This has been encouraging to me. It’s pretty much what I’m doing. My shop has been open for less than 2 weeks so far. My plan is to add one product every day for 100 days without worrying about sales. It’s a mug shop with some uniquely odd, funny, wry graphics and text all created by me (no AI). I’ve sold 5 mugs so far. Feeling pretty good about that! Especially after watching your video.
Hola soy Mexicana, amo tus videos! hoy pensé en rendirme y abandonar mi tienda, entre en depresión, pensando que otros pueden, pero yo no! Y gracias a tu video me inspiraste a seguir adelante, gracias por todo! Quisiera tener tu mentalidad de éxito, pero gracias a ti, seguiré adelante, ojalá tuvieras tu curso en español! Te mereces todo el éxito que tienes gracias gracias gracias
Bonita, no se cual sea tu negocio es natural tener esos momentos de tirar la toalla, mira que estoy pasando por una que nunca imagine, pero es natural es parte del juego, decide disfrutar y te super recomiendo un vision board, creeme que nuestro cerebro hace todo por cumplirlo.
ruta muchas gracias hermosa! Me encanta que hables español como yo y muchísimas gracias por tus hermosas palabras ❤y si voy a seguir tu consejo, perdón por tardarme en responder No había visto el mensaje
I have never commented on a TH-cam video, but I need to tell you how much your videos are helping me overcome my fears and work my way out of the valley of despair. You are awesome and deserve every bit of success you've earned. Thank you for making these videos. You are really helping people
I just recently started a POD and a 3D printing business. Today is a difficult day, where I kept telling myself that it was all futile and for nothing. Then I stumbled across this video, and you gave me renewed hope and energy to keep on. Thank you, Alek. Truly.
Triggered in a good way by your video...subbed and I got the message. I've had a poverty mentality from childhood. Parents meant well, but I was always taught "limited or fixed income"...."need a job with benefits".....programming....programming...and the whole time, I knew it wasn't truth. It was difficult. I tried to get my mom to think differently but the poverty programming was so ingrained, she couldn't be rescued from it. Now, I'm having to learn a whole new way about making money. Thank you for giving me hope, especially in these times we are living in.
Same here. When I was six or seven I once asked my Mom if we were poor. She jerked my arm in annoyance and replied, "You KNOW we are!" I never forgot that. Plus other beliefs of the time - like rich people are all crooks or selfish - must steer clear of them. The other thing was that it was my job to work hard, be good and never make any waves. Just kinda stay faded into the wallpaper. True, they meant well.
Soso helpful!! I started a print on demand candle shop less than a week ago on Etsy and I've gotten 3 sales so far. If the listing is optimized well enough, etsy is great at sending customer over
I have run strict no return policy as all product are made to order and I haven't had a single custom complain in over 1,000 sales...unless the item is defective...if that is the case printify covers the cost and will either refund you or issue a reprint. So you are never paying out of pocket for anything out of your control. @@EvelineFleur
Did you get a sales tax permit from your county or state to charge customers on Etsy? Or similar type permit?? Also, do you run your shop as a sole proprietor or llc?
@@EvelineFleurdon’t accept returns 🤷🏽♀️ If your items are made to order (as is POD) you don’t have to accept returns. My shop from the outset is no returns, no exchanges, no cancellations.
Alek, I love your presentation style, so level headed, and common sense based. I am a very competitive semi-retired man, not really needing a steady income, but I enjoy working on my Etsy shop very very much, almost like a hobby, and the more I watch educational content like yours, the more I want to "compete" if you will. I have only had my shop up since Feb 1st, 2024, but have made 6 sales and am trying to focus on ONE PRODUCT mainly to become an expert. I look forward to following you in the future. Keep up the great work!!!
The idea that it's not just some specially talented or super energetic people who can make this work but those who can commit to a steady process UNTIL it works is paramount. So appreciated. Some say it's fine to list a variety of items on one shop as long as your target buyer is the same for all those items, but I can now see how this dilutes one's efforts. Some light bulbs came on about commitment and process which now has me more hopeful. Awesome!
I watched 4 of your videos. I like the informations you share with us. BUT after some videos I get more and more confused about how I should start and what I need and how everything is connected together. Young people can sit at the computer the whole day without getting exhausted. But we older people can't digest the same amount of informations. So I would appreciate if you could only focus on 1 thing like the mug-thing and give us a step by step video from the downloads to the final setup. Thanks for your good will and the work you deliver.
Thank you, Alek, for the encouragement to keep on pluggin'. I don't know of anyone else on TH-cam who is as clear, helpful and sincere as you are. All the best to you in 2024.
As someone who has done this since the pandemic, I can assure you, all he did was yap. He provided no solutions, and the problems brought up aren't even real problems to be had. It's all wishy washy bs to get you to keep watching his videos, and not cracking away at dropshipping. All of these guys on TH-cam are shills, who don't mention any of the serious and massive pitfalls.
Thank you this was refreshing, I opened my Shopify store in January and haven't had sales, but I keep learning something everyday and fell like if I keep trying, something will click.
@@mikeweaver7977 Still not getting the traction I would have hoped for, I've started spending alot less time and energy into making it a priority, and have just started focusing on making sure I at least visit the shop once a day to do something towards making it into something that I could consider a business.
@@Ali-wf6rh I've taken a huge step back in the amount energy and mind space I spend in the website, because I wasn't seeing results that encouraged me enough to spend as much time. It's going alot slower than I would have thought, but I'm hoping with time and sticking to trying to build it into something meaningful that one day that might actually start looking like a reality.
