Resources

While many of us might not make a lot of phone calls anymore (at least, I know I prefer to mostly send text messages), businesses still do and that’s because speaking to a client over the phone is just easier and builds more trust than an email can.

If you’re a small business owner, gig-worker, or a freelancer then you might want to look into these services that provide free business phone numbers.

Here’s why it’s important to get a separate phone number for your business:

I know that as a small business owner you need to save where you can. Having a free business number for your side-gig not only spares you the cost of getting a landline or an additional phone plan but it also adds a sense of credibility and professionalism to your business.

These days, a lot of people tend to just use their personal phone number as their business number, and while there’s nothing wrong with that, some of our personal lives tend to spill over that way.

For instance, if the client has a messenger like WhatsApp too (which is likely since it’s such a hugely popular messaging service), then they will see all of your profile pictures, statuses, and updates.

On top of that, keeping things organized on a phone that’s used for both your business ventures and personal life gets tricky after a while.

Luckily, there are a number of ways you can get a free business phone number here in the US. I’ve listed some of them below so you can find one that fits your needs.

Do Freelancers and Gig-Workers Really Benefit From Having a Business Phone Number?

It might not seem like it, but yes, you can benefit from getting a separate phone number for your business whether you’re starting a catering business or you have your own floral boutique at home.

Depending on the work you do, you’ll have to pitch to clients, save important contacts, maintain a list of leads, and set up a schedule so you don’t forget anything.

Getting a free business phone number means you can do all of that without having to pay for an additional phone number or another phone.

Though some people do like having a separate phone for work, which is fine as well – it doesn’t have to be an expensive one and you can still use a free phone number on it instead of going for a full plan.

While having a business phone number won’t help you with your scheduling, it can help you keep your personal phone number out of the public eye. There are a number of benefits attached to that, but the two ones that instantly come to mind are:

– not getting bombarded by spam, and

– not having to deal with creeps who now have your phone number.

But probably one of the biggest positives to having an independent phone number for your business is that you don’t have to answer it after hours. Once you’re done for the day, you can just mute those calls and even set up an automatic answering system that says you’ll call them back the next day.

How do Free Business Phone Numbers Work?

Most free business numbers are either virtual or Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) numbers. There are a few places that provide this type of service and they will either be able to provide you with a local number or a toll-free number, or both.

Make sure to check that distinction before you sign up. If your clients are spread out across the country then you should opt for the toll-free number instead of the local option.

There are also a couple of different ways this could work. You could do your inbound and outbound calls over a desktop phone. But you would need a headset with a microphone for that.

Otherwise, you can just have your business calls forwarded to your regular phone. This works just as well and is the better option if you tend to frequently be out of the office during work hours.

5 Free Business Phone Number Services

1. Google Voice

We use Google services for pretty much everything these days – from getting work done in Docs or Sheets, to using our Google Calendars for scheduling appointments. So, of course, there’s a Google Voice as well.

The Google Voice app is pretty easy to use and you should be fairly familiar with its setup if you already use any other Google services. The app lets you make free calls (and send free text messages) on your computer and Android or iOS phones.

It comes with some great features too, including the ability to filter spam calls – something all of us need these days – and transcribe voicemails so you can read them later.

This free service is really great for anyone that travels around a lot, but the only caveat is that it supplies you with a local number. If you need a toll-free number to connect with clients in other states then you’ll need to go for a different option. Luckily there are plenty of others!

2. Phone.com

This is a fairly well-known VoIP service that is easy to use on both desktop and mobile devices.

This service isn’t technically free as they have a few pricing plans based on the number of minutes you can call every month. However, their base plan (currently $13/month) does come with a 30-day money-back guarantee and so I felt they warranted a mention here because Phone.com is pretty popular.

The service offers a long list of standard and premium features, that I’m not going to go through here. But a few noteworthy mentions include professional voice recording, voicemail to email, Caller ID (for incoming and outgoing calls), and hold music.

