Online entrepreneurs are always looking for additional revenue streams and affiliate programs have always been a popular option but I feel that another source is seriously overlooked - sites like Zazzle.com (similar to CafePress but way better in my opinion).
Selling merchandise works for a number of different online ventures and for people seeking out new revenue streams. Zazzle features official merchandise from musicians such as Britney Spears, The Who and Maroon 5 yet basically nothing from Caribbean musicians.
I jumped at an opportunity to test Zazzle.com late last year when a friend of mine, Kevin Hopkins, approached me with an Obama design. I told him that the safest way to test market the product with minimal risk was for us to create a store on Zazzle. This was the resulting store - http://www.zazzle.com/realvibez.
It was extremely easy to customize the “store”, selecting products for sale and setting your final price (you automatically earn a commission at the base price but you can mark up the price as well).
We did a little promotion via Facebook and emailed a few friends to see what would happen. We actually thought the product was a little late to the game because Obama had already won the Democratic nomination but I have been pleasantly surprised to see more emails informing me that we had a sale AFTER the election and since January (The Inauguration obviously has something to do with that).
It is not any major money but the experiment was not intended to be a business venture but merely to test the idea of selling on Zazzle. Now that I know what it takes to get some sales, I am willing to recommend it to others and look into opportunities for people I know. Even if you only made a $100 per month, it required far less capital to start and sustain so the return on investment is huge.
If you are a graphic designer looking for extra money, you need to try it out for sure but this is also an opportunity for other kinds of people and ventures.
Simple idea: Zazzle allows you to create cards + Caribbean entrepreneur = Cards featuring beautiful Caribbean pictures and basic text sold via Zazzle.
You now have your Caribbean card startup and can branch into calendars and more. Go further and setup your own website with all your products and clicking to buy sends you to Zazzle to complete the purchase.There are numerous ways to make money online but I think this one has been overlooked by Caribbean entrepreneurs.
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Related Story:
http://www.caribbeanstartupblog.com/2009/01/23/making-money-online-with-zazzlecom
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:01 pm
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January 28th, 2009 at 10:06 am
Afrobella, http://www.afrobella.com, Trini living in Miami, also started selling Afrobella merchandise. Might be nice to her her take on how successful she’s been with it.
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February 3rd, 2009 at 2:37 pm
Thanks for sharing your wonderful article.
Zazzle is a wonderful place to make money whether you are designing products yourself or simply referring people to other peoples Zazzle store.
Zazzle is quickly becoming my passion and I’m always looking for those who want to earn a referral fee by promoting my Zazzle gallery through affiliate marketing. Zazzle pays a whopping 15% for sales that come through your referral links and you can promote as many stores as you like.
March 5th, 2010 at 10:54 pm