Man, I found out your channel few days ago. I absolutely love how your explanations are detailled, proof based and how you keep it simple, words and attitude. It's very comfortable and interesting to watch, and of course f**king motivating. Congratulation on your work and thank you
I started and the biggest part is getting overwhelmed with my ideas or the ideas I see watching TH-cam videos. Normally I have to take a break and then come back. I have been trying to optimize to where I can generate a lot of listings, and then once things take off I will be able to see what is actually selling. Awesome videos btw
What's been stopping me I found is the setting up of taxes and other bureaucratic mess that with a small mistake can lead to costly penalties. But at this point, im realizing theres people out there whose zone of genius is just that. So EFF it, im trying. I decided it gets to be fun.
I'm retired and now a full-time caretaker for my wife. I am being forced to go back to work, with the hard times and all. So, since I can't leave my wife I decided to step into this field and quickly realized how it seemed you were talking about me the entire time. I have never been helped so much in such a short time. Brilliant video. Thank you much.
I'm just at the beginning of a digital art store which I haven't even opened yet. It really is a step by step process. Learn, practice, perfect. Get it right, find a routine and work it over and over to success.
Did you get a sales tax permit from your county or state to charge customers on Etsy? Or similar type permit?? Also, do you run your stop as a sole proprietor or llc?
Thank you for trying to give people hope… it’s easy to get discouraged when you’re discouraged with your life. Only way to win is to keep persisting and put in the work.
You're definitely a good mentor. I have been so good at almost jobs I held and I always get bored and underpaid. This pod business satisfies my desire for challenge and your videos definitely pushes me to not lose interest and do something easy
Thank you for the encouragement ❤ my business hit a speedbump ,& i was doubting all my decisions. I know i need to be patient and allow time for it to grow but i was beginning to wonder if the sacrifice was worth it. Now i am encouraged to keep going, i love learning so i will keep learning & trying 😍
I won't lie, I have been guilty of quite a few of these errors. My husband sent me your video and I had to comment that I feel very much encouraged now! When you look at the numbers, strategies, and realistic expectations, it does make sense. Thank you for the advice..... Onwards !!!
Easier said than done. POD can be challenging. One of the biggest challenges is the e-commerce platforms like Etsy or Shopify. Many TH-cam presentations like this one fail to mention e-commerce platforms have many fees after the free trial period ends and if a POD shop has not made any sales, the fees begin to stack up. Nothing is for free and there are costs involved in any business includeing POD shops. Secondly, e-commerce platforms like Etsy and Shopify can and will suspend or shutdown your online store for any reason without an explanation thus putting an end to the online store owner's revenue. This business can be a nightmare. Build a stand alone online store and try to stay away from Etsy and Shopify; they are a scam and can be financially risky. However, it is something one has to put time and effort into as was stated in this presentation.
What makes it a "scam" exactly? The fact that they charge even if your products are not selling? I guess what I'm asking is, whatever makes it a "scam", is it something that they do not disclose or do you just feel that their process is unfair?! Just curious as I have been researching passive POD where the customers pay first VS the seller paying first before products are made.
Inspired. I fit the description in your video perfectly. I’m approaching my business as a pilot project. I would love to break even but I understand the challenges and here mostly for the experience and education. Thank you for your content. ☺️
This video was so helpful. I found my niche and I know I'm going to smash it. ONe real stand out was when you said "Just do it. Don't get overwhelmed. Beat the 80 percent who don't try and get the ball rolling. I feel a lot more comfortable and motivated now thanks to this video. Thanks
I’m in the next “valley of despair” right now … I’ve done over 350k in revenue in the past 2 years on Etsy but so many others have come in and copied my bestsellers following videos like this one and just changing the color or font a little, so now my sales are stagnating. I have to come up with new bestsellers, which the next army of copycats will come to rip off.
"They don't give up on learning & trying; that's all there is to do, anyway." That is poster-worthy, Alex! It's sad how many people (on TH-cam and in regular life) actual "encourage" people to NOT learn and NOT try. Just give up before you get disappointed, they say. Thank you, Alex, for the dose of reality and inspiration!
Fantastically useful information, presented in a really clear and genuine way. Alek is 100% right. The main difference between success and failure is persistence. As Edison said - I have not failed, I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Or in the words of one of our wisest teachers - “Try not - either do, or do not. There is no try.”
Hi Alek - thank you very much for your videos and helpful advice. I went to your quickstart guide and I wasn't able to print it. I was trying to do a PDF print. I am a graphic designer (and copywriter and editor). So, I decided to make your quickstart guide into a printable PDF. You can upload it to the web and then people can easily download it as a PDF. I created it pretty "down and dirty" fast. I also created in it PowerPoint should you want the PowerPoint presentation. How may I send you the PDF? Again, thank you for all you give to the online community. I appreciate you and your efforts very much!
Wow ! nearly fell into the trap before the first hurdle when my son said there was millions out there doing it. Now I realise. I had a system when I was in direct sales.. a tried trusted system and it worked in a very competitive market, I will use this thinking in my new venture. Thank you
Absolutely blown away by Elijah's Printify Automation Tool! The bulk image uploads and one-click publishing have streamlined my workflow in ways I never thought possible.
This was so powerful, thank you - this was a great tutorial and an inspirational fist bump at the same time. Thank you for taking the time to build quality content.
Thank you for all this information. I want to finally get started with something, believe it will work and see it through. I’ve had countless ideas to sell items on demand for passive income and rarely ever go started or usually just quit after a couple steps beyond the research phase. This video gave me equipped me to know what I need to stop doing and start doing to be in the 1%. Hopefully in a few months or year I will have done so. Thanks again and bless you.
😊 I love you too and I hope you have a great day too and I will talk to you later love you bye love you bye love you bye see Heart ❤Heart and ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Thank you so, so much for this vid! I feel like you’re talking to me, e.g. the analysis paralysis, info overload etc., not knowing where to start. I signed up to Etsy today, after setting up my business bank account etc. Now I just need to keep the faith & push on to success! Wish me luck!
