10. Automating Print-on-Demand: Strategies for Making $100,000/Year with POD with Curtis Blackmore

Today on the Etsy Seller podcast we're joined by Curtis Blackmore from MyDesigns about the world of print on demand. He talks through strategies to help Etsy sellers gain a competitive edge, such as automation, bulk uploading, mockup generation and listing data editing. Additionally, Curtis explains why print on demand has advantages over the traditional holding of inventory.Timestamps of key sections:00:04:01 Print-on-demand is efficient00:05:46 Start a print on demand business00:12:05 AI can generate graphics00:17:21 AI helps people excel00:19:15 Consistency is key00:23:00 Set measurable goals and track them00:26:09 Stay informed on tech trendsArticle:Print on Demand is efficient.Print on Demand is an efficient and cost-effective way to sell products online. With Print on Demand, sellers don't have to worry about inventory, shipping, or fulfillment. Instead, they can focus on creating products and selling them to customers.Curtis, the guest on the Etsy Seller Podcast, was one of the first to adopt Print on Demand. He started with a clothing brand, Captain Athletics, but found the manual inventory and shipping process to be too time consuming. That's when he discovered Print on Demand for Shopify and eventually merged with Amazon.Print on Demand allows sellers to generate mockups in bulk, generate data quickly, and publish products in bulk. This saves time and money compared to manually creating and shipping products. Additionally, sellers don't have to worry about investing in inventory and wasting time on fulfillment.Print on Demand also allows sellers to test ideas in different markets without having to worry about inventory or fulfillment. This is a great way to find a competitive advantage in the market.Overall, Print on Demand is an efficient and cost-effective way to sell products online. It allows sellers to save time and money while testing ideas in different markets. The automation of the process allows sellers to focus on creating and selling products, rather than worrying about inventory and fulfillment.Turn digital files into products.MyDesigns is an example of a cloud-based suite of seller tools that enable users to turn digital files into products. It automates the time-consuming tasks associated with publishing, such as generating mock-ups, data, and tags. With MyDesigns, sellers can drop their digital files into the cloud and generate high-quality mock-ups in bulk, as well as generate data quickly and publish them in bulk. This eliminates the need to repeat processes one by one, saving time and money.MyDesigns is best suited for those with some experience in Print on Demand, but beginners can also benefit from the free plan. It is an ideal tool for those who want to test ideas in different markets, as it allows them to quickly and easily create and publish products. The automation of the process also eliminates the need for manual labor, allowing sellers to focus on creating and selling products.Ultimately, Print on Demand is a great way to turn digital files into products. MyDesigns is a great tool for those looking to automate the process and save time and money. It is an ideal tool for those looking to test ideas in different markets and focus on creating and selling products.AI helps with graphics.AI is the key to success in the Print on Demand space. AI-driven tools like Mid Journey, DALI, and Stable Diffusion are able to generate high-quality graphics from text prompts. This is incredibly helpful for those who don’t have the time or resources to hire a graphic designer. With AI, you can create hundreds of graphics in just an hour, allowing you to quickly test ideas in different markets and focus on creating and selling products.Using AI to create graphics also helps you stay ahead of the competition. By getting first to market with an idea, you can gain an advantage over other sellers. Additionally, if you can create high-quality graphics quickly, you can focus on getting more sales and increasing your rankings.Ultimately, AI is an invaluable tool for those looking to succeed in the Print on Demand space. By using AI to quickly generate high-quality graphics, you can stay ahead of the competition and focus on creating and selling products. With AI, you can quickly test ideas in different markets and focus on creating and selling products.AI will make great people excellent.AI can also help you create titles and tags for your listings that are optimized for search engines. By using AI to quickly generate titles and tags, you can save time and focus on creating and selling products. AI can also help you write high-quality descriptions for your products, making them more attractive to potential buyers.AI can also help you stay ahead of the curve in terms of design trends. With AI, you can quickly generate designs that follow the latest trends and stay ahead of the competition. Additionally, AI can help you create unique designs that are tailored to specific markets, allowing you to stand out from the crowd.AI is also invaluable for those looking to create art. By using AI to generate images, you can quickly create unique pieces of art that are tailored to specific markets. Additionally, AI can help you create images that are unique and original, allowing you to stand out from the competition.In conclusion, AI is an invaluable tool for those looking to succeed in the Print on Demand space. AI can help you quickly generate high-quality graphics, titles and tags, and descriptions for your products. Additionally, AI can help you create unique designs and pieces of art tailored to specific markets. AI will make great people excellent, allowing them to stay ahead of the competition and focus on creating and selling products.Consistency and optimization matter.However, AI is not a silver bullet. Consistency and optimization matter if you want to be successful. You need to be consistent in your efforts and continually make adjustments and improvements to your products and listings. You also need to have a deep knowledge of the space you are in, and be able to make subtle changes that will help you stand out from the competition.Successful Etsy sellers understand this and are constantly analyzing data to make improvements and adjustments. They also look for unique products that aren't widely available, or too expensive, so they can have high profit margins.In short, AI is a valuable tool, but it will only get you so far. To truly succeed, you need to be consistent and optimize your products and listings. You need to have a deep knowledge of the space you are in, and continually make subtle changes that will help you stand out from the competition. With the right approach, you can become a successful Etsy seller.Set measurable goals and track.One of the most important steps to becoming a successful Etsy seller is to set measurable goals and track your progress. This means that you should have a clear goal in mind before you begin, such as getting a certain number of sales in a certain period of time. Once you have this goal in place, you can break it down into smaller, more manageable tasks. For example, if you want to achieve 100 sales in three months, you can break it down into 33 sales per month, or just over one sale per day.Once you have broken down your goal into smaller tasks,...