The TRUTH about Etsy Print on Demand | 5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting

Etsy Print on Demand may be the most common way for new Sellers to get started using Print on Demand fulfillment. In this video, I discuss how much money the average Etsy seller made in 2022 according to information in Etsy's annual report. Also, having learned a lot by opening my own Etsy store, I share 5 Things I wish I knew before getting started using Etsy POD. These tips will be very helpful in understanding how to get set up to sell with Etsy dropshipping. For example, I explain Etsy fees and Etsy offsite ads.

Disclaimer:
While I am a finance expert, I am NOT a financial or tax advisor and am NOT offering financial advice on what YOU should do with YOUR money. How you invest your money should be based on BOTH sound financial planning and knowledge of the details of YOUR specific financial situation. This video is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only.

Your host in this video has an undergraduate degree in Economics, an MBA in finance from Cornell University, earned the CFA charter (Chartered Financial Analyst), worked as an equity research analyst at top Wall Street firms, and has been the CFO of several software companies.

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#etsy #etsybusiness #estyseller #pod #printondemand #makemoneyonline #passiveincome #williamlee

[ShirabeKanada]

Love the video❤️ I just started my print-on-demand journey and found Crafted Threads. They have a ton of designs and it saved me so much time. They have something in every niche. And lifetime updates too!!

[The_man_himself_]

I'd agree there are way too many YouTubers telling us how to "get rich quick". If it were that easy we'd all be millionaires. I started my Etsy shop 2 years ago and have built up a decent passive income as a side hustle, but I have invested the hours to get where I am. You just gotta work at it and have realistic expectations.

[kaeldrarhiannon]

As an accountant by day and freelance artist by night, I'm super impressed how candid you were in this video about the hidden seller fees, sales tax obligations, VAT requirements, and resale certs. So many Youtube content creators will gloss over this stuff, and small business owners get burned during tax time. Very impressed you pointed these things out!!!

[chrisbaker]

Great to see this video. I ran a popular Etsy store for years and closed down earlier this year.
Between the high fees, and the policies (some have since changed regarding automatic refunds) it was not worth it for the small profit and large time investment on my end. I had a customer click on the "contact seller" button to thank me for the fast shipping, and somehow Etsy took that as a problem, refunded the buyer in full and told me that it was out of their hands. That was the final straw. I closed the store immediately and haven't looked back since.
I found it a lot better to focus on producing stock and attend craft markets in person where outside of the site fee, there was no hidden costs. The added bonus is I can see people enjoying my products in person

[CassandraClarkArt]

Finally!! A business oriented approach to what being an etsy seller is actually like. I have an MBA and 20 years of experience in business and still had a tough time deciphering all the fees, time, and opportunity costs. You totally nailed it. Appreciate your video!

[dawnliphard]

I think that the evolution in business practice in Etsy itself has made a difference as well. Since going public the type of product they allow has changed. At its inception it was a makers market and catered to hand made sellers or artisans. Once they went public it was flooded with cheaply made and mass produced pieces. It has gotten to where you can’t always trust the photo of items either. New stores have trouble breaking into the market because consumers are becoming less trusting newer products.

[PokeChampionHQ]

What I appreciate about this video 6 minutes in, you are so honest about the fact that just Etsy doesn’t tell you how many stores don’t make money at all

[johnnywalker]

Was searching for the truth, and very grateful that I found it. Thanks for explaining what's going on with this model.

[dantekruz]

Thanks so much for this unbiased "non influencer" break down of the platform. I've seen a lot of those types of videos over the years and even tried out a few strategies before finding out that a lot of them don't really practice any of the things they say and primarily make money not from what they preach but from selling courses. So it's good to see a more objective perspective on POD businesses.

[Secretariat]

Good to know I'm at least doing better than I thought I was 🤣 I was starting to feel really down compared to all the gurus saying how easy it is. But I've made 300 sales in 6 months and earning about $12/hr after all costs. Not bad but also nothing to shout from the rooftops about either 😂

[johnfellers]

I think the creator makes good points, and I think the big take away here is that there is never a free lunch. You have to be willing to work at it. What he doesn't call out (unless I missed it) is that all of those first-time costs to post an item need to be amortized. As long as the product remains up and generates sales, your costs effectively drop to zero or near zero. This means your hourly rate can "effectively" fluctuate to much higher over time. Like anything, you can reach amazing results by sticking with it and continually learning.

[skepss]

You deserve more followers and views for your unbiased review and not just hyping people up while leaving important details or pain points out.

[PuckDudesHockey]

Thank you for a calm and level-headed video in this space. I tend to bounce off videos as soon as excited promises of glorious results are made. But I stayed to the end on this one (and subscribed), because you were balanced and measured. Much appreciation.

[GavinKohAquascaping]

This was the video that I needed to see. Like you said, so many, I would comfortably say 95% of content creators, lure us in with the HOPE of making money, rather than the actual facts of it. You've got a very easy sub and like. Please keep this up! Thanks!

[tommyrocket]

William, I have to say this is the most honest commercially realistic summary of running a business as an Etsy POD seller I have seen. Etsy’s market place metrics of millions is the major attraction to potential sellers and your breakdown of this is classic.
Being in business most of my working life and now retired the POD business concept really grabbed my attention. The issues you addressed underpins many of my own Etsy concerns which include two additional issues to those you have raised. First, should also consider the costs incurred for support facilities outside of Etsy. Second, and one of my major concerns, is the “control” Etsy exerts over Etsy Sellers. It is apparent that Etsy will suspend or close shops without valid cause or prior notice, then fail to respond to Seller requests, which is not a healthy business environment. This provokes my following comments (1) Time really is Money (2) You can’t build an empire on rented land, and (3) My view is that you use Etsy to learn and gain a market foothold as they are using you! Then branch out.

[TristanSpohnAKASpiderman]

It seems to all come down to intention. When you have a genuine passion or something to specifically say with what you’re selling, the easier it is to find an audience. I think a lot of people that just throw things together for the sole purpose of making quick bucks won’t have the sustainable mindset or quality/meaningful products to ultimately make it work.

[jontnoneya]

This is awesome! Thank you so much for your insights! One thing I think people also underestimate is the amount of design time required and how much theft of ideas/designs goes on. I can easily imagine a whole group of people do nothing but search listings for easily repeatable designs, copy them and start mass producing and selling them on ETSY also. That means the evolution of ideas and designs is never ending. Anyways, great stuff. Thanks again.

[BalancingHormones]

Thanks, William! This video helped me decide whether or not to open up a shop on Etsy. For those who are successful on Etsy, great work. For me, I'm too lazy and too frugal to pay all those fees to consider doing all that for ten dollars an hour. I'm sure there are people who actually owe Etsy money for opening a shop and just walk away. Your honest review is much appreciated!

[ZimCrusher]

Great video. You quickly learn how difficult or complex it is to do any of these 'side hussles' by just doing one.

[SriKrishnamrutham-gvly]

You are awesome. What an eye opener! I run a shop on Etsy and now I know why I have been scratching my head althese days. Thanks buddy!