I just realized I purchased a MacBook 💻 after watching your pet portrait video and it’s made me so much money! Thank you so much for making these videos
Wow. I really needed this today. Watched a lot of videos about Etsy and POD and other stuff, but THIS is the video that has lit the fire under my butt:-) I've been in that "Valley of Despair" for months. And now....I think I know exactly what to do. Thank you....
2k listings/year is what like $1200/year? (2000 * 0.2 * 3). Is it realistic to spend that much money when starting an Etsy shop? How can you be sure you will sell enough to recoup that investment? Is there a faster/cheaper way to validate ideas/products?
Elijah's Printify Automation Tool has been a complete game-changer for my product creation workflow. The bulk uploads and customizable details are next-level.
You are becoming a good mentor, Alek. Few months ago I thought you are a joker, but your perseverance, progress and results speak for themselves. Very impressive! I hope you continue to grow and inspire us for many years ahead!
Hey Alek, just started watching your videos about a week ago and am starting up my own POD Etsy shop. I do have one area I'm getting stuck on though. How do you handle returns and general customer service for your shops? I haven't been able to find much complete info on this. Thanks!
Nice video. Can you use your store on your videos as an example than other sellers so we can see the growth. It seems folks making this kind of videos usually make their money from their TH-cam videos and not actually the business idea they’re talking about.
I'm doing this research and going to learn and try so I can pay for my college. I know failure is part of the process but I feel my room for failure is limited. Thank you for putting out this type of education
Hello Alek! Thank You so much for your candid business advice! It's just a real motivation. Thank You so much for reminding me to do one thing at a time, one niche per store. Thank You and good luck to You!
you are so encouraging i just started have 0 sales ,for now, and learning in my journey also tried makong ads bit failed at that i logged out of that account now i am trying to learn as much as possible amd focusing on one thing at the moment and i know nothing is ever a get rich quick scheme unless you play the lottery and win then yeah u will be sad with what happens if u try to get 'rich quick'
I love your video I think you get right to the point and you absolutely explain why most people don’t make it in this type of business. This is a valuable video for anyone who is frustrated or has been frustrated like me, but it also gives me hope. Thank you so much for your time and experience. Although most people will consider your suggestions the obvious thing to do they still won’t do it and not continue to complain every time they come up with a brilliant idea but failed to follow through. Thank you
Something important to point out is that last I heard, Etsy charges $0.20 per listing, every 3 months. So, if the store has only 100 listings, that is $60.00 per year. I want to get started, but I guess it's not a good idea to post too many items if there's not enough income!
Thanks, Alek. I needed this. In my opinion, this is the best of all your videos that I've watched. You explain and encourage so well. I appreciate that. I consider you my own personal cheerleader.
This was a very helpful & informative video! Thank you for sharing this. I’m slowly trying to gain as much info about starting my business & and this was *spot on* with many of my problems. Much success to anyone trying to start their own business! ✨
The valley of Despair wow. This has been my experience for the last 7 months with my TH-cam channel. Last I took a break and deep my toes into Print on Demand. So far, I've managed to upload 38 😂 designs in 5 days.
The most important thing he doesnt talk about is how to generate traffic... He is just saying what people want to hear, you can make millions, make millions, make millions 😵💫
Thank you so much for extending your lessons learned to all us plowing through! I always watch your videos multiple times and each time I absorb something I missed the time before. Thank you for keeping it real!! I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas followed by a safe and prosperous New Year 2024!!
im about to launch just trying to figure out the European part of the shipping and VAT. Videos about selling outside US is very scarce, would love to get pointed to something if you know :D thanks for the good work Alek !
Thank you so much! I’ve had my Etsy shop for years… I get shiny object syndrome so badly! This has helped me and I wish I could hug you! I’m gonna get a planner and a whiteboard calendar tomorrow to keep me focused and consistent! ❤
Omg you’re the best simplest creator to understand and simplify .. if we want to have several etsy shops selling mugs, pictures , tshirts, etc.. do we have to open diff actual accounts for all and have several LLC’s or can we DBA under one generic name and then open all the diff shops ? Thank you the free downloads 😊
I havent made a sale I'm exhausted. I've burned my brain out overthinking. You have very good advice I need this reminder. I was trying to do too much to reach different audiences
Thank you very much, this is very inspiring for me when I start and meet the phase of stopping, because I'm not sure if it can work, thank you very much again.
Great video Alek. I think I have watched about 15+ of your videos and now have enough information to succeed with my goals. Your videos are consistent, easy to understand and allow one to integrate the knowledge successfully. What I primarily love is the fact you often are using free apps. Where as some of the players are always trying to sell you! Keep up the great work Alek, you are my favourite POD Specialist :)
Simple question here. How on EARTH are these etsy store offering prints for $2.50 when Gelato or Pritify already charge me a minimum of $8 for the Product + Print?? Anyone???
Hey mate, sorry im not here to answer your question you asked but i wanted to know that do printify charge for print as well after the baseline 8 or 10 bucks for the physical product? And also if yes, then does it mean the more complex the design you make the more they charge?? This might sound like a dumb question but im new around here
@@ichill632 Hey mate, the price doesnt chnage depending on your design. It changes depending on the printing method that you want to do. and they they do still charge the base cost of the material !
Those prints aren’t physical posters from print on demand. Some ppl sell downloads which you yourself buy, print on paper and hang up. That’s what the $2 ones are
Having reviews and sales is a huge thing to get started. If you can, get (a) friend(s) to buy something and make a 5 star photo review. Who buys something with no reviews? I know i don't. Dont make an account yourself, Etsy has detection and youll get suspended.
Ah question though, on Single Product focus, you mentioned that for ai Art, you would keep two separate shops, one for the printable art, and the other for physical prints fulfilled via printfy. Is that still technically one product? or should I just focus on the printables?
Amazing video!👍👏 I just began my comic book collection and found Toon Haven. They have an incredible range of digital comics for every genre, including the hard to find ones. Lifetime updates too!
