1. Choose a niche
Successful pin brands are specific: a style of humor, a fandom you are licensed for, a profession, a hobby, a place. A clear niche makes design, marketing and pricing easier.
2. Design a small first collection
Three to five designs that belong together are easier to sell than one. They let customers buy a set and let you learn which design sells best. See how to design an enamel pin.
3. Budget the first run
At 100 pieces each, three 1.25-inch soft enamel designs cost three times $355.00, delivered, plus your own backing cards if you use them. Add packaging, photography and listing fees. Many new brands fund the first run with preorders.
4. Find a manufacturer
Look for free proofs, clear delivered prices, photos before shipping and a written guarantee. Order a sample pack if you want to compare quality in hand.
5. Set up sales channels
Start where your audience already is: social media, a marketplace or local markets. Add your own website as you grow. See how to sell enamel pins.
6. Handle the business basics
Register your business as required where you live, keep records of costs and sales, collect sales tax where needed, and protect your designs.
7. Grow
Reorder best sellers in larger quantities, release new designs on a schedule, offer wholesale to shops, and build an email list for launches. Numbered limited editions create urgency; see numbered pins.
How we help new pin brands
We make pins for creators from 50 pieces, with laser backstamps and Pantone-matched colors recorded for reorders. See enamel pins for creators or send your designs on the quote form.
Cash flow in the first year
Pins are bought before they are sold. Plan for the money tied up in stock: a first run of three designs might take 6 to 10 weeks to sell through. Reorder only when a design is close to selling out, and keep enough cash for one reorder of your best seller. Preorders and limited editions reduce the risk of unsold stock.
Common first-year mistakes
- Ordering too many designs at once instead of testing a few
- Pricing below three times landed cost and leaving no room for wholesale
- Forgetting packaging and shipping supplies in the budget
- Copying popular characters without a license
- Skipping the backing card, which is where a pin becomes a product
Measuring what works
Track sales by design, channel and month. A design that sells out twice deserves a variant or a sequel; a design that has not sold half its run after three months should be retired or bundled. Customer photos and reviews are your best marketing; ask for them.
Written by the Enamelore team, who proof every order. Questions about this guide? Email hello@enamelore.com.