Phone.com provides both local and toll-free numbers which means you’re free to choose the option that best suits you.

3. eVoice

This virtual phone service offers both local and toll-free business phone numbers to people in the US and Canada. It comes with a 30-day free trial, after which you’ll have to pay a monthly subscription, unfortunately.

There are several perks to eVoice, though, and they have a few different subscription tiers to choose from so you can pick a cheap tier if you don’t need a lot of bells and whistles.

There are some terrific bells and whistles, however, if you want them. You’ll get to choose your own number from a list, have a professionally recorded greeting, and get an auto attendant who answers your calls and can route calls to your smartphone or another device (or both if one is for customer service and the other is for billing, for instance).

4. CallCentric

CallCentric is a great option if you want a free business number for inbound calls because it’s free to receive any number of calls on the service. But if you want to make calls yourself, then you’ll have to pay.

That said, any calls you make to other CallCentric or VOIP numbers are also free. And if you do need to make calls to non-VOIP numbers then their plans are still a fantastic option. You get 120 minutes a month for just $2 on the basic plan.

5. FreedomVoice

This is another service that offers a free 30-day trial, after which you’ll have to pay $10 per month (for the basic plan). While this isn’t ideal considering you actually want a free service, the perks help make up for it, at least.

With FreedomVoice you also get a virtual auto assistant, can forward calls to any phone, have unlimited voicemail, and the ability to send and receive faxes online.

If you want, you can also opt to get a vanity business phone number instead, for a $30 activation fee (luckily it’s once-off). This is a tempting option for anyone who would like a unique and memorable number.

The Bottom Line

Keep in mind though, that calls through any of these services are made over the internet and so you will need a connection to be able to make and receive calls.

Depending on how strong your connection is, you might also experience dropped calls or bad “reception” at times.

Also, remember that any calls you make over a network could be intercepted. Although, there are a couple of things you can do to make sure your business stays safe from online threats (and not just in terms of making a phone call) so be sure to check them out.

Whether you’ve been feeling the need for a career change and just got into freelancing, or you’re a seasoned freelancer with many hours of work under your belt, you’ve probably heard of Upwork and wondered whether it’s worth joining up.

Can you make enough money on Upwork to support a sustainable lifestyle, or is it a pit of cheapskate gigs and lowball offers?

Below I talk about my experience on the platform so far, and give some insider tips on how you can start making money on Upwork.

Why Upwork?

There are many reasons why people turn to freelancing as a career path instead of sticking to the 9 – 5 full-time setup.

Personally, I’ve never been able to see myself as someone’s full-time employee, and the few short months I spent doing just that after finishing my degree made it painfully clear that the boss/employee dynamic will never work for me.

So on the advice of a friend, I took a chance on Upwork as a stepping stone to achieving personal and financial freedom.

Starting out on Upwork felt like a safer way to approach freelancing than trying to find clients on my own.

Like many others who are new to the workforce, I wanted to kick-start my career but had serious doubts about my abilities and didn’t want to take too big of a leap into the unknown.

Upwork felt like a better option than trying to get things set up myself, and this gamble worked out in the end.

Sure, there are other freelance marketplaces like PeoplePerHour and Freelancer, but I couldn’t get the same sense of security and support from them that I did get from Upwork at the time.

That said, getting used to the bidding system – with plenty of other people clamoring to get at the same jobs – was daunting at first and I didn’t make a lot of money off Upwork for the first couple of months.

1. Avoid Getting Drowned Out by an Endless Sea of Voices

Despite recent changes to its bidding system, Upwork is still the largest online talent marketplace in the world, with millions of freelancers looking for the financial stability a platform like that can offer.

But with thousands or even millions of other people to contend with for job opportunities – how do you single yourself out above the noise that so many voices inevitably create?

Here’s what I learned:

Don’t climb into the shallow, shark-infested waters with the rest of them.

I don’t want to get paid $5 for a full day’s work and neither should you. No matter the industry you’re in, whether it’s design, bookkeeping, writing, programming, or any one of the host of career paths listed on Upwork, you deserve to be paid a livable wage.