That's a very good question. Another question that's just as important and no one asks is this "if I create an image using an ai tool and offer it for sale on my POD shop will the company that actually fulfills my order get into legal trouble for printing up an image that I have no legal copyright for?"
I have been advised to check the terms & conditions of the AI tool first. Some are clearer than others. Sarah Chrisp @wholesaleted recommends DallE2 for AI products. Whether you tell your customers its AI generated or not seems to be a personal issue there is no legal right to declare This may change in future if the law ever catches up with AI stuff 😂😂 Always good to seek professional legal advice if its a concern
Great video! I was one of those people last year watched so many of your videos and thought i couldn't do it or was overwhelmed by the whole thing but now i wish i tried than being overwhelmed. So, this time I downloaded your quick start and read through the steps but what about returns when a customer wants to return the product, does the customer return the product to Printfy or where? Who manages the return of the product if print on demand is automated? Thanks so much!
Let's see if I got it right: 1. Persist in the face of adversity. Doing the same thing repeatedly does produce different results in 1% of cases. Who is insane now?! 2. Flood the market with a single (type of) product. I.e. "focus" 3. Open multiple shops (you have 6) - for some reason, having 6 product types in a single shop is detrimental. 4. The 99% failure rate includes people who didn't even start (or even care to start)
Personally it wasn't anything about the amount of people that sell. It was all the extra fees no one talks about, were you bearly get any profit margins (thanks to VAT in the UK) and the constant subscriptions you'd have to buy to stay ahead of the heard, crossed with huge uncertainty that the trend you've researched will actually sustain... because everything on the Internets a lie. Along with being burnt out with your 9-5 job. There's many reasons why people don't start. I've bearly scratched the service here. But I'd say the main one for me was trying to learn everything, and becoming overwhelmed by it all, watching too many tutorials online will do that. Just get started and learn as you go, don't chase the money, do it for fun.
I opened an Etsy shop last year. Today I was bored at work and took my time and finally put my first cup online. - honestly, I don’t believe it will work. But I would hate myself if I haven’t tried. Or better said, I would always ask myself if it could have worked. Also I only got the idea of that kind of business last summer. So it took me some months from the idea to open a shop and another months to finally go online with my first product. I hope I can be able to consistently publish designs until someone maybe buys something. There are some drawings in my sketchbooks which only wait to be digitalised and maybe even liked.
Hi when you say, "you focus on one product". Does that mean, let’s say focusing on mugs for instant. But you can show a 100 designs for that mug? Love the video 👍👍👍
Shoutout to Elijah's Printify Automation Tool - the tool has been a total game-changer for my Printify store. The bulk editing and publishing features are unbeatable.
Thanks Alek. I needed this video, been at this business model a month, had some success, half a dozen sales and worked with some influencers but I’m nowhere near where I want to be. Doesn’t help Etsy banned my shop day 1 for no reason without even telling me why, I didn’t even get chance to post a product 😂
The Valley of Despair is real, folks! But as they say, tough times don't last, tough people do. Learning to embrace the process and stay consistent, even when it feels like you're not making progress, is key.
not taking anything from the video but its important to note that those revenues are gross and we dont really know how much the profit is when you take out POD fees and Ads fees
great video man. ive had decent success with dropshipping and my brand but I have never hit that next level and ive never tried etsy Currently watching all your vids and then gonna try to figure out a niche.
I really like the contents of this video, just one thing feels kind of strange - when refering to AntiqueWhiteArt you say they're using AI but the zoomed in section of their page with a red-marked "AI" is actually their Legal Information section and there's nothing about them using AI, rather they prohibit using AI for derivative works based on their designs...
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This has been encouraging to me. It’s pretty much what I’m doing. My shop has been open for less than 2 weeks so far. My plan is to add one product every day for 100 days without worrying about sales. It’s a mug shop with some uniquely odd, funny, wry graphics and text all created by me (no AI). I’ve sold 5 mugs so far. Feeling pretty good about that! Especially after watching your video.
Hi I created mugs on canva where do I sell this
congratulations! Wish much success 🙏
You got this!
Do u use shopify or etsy
Well done
Hola soy Mexicana, amo tus videos! hoy pensé en rendirme y abandonar mi tienda, entre en depresión, pensando que otros pueden, pero yo no! Y gracias a tu video me inspiraste a seguir adelante, gracias por todo! Quisiera tener tu mentalidad de éxito, pero gracias a ti, seguiré adelante, ojalá tuvieras tu curso en español! Te mereces todo el éxito que tienes gracias gracias gracias
Bonita, no se cual sea tu negocio es natural tener esos momentos de tirar la toalla, mira que estoy pasando por una que nunca imagine, pero es natural es parte del juego, decide disfrutar y te super recomiendo un vision board, creeme que nuestro cerebro hace todo por cumplirlo.
ruta muchas gracias hermosa! Me encanta que hables español como yo y muchísimas gracias por tus hermosas palabras ❤y si voy a seguir tu consejo, perdón por tardarme en responder
No había visto el mensaje
I have never commented on a TH-cam video, but I need to tell you how much your videos are helping me overcome my fears and work my way out of the valley of despair. You are awesome and deserve every bit of success you've earned. Thank you for making these videos. You are really helping people
I'm really glad it's helping :)
Hello
The difference between successful people and unsuccessful are the successful people kept going.
True. That is the only thing what matter and if course you need knowledege as well
Along with market research and patience
Where can I download his guide ?
It's alot more than just that simple answer but that is a good start.
@@PolarBearPredator ...why you gotta ruin Marky Marks Moment Bear, 🤪
I just recently started a POD and a 3D printing business.
Today is a difficult day, where I kept telling myself that it was all futile and for nothing.
Then I stumbled across this video, and you gave me renewed hope and energy to keep on.
Thank you, Alek. Truly.
Where are you? Texas?
it probably is futile and for nothing tho
@@rdl8443 or maybe it is not? Already sold quite a bit.
