5 Label Design Business Success Stories [2024]

Updated: November 19th, 2023
Start A Product Label Design Business

A well-designed product label can have a huge impact on the success of a business. Consumers make split-second decisions based on the product label looks, often even before looking at the price tag. Thus, if you are a graphic designer, you can start creating professional-quality product labels for businesses in your locality or even nationally. To succeed in the product label design business, target upcoming startups.

Here are some real life success stories of starting a product label design business:

1. Sttark ($12M/year)

Frontier Label, a digital label printing company, was founded by Dan Frist, who came from a family with a small business background. After his father passed away, Frist saw an opportunity in the emerging technology of digital label printing and purchased an HP Indigo WS 2000 printer. Initially struggling to attract customers, Frist took a risk and increased his Google Ads spend, leading to a significant increase in quote requests and the success of Frontier Label, which now brings in $12M annually.

How much they make: $12M/year
How much did it cost to start: $2M
Current team size: 54

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We Turned A Basic HP Printer Into A $12M/Year Custom Labels Company

Frontier Label started as a small digital label printing company with a basic HP printer and has grown to a $12M yearly e-commerce business that prints labels for companies of all sizes in various industries, with a focus on finding and meeting customer needs through SEO, content marketing, and exceptional customer service.

About
Dan started Sttark almost 20 years ago
Revenue
Dan grew the business to $1M/month
Costs
It cost Dan $2000000 to start the business
Read by 4,547 founders

2. Sticker it ($2.4M/year)

David Rubie-Todd, the co-founder of Sticker it, came up with the idea for the business while running Kartdavid, a company that designed and manufactured custom graphics for motorsport. After experiencing the limitations and poor quality of local sticker shops, David and his brother decided to start their own sticker printing business in 2018. They have since grown the company to $125,000/month in revenue, expanding into multiple countries and focusing on providing high-quality, customizable products.

How much they make: $2.4M/year
How much did it cost to start: $13K
Current team size: 16

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These Brothers Started A Custom Stickers Business At 16 And Have Grown It To $1.5M/Year

Sticker It is a custom sticker business that has grown to $125,000/month in revenue and 4x YoY growth by using technology to enhance the buying experience and expanding into multiple countries, with plans to launch throughout Europe in 2022, offering high-quality custom products for small and large brands worldwide.

About
David started Sticker it over 16 years ago
Revenue
David grew the business to $200K/month
Costs
It cost David $13000 to start the business
Read by 3,861 founders

So... can you actually make money with a product label design business?

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

But how?

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

Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:

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3. NOVA CUSTOM PRINTING ($180K/year)

Michael Nova, the founder of Nova Custom Label Printing, came up with the idea after realizing the need for assistance with the business side of music for independent artists. He quit his job, connected with vendors, and started offering services to musicians, eventually branching out into other industries and serving major corporations. He prioritized customer satisfaction and built a reliable network of vendors to ensure the success of his clients.

How much they make: $180K/year
How much did it cost to start: $2K
Current team size: 1

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How I Turned My Career As A Musician Into A $180K/Year Custom Printing Business

Learn how Michael Nova went from being a musician to starting a $180k/year custom printing business by offering exceptional customer service, building strong vendor partnerships, and prioritizing the long-term success of his clients.

About
Michael started NOVA CUSTOM PRINTING over 28 years ago
Revenue
Michael grew the business to $15K/month
Costs
It cost Michael $2000 to start the business
Read by 2,104 founders