Thinking about starting a printables business, or are already dabbling in the idea? If so, you’re in the right place! After all, creating and selling printables is hands down the best way to make passive income using your creative skills! I speak from personal experience because I switched my party decorations to printables, and have such a fun time designing my printables. But you might be wondering Where to Get Inspiration for Selling Printables, so let’s talk about it!
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Getting Lost in the Printables Design Process
I can’t tell you how much I love designing printables. I could sit for hours doing it. And now that I coach others how to make and sell printables on Etsy, I know that I’m not alone. I get emails all the time from my students who say that they could spend all day designing! And I love that, because that’s the whole point of starting a printables business. It’s having the ability to make money WHILE doing something you really enjoy!
Getting lost in the design process can certainly be a relaxing and fun state to be in. But in order to get into that flow state where you’re just designing for hours on end, you’ve got to first figure out what you’re going to create.
Decide On Your Printables Niche
The first step in getting inspiration for your printable designs is to figure out your niche. What printables do you want to sell? First, you can check out one of my recent posts, what printables should you sell on etsy, to get started.
It’s all about figuring out what’s on your heart to start making. You probably saw something that inspired you to get started creating printables. Think back to what that was. What was it about that that made you want to start? Was it that you thought you could do something similar, but WAY cuter (obviously!). Maybe it was the idea behind it. Whatever it was, it was a sign from the Universe and your higher self that this was something to go for. Don’t let that slip away! Grab it and go!
If you’re still struggling to figure out your niche, you can take my free training that will help you nail your printables niche.
Where to Get Inspiration for Selling Printables
There are so many great places to get inspiration for selling printables. But by far, my number one suggestion is to look at what you need in your own life.
For example, I have a daughter that I love to make printables for. I get endless inspiration from her on the daily! Whether it be something she could use at daycare, school, with her friends, or at home, I’m always using her as my guinea pig.
For example, when she was starting Kindergarten, I noticed that she wanted to plan playdates with all of her new classmates. The only problem? I didn’t know any of their names or how to get in contact with their parents. That’s what inspired these Playdate Cards. Not only did they help me plan playdates for my daughter, I immediately listed them on Etsy and started making sales.
Want to know the funniest party? They went viral on TikTok! Yep, some mom with a good following found them on Etsy and shared them on one of her videos. My sales were soaring for days! And all because my daughter wanted to make new friends.
That’s why looking at what you have around you and using your own life for ideas is my number one place to get inspiration for selling printables.
Other Ways to Get Inspiration for Selling Printables
Aside from using my own life, here are some more ideas of how to get inspiration:
- Analyze market trends: Keep up-to-date with the latest trends to see what’s popular. If that means scrolling Pinterest or Etsy, that’s kind of the easiest job ever, right?
- Collaborate with others: Collaborating with other people in your life is another great way to get inspiration. And don’t just use the ones IRL (in real life)! Use people you follow on social media like bloggers, influencers, or small businesses you follow. Ask them how you can create something for them for free to later sell on Etsy.
- Check out the competition: Most of the time, I’ll tell you that looking at your compeition is a bad idea. But in some cases (as long as you have the right mindset), you can take a look at what other Etsy shops are selling and see if there are any gaps that you could fill with your own unique printables.
- Solve a problem: Think about problems that people have and create printables that solve those problems. There is an endless supply of problems out there, amiright!?
Thank you!
I hope this gives you some ideas about how to get inspiration for your printables. I love to help you celebrate life through party decorations and personal development! But above all, I’d love to connect with you. Reach out to me on Instagram and let’s chat.
xoxo, Lindsay
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