This week, I’m sharing the details about one of my favorite side hustles: making money by selling T-shirts online.
Selling T-shirts online is a fantastic way to earn some extra cash from home. Depending on the amount of effort you put in, it can be a small supplemental income or even grow into a full-time home business. You might think this side hustle is just for creative types, but I’ve made decent money without any design skills.
I’ve mentioned this side hustle in various other posts but realized I’ve never written a complete guide on it. So, here it is for anyone looking to get started.
In this post, you’ll learn exactly how I make a recurring passive income selling simple text-based T-shirts online, with no physical products or start-up costs. Read on to find out how you can start selling T-shirts online this week!
### Selling T-shirts Online to Make Money
The easiest way to sell T-shirts online is through a print-on-demand (POD) platform. Print-on-demand is fantastic because it lets anyone start an online business with no upfront costs. You create designs for T-shirts and other products, but they’re only printed once a customer makes a purchase. This minimizes waste and keeps costs low.
Here’s how it works:
1. Upload a design to a POD website like Merch by Amazon.
2. The site creates a mock-up of your design on a T-shirt.
3. Set your price, write a description, and list your T-shirt for sale.
4. When someone buys it, the POD company prints and ships the T-shirt.
5. You receive a royalty payment at the end of the month.
You don’t need stock, equipment, or even your own website. The POD companies handle customer service and shipping. All you need is time, internet access, and a basic design program or app.
### How to Start Selling T-shirts Online
Sounds good, right? Here’s how to get started:
#### Choose Your Platform
First, choose your POD platform. While you can list designs on multiple platforms, start with one. I recommend Merch by Amazon because it benefits from Amazon’s huge customer base. There’s an application process, so apply now to get started. If you’re not accepted, try another POD site and reapply later.
#### Make Some Designs
Once you have a POD account, create your first design. Check the site’s specifications for design size and file size. You can use any design program you like. If you don’t have software like Photoshop, free programs like Gimp or Canva work well. Gimp is powerful but has a learning curve, while Canva is more user-friendly but may require a paid version for certain features.
Upload your design following the site’s instructions, and you’re ready to go!
#### Make More Designs
With POD, quantity often leads to more sales. The more designs you have, the better your chances of making sales. Create a large number of simpler designs targeting different niches. Over time, you’ll see which designs sell best and can focus on those niches.
### What If I Have No Design Skills?
You don’t need to be a designer to create good T-shirt designs. Simple text designs often work best. Use popular phrases, jokes, or slang that appeal to specific niches. For example, I’ve created T-shirts with funny or slang words in a foreign language I speak, and they sell well.
You can make text designs attractive by choosing interesting fonts. Most design programs come with plenty of fonts, or you can download free fonts from sites like 1001 Fonts. Just ensure they’re free for commercial use.
If you want more advanced designs, purchase basic design elements from websites like Creative Market. They offer affordable patterns, textures, fonts, and clipart you can mix and match. Always check the license before using them.
### Best Place to Sell Shirts Online
There are many POD sites, but I recommend starting with one. Once you’re familiar with the process, upload your best designs to multiple platforms.
#### Merch by Amazon
Merch by Amazon is my top choice. It’s easy to make sales because of Amazon’s traffic. You can sell T-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, and PopSockets. There’s an application process, but don’t worry if you’re not accepted immediately.
#### Printful
Printful offers many products, including T-shirts, hoodies, tank tops, phone cases, and more. It integrates with Amazon, Etsy, eBay, Shopify, and other platforms, allowing you to maximize sales.
#### Other POD Sites
Other good POD sites include Redbubble, Teespring, Zazzle, and Teelaunch.
### Can I Do Print-on-Demand in My Country?
Yes, POD is international. You can design and upload shirts from anywhere and sell them globally. If you need a US bank account for payments, use a service like Payoneer, which sets up a US account in your name.
### How to Avoid Copyright Infringement with T-shirts
Avoid copyright infringement by not using logos, brand names, or designs you don’t own. Check every phrase you use through the trademark office of the country you’re selling in. Also, follow the content policy of your chosen POD site to avoid issues.
### How to Advertise T-shirts Online
For a low-key side hustle, you can upload designs and wait for customers. But to boost sales, consider advertising:
– **Amazon Advertising**: Promote your shirts within Amazon.
– **Facebook Ads**: Target niche audiences.
– **Pinterest**: Build up your account and join group boards.
– **Start a Facebook Group**: Build a community around your niche.
– **Influencer Marketing**: Ask influencers to advertise your shirts.
### Can I Make Money Selling T-shirts Online?
Yes, you can! I’ve been making a regular passive income from Merch by Amazon for over a year. The more time you invest, the more you can earn.
### My Earnings on Merch by Amazon
I joined Merch in October 2017. Initially, I made a few sales and gradually increased my designs. From February 2018, I earned an average of over $100 per month passively. In November 2018, I ramped up my efforts and earned over $1,000 in December 2018. My January 2019 earnings were lower but still higher than the previous year.
### How to Be Successful Selling T-shirts Online
To make more money faster, be proactive:
– **Product Research**: Research bestselling products and create similar designs.
– **Learn About Keywords**: Use relevant search terms in your product titles and descriptions.
– **Niche Down**: Focus on specific niches you know well.
– **Scale Your Designs**: Adapt and expand your successful designs.
– **Prepare for Events/Holidays**: Create shirts for special occasions.
– **Create Shirts for Specific Clients**: Offer custom shirts to local businesses or groups.
– **Advertise**: Use paid ads or social media to promote your shirts.
### Resources to Start Selling T-shirts Online
You don’t need many resources to start. Here are some I use:
– **Gimp**: Free design software.
– **Canva**: User-friendly design program.
– **Merch Informer**: Research and design tools.
– **Payoneer**: For receiving payments if you’re not in the US.
– **Creative Market**: Affordable design elements.
I hope this guide inspires you to start selling T-shirts online. It’s a great online business idea and easy to start. If you have any questions, drop them in the comments below, and I’ll do my best to help.