9 Personalized Gift Business Success Stories [2024]
Personalized gifts are great for celebrating important dates, joyous occasions, and memorable moments. The personalized gifts include photo frames, key chains, to group gifts.
A personalized gifts business is a low-capital idea since you do not need a physical storefront or office space to start the business. Besides, you can put as much time into the business as possible, which means you can run the business as a side hustle.
Check out our guide on how to start a personalized gift business
In this list, you'll find real-world personalized gift business success stories and very profitable examples of starting a personalized gift business that makes money.
1. SendAFriend ($9.6M/year)
Tyler Macke, the 21-year-old founder of SendAFriend, came up with the idea for his business after realizing that many of his favorite e-commerce brands lacked a philanthropic purpose. He wanted to create something different and decided to launch SendAFriend, an e-commerce brand that sells stuffed animal care packages. The business has seen significant growth, with projected revenue of $5 million for 2020, and has already donated over $250,000 to children's hospitals.
How much money it makes: $9.6M/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
How many people on the team: 20
Meet Tyler Macke, the 21-year-old founder of SendAFriend, an e-commerce brand that sells stuffed animal care packages, which began with $50k in revenue in 2019 and is now on track to make $5M in revenue this year, while donating 10% of revenue to children's hospitals throughout the United States.
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 money it makes: $3.12M/year
How many people on the team: 30
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.
3. Engravers Guild ($2.4M/year)
Elliot Bishton, the founder of Engravers Guild, came up with the idea for his online personalized gift retailer after witnessing the market split between low-cost providers and expensive designer offers. He aimed to fill the gap by delivering premium products at more affordable prices. Starting with only seven pairs of cufflinks, Engravers Guild has now expanded to over 200 lines and is clearing $30,000 per month in revenue.
How much money it makes: $2.4M/year
How much did it cost to start: $50K
How many people on the team: 7
Engravers Guild, an online personalised gift retailer, has expanded its collection from seven cufflink pairs to over 200 lines and now turns over more than $30,000 per month, a significant increase from its $3,000 turnover 18 months ago.
4. Lucasgift ($1.2M/year)
After moving to the U.S., Taha's father started sewing leather items to make ends meet. In 2017, they opened an Etsy shop selling personalized leather keychains, which quickly grew to a $100k/mo business.
How much money it makes: $1.2M/year
How much did it cost to start: $70K
How many people on the team: 7
Discover how a mechanical engineering major and his dad scaled a personalized gift business to $100k/mo revenue mainly through selling personalized leather keychains with over 10,000 reviews and a 4.9-star rating, proving the power of differentiation and pricing strategies in a competitive market.
5. Big Bee, Little Bee ($240K/year)
Founder Amy Leinbach came up with the idea for Big Bee, Little Bee when her 2.5-year-old daughter wanted to wash herself but couldn't find a suitable tool. She decided to create the ScrubBEE silicone scrubber, which quickly gained popularity and became her top-selling product. Despite the challenges of 2020, Leinbach managed to grow her business significantly, gaining features on Good Morning America and expanding her retail partnerships.
How much money it makes: $240K/year
How much did it cost to start: $15K
How many people on the team: 1
"Founder of Big Bee, Little Bee discusses how her daughter inspired her innovative products, including the top-selling Easy-Grip Silicone Scrubber, and how they managed to grow their business after being featured on national TV shows, despite challenges in 2020."
6. Australian Woodwork ($240K/year)
Gregory and Sarah, founders of Australian Woodwork, were inspired by their love for traveling and discovering local craftsmanship. They started by opening stalls in markets and eventually transitioned to an online store. Their son, Ben, taught them about online marketing and they learned the importance of SEO, product photography, and customer service in attracting and retaining customers. Despite a slow retail market, they continue to fine-tune their website and aim for steady sales growth in the future.
How much money it makes: $240K/year
How many people on the team: 2
Australian Woodwork is a family-owned and managed online store that sells a wide range of Australian made woodcraft, and through a concerted mix of SEO, good marketing and content writing, excellent photography and customer service, they grew to a 20k/month business.
7. Bestowe Gifting ($144K/year)
While attending an event, Catherine started to realize the importance of having a side hustle, and that realization fueled her passion. She reached to family and friends for mental and emotional support towards starting her business.
How much money it makes: $144K/year
How much did it cost to start: $20K
How many people on the team: 0
Bestowe Gifting quadrupled their sales during the pandemic by shifting to online sales and offering unique, locally sourced gifts, resulting in a successful eCommerce side hustle that allowed the founder to pay themselves and expand their custom business.
8. Tohfabd ($60K/year)
After successfully launching Tohfabd, Iqbal Anwar and his team focused on attracting and retaining customers. They utilized Facebook Ads campaigns and email marketing to generate leads and spread awareness about their online gift delivery service. Additionally, they offered regular discounts on gift items to incentivize customers and ensure top-notch service.
How much money it makes: $60K/year
How much did it cost to start: $10K
How many people on the team: 10
Tohfabd is an online gift delivery business serving Bangladeshi expats, with over 500 logistics agents covering all of Bangladesh's districts and more than 8000 orders successfully delivered within six months, with a focus on cakes, flowers, and gifts to celebrate special occasions.
9. Periwinkle Greetings, LLC ($12K/year)
Candace McGinn, the founder of Periwinkle Greetings, came up with the idea after surviving cancer and embracing her passion for photography. Inspired by the beauty of a full moon reflecting over the ocean, Candace used a unique printing technology to create stunning metal greeting cards. With a focus on artistry and sustainability, Periwinkle Greetings aims to revolutionize the greeting card industry.
How much money it makes: $12K/year
How much did it cost to start: $15K
How many people on the team: 1
Periwinkle Greetings uses Dye-sublimation to create unique metal greeting cards that can be displayed as art, with an average monthly revenue of $1000, and plans to pivot to B2B sales in 2023.
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Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