It’s easy to get frustrated and discouraged when looking for jobs on a bidding platform like Upwork, because there are thousands of listings that expect perfection for literal peanuts and yet there are still dozens of applicants going for them.

Don’t fall into that same trap.

Even if you’re just starting out as a freelancer, you have something valuable to offer.

Whether it’s your education in a specific field or niche knowledge you’ve built up through experience. A client will value what you have to bring to the table, but you need to sell it effectively.

This is why it’s so important to specialize right from the beginning.

You might feel pressured into applying for anything just so you can start making money on Upwork, but that isn’t going to help further your career or help you land high-paying gigs.

Your profile will be your greatest asset in this regard, and you have to make sure to set it up in a way that attracts the type of clients you’re aiming for.

Upwork has a great job filtering system as well, and you need to use that to your advantage too. Make your searches as niche as you can, and ignore any job posts that have poor/unclear descriptions or don’t pay what the job is worth.

2. Create a Specialized Profile

Setting up your profile is the first thing you’ll do on Upwork and it’s very important to get this right.

Your profile and your cover letter are the only things clients will have to base their decision off of, which means they need to be professional, coherent, and present the assets you bring to the table in a favorable way (without lying of course).

Upwork now also provides the ability to create multiple specialized profiles that you can apply with, depending on the type of job.

I haven’t tested this new feature enough to be able to comment on its merits, but I know enough about the importance of specializing as a freelancer to know that you should definitely utilize this system to its full potential.

That said, it is possible to make money on Upwork without backing yourself into the “expert” corner.

You can apply to a wide variety of jobs within your field and get contracts that way – I’ve done that too and earned enough to scrape by.

But if you’re looking to earn more then you need to specialize and find quality, long-term clients.

3. Bid Correctly on Upwork

I mentioned changes to Upwork’s bidding system earlier, so let’s get into that as it will have an impact on how you approach applying for jobs on the platform.

The company recently went public and, without getting into all of the details of what that means, let’s just say that Upwork is working really hard to make more money right now.

Which has (unofficially) led to a couple of changes to the way they charge clients and freelancers.

What that means for you, is that you will now have to pay for connects to apply to jobs, with each job requiring a different amount of connects.

This is on top of the percentages that Upwork charges you per job.

Here’s my advice:

Take the amount you’ll be paying for connects into account when bidding on jobs.

If the probability of you getting that job doesn’t seem high enough to warrant the connect payment then don’t do it. Unfortunately, this system is pretty skewed in that it benefits established freelancers on the platform while keeping new ones down.

The best advice I can give you is to take your time when applying (even though it’s frustrating) and to only apply to high-paying jobs. That way, the finances kind of balance themselves out and Upwork takes less of your hard-earned money overall.

4. Know When to Quit Working With Difficult Clients

Upwork might be a great way to attract new clients, but that doesn’t mean those clients are always great.

Every now and then you might come into contact with a client who’s demanding and even unreasonable at times.

When this happens, you have one of two choices:

1. End the contract
2. Do your best to keep them happy

Ending the contract might seem counterproductive, but on Upwork, a poor job success score equals career death on the platform, and a difficult client often leads to a subpar score – even if you did your best to do everything right.

On Upwork, a client cannot rate you if they haven’t paid you.

So sometimes, even if the money is good, it’s better to end the contract and refund them early on than waste your time on a client who’s going to give you a poor rating no matter what you do.

5. Get Better at Managing Your Time

As a freelancer, time is your biggest commodity and it’s important to think about how you spend it because even though Upwork saves you a lot of trouble in terms of finding clients and handling payments, it still takes up a lot of time.

After you’ve landed your first gig and more start rolling in, it can feel like one grand old adventure as you traverse the field and work with people from many different places and backgrounds.

It’s easy to get swept up in that sense of accomplishment when landing another client, but then the dreaded deadline steps in and you realize that you’ve made a grave mistake.

