Most people think you need a lot of money to start an online business. Inventory, storage, shipping — it sounds expensive. But here’s the truth: you can launch a print-on-demand business with no upfront costs using Printify and free traffic from Pinterest. Everything I share here can be done for free. If you want to move faster, I’ll also point out optional low-cost tools that can help once you start making sales.
That’s how I’d do it if I had to start from scratch today.
Why Print on Demand Works for Beginners
Print on demand is the ultimate low-barrier business model. You don’t buy inventory upfront. You don’t pay until you sell. Printify takes care of the printing, packing, and shipping — all you do is upload your design and list the product. That’s it.
When someone orders your mug, t-shirt, or sticker, Printify prints it and sends it straight to the customer. You keep the profit. That’s why I recommend it to beginners: no risk, no storage, no huge startup budget.
Choosing Products That Actually Sell
Not all products convert the same. On Pinterest, visual, giftable items win. Stickers, mugs, tote bags, and t-shirts are proven sellers. They’re cheap for buyers, easy to design, and perfect for trending searches.
Here’s how I’d find products that work — free vs. optional upgrade:
- Free: Search Pinterest Trends and Etsy manually to see what’s hot.
- Optional: Tools like Pinclicks or EverBee show you real-time data on what’s selling.
- Design: Use the free version of Kittl to create graphics quickly.
From there, create mockups inside Printify. Their generator lets you preview your product on a real mug or shirt, which is perfect for pin images.
(Affiliate disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you use my links, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.) Try Printify.
Setting Up Your Storefront
You’ve got two approaches here:
- Free path: Test product designs using Printify mockups + Pinterest before committing to a storefront.
- Low-cost path: Connect Printify to Etsy. Etsy isn’t free — there’s a $0.20 listing fee per product plus transaction fees when you sell — but it’s still one of the cheapest ways to get started.
This way, you can validate ideas without risk and only invest when you see traction.
Driving Traffic With Pinterest
Pinterest is a search engine, not just a social platform. That means your pins can drive traffic for months or even years after you post them.
Free path: Create 5–10 pins for every product. Use lifestyle mockups and text overlays. Research keywords using Pinterest Trends. Example: “Halloween mugs” in September, “teacher gift tote bag” in May. Manually pin consistently to your boards.
Optional upgrade: Tailwind can automate pin scheduling if you want to scale without spending extra time.
Every pin links back to your Etsy listing (or your Printify store). It’s organic traffic — no ads required.
My Free Workflow
Here’s the exact zero-dollar version:
- Research seasonal or trending product ideas on Pinterest.
- Create designs in Kittl (free version).
- Upload to Printify.
- Use mockups to create Pinterest pins.
- Pin consistently to drive free traffic.
It’s simple. It’s free. And once sales start rolling in, you can decide if paid tools are worth adding.
Takeaway
You don’t need startup cash to test print on demand. The system is free until you sell. That’s why I recommend Printify — it’s simple, reliable, and beginner-friendly.
Start your free Printify account here.