@@rdl8443cie la vie
Nawh keep going bro! You got this and you will succeed
Triggered in a good way by your video...subbed and I got the message. I've had a poverty mentality from childhood. Parents meant well, but I was always taught "limited or fixed income"...."need a job with benefits".....programming....programming...and the whole time, I knew it wasn't truth. It was difficult. I tried to get my mom to think differently but the poverty programming was so ingrained, she couldn't be rescued from it. Now, I'm having to learn a whole new way about making money. Thank you for giving me hope, especially in these times we are living in.
Same here. When I was six or seven I once asked my Mom if we were poor. She jerked my arm in annoyance and replied, "You KNOW we are!" I never forgot that. Plus other beliefs of the time - like rich people are all crooks or selfish - must steer clear of them. The other thing was that it was my job to work hard, be good and never make any waves. Just kinda stay faded into the wallpaper. True, they meant well.
I know how your feling. My mom thinks the same way
Soso helpful!! I started a print on demand candle shop less than a week ago on Etsy and I've gotten 3 sales so far. If the listing is optimized well enough, etsy is great at sending customer over
What about returns? Is there a way to outsource the returns as well? It’s what is holding me back
I have run strict no return policy as all product are made to order and I haven't had a single custom complain in over 1,000 sales...unless the item is defective...if that is the case printify covers the cost and will either refund you or issue a reprint. So you are never paying out of pocket for anything out of your control. @@EvelineFleur
Did you get a sales tax permit from your county or state to charge customers on Etsy? Or similar type permit?? Also, do you run your shop as a sole proprietor or llc?
@@EvelineFleurdon’t accept returns 🤷🏽♀️
If your items are made to order (as is POD) you don’t have to accept returns.
My shop from the outset is no returns, no exchanges, no cancellations.
@@FransceneJK98is this an American thing? Permits?
Alek, I love your presentation style, so level headed, and common sense based. I am a very competitive semi-retired man, not really needing a steady income, but I enjoy working on my Etsy shop very very much, almost like a hobby, and the more I watch educational content like yours, the more I want to "compete" if you will. I have only had my shop up since Feb 1st, 2024, but have made 6 sales and am trying to focus on ONE PRODUCT mainly to become an expert. I look forward to following you in the future. Keep up the great work!!!
Starting is Def the hardest. I've had the idea of selling my art in the back of my head cooking for years. I'm finally taking the chance.
i didn't expect the word cooking at that position, man you made me laugh, hilarious
How is it going bro?
@@karankashyap3187 well for me it is going pretty much good
The idea that it's not just some specially talented or super energetic people who can make this work but those who can commit to a steady process UNTIL it works is paramount. So appreciated.
Some say it's fine to list a variety of items on one shop as long as your target buyer is the same for all those items, but I can now see how this dilutes one's efforts.
Some light bulbs came on about commitment and process which now has me more hopeful. Awesome!
I watched 4 of your videos. I like the informations you share with us. BUT after some videos I get more and more confused about how I should start and what I need and how everything is connected together. Young people can sit at the computer the whole day without getting exhausted. But we older people can't digest the same amount of informations. So I would appreciate if you could only focus on 1 thing like the mug-thing and give us a step by step video from the downloads to the final setup. Thanks for your good will and the work you deliver.
Thank you, Alek, for the encouragement to keep on pluggin'. I don't know of anyone else on TH-cam who is as clear, helpful and sincere as you are. All the best to you in 2024.
As someone who has done this since the pandemic, I can assure you, all he did was yap. He provided no solutions, and the problems brought up aren't even real problems to be had. It's all wishy washy bs to get you to keep watching his videos, and not cracking away at dropshipping. All of these guys on TH-cam are shills, who don't mention any of the serious and massive pitfalls.
Thank you this was refreshing, I opened my Shopify store in January and haven't had sales, but I keep learning something everyday and fell like if I keep trying, something will click.
How is it going now?
Curious: How is it going now? Took me 4 months to start making meaningful sales.
@@mikeweaver7977 Still not getting the traction I would have hoped for, I've started spending alot less time and energy into making it a priority, and have just started focusing on making sure I at least visit the shop once a day to do something towards making it into something that I could consider a business.
@@Ali-wf6rh I've taken a huge step back in the amount energy and mind space I spend in the website, because I wasn't seeing results that encouraged me enough to spend as much time. It's going alot slower than I would have thought, but I'm hoping with time and sticking to trying to build it into something meaningful that one day that might actually start looking like a reality.
@@Ali-wf6rh how is it going for you now? and whats the product
Man, I found out your channel few days ago. I absolutely love how your explanations are detailled, proof based and how you keep it simple, words and attitude. It's very comfortable and interesting to watch, and of course f**king motivating. Congratulation on your work and thank you
I started and the biggest part is getting overwhelmed with my ideas or the ideas I see watching TH-cam videos. Normally I have to take a break and then come back. I have been trying to optimize to where I can generate a lot of listings, and then once things take off I will be able to see what is actually selling. Awesome videos btw
What's been stopping me I found is the setting up of taxes and other bureaucratic mess that with a small mistake can lead to costly penalties. But at this point, im realizing theres people out there whose zone of genius is just that. So EFF it, im trying. I decided it gets to be fun.
Every time I'm feeling despondent I watch one of your videos. It refocuses me and motivates me to keep going.
oh dear.. I wish I had discovered your videos sooner. I almost gave up on my shop. Now I'm not. Thank you for inspiration. Love from Australia ❤
I'm retired and now a full-time caretaker for my wife. I am being forced to go back to work, with the hard times and all. So, since I can't leave my wife I decided to step into this field and quickly realized how it seemed you were talking about me the entire time. I have never been helped so much in such a short time. Brilliant video. Thank you much.
