How to make money with a vinyl cutter
There is this obsession going around of wanting to have everything customized to our preferred designs; it could be on t-shirts, phones and laptops or even on water bottles. Anything that can be customized will be customized and we all love to see ...
There is this obsession going around of wanting to have everything customized to our preferred designs; it could be on t-shirts, phones and laptops or even on water bottles. Anything that can be customized will be customized and we all love to see them. But, have you ever stopped and asked yourself how these graphic designs come to life?
We know that they cannot be achieved by using the ordinary desktop printers; what you need is a vinyl cutter. Vinyl is one of the most used materials in the design industry, it is used to create signs, banners, stickers as well as wall decals. Vinyl is preferred due to its durability and its ability to be recycled.
What is vinyl cutter
A vinyl cutter is a machine that is controlled by a computer that can scan any design loaded on the computer and convert to an outline. The machine then cuts out the design on a vinyl sheet using its sharp blades; the blades can cut out a wide variety of shapes and letters therefore making it possible to create any design you can think of for your homes and offices.
Make money from cutting vinyl
If you are looking for a side hustle that can quickly pick then this is it for you. The upside of starting this business is that it does not even require much capital to start up and you can do it from the comfort of your home.
What you’ll need
A personal laptop
Most people already own this. However, you need to ensure you have one that is suitable for this type of work. the minimum specification for a good laptop include; atleast have a 4GB RAM, 2.0 GHz processor, 16-bit, 1366*768 resolution and should have enough space on its hard drive to enable you to save all your signs as you make them.
A desktop will also work fine.
Vinyl Cutter
This forms the core of your business and as so, it is the one to take up most of your capital. There are a variety of vinyl cutting machines available in the market at different prices. The type of machine you decide to buy should be informed by many factors such as, size of the designs you intend to be cutting or whether you will do this as a side hustle or you intend to expand your business.
Examples of vinyl cutting machines include; Silhouette Cameo 3 and Cricut Explore Air 2 which are inexpensive and good for small businesses on the other hand, there is the Klic-N-Kut’s that is a bit expensive but is good for a growing business. The main difference with these machines is usually the cutting speed and accuracy.
Software
The software is to enable you to create designs or load downloaded templates that will be cut out. Vinyl cutters usually come with a pre-installed software. However, you can still install any other software of your liking.
There are many software available online but the most professional ones include;
This is a popular software among many designers. It is ideal for beginners as well as advanced designers. It is easy to learn, user-friendly and enables you to design your vinyl designs professionally.
Sure Cuts has editing features similar to Photoshop and Adobe editing allowing you to create images for stickers, signs, t-shirts as well as decals.
This software provides you with a variety of options such as free-hand drawing, auto-tracing lattice design amongst many others. it is user-friendly and allows you to quickly draw your designs in the cutting mat.
Other things you will require include;
- Vinyl rolls
- Application tape
- Cutting mat
- Heat press
- Packaging and shipping supplies
What Products should you sell
To be able to make money from your vinyl cutter, you need to have products that you will sell. But, do not just rush into making any products. You need to do your research and find out which products will perform well.
Always be on the loop to know what is trending, this is a great strategy of ensuring the success of your business.
Some popular and profitable vinyl creations to consider include;
Phone and Laptop decals: vinyl stickers for phones and laptops have become extremely popular. They usually come with an adhesive backside that sticks easily on the gadgets.
Artistic/aesthetic décor: there is no limit to the type of designs you can create here. Vinyl decors are also a very popular item used to decorate spaces without having to spend too much. With unique and trendy designs, you will be able to make some good money from your vinyl cutter.
Car decals: we have all seen these stickers on cars with messages reading ‘baby on board’, ‘keep your distance’ or other decorative and funky stickers.
Other vinyl crafts to consider include signs, party accessories, seasonal cards, window decals, vinyl banners and informative charts amongst others.
Selling your craft
Before putting your items out in the market, there are a few things you need to first consider;
Branding
This is how your customers are going to identify you. You therefore need to come up with a name and logo that will be able to communicate to people what your business is all about.
Selling point
It could be either offline or online. There are many online platforms that you could use to sell your crafts such as on Shopify, Etsy, Instagram, Ebay, Amazon or you could build your website and set up an online store. The upside of having an online store is that you can reach a wider pool of audience with your products. This means that there is a huge possibility of growth. Also, marketing here is easy since you do not need to interact with clients face to face. The downside however is that there is a lot of competition online with so many sellers selling similar items at competitive prices.
Offline market includes; friends and family, having your items stocked at your local store, selling at flea markets. The disadvantage of selling offline is that you need to be a people person and have good marketing and sales techniques. Also, the possibility of growing your business selling this way is limited.
Note, you can choose to utilize both avenues. This will help you increase the possibilities of making sales as well as grow your client base.
Bottom Line
If you have a natural passion for DIY’s, then vinyl cutting is a very good business opportunity for you. This is a business that has the potential of making you lots of money if you put in the time and effort. If you are doing it as a side hustle, with time you might start considering making it into your full business.
