Gelato is among the best print-on-demand (POD) services in the industry, owing to its comprehensive design tools, huge product catalog, reliable shipping, integrations with popular e-commerce platforms like Shopify and Etsy, and affordable pricing, among other things. For those reasons, it comes as no surprise that it’s the best option in most cases for small businesses. After all, it’s easy to use, and those who want to dip their toes in the POD scene don’t need a big budget to get things off the ground (read: it’s free to start).
Below, we go into Gelato’s POD service and how it has given a small business the opportunity to grow into something more.
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Best Print-on-Demand Services for Small Businesses
Gelato has just about every tool small businesses need to set foot in the custom print industry and make a name.
Who is Gelato?
Founded in Norway in 2007, Gelato is a pioneer in the POD service business. With 13 offices worldwide and a team of over 300 employees, it has established a robust network of more than 140 production hubs across 32 countries. This extensive network, combined with over 60 logistics partners, allows the company to produce and deliver products locally, ensuring fast and reliable shipping to customers around the globe. By reducing the need for long-distance shipping, its approach not only enhances efficiency but also supports a more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional manufacturing and distribution methods.
Key Features
When it comes to designing, Gelato’s free tool offers an intuitive interface that allows anyone to create professional-looking designs even without previous experience. You can upload high-resolution images, choose from a variety of fonts, customize backgrounds with colors or patterns, and speed up the process using premade layouts and templates. Moreover, designs can be saved and reused for future projects.
Also, Gelato provides access to millions of Shutterstock images, though fees apply depending on your subscription level. Once your designs are ready, its tool lets you create realistic mockups, helping you showcase your products.
As for its product selection, Gelato offers a diverse catalog of over 150 items. This includes men’s and women’s clothing, tote bags, wall art, phone cases, photo books, cards, and stationery. It’s worth mentioning that Gelato boasts the biggest selection of wall art in the entire industry. In short, the company provides a wide range of products to choose from, ensuring there’s something for every creator or business.
In terms of integration, Gelato seamlessly connects with major e-commerce platforms like Etsy, Shopify, WooCommerce, Squarespace, and Wix, enabling you to manage products directly from your store while streamlining order processing and fulfillment. And as noted, Gelato works with more than 140 production partners across 32 countries with a network of more than 60 logistics partners, ensuring fast shipping and delivery.
Gelato POD Service for Small Businesses Success Story
The story of Natalie and Josh Carlstrom highlights how the accessibility of Gelato’s POD service can transform lives, giving small businesses the perfect opportunity to grow.
A married couple from Southern California, Natalie and Josh Carlstrom transitioned from traditional jobs to entrepreneurship during the COVID-19 pandemic. Faced with disruptions in their careers—Natalie’s salon closure and Josh’s e-commerce challenges—they launched Map of Our Life, a personalized print e-commerce business, on April 6, 2020. Their goal was to achieve financial independence while working together.
The couple focused on creating customizable, affordable, and sentimental products. Their initial launch exceeded expectations, selling out their first 100 frames quickly and achieving profitability within the first month. They emphasized the importance of quality, competitive pricing, and fast delivery in their business model, alongside mastering digital marketing strategies.
As demand surged, they faced logistical challenges, particularly with inventory management and supply chain issues. To streamline operations, they adopted a print-on-demand model through Gelato, which provided local production and distribution solutions. This partnership allowed them to focus on scaling their business rather than handling day-to-day production tasks.
Looking forward, Natalie and Josh plan to expand internationally, leveraging Gelato’s global network to overcome previous shipping challenges. They express enthusiasm for the flexibility and autonomy that e-commerce provides, allowing them to balance work and personal life on their terms. Their journey illustrates the resilience and adaptability of small businesses in the face of adversity, serving as an inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs.
How Gelato Works
Gelato’s POD service isn’t rocket science.
Gelato’s POD service offers a hassle-free way for businesses and creators to sell custom products. With the company handling production and shipping, you can focus on marketing and scaling your business without the need for upfront inventory investments.
Also, Gelato operates without charging commissions or upfront fees, making it a risk-free option for entering the POD market. In other words, you only pay for the products and shipping costs once an order is placed. On top of that, there’s no minimum order requirement, allowing you to order only as much as you need.
By connecting your e-commerce store to Gelato through integrations with platforms like Shopify and Etsy, you can easily create custom products using its free design tools or by uploading your own designs. When a customer places an order, the system automatically routes it to the nearest printing facility within its global network. From there, it manages the entire fulfillment process, including printing and shipping the product directly from a local facility to your customer.
While this may be an oversimplification, it underscores how efficient Gelato’s POD service is. And if you encounter any challenges along the way, there’s 24/7 customer support that’s always happy to help.
Summary
Small businesses can get a lot out of Gelato’s POD services.
Gelato is arguably one of the best POD companies out there for small businesses, not only for the ease of use and accessibility of its services but also wide product catalog and integrations. Needless to say, the best part is how it streamlines the entire custom print process, doing most of the heavy lifting for you so that you can dedicate your time and effort on growing your business instead.