-shirt. Or a colour of T-shirt you'd like to see a design on. Or you'd like to see a design on an item I don't currently offer. Contact me! I am always interested to hear what people would like and if I can arrange it I will do it for you!.
Lynda x
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