Suddenly there’s pressure from all sides and you find yourself scrambling; working around the clock just to keep all of the promises you’ve made – a freelancer is only as good as their reputation after all and you can’t afford to burn any bridges.

Time management is a valuable skill in every freelancer’s pocket and it’s a hard beast to master.

So don’t apply indiscriminately to every Upwork job that teases your fancy (because that takes up a lot of time too) and don’t accept every client invitation.

It’s extremely tempting, but you have to prioritize.

Otherwise, you’ll end up burning yourself out on lowball jobs that take up more time than they’re worth, while you could have been spending that time finding and building up relationships with quality clients.

The Funny Thing About Eggs and Baskets

While I’ve been using Upwork for a few years now, there’s no denying that the platform has its faults and I’ve been tempted to seek greener pastures plenty of times.

Certainly, there has been no shortage of people echoing that whole eggs and basket analogy – which shouldn’t be ignored.

But the funny thing is, I probably wouldn’t have found the same success on the site had I not put as much time and effort into building myself up on Upwork.

At the end of the day, you need to do what’s right for you.

Maybe Upwork will just be one source of income for you as a freelancer and that’s completely fine too.

Print on demand, as its name suggest, is a process wherein you work with a supplier to “print” your own designs on white-label products and sell them under your own brand.

Your product could be anything from t-shirts, mugs, artwork on canvas, pillows, and so on, as long as they are sold on a per-order basis.

Print on demand was made popular within the publishing industry in the 1960s.

It was common practice for authors to complete a book, make a deal with a publishing house to print x number of books, and authors only receive a commission for books sold.

When print-on-demand became an option, publishing houses no longer have to pay authors at the beginning of a contract.

Instead, authors were paid after the book has been sold.

This resulted in authors no longer on the mercy of publishers, since they can sell books per-order basis and keep bulk of the profits.

What this meant for other industries is that sellers no longer have to buy in bulk, or stock a huge inventory of their products all the time.

It also meant new businesses can open up shop without big investments, since you don’t pay the supplier for any product until you’ve actually sold it.

What is a Print on Demand?

Print on demand is the process of adding your own designs to white labeled products as they are ordered. For example, instead of ordering hundreds t-shirts that may or may not sell, you take the order first, and then you have to the t-shirt printed.

If you’re a cartoonist, graphic designer, painter, or any kind of artist or business-minded entrepreneur, a print on demand store can be the platform you need if you don’t have much money for inventory, or lease money for a brick-and-mortar store.

Setting up a print on demand store has several benefits:

• Earn passive income – Create a design once, and wait for sales to pour in. You have total control about marketing your work, so you can either go big or take it easy.
• 100% manageable from anywhere – Because you won’t be doing any t-shirt screen-printing, or any other “production” process, you can manage your business from anywhere in the world.
• No after-sales – You own the designs from your store, but even if a customer orders from you, the supplier will handle everything from printing to shipping and even after-sales support. Meaning, you don’t even have to have a lot of time to manage your store.

If you join print on demand sites instead of building your own website, you don’t have to think about hosting and domain name fees, back-end maintenance, and other tasks involved in keeping a website live.

Can you make money with print on demand?

Print on demand sites encourage artists and entrepreneurs to join their websites for free.

Yes, you don’t need to pay upfront to join any PoD site. However, they do get a cut for every item sold from your store.

With this in mind, you may be wondering: “can you make money with print on demand?”

The answer is a huge YES.

Here are 3 solid reasons why I say there’s a huge potential for earning big money with print on demand products:

1. You don’t need to worry about equipment

As a merchandise store, the first thing you’d probably worry about is printing equipment.

And sometimes, you’ll need more than one piece of equipment. Equipment used for making phone cases can’t be used in printing clothes, while canvas printing cannot use the same equipment as laser printing.

When you open up shop with a print on demand site, all you have to invest in are you designs.

No thousands of dollars wasted buying equipment you’re not sure how much you’re going to use.