I'm just at the beginning of a digital art store which I haven't even opened yet. It really is a step by step process. Learn, practice, perfect. Get it right, find a routine and work it over and over to success.
Did you get a sales tax permit from your county or state to charge customers on Etsy? Or similar type permit?? Also, do you run your stop as a sole proprietor or llc?
Thank you for trying to give people hope… it’s easy to get discouraged when you’re discouraged with your life. Only way to win is to keep persisting and put in the work.
You're definitely a good mentor. I have been so good at almost jobs I held and I always get bored and underpaid. This pod business satisfies my desire for challenge and your videos definitely pushes me to not lose interest and do something easy
Thank you for the encouragement ❤ my business hit a speedbump ,& i was doubting all my decisions. I know i need to be patient and allow time for it to grow but i was beginning to wonder if the sacrifice was worth it. Now i am encouraged to keep going, i love learning so i will keep learning & trying 😍
I won't lie, I have been guilty of quite a few of these errors. My husband sent me your video and I had to comment that I feel very much encouraged now! When you look at the numbers, strategies, and realistic expectations, it does make sense. Thank you for the advice..... Onwards !!!
Easier said than done. POD can be challenging. One of the biggest challenges is the e-commerce platforms like Etsy or Shopify. Many TH-cam presentations like this one fail to mention e-commerce platforms have many fees after the free trial period ends and if a POD shop has not made any sales, the fees begin to stack up. Nothing is for free and there are costs involved in any business includeing POD shops. Secondly, e-commerce platforms like Etsy and Shopify can and will suspend or shutdown your online store for any reason without an explanation thus putting an end to the online store owner's revenue. This business can be a nightmare. Build a stand alone online store and try to stay away from Etsy and Shopify; they are a scam and can be financially risky. However, it is something one has to put time and effort into as was stated in this presentation.
Is there such a thing as a free website? Or easy website? I'm not too tech savvy. Only worked in admin
What makes it a "scam" exactly? The fact that they charge even if your products are not selling? I guess what I'm asking is, whatever makes it a "scam", is it something that they do not disclose or do you just feel that their process is unfair?! Just curious as I have been researching passive POD where the customers pay first VS the seller paying first before products are made.
Hi, I just 2 days ago started using spring, (teespring), i havent seen anything involving fees or a free trial. Am i ok?
Inspired. I fit the description in your video perfectly.
I’m approaching my business as a pilot project.
I would love to break even but I understand the challenges and here mostly for the experience and education. Thank you for your content. ☺️
This video was so helpful. I found my niche and I know I'm going to smash it. ONe real stand out was when you said "Just do it. Don't get overwhelmed. Beat the 80 percent who don't try and get the ball rolling. I feel a lot more comfortable and motivated now thanks to this video. Thanks
I’m in the next “valley of despair” right now … I’ve done over 350k in revenue in the past 2 years on Etsy but so many others have come in and copied my bestsellers following videos like this one and just changing the color or font a little, so now my sales are stagnating. I have to come up with new bestsellers, which the next army of copycats will come to rip off.
Good to watch, I realise I'm just not focused on one product. Maybe that should be the mantra. Do one product and do it well (and consistently)
I needed to hear this, thank you for all your hard work in 2023. Here's to more success in 2024!
"They don't give up on learning & trying; that's all there is to do, anyway." That is poster-worthy, Alex! It's sad how many people (on TH-cam and in regular life) actual "encourage" people to NOT learn and NOT try. Just give up before you get disappointed, they say. Thank you, Alex, for the dose of reality and inspiration!
Fantastically useful information, presented in a really clear and genuine way.
Alek is 100% right. The main difference between success and failure is persistence.
As Edison said - I have not failed, I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
Or in the words of one of our wisest teachers -
“Try not - either do, or do not. There is no try.”
Hi Alek - thank you very much for your videos and helpful advice. I went to your quickstart guide and I wasn't able to print it. I was trying to do a PDF print.
I am a graphic designer (and copywriter and editor). So, I decided to make your quickstart guide into a printable PDF. You can upload it to the web and then people can easily download it as a PDF. I created it pretty "down and dirty" fast. I also created in it PowerPoint should you want the PowerPoint presentation. How may I send you the PDF?
Again, thank you for all you give to the online community. I appreciate you and your efforts very much!
Wow ! nearly fell into the trap before the first hurdle when my son said there was millions out there doing it. Now I realise. I had a system when I was in direct sales.. a tried trusted system and it worked in a very competitive market, I will use this thinking in my new venture. Thank you
Absolutely blown away by Elijah's Printify Automation Tool! The bulk image uploads and one-click publishing have streamlined my workflow in ways I never thought possible.
This was so powerful, thank you - this was a great tutorial and an inspirational fist bump at the same time.
Thank you for taking the time to build quality content.
You are so right, it is taking that 1st jump and starting your POD shop/store. Thanks for this video
Glad it was helpful
@@alekSheffy Can I be successful from printify pop up store ?
Thank you for all this information. I want to finally get started with something, believe it will work and see it through.
I’ve had countless ideas to sell items on demand for passive income and rarely ever go started or usually just quit after a couple steps beyond the research phase. This video gave me equipped me to know what I need to stop doing and start doing to be in the 1%. Hopefully in a few months or year I will have done so. Thanks again and bless you.
One day I'm gonna meet u and say thanks for every advice you gave it to us ❤
😊 I love you too and I hope you have a great day too and I will talk to you later love you bye love you bye love you bye see Heart ❤Heart and ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Thank you so, so much for this vid! I feel like you’re talking to me, e.g. the analysis paralysis, info overload etc., not knowing where to start. I signed up to Etsy today, after setting up my business bank account etc. Now I just need to keep the faith & push on to success! Wish me luck!
