Getting information for a weird experiment.

I've got some people who I work with and they do 90% of everything. So, I've got a lot of free time to come up with ideas... (Most of my ideas never work)

One of my ideas involves drop shipping /print on demand. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find a service which has:
1. An API
2. Handles the payment processing. (I mean they deal with visa & mastercard - Seller just gets a cut from them)
3. Handles the shipping to the customer too.

I imagined that this would be a very successful model. Someone could create their own site and just integrate the drop shipping /print on demand into it. Only, they all seem to be geared towards shopify, etc.

Hey,

The problem with offering everything under the sun would actually would be detrimental to the company in question, as there are three variant core competencies/operational pillars at play here in your ask.

Core Competency 1 - Manufacturing (Printing, Shipping/Logistics, Warehousing, Sourcing etc.)
Core Competency 2 - Information Technology (Website, API, Servers, Support, Updates etc.)
Core Competency 3 - Payment Processing (which is a completely different ballgame)

//

Now what you're looking for can easily be achieved. Because your first point (having an API) solves most of your other points.

Just adding another specialist to the mix, solves your problem for you.

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Core Competency 1 - Manufacturing
For - Manufacturing - the behemoths in the market are Printful & Printify.

Both of these companies offer a sturdy API that helps you connect to Shopify or WooCommerce or even Amazon marketplace.

Core Competency 2 - Information Technology
For - Information Technology - there are two paths you can take.

First being the obvious - Shopify. You'll be able to get up and running in no time. Both the above have apps on the marketplace that do all the heavy lifting for you.

Printful - https://apps.shopify.com/printful
Printify - https://apps.shopify.com/printify

Second, you can go for Woocommerce - in a self hosted WordPress environment. Once again, you have plugins to manage everything.

Printful - https://wordpress.org/plugins/printful-shipping-for-woocommerce/
Printify - https://wordpress.org/plugins/printify-for-woocommerce/

There are several other directions you can take too. Here is a full list of integrations

Printful - https://www.printful.com/integrations
Printify - https://printify.com/integrations/

Beyong that, there's raw API availability for both providers

Printful - https://www.printful.com/api
Printify - https://printify.com/printify-api/

Core Competency 3 - Payment Processing

If you use Shopify - it has Shopify Payments - which is basically just Stripe wearing a Shopify T-shirt. Then there's PayPal and so many other regional players.

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Core Competency is a very important aspect of business. You've got to do something and become the market leader in that space. As against, running sort of a consulting business that "says yes to everything".

Printful is an excellent manufacturer. It hired a small team to develop a system that plugins into most marketplaces in the world. So while it became IT Adjacent, it is not an IT company.

Competing against Shopify, by setting up their own e-commerce system would require them to deal with a plethora of compliances, headaches, support requests, resources etc.

As for Payment processing, even Shopify couldn't dare go against someone like Stripe (even though they easily could). Instead they partnered with them. So while Stripe makes all the revenue, does all the due diligence, handles all the compliances - Shopify ends up getting a cut of the lot.

BlogPro said:

If you use Shopify - it has Shopify Payments - which is basically just Stripe wearing a Shopify T-shirt. Then there's PayPal and so many other regional players.

Click to expand...

Just so you understand where my head is at. (Which, I assure you is something that even I seldom understand because I'm a fruit cake.)

There's no way myself or any of the people that I work with will ever use the services of stripe, paypal, etc... I can only explain this by saying that it's understanding the proverbial expression of "knowing the nature of the beast." Needless to say, we're not a traditional business and large part of our model is being controversial.

As for Shopify; they owe us money and we're in litigation to get it.

Lady-Smut said:

Just so you understand where my head is at. (Which, I assure you is something that even I seldom understand because I'm a fruit cake.)

There's no way myself or any of the people that I work with will ever use the services of stripe, paypal, etc... I can only explain this by saying that it's understanding the proverbial expression of "knowing the nature of the beast." Needless to say, we're not a traditional business and large part of our model is being controversial.

As for Shopify; they owe us money and we're in litigation to get it.

Click to expand...

Right. So your issue arises in both cases with overzealous compliance.

Since you know the beast, you're aware of their risk averse practices.

These practices will then translate to even simple POD providers offering a payment gateway, don't you think?

Especially, as that's not even their main business. And since all of their payment commissions are tied to their sales - they'll only make money on the payment gateway if their clients make a sale. The margins are very different for both. So they'll definitely indulge in risk-aversion.

Most governments treat a business a certain way - and can be extremely litigious - which is why these censorious practices are put in place.

I have a client who thrives on controversy too. Has built a huge business around it. I'll give you the same advice I gave him and what we implemented for him.

Your best bet would be find a payment solution first, one that you can work with. Add some crypto to the mix. And then go in reverse as you build a self-hosted e-commerce system that ties in with POD.

BlogPro said:

Right. So your issue arises in both cases with overzealous compliance.

Since you know the beast, you're aware of their risk averse practices.

These practices will then translate to even simple POD providers offering a payment gateway, don't you think?

Especially, as that's not even their main business. And since all of their payment commissions are tied to their sales - they'll only make money on the payment gateway if their clients make a sale. The margins are very different for both. So they'll definitely indulge in risk-aversion.

Most governments treat a business a certain way - and can be extremely litigious - which is why these censorious practices are put in place.

I have a client who thrives on controversy too. Has built a huge business around it. I'll give you the same advice I gave him and what we implemented for him.

