THE BUSINESS OF DIY: 6 Profitable Items to Make & Sell Online

Key Takeaways

want to make something from scratch and sell it online today thousands of people are producing handmade goods and selling them at pop-ups and markets and more and recently there has been a massive surge in online shopping so many entrepreneurs are looking to capitalize on this by selling on shopify the ecommerce advantage gives you the opportunity to sell anywhere in the world ecommerce gives makers more reach and apps help their businesses run more efficiently letting them focus on what they do best their craft the best part about e-commerce is that many of these business ideas can be started from home with minimal upfront investment so here's a list of six things to make and sell online from home now whether you're a beginner or an advanced craftsperson there's options in this list for everyone i'll give you an overview of each but if any of these ideas spark your interest i'm going to share links for each one with more in-depth guides on what you'll need to get started hi everyone i'm your host michelle bally learn with shopify is a channel dedicated to small business owners with big plans every week we drop a new video that will give you the knowledge you need to start and grow your online business so make sure that you're subscribed to keep up with all of our new videos also if after watching this video you want even more help finding a product make sure that you're checking out our free 40-minute webinar that's going to teach you how to find winning product ideas how to validate them and how to get started just click the link in the description box below to get started with this free training now alright let's hop into the list bath bombs and soaps bath bombs bath salts and soaps can be made at home in a few easy steps if you do a quick google search you'll see tons of tutorials and recipes they range from simple recipes for bath salts like these to more complicated formulas that require preservatives like these you don't have to be a creative genius to make this business a success soaps and bath bombs can be made using molds that you buy online or at a craft store packaging is a huge influence on purchasing decisions specifically in the beauty industry so make sure that you're hiring design help if need be you can head over to fiverr to hire a freelance graphic designer alright so here are some tips before deciding on this idea first of all you're going to want to keep your inventory tight if you sit on your bath bombs they can lose some of that fizz and also keep in mind that natural ingredients in soap can expire do some research on what raw ingredients are beauty grade and safer skin you'll also want to make sure they're approved for use in your country so for all my canadian and us citizens out there i'll drop a link in the description box with cosmetic guidance and regulation it'll outline which ingredients are prohibited and which are safe on that note also check with your government to ensure that your production facility meets health standards even if it's only your own kitchen simply just google production facility standards for cosmetics in your region this regulatory information is important so be sure that you're doing this skincare accounts for 60 of the total profit in the beauty industry and entrepreneur lisa shared her inspiring story about how she claimed a piece of that pie lisa founder of the honey bunch shop bypassed the banks to create a wildly successful bath bomb business with creative campaigns like we've got balls lisa was able to sell 45 000 units in addition to her marketing her business success was also due to her own transparency as a business owner she posted this to facebook asking her audience to support her business during a financial rut she also told shopify i'm not afraid to say i'm broke if i'm broke but i'm also the person to celebrate anything that's successful people seem to connect with that it takes some bravery but being human with your audience increases trust if you're interested in making bath soaps and bath bombs you're going to want to check out this blog article that takes you through the method to make them check out the link in the description box for that t-shirts and printed merch this is a maker business for the non-maker your design idea or slogan can be printed onto various goods like t-shirts mugs and dog bandanas with this business idea you can opt in for a print-on-demand model this means that you hold zero inventory and you get your printing house to ship your products to your customers this is a very hands-off business that has low barrier to entry now if you wanted to increase the handmade factor consider learning the art of screen printing and purchasing equipment to print your designs at home like this design over here or you can hand stitch patches and yarn work like these over here here's an inspiring story about how this entrepreneur started a t-shirt business to fund a new puppy liz bertorelli owner of passionfruit apparel really wanted a french bulldog so she told herself if she could make an extra five grand she would get one so while working a full-time job she started an online print-on-demand t-shirt company and she exceeded her five thousand dollar goal in a matter of months roughly five years one dog and a full rebrand later passionfruit liz's lgbtq plus online store is still kicking liz mentions that when she came out it was really hard so she now sells tank tops with slogans like love is love for the people who want to show themselves without saying it out loud here are a couple of tips for getting started with your t-shirt business t-shirts and printed merch can supplement an existing business so gyms and musicians for example can sell branded swag to their current audiences this singer-songwriter lolo sells t-shirts