I am starting a company and i am depressed. This video gave me enough energy to continue working again tomorrow
Good luck 👍
I just realized I purchased a MacBook 💻 after watching your pet portrait video and it’s made me so much money! Thank you so much for making these videos
Wow. I really needed this today. Watched a lot of videos about Etsy and POD and other stuff, but THIS is the video that has lit the fire under my butt:-) I've been in that "Valley of Despair" for months. And now....I think I know exactly what to do. Thank you....
Very clear and very helpful guidance for new businesses. Especially the uploaded software and discord prompts.
Thank you for saving me so much time..🎉
2k listings/year is what like $1200/year? (2000 * 0.2 * 3). Is it realistic to spend that much money when starting an Etsy shop? How can you be sure you will sell enough to recoup that investment? Is there a faster/cheaper way to validate ideas/products?
Elijah's Printify Automation Tool has been a complete game-changer for my product creation workflow. The bulk uploads and customizable details are next-level.
You are becoming a good mentor, Alek.
Few months ago I thought you are a joker, but your perseverance, progress and results speak for themselves.
Very impressive!
I hope you continue to grow and inspire us for many years ahead!
I feel like I owe it to you to press forward. Your channel is very encouraging. May God bless you Alek.
Hey Alek, just started watching your videos about a week ago and am starting up my own POD Etsy shop. I do have one area I'm getting stuck on though. How do you handle returns and general customer service for your shops? I haven't been able to find much complete info on this. Thanks!
Nice video. Can you use your store on your videos as an example than other sellers so we can see the growth. It seems folks making this kind of videos usually make their money from their TH-cam videos and not actually the business idea they’re talking about.
I'm doing this research and going to learn and try so I can pay for my college. I know failure is part of the process but I feel my room for failure is limited. Thank you for putting out this type of education
Hello Alek! Thank You so much for your candid business advice! It's just a real motivation. Thank You so much for reminding me to do one thing at a time, one niche per store. Thank You and good luck to You!
you are so encouraging i just started have 0 sales ,for now, and learning in my journey also tried makong ads bit failed at that i logged out of that account now i am trying to learn as much as possible amd focusing on one thing at the moment and i know nothing is ever a get rich quick scheme unless you play the lottery and win then yeah u will be sad with what happens if u try to get 'rich quick'
I love your video I think you get right to the point and you absolutely explain why most people don’t make it in this type of business. This is a valuable video for anyone who is frustrated or has been frustrated like me, but it also gives me hope. Thank you so much for your time and experience. Although most people will consider your suggestions the obvious thing to do they still won’t do it and not continue to complain every time they come up with a brilliant idea but failed to follow through. Thank you
That was great. Researching and buying people's courses in this niche is really helping me get started. Thanks for the help!
Something important to point out is that last I heard, Etsy charges $0.20 per listing, every 3 months. So, if the store has only 100 listings, that is $60.00 per year. I want to get started, but I guess it's not a good idea to post too many items if there's not enough income!
Thanks, Alek. I needed this. In my opinion, this is the best of all your videos that I've watched. You explain and encourage so well. I appreciate that. I consider you my own personal cheerleader.
I like how you put emphasis on the “paralysis” people get when seeing the over saturated market.
Getting started is the hardest part I've learned also that you can't share everything with everyone .
This was a very helpful & informative video! Thank you for sharing this. I’m slowly trying to gain as much info about starting my business & and this was *spot on* with many of my problems. Much success to anyone trying to start their own business! ✨
The valley of Despair wow. This has been my experience for the last 7 months with my TH-cam channel. Last I took a break and deep my toes into Print on Demand. So far, I've managed to upload 38 😂 designs in 5 days.
How's it going now
@@dannymolns3573 NO sales yet, but i"m sill uploading regularly. I have managed to do just over 105 designs.
Lately I’ve been interested in starting a business and this was really an inspiration! Thank you!
Your videos are always very inspiring and help me enormously to just keep learning and growing. Thank you so much for posting 🙂
The most important thing he doesnt talk about is how to generate traffic... He is just saying what people want to hear, you can make millions, make millions, make millions 😵💫
I will be looking to buy, Bicycle mugs, Trikes Mugs and running Mugs, to buy soon. Must have my company name on them.
Thank you so much for extending your lessons learned to all us plowing through! I always watch your videos multiple times and each time I absorb something I missed the time before. Thank you for keeping it real!! I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas followed by a safe and prosperous New Year 2024!!
im about to launch just trying to figure out the European part of the shipping and VAT. Videos about selling outside US is very scarce, would love to get pointed to something if you know :D thanks for the good work Alek !
Thank you so much! I’ve had my Etsy shop for years… I get shiny object syndrome so badly! This has helped me and I wish I could hug you! I’m gonna get a planner and a whiteboard calendar tomorrow to keep me focused and consistent! ❤
Omg you’re the best simplest creator to understand and simplify .. if we want to have several etsy shops selling mugs, pictures , tshirts, etc.. do we have to open diff actual accounts for all and have several LLC’s or can we DBA under one generic name and then open all the diff shops ? Thank you the free downloads 😊
Thank you :) I wouldn't think you'd need multiple LLC's
New subscriber here! The gems you’re dropping can’t be refuted brother. I built a pretty successful shop myself
Thanks for the encouragement! I'm working on t shirt designs and hoping to open up a shop soon.
I havent made a sale I'm exhausted. I've burned my brain out overthinking. You have very good advice I need this reminder. I was trying to do too much to reach different audiences
Thank you very much, this is very inspiring for me when I start and meet the phase of stopping, because I'm not sure if it can work, thank you very much again.
Great video Alek. I think I have watched about 15+ of your videos and now have enough information to succeed with my goals. Your videos are consistent, easy to understand and allow one to integrate the knowledge successfully. What I primarily love is the fact you often are using free apps. Where as some of the players are always trying to sell you! Keep up the great work Alek, you are my favourite POD Specialist :)
I’m in Aurora, CO! Getting back on Etsy thanks to you 🙏🏼
Simple question here. How on EARTH are these etsy store offering prints for $2.50 when Gelato or Pritify already charge me a minimum of $8 for the Product + Print?? Anyone???