2. Talk to just a single third-party company

Regular online stores talk to multiple companies, from suppliers to shipping companies, outsourced support, marketing agencies, and so much more.

Negotiating and communicating with these third-party companies just to ensure your store operations go on smoothly day in, day out can be quite exhausting. On top of this, you also have to make sure customer experience remains high, so you need to answer inquiries, follow-ups, complaints, returns, etc.

Print on demand sites take care of everything for you, so you can focus on what matters most: the designs.

If problems arise with your earnings, you only have to talk to the support team of your chosen PoD site.

3. Print on demand sites have fair fees

All Print on Demand sites do not have membership fees, but they do get a huge chunk of the item’s price.

This is absolutely understandable, since they’re the ones investing in equipment, handling daily operations, shipping products and marketing your designs. Plus, your designs are all hosted within their main site.

The advantage here is that you have control over the pricing of your products, which means you can place discounts during popular sale seasons (Thanksgiving, New Year’s, etc.), and then bring it up during peak seasons for your niche.

BUT WAIT…there’s a catch:

There is one major problem you might encounter as a designer at PoD sites.

You have to be willing to market your own “store” because there will be hundreds of artists to compete with.

If you’re lucky to be featured regularly on the Print on demand frontpage, then this might not be such an issue anymore.

But the reality is that even though you can earn big money in print on demand sites, it won’t come overnight. PoD sites do not guarantee that you will have a sale once you set-up your business and upload your designs.

Like other passive income generating businesses, you have to work at it as well to succeed.

What is the best print on demand site?

If you’re ready to begin your adventure selling print on demand merchandise, remember these factors to consider when picking the best print on demand site for your niche:

• Where you can sell you design – Some Print on Demand sites allow you to sell within their marketplace exclusively, while others allow you to manage your own website and still benefit from their production services.
• Traffic – The main advantage of PoD sites is the traffic they already have. You’re joining an already-existing, successful website upon launch of your store, so there’s a bigger possibility that your target market is already there.
• Different products – If you’re just after t-shirt production and sale, you’d have plenty of options. However, if you want to sell various print on demand products at the same time, check what kinds of products are available before signing on to a POD site.
• Quality of products – Of course, the quantity shouldn’t just be your deciding factor. Even if a particular print on demand site offers over 100 types of products, if the quality of these products are below-standard, then repeat customers may be less likely.
• Payment and shipping methods – The more options you give customers when it comes to paying and shipping, the more customers you’ll be able to bag. Yes, many customers just go to the next store if you don’t offer their payment method of choice, or if the only shipping company you have charges high fees.
• Low base cost – This amount refers to the amount your supplier spent to produce your product. If the base cost is low, it means you get to take home higher profits.

Last time, I wrote about 5 of the most popular Print on Demand Sites (Read more about Zazzle, Design by Humans, DeviantArt, RedBubble, CafePress, and Threadless here).

Here are 5 more print on demand sites that are worthy of checking out:

1. Society6

Leaf Group (formerly Demand Media Inc.) acquired Society6.com in June 2013.

This POD offers gadget cases, t-shirts, art prints, wall clocks, shower curtains, mugs, blankets, throw pillows, and more.

What makes Society6 Stand Out: Target features hundreds of artists from Society6 and sells artists’ designs as part of its home decor department.

Imagine how much more people will be able to see those designs (both online and offline), simply just by joining Society6.

Earning Potential: The biggest problem with Society6 is that the POD site has pre-determined base price.

You only receive 10% from the retail price.

You do have control over the price of art canvas, art prints and framed art.

2. Sunfrog

Launched by computer programmer Josh Kent in 2013, Sunfrog quickly became a force in the print on demand space that it sold over $60 million t-shirts, hoodies, shirts, mugs, hats, leggings, etc. by 2015.

Products are printed in the USA and shipped internationally.

What makes Sunfrog Stand Out: Probably the most striking thing about Sunfrog is that they know how to market the site.

The traffic grows each year because Sunfrog works on its social media and search engine optimization.