and stickers for example now if you're not a designer don't sweat it you can use sites like shopify experts creative market or upwork to find talent to help turn your ideas into designs for your t-shirt business i'll link all of those in the description box for you to look at later use a print and fulfillment app like printful guten or even t launch they'll integrate with your shopify store and automatically print fulfill and ship each order so you can be up and running in a matter of days if not hours i'll link those resources as well if you're inspired by liz's quick success and you want to know more about how print on demand works we have a whole video dedicated to just this if you want to dive a little bit deeper i'll also put a link for a free 40-minute webinar below make sure that you're opening these links in a new tab for when you're done watching this video here shopify is offering a free 14-day trial all you have to do is click the link in the description box to take action so that you can level up your ecommerce business jewelry jewelry is another business idea that can range in skill levels you can create really simple and low-tech pieces like beaded necklaces and woven bracelets or you can really dig your feet in and use special silversmithing equipment to create necklace pendants like this cadet one over here now think about how your designs can stand out and what niche you can carve out for yourself to do this you're going to want to validate your idea by following fashion influencers so i tend to pay really close attention to what my friends and bloggers in london are wearing because while toronto has some really well-dressed people we're a bit behind so if you're in the same boat it helps to follow influencers in london paris and berlin for example that way you'll be first to market with a particular trend in your area here's a motivating story of 10 year old entrepreneur riley her jewelry brand called gunner and lux has caught the attention of some of the biggest retailers in the u.s so one year riley upped her lemonade stand game by adding some of her creations to her table when her dad posted photos to his instagram his followers asked where they could buy her necklaces so he set up a website four years later riley's still head of design but she now has staff helping her make jewelry and fulfill orders from the likes of barney's and j crew if you're feeling inspired by riley's resourcefulness here are some tips on how you can get your own jewelry business started as well if you're crafting jewelry at home try accentuating the imperfections of your jewelry so look at these handmade blob rings for example these use resin and costume gemstones if this all seems a little much and you've decided to just source jewelry instead check out jewelers in indonesia they have great quality craftsmanship and unique designs at really reasonable prices if you're looking for step-by-step instructions on how to start a jewelry business don't worry we've got you covered make sure that you're clicking here to watch that full video curated gift and subscription boxes a gift or subscription box business is a great idea for those who are less crafty but more have an eye for curation now let me just start by saying that the assembly part can be a tedious task but the business has its advantages subscription boxes are a great source of recurring and semi-reliable revenue and if you already have a reasonably sized audience that brands want to get in front of you can sell your subscription box as a marketing opportunity so that you get the items to go into the box for free listen to this crazy story about subscription box owner sofia pierro before she started her own business rubbing elbows with the hollywood elite was just another day on the job sophia was raking in a good living and she was the top of her game but none of it made her happy so she started a subscription box business she turned down the opportunity to work with matt damon because she's so happy running present day gifts these are curated gift boxes featuring products from local handmade and small batch brands if you're going to start your own subscription box business here are a couple of things that you're going to want to keep in mind calculate your storage and assembly needs can your home accommodate your business or do you need to rent additional space also ease your customers into commitment offer a substantial discount to those who pay up front for subscriptions or offer the first month free use an app like recurring orders and subscriptions to manage your subscriptions as well we have an entire blog post that walks you through the basics of getting a subscription box started i'll make sure to link that in the description box for you but if you'd rather watch a video we have a whole episode on how to start a subscription box that you can watch right up here cookies pies jams and cakes sugar can be spun into endless things to make and sell this is a category with unique stipulations legalities labeling and shelf life but also worth it with lots of room to get creative niche markets include holidays like new year's and occasions like weddings you can do custom orders for families or catering for business meetings or why not make pet treats and gift baskets be sure to investigate the viability of selling your product online also keep in mind how fragile your item is when shipping and how you'll keep items cool or warm in transit so we've talked a lot about overnight successes here but let me give you a practical story about how this dessert founder ramya keeps her day job while managing her healthy dessert business after curing her own sinus issues through a wellness lifestyle ramya eliminated gluten and dairy from her diet the avid baker relearned how to make sweets with alternative ingredients and that