Hey mate, sorry im not here to answer your question you asked but i wanted to know that do printify charge for print as well after the baseline 8 or 10 bucks for the physical product? And also if yes, then does it mean the more complex the design you make the more they charge?? This might sound like a dumb question but im new around here
They most definitely are working with 3rd world countries
@@ichill632 Hey mate, the price doesnt chnage depending on your design. It changes depending on the printing method that you want to do. and they they do still charge the base cost of the material !
Thanks bro@@Addel1994
Those prints aren’t physical posters from print on demand. Some ppl sell downloads which you yourself buy, print on paper and hang up. That’s what the $2 ones are
Having reviews and sales is a huge thing to get started. If you can, get (a) friend(s) to buy something and make a 5 star photo review. Who buys something with no reviews? I know i don't. Dont make an account yourself, Etsy has detection and youll get suspended.
Ah question though, on Single Product focus, you mentioned that for ai Art, you would keep two separate shops, one for the printable art, and the other for physical prints fulfilled via printfy. Is that still technically one product? or should I just focus on the printables?
You are an incredible inspiration and the first person on you tube that makes sense!
Amazing video!👍👏 I just began my comic book collection and found Toon Haven. They have an incredible range of digital comics for every genre, including the hard to find ones. Lifetime updates too!
Hey, Alek! Thanks for another encouraging video! Do you need to put a legal disclaimer when selling mugs with AI-generated images on them?
That's a very good question. Another question that's just as important and no one asks is this "if I create an image using an ai tool and offer it for sale on my POD shop will the company that actually fulfills my order get into legal trouble for printing up an image that I have no legal copyright for?"
I have been advised to check the terms & conditions of the AI tool first. Some are clearer than others. Sarah Chrisp @wholesaleted recommends DallE2 for AI products. Whether you tell your customers its AI generated or not seems to be a personal issue there is no legal right to declare
This may change in future if the law ever catches up with AI stuff 😂😂 Always good to seek professional legal advice if its a concern
Great video! I was one of those people last year watched so many of your videos and thought i couldn't do it or was overwhelmed by the whole thing but now i wish i tried than being overwhelmed. So, this time I downloaded your quick start and read through the steps but what about returns when a customer wants to return the product, does the customer return the product to Printfy or where? Who manages the return of the product if print on demand is automated? Thanks so much!
Let's see if I got it right:
1. Persist in the face of adversity. Doing the same thing repeatedly does produce different results in 1% of cases. Who is insane now?!
2. Flood the market with a single (type of) product. I.e. "focus"
3. Open multiple shops (you have 6) - for some reason, having 6 product types in a single shop is detrimental.
4. The 99% failure rate includes people who didn't even start (or even care to start)
This video is gold for someone that about to start. Thank you!!!
2:43 read it again
Personally it wasn't anything about the amount of people that sell. It was all the extra fees no one talks about, were you bearly get any profit margins (thanks to VAT in the UK) and the constant subscriptions you'd have to buy to stay ahead of the heard, crossed with huge uncertainty that the trend you've researched will actually sustain... because everything on the Internets a lie. Along with being burnt out with your 9-5 job.
There's many reasons why people don't start. I've bearly scratched the service here. But I'd say the main one for me was trying to learn everything, and becoming overwhelmed by it all, watching too many tutorials online will do that. Just get started and learn as you go, don't chase the money, do it for fun.
I opened an Etsy shop last year. Today I was bored at work and took my time and finally put my first cup online. - honestly, I don’t believe it will work. But I would hate myself if I haven’t tried. Or better said, I would always ask myself if it could have worked. Also I only got the idea of that kind of business last summer. So it took me some months from the idea to open a shop and another months to finally go online with my first product. I hope I can be able to consistently publish designs until someone maybe buys something. There are some drawings in my sketchbooks which only wait to be digitalised and maybe even liked.
Hi when you say, "you focus on one product". Does that mean, let’s say focusing on mugs for instant. But you can show a 100 designs for that mug? Love the video 👍👍👍
Great video Alex. Planning on starting one of these myself
Shoutout to Elijah's Printify Automation Tool - the tool has been a total game-changer for my Printify store. The bulk editing and publishing features are unbeatable.
Love watching this encouraging content! Just wondering...How do you get the sales stats for the shops you featured? Is that public info?
Couldn't agree more. 👍
Plan Your Work. Work Your Plan.
Thanks Alek. I needed this video, been at this business model a month, had some success, half a dozen sales and worked with some influencers but I’m nowhere near where I want to be. Doesn’t help Etsy banned my shop day 1 for no reason without even telling me why, I didn’t even get chance to post a product 😂
Same happened to me today. Did you get your account back?
Great advice. I've made thousands of sales on etsy and I'm no one special. Just study every aspect of the business and work hard.
How long has taken you to make the first sales?
@@lucaitaliano3229 Day one, luckily for me (which was a custom decal).
The Valley of Despair is real, folks! But as they say, tough times don't last, tough people do. Learning to embrace the process and stay consistent, even when it feels like you're not making progress, is key.
this has been an excellent video for me starting up my digital art business. thank you.
not taking anything from the video but its important to note that those revenues are gross and we dont really know how much the profit is when you take out POD fees and Ads fees
great video man. ive had decent success with dropshipping and my brand but I have never hit that next level and ive never tried etsy Currently watching all your vids and then gonna try to figure out a niche.
The shops that are selling the digital prints like the pictures, what and who are they using to place the print on?
I really like the contents of this video, just one thing feels kind of strange - when refering to AntiqueWhiteArt you say they're using AI but the zoomed in section of their page with a red-marked "AI" is actually their Legal Information section and there's nothing about them using AI, rather they prohibit using AI for derivative works based on their designs...