Earning Potential: Sunfrog pay artists 45% commission for each item sold, which is considerably higher than all other print on demand sites.

3. GearBubble

It’s only been around since September 2015, but this POD site definitely caught up with the rest.

By March 2018, it has shipped over 2 million products across its 150,000+ sellers.

What makes GearBubble Stand Out: Unlike other print on demand sites, GearBubble allows you to sell on Etsy, Shopify, eBay, or Amazon through seamless integration.

This is rare for POD sites, since they prefer to be in control with the sale and day-to-day operations.

Earning Potential: GearBubble is more than just a POD site – it’s a dropshipping/fulfillment provider as well.

As a vendor for GearBubble, you can sell t-shirts, hoodies, necklaces, pendants, hats, mugs, pants, etc. and receive payment via PayPal at the end of each month.

4. Fine Art America

Choose another POD site if you’re looking to sell print on demand shirts alone.

Here you can also sell curtains, cushions, pillowcases and so much more.

What makes Fine Art America Stand Out: This print on demand site boasts hundreds of high-end designs from artists and turn them into house decor items.

Earning Potential: Fine Art America has both free and paid ($30/year) plans.

5. Printify

This print-on-demand service provider allows you to customize over 200 white label products, and then dropship the products directly to your customers.

What makes Printify Stand Out: Printify has unique white label products you can’t find on other POD sites, such as jewelry, water bottles, clocks, and so on.

It can also integrate with Shopify, Etsy and Woocommerce.

Earning Potential: Available as both a free or premium plan ($29/month).

The Bottom Line

Many people have been designing and selling t-shirts since the internet paved the way for people to earn money from the comforts of their own homes.

With print-on-demand products, you can build a small store or scale it up into a massive store, without having inventory on hand, without investing in expensive equipment, and without having to set up your own website.

This is definitely a legitimate way to start an online business, especially if you have limited resources.

If you’re interested in becoming an entrepreneur and starting your own online business, but you have no products to sell and no way to produce them, then private label products might be the perfect solution.

It’s one of the cheapest ways to get a startup business off the ground.

Both companies and small businesses alike have been selling private label products for years, even if you didn’t realize it because they were right under your nose the whole time!

Now, thanks to the many new avenues of job creation that have opened up thanks to the internet, people have started selling their own private label goods online – right from their own homes.

Plus, the way this system is structured is ideal for those looking to sell products online because you don’t have to manufacture your own goods and you can’t end up with too much stock if you don’t order too much at a time.

If this has gotten you excited to start your own thing then read on to find out how you can enter the private label game.

What is a Private Label Product?

Private label goods are created by a manufacturer who doesn’t sell their own products.

These goods are then sold by another company who puts their own brand name and packaging design on the products.

The company who sells the products are allowed to do so through an agreement with the manufacturer.

Private label products don’t just include physical products, either. They can also include abstract products and services like insurance or medical schemes.

For the most part, though, those who are want to start their own business with private label products usually go for physical goods as it’s easier to get into that type of market and there’s a bigger demand as well.

Examples of Private Label Products

A few examples of private label brands include artists who sell their own art printed on things like t-shirts or pencil cases, stores who sell their own brand of products like Target’s Archer Farms brand, and restaurants who sell their own brand of sauces or oils.

None of these people/businesses created the products themselves.

Instead, they paid an already established manufacturer to start producing the goods for them.

There are even a few hugely popular brands that fall under the private label classification too, like Nike. (If you were surprised by that, you’re not alone. I wasn’t expecting them to be on that list either).

Though it looks like their manufacturer – who also makes clothes for Zara and Abercrombie & Fitch – are now looking to get into the branding game too.

How do you find private label products?

Before getting started, it’s important that you know this isn’t a side-hustling opportunity that will quickly help you earn a few extra bucks.

It’s exactly the same as starting any other business; you have to put in the time and effort to make it a success.

