8 Customization Business Success Stories [2024]

Pat Walls

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Updated: November 19th, 2023

Start A Customization Business

Here are some real life success stories of starting a customization business:

1. Underground Printing ($36M/year)

UGP co-founders Rishi Narayan and Ryan Gregg started their business in 2001 as a t-shirt company called A-1 Screenprinting. They focused on providing exceptional customer service to college students and quickly expanded their production capabilities by acquiring another screen printer, which led to a name change to Underground Printing. They opened their first retail storefront in 2008 and have since grown to 35+ locations nationwide, generating over $1 million in revenue in their first year. Their commitment to customer service and investment in manufacturing and technology has propelled their success.

How much they make: $36M/year
Current team size: 250

How I Started A $3M/Month Custom Printed Apparel Company

National custom printing apparel and promotional products provider, Underground Printing, shares their start-up success story which has led them to be ranked amongst Inc. Magazine’s 5000 fastest-growing companies for three years running, with a customer-centric business model driving strong word-of-mouth promotion.

About

Rishi started Underground Printing over 23 years ago

Revenue

Rishi grew the business to $3M/month

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Read by 8,685 founders

2. Bookblock ($3.12M/year)

Tom Strickland, co-founder of Bookblock, came up with the idea for his gifting business while manufacturing notebooks. He saw the success of Moleskine and decided to launch a real leather notebook brand, Monsieur Notebook, at a similar price point. While the notebook business ultimately failed, it led Tom to discover a market for corporate notebooks, which eventually paved the way for Bookblock's growth and expansion into the consumer market.

How much they make: $3.12M/year
Current team size: 30

How We Grew Our Corporate Gifting Platform To $2M/Year

Bookblock co-founder shares how they grew their corporate gifting platform to a £2m annual turnover, and their plans to expand to the consumer market through their new gifting platform.

About

Tom started Bookblock over 9 years ago

Revenue

Tom grew the business to $260K/month

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Read by 9,241 founders

So... can you actually make money with a customization business?

Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.

But how?

Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
Take action, because now you have the roadmap.

Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:

Start Now

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Starting A Customization Business: Everything You Need To Know

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5. Zazzle

Zazzle is an e-commerce platform allowing users to create custom products. It was founded in 2005 with over 1,000 employees and an estimated revenue of $250 million. They serve a niche market of individuals looking for personalized items. The company was founded by Robert Beaver and his two sons, and it quickly grew to become a major player in the custom products industry.

Where they're located: La Cautiva, Córdoba, Argentina
Website traffic: 17M/month

So... can you actually make money with a customization business?

Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.

But how?

Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
Take action, because now you have the roadmap.

Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:

Start Now

7. Custom Ink

19 years, over 100 million custom t-shirts, 99% happy customers! Custom Ink is the t-shirt printing expert for your team, school, company, or any occasion.

Where they're located: Jacksonville, Florida, USA
Website traffic: 3.26M/month

8. UPrinting

Customize and print professional quality business cards, brochures, postcards, stickers, posters, flyers and more. Free file-proofing and fast print turnaround.

Where they're located: Sacramento, California, USA
Website traffic: 1.01M/month