Stay creative, stay relevant, and grow your income đź’ˇ
Running a small business—especially in the world of shirts, tumblers, and handmade goods—means wearing a lot of hats. But one of the most powerful ways to increase your income and protect your biz from market shifts is simple: diversify your products. 🙌
And no, that doesn’t mean changing your entire brand or losing your identity. It means finding new ways to serve your customers that make sense with what you already do.
Here’s what that can look like—and why you should start thinking about it now. 👇
💬 What Does “Diversifying” Really Mean?
Diversifying your business means offering more than one type of product (or even revenue stream), so you’re not relying on just one thing to make sales.
Example:
You design cute shirts. But what if you also sold the design files? Or created matching planner stickers? Or added printable art for your customer’s home office walls?
It’s not a total pivot—it’s a smart expansion. 🌱
🧵 My Journey with Diversification
I started out making digital designs for shirts and tumblers—mostly SVGs and PNGs that other small biz owners could use. But over time, I realized my audience needed more. So I branched out into:
✨ Printable greeting and birthday cards
✨ Thermal label designs for packaging
✨ Planner inserts & stickers
✨ Printable wall art for home and office
✨ Seamless patterns for fabric
✨ Branding kits for small businesses
Same skills. Same tools. Same customers. New income streams.
🤔 Why You Should Diversify (Especially If You Sell Physical Products)
If you make and sell things like:
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Custom shirts
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Tumblers
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Sublimation blanks
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Stickers
…you probably already have an audience that’s into creative, unique, handmade or personalized items. So giving them more options within your brand makes total sense.
Here’s why it matters:
✅ Keeps your shop fresh – New products = more reasons for customers to come back.
✅ Attracts different types of buyers – Maybe someone doesn’t want a shirt… but they’d love a printable card.
✅ Protects you from slowdowns – If shirt sales drop, planner stickers or digital printables could pick up the slack.
✅ Helps you make passive income – Digital files can sell over and over again with no extra effort.
🛍️ Diversification Ideas for Product-Based Businesses
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. You just need to expand on it. Here are ideas that build on what you already offer:
If You Sell Shirts:
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Start offering matching digital stickers or phone wallpapers
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Sell SVG or PNG designs to other shirt makers
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Offer custom design services for other small shops
If You Sell Tumblers or Mugs:
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Add printable care cards with your branding
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Sell bundle packs of sublimation designs
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Create seasonal wrap templates or label sets
If You Make Stickers:
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Expand into planner sticker kits or labels for small biz packaging
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Offer digital sticker sheets for GoodNotes or other tablet planners
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Add printable bookmarks, cards, or tags
If You Sell Digital Designs:
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Sell matching printables (cards, labels, art prints)
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Offer branding templates like logos or social media kits
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Create patterned backgrounds for fabric printers or crafters
🎯 Tips for Diversifying Without Overwhelm
Let’s be real—it’s easy to get excited and do everything at once. But here’s how to do it smart:
✨ Start with ONE new product idea.
✨ Test it in your shop for 30–60 days.
✨ Ask your customers what they want to see more of.
✨ Reuse your existing designs in new formats (time-saving win!)
✨ Watch what’s trending in your niche and make it your own.
Remember: you're not starting over—you’re leveling up. 🚀
Final Thoughts
Diversifying isn’t about doing more work for the sake of it—it’s about creating more value and income from the skills you already have.
If you're creative, resourceful, and already selling digital or handmade goods, you've got everything you need to expand. Start with one idea, test it, and go from there. The beauty of being a small business? You get to evolve on your terms.
💬 What’s one product you’ve been thinking about adding to your shop? Drop it in the comments—I’d love to cheer you on!
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🧠Need Help Coming Up With New Product Ideas?
Stuck on what to add next? ChatGPT can be a powerful brainstorming buddy. Try this prompt:
"I run a small business making [insert what you sell—like shirts, tumblers, and stickers]. I want to diversify my product line without straying too far from my current brand. Can you give me a list of digital or physical product ideas that align with what I already offer and would appeal to my audience?"
You can even add things like:
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Who your audience is (e.g. busy moms, small business owners, Gen Z shoppers)
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What tools or platforms you use (e.g. Canva, Procreate, DTF printer, sublimation)
🎯 The more details you give it, the better your results will be!