If that’s not what you’re looking for, then have a scroll through the other posts on here. I have tried, tested, and researched plenty of easy side-cash opportunities over the years that might suit your needs and skills.

Now, let’s get to the good part:

One of the first things you’ll have to do before setting up your own private label brand is finding a great product to sell.

In case good product ideas are in short supply, then have a look at places like Kickstarter for inspiration. You could also try Etsy and Amazon to see what people are buying right now.

If you’re able to, it also helps to do a little market research. Talk to family, friends, or put up online polls and ask around to see what people are looking for.

The Best Private Label Products to Sell

The most ideal private label products are goods that are small and easy to ship, won’t break easily, and are high in demand.

Categories that do really well:

• Clothes and Accessories
• Cosmetics
• Skincare
• Supplements
• Phone Accessories
• Water bottles

Don’t let these categories dictate your choices, though.

If you find a niche that you think will do good then go for it.

How to Sell Private Label Products

Selling private label products is a three-parter. Well, at least, I broke it up into three broad categories that can be broken into smaller goals to put on your to-do list.

You’ll first need to find a manufacturer, of course. Without this, you’re pretty much not getting any goods to sell.

Secondly, you’ll want to get the marketing and packaging design out of the way. There are plenty of ways, both cheap and expensive, to do this.

Finally, you’ll have to find a place to sell your goods. Some people opt to build their own website and grow it from there, while others choose online shops like Amazon.

Below are some tips on all three these aspects of starting up a private label business.

1. Find a Manufacturer

This can be tricky if you’ve never worked with manufacturers before, as there’s a lot to consider.

But the best advice I can give you here is that you should make sure you’re getting a good price per batch of items. Also, make sure that they don’t talk you into taking bigger batches than you can or should.

Negotiation is very much an open possibility, which means you can (and really should) try to negotiate a good price and batch size.

There are private label manufacturers in the US and Canada, but it might be hard to find one that fits your pocket. If you want to use the cheapest option available, then look at a supplier like Alibaba from China.

Their website makes it easy to find the items you want and they usually have a great variety of products in every category.

It will take around two weeks or longer for them to ship the goods to you, however, so that’s something to keep in mind.

2. Design the Face of your Business

The packaging of your products and the branding you use to market your business is what will draw people in and make your products recognizable.

It’s really important to nail this part so it is better to splurge a little here on a professional designer.

But, if money is tight, then you don’t have to spend a lot to make your business stand out. There are online places like Fiverr where you can hire people for reasonable prices and websites like Canva that’s free and easy to use but helps you produce amazing content.

3. Sell Private Label Products on Amazon

Amazon is a great option for selling private label brands because there’s already a huge market for it there. So you could consider making Amazon your “business partner” and setting up shop to get heaps of organic exposure.

Plenty of small businesses are already selling on Amazon and it’s a great way to check out the competition.

Hell, some people simply opt for searching out private label products on the website and then selling those same products with better packaging and marketing tactics.

It’s worked out for them, so if you’ve got some great marketing skills then this is a solid option.

If you’re open to the idea of selling on Amazon but have no clue on where to get started then have a look at Amazing Selling Machine and whether their training course might be right for you.

Selling Private Label Products on Other Stores

Our vast internet is wonderfully diverse enough that Amazon isn’t the only option out there for people who want to sell private label products. Other options include the classic online independent sales site, eBay or China-based AliExpress (only open to China, Russia, and a few other Asian countries).

The products you sell might not be especially unique, but you can use some out of the box thinking to get them sold.

In fact, I would say creative selling could be the line between success and failure for a private label business.

Don’t be afraid to take an outside the box approach to where you decide to sell either.

The Bottom Line

The whole idea behind selling private label products is that you don’t have to create the things you’re selling yourself.

For those of us that don’t possess a lot of creativity when it comes to making things, this is the best solution to starting our own online business.

Those of you who do like to make your own art or crafts, however, should consider making and selling your own things online instead – as that’s a very lucrative industry right now too.

Either way, let us know what you decide to do – we always love hearing more about your new ventures.