Your best bet would be find a payment solution first, one that you can work with. Add some crypto to the mix. And then go in reverse as you build a self-hosted e-commerce system that ties in with POD.

Click to expand...

A few points for my response.

1. When it comes to my weird experiments, I like to NOT implicate them with the part of the business that makes actual money. I do these weird things for a handful of reasons and the biggest is that I (we) learn something from them. It's amazing how often something learned from a crazy idea can become valuable knowledge for a not-so-crazy endeavor.

2. We have payment processing set up on our adult side - I'm not happy with the service or its B.S. but until there's a better option...
As for Stripe, Paypal, etc.. I wouldn't use those services even if we were raising money for climate change or saving the whales.

3. Governments are an entirely different conversation.

Right.. so you have two things - you're fairly certain about

1. You're against using Stripe, PayPal or any western payment processor.

2. You already have a HR payment processor that allows for adult.

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So you should consider a self-hosted solution like Woocommerce with the same payment processor. (Or if you don't require an HR payment gateway for this endeavour - you can find one that you can work with).

Woocommerce will let you own the data. And a competent developer can make an outstanding site with it.

In all my experience, working with both Shopify and Woocommerce - there is nothing it can't do what Shopify can.

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On a sidenote, a little advice when working with PODs.

It's quite easy to get carried away and make a bazillion designs and upload them on your panel.

But you want to treat this like a fashion line up.

Have limited SKUs - introduce a brand new set every month or fortnight.

Another benefit of limited SKUs is that you can start working with local screen printers or DTG shops. These guys may not have the resources to handle an API or a warehouse like Printful - but they'll give you a kick-ass deal.

Limited SKUs will also let you have your own setup if the venture is profitable enough.

Cheers and Good luck.

BlogPro said:

Right.. so you have two things - you're fairly certain about

1. You're against using Stripe, PayPal or any western payment processor.

2. You already have a HR payment processor that allows for adult.

Click to expand...

Yup and yup

You've detailed a logical approach and it's impressive. (Most people aren't very logical.. myself included)

The only thing I have against what you've suggested is that it'll require a fair amount of work and it'll have to be a stand alone shop. I (we) make hardcore porn and that's taking things seriously in the opposite direction. So in the long run, a shop will end up being ignored and eventually forgotten.

As I'm thinking about this experiment we've got some stuff that straddles the borderline between mainstream acceptability and adult. Backing some kind of shop onto one of those properties might be an option. Maybe I just need to find something else to sell instead POD junk.

Lady-Smut said:

Yup and yup

You've detailed a logical approach and it's impressive. (Most people aren't very logical.. myself included)

The only thing I have against what you've suggested is that it'll require a fair amount of work and it'll have to be a stand alone shop. I (we) make hardcore porn and that's taking things seriously in the opposite direction. So in the long run, a shop will end up being ignored and eventually forgotten.

As I'm thinking about this experiment we've got some stuff that straddles the borderline between mainstream acceptability and adult. Backing some kind of shop onto one of those properties might be an option. Maybe I just need to find something else to sell instead POD junk.

Click to expand...

Ahh - that clears things up even more. You're facing the same Core Competency issue that I highlighted earlier.

Well, let's take another logical approach.

Your content isn't mainstream, right? Forget mainstream - it's not even on your main browser - it lies mostly in the incognito mode. It's discreet entertainment - for at least a majority of your audience. (I am sure there must be a few who watch it with their families - the world doesn't surprise me anymore).

So how about a discreet product? That's tied into your brand.

I am sure you have a ton of male audience. And in recent times, there has been a lot of development in adult toys for men. I mean, we've come a long way from fleshlight.

How about - 1 product that's branded to you?

It doesn't even have to be a unique product - suppliers will make minor modifications to make it unique - while the mechanics will remain the same. (It's a matter of editing a CAD file and/or building a mould for most).

Now under your brand's umbrella it can be

VelvetGrip - by <Your Brand>

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If you own multiple properties, you can actually launch VelvetGrip.com

And then have VelvetGrip.com/property-name

The page would have PropertyName's logo in bold and claim a special discount for customers of PropertyName and have marketing language like

PropertyName officially recommends VelvetGrip
We've seen nothing like this before. The Art of Pleasure - Crafted to Perfection.

Indulge in the Velvet Revolution. Today!

You can use email to reach out to your paid customers on all your properties.

//

Good luck.

BlogPro said:

Ahh - that clears things up even more. You're facing the same Core Competency issue that I highlighted earlier.

Well, let's take another logical approach.

Your content isn't mainstream, right? Forget mainstream - it's not even on your main browser - it lies mostly in the incognito mode. It's discreet entertainment - for at least a majority of your audience. (I am sure there must be a few who watch it with their families - the world doesn't surprise me anymore).

Click to expand...

Our best lines are extreme hardcore which we can only monetize using crypto. Visa and Mastercard would have a shyte fit if they even knew we produced the stuff. But we do use visa and mastercard on the less extreme stuff that we make.

The problem is the banks classify us as 'high risk' and they're just robbing us worse than the Mafia. We've been with them for years and have always paid them and been professional. But one minor slip up and they'll fine us and dump our business.

Visa and Mastercard ask far too many questions than I'm comfortable with. So, I'm reluctant to consider bringing in another product and having to get their approval.

Some kind of pre-fab /white label online store might work...