eventually became the inspiration for a sweet new business called oh my goodness ramya still works other jobs to pay the bills and financial success sometimes feels impossible but her business is taking off rami's cakes are now made in industrial kitchens and she has more than a handful of people who help her with making and packing up her cakes her social enterprise hires people with disabilities and those who are transitioning out of the criminal system when pressed ramya notes she feels successful because she hits her goals and makes a difference in people's lives if you're looking to make a food business into a side hustle here are some tips for when you're getting started so first of all trace the supply chain carefully select your raw ingredient suppliers to ensure that what's on your label is actually what's inside ask questions like how and where things are made and grown consult with a lawyer or a food inspection agency to be sure that your labeling meets local requirements for nutritional content ingredients and allergy warnings if you're looking to get into depth about how to start your own online food business i have an amazing guide it takes you all the way from brainstorming ideas to starting and marketing your business i'll drop that link in the description box below lip balm and cosmetics as the owner of a makeup brand i can tell you that starting your own cosmetic line may seem daunting but it's totally doable i started by formulating simple lip glosses in my kitchen from vegan beeswax and oils to do this try sourcing ingredients from makingcosmetics.com and you can also try wholesalesuppliesplus.com for budget friendly options now i work with a freelance chemist who produces my formulas chemist consultants are really really hard to come by especially if you're in canada so if you two are looking to get advice on producing your own formulas from a skilled chemist you can chat with sherry from a cosmetic chemist she'll get you started i'll drop her website in the description box below here's a story about how an ex-financier left an unfulfilling job to build a beauty behemoth business right from her kitchen after working a lucrative yet unfulfilling day job melissa began making lipsticks in her kitchen she had become increasingly frustrated by the lack of diversity and beauty at the time and decided to do something about it it started as a side gig and then melissa hit some lows she ran out of money and had to live with strangers to cover rent but seven years later the lip bar is a thriving business that believes beauty should be diverse and accessible to anyone melissa has worked with the likes of bloomingdale's urban outfitters target and forever 21 and in february 2019 she cut the ribbon of the lip bars flagship retail store in detroit if you're ready to get started on your own beauty brand here are some tips from me to you invest in ingredient research it pays to talk to a health regulatory consultant so that you can be sure your products are safe they'll help you understand if your ingredients are rated for cosmetic use karen friedman consulting is an example of a specialist that can help bring your product to market safely i'll link her website below understand the labeling laws of any country or region where you plan to sell your products in some countries the word organic is regulated and you cannot use it unless you have acquired the proper certification digital goods the digitization of goods shows no signs of stopping making and selling digital products like font licenses wedding invitation templates webinars or even photoshop actions requires a little bit of upfront work but it's relatively hands off once you get started the overhead costs are very low and the typical pain points that comes with physical goods like inventory and shipping are non-existent dustin lee generates passive income through digital products dustin is the founder of retro supply a store that sells digital assets for graphic designers and illustrators inspired by history if you work in photoshop or illustrator for instance there's a variety of add-ons you can get like custom brushes that give you a very specific effect dustin sells those digital assets or i should say they sell themselves but it wasn't always like this when he first started out he was getting up early and working on the side business for an hour every day his hard work paid off and he is now enjoying the ability for these digital assets to be sold multiple times to multiple people anywhere in the world if you're okay with an upfront time investment so that you can later relax here are some tips on how you can make digital assets work for your business choose a delivery method apps like digital downloads and sky pilot integrate with your shopify store to automatically deliver digital goods or provide a download link to each customer if you're hosting files on shopify make sure your files are each 5 gigabytes or less for larger files try compressing them into zip archives after creating the assets consider focusing on seo so that people are organically finding your content so those were six ideas of things that you can easily make at home so that you can get started on your business fast if you found this video helpful be sure to give it a thumbs up that's going to help our channel and our community grow if you want to build an online business but still aren't sure what to sell check out our free 40-minute webinar it will teach you how to find winning product ideas how to validate them and how to get started just click the link in the description box to register for your free training now did i miss anything that you think could be a good business idea if so make sure you're dropping it in the comments below thank you so much for tuning in this time i'm your host michelle bally and i will see you the next one you