Print on Demand Pros and Cons, Everything You Need to Know

With the rise of eCommerce over the last couple of decades, it was only a matter of time before a convenient new business model like print-on-demand came along. While we’re seeing a huge increase in e-commerce sales across the world, U.S. retail giants like Walmart are also seeing surges in their online sales thanks to improvements in their own POD technologies and services.

But what exactly is print on demand? How does it work, and what do you need to know if you’re considering using POD for your business? Here’s everything you need to know about this booming industry.

What is Print on Demand?

Print on Demand (POD) is a printing technology that enables the production of one copy of a book, magazine, or other printed material at a time. This is in contrast with traditional offset printing, where thousands or millions of copies can be printed at once.

The first POD was launched in 1989 and it's been growing ever since; as of 2015, there were over 1 million titles available through POD publishers worldwide.

Today you'll find many books that use POD technology—in fact, some big-name publishers have even started using it for their hardcover releases!

What Are the Pros of Print on Demand?

Print on Demand (POD) is a great way to get your book out there and start making money.

Here are some of its pros:

• Low cost of entry
• No upfront costs, like printing, shipping, and returns
• No inventory or minimum order requirements
• No minimum sales, customer service, or advertising requirements

A lot of POD companies have grown exponentially in recent years, and it's easy to see why.

Printing on demand is a great way to get started with dropshipping or eCommerce because you don’t need to make any upfront investments in inventory. It also eliminates the markup that traditional retailers use—you can set your prices as low or high as you want, and still make money!

If you've been looking for an opportunity to start your own business without much risk, POD printing might be just what you're looking for.

POD works well with social media marketing.

Social media is a great way to promote your products. It's how you can build a community around the brand, get feedback about the products, and more. Social media has become such an integral part of our lives that when it comes to designing your POD business, it's important to think about how you can use social media to drive sales and profit growth for your company.

It's easy to get started with print on demand.

It's easy to get started with print on demand.

There are several ways you can get started with print on demand, but it all boils down to two basic methods:

• For-profit printing companies like Lightning Source or CreateSpace will charge a fee for their services. They also take a cut of each item sold through your online store or at events. In exchange for these fees and commissions (which can add up quickly), they provide you with the machinery needed to produce books using POD technology and handle all the logistics involved in shipping those books out after they're printed. You don't have to worry about any of that! Instead, these companies do everything from designing your book cover (at an additional cost) to distributing it through various channels like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Ingram Book Group.
• Self-publishing sites like Blurb give creators access to tools that allow them to publish their own work at little or no cost at all—no upfront costs whatsoever! If this sounds too good be true... well... maybe so but there are some caveats worth considering before jumping into this option blindly: These self-publishing tools have limited functionality when compared to more robust options available through third parties such as Lightning Source mentioned above; additionally this route requires consumers who'd like copies of your book must order directly from you instead of being able to purchase them via large retailers like Amazon where most customers prefer shopping nowadays due convenience factors such as return policies."

What Are the Cons of Print on Demand?

If you want to start your own print on demand business, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• You don't own the printing equipment. This means that you can only print as many copies of a book or product as you have pre-prepared and purchased at one time. In other words, if a customer wants 1,000 copies of your new book about how to make macaroons using only flour and sugar, there's no way for him/her to get them from you immediately—unless he/she is willing to wait until next week when more pages are available.
• Profit margins are low with POD businesses because there is little overhead associated with selling books online (you don't need warehouse space or employees) but there is still some upfront cost involved (such as purchasing the rights from authors). So while profits may not be high per unit sold compared to traditional brick-and-mortar stores where prices aren't fixed by manufacturers' decisions like they are online; consumers do appreciate being able to shop around without feeling pressured into buying something right away since they know they can always find something else later if need be."

The profit margins are much smaller than traditional dropshipping.

As you can imagine, the profit margins are much smaller. Print on demand is more suited to those who have a small budget and want to test out their business idea without investing a lot of money in inventory.

It's also an option for businesses like artists or writers who don't want to get bogged down in logistics and shipping issues by selling physical goods using a dropshipping model.

You'll have to make your brand unique when using POD to stand out from the competition.

Now that you have a better understanding of the pros and cons of using POD to get your products made, it's time to decide if it's the right move for your business. While there are many benefits to using print on demand, there are also some drawbacks. Most importantly, you'll need to make your brand unique when using POD so that it stands out from the competition. If you do manage to do all this successfully, then print on demand could be an excellent choice for getting started in business!

You won't own your printing equipment when using print on demand.

You may not think of it this way, but you won't own your printing equipment when using print on demand. You are essentially renting the equipment and paying for its use. This can be a downside because you will have to pay an upfront fee for your printer and then also pay a monthly fee for its use. Additionally, if you need to find a place that offers this kind of service in your area, there may not be any options available; it could be difficult to find someone who can provide what you need or would like in terms of pricing and features.

If you do go with print-on-demand services, make sure that they aren't going to charge too much upfront or monthly fees that are too high so that there isn't too much financial strain on yourself over time (if possible). Also, keep in mind that equipment maintenance costs money as well; if something breaks down unexpectedly after just a year or two then chances are good those repairs could cost thousands of dollars which could wipe out any profits made from selling books through them during those first couple years while waiting until they've paid off their initial investment into buying new printers each time one breaks down!

POD offers a low-cost way for businesses to offer products without a large initial investment, but it’s not perfect.

POD offers a low-cost way for businesses to offer products without a large initial investment, but it’s not perfect. It’s not for everyone, and it’s best suited for certain types of businesses with specific goals in mind. If you want to get started on your own POD business, make sure you understand the pros and cons before you commit.

Conclusion

POD offers a fantastic opportunity for entrepreneurs to start their businesses without taking any risks. However, it's not always a good idea and there are some disadvantages you should consider before deciding whether to use POD or not.