8 Customized Gifts Business Success Stories [2024]
Looking to turn a love for unique, personalized items into a profitable venture? Consider starting a customized gifts business. This involves creating bespoke items like engraved jewelry, custom-made mugs, or tailored wall art, catering specifically to each customer's preferences.
Customization allows you to tap into the growing market for personalized experiences, providing gifts that customers feel deeply connected to. Setting up this business requires creativity, a good eye for detail, and some basic design skills, but the reward is a loyal clientele who come back for unique, memorable gifts.
You don't need a large inventory; instead, you'll work on-demand, making items as orders come in. Platforms like Etsy or your own Shopify store can help you reach a broader audience. It's ideal for those who enjoy hands-on work and have a knack for creating things that stand out. Turn your passion for crafting into a thriving business.
In this list, you'll find real-world customized gifts business success stories and very profitable examples of starting a customized gifts business that makes money.
1. OffiNeeds ($9M/year)
Srikanth Acharya, the founder of OffiNeeds, came up with the idea for his corporate gifting business after a prank where he jokingly told people he was going to start a corporate gifting company. However, while answering questions about the business, he realized that there was a market for it and created a business plan. He resigned from his job and launched OffiNeeds, which has now almost doubled its revenues year-on-year and is on track to achieve INR 100 crore in revenue this year.
How much money it makes: $9M/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
How many people on the team: 100
Offineeds, a leading corporate gifting and custom merchandise company that has doubled its revenues year on year over the last 3-4 years through the use of technology, offers solutions including Official BrandStores, New Joinee Welcome Kits, GiftKart, and Gift Voucher solutions serving over 2,000 large corporate clients.
2. Giftsenda ($468K/year)
Dmitriy Peregudov came up with the idea for his business, Giftsenda, after running his previous company, GiftBasketsOverseas.com. He noticed that many of his customers would benefit from a bulk gifting solution to automate their sending experience, which led him to create Giftsenda, a SaaS platform that offers personalized gift options with CRM integration and ROI measurement. Within 6 months of launching, Giftsenda has experienced solid growth.
How much money it makes: $468K/year
How much did it cost to start: $50K
How many people on the team: 10
Discover how Giftsenda harnessed 18 years of international gift delivery expertise to process over 40,000 orders in 200+ countries during one holiday season, and offers a gifting platform that slashes campaign costs by up to 85% for Sales & Marketing teams.
3. Confete Party ($240K/year)
Jamie Taylor, the founder of Confetë Party, came up with the idea for her business through a combination of her background in Interior Design and a desire to make it easy for people to celebrate. After starting an event planning business and finding success with balloon installations, Jamie pivoted to e-commerce in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic halted in-person events. She launched the Virtual Party Box and shifted her focus to celebratory party boxes, listening to customer feedback to grow her inventory and improve her website. With steady growth and a focus on customer satisfaction, Confetë Party has become a popular choice for curated gift boxes, working with large corporations and notable clients.
How much money it makes: $240K/year
How much did it cost to start: $10K
How many people on the team: 1
Confetë Party, founded by Jamie Taylor, is a gift box company that offers corporate gifting, build-your-own boxes, and ready-to-ship options and has worked with clients such as Microsoft, Facebook, and Boston Consulting Group, reaching sales of over $20k/month.
4. 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.
5. TCB Designs, Florida ($60K/year)
Crystal, the founder of TCB Designs, Florida, started her business in 2017 as a side hustle and creative outlet. She began by selling small rustic farmhouse signs on Facebook, which gained traction and led her to expand her audience reach on Etsy. Over the years, she has added smaller items and personalized gift ideas to boost sales, with the last Christmas season generating over $20k in revenue. Crystal's mission is to provide affordable decor options for people who love the farmhouse style but may not be able to afford expensive items.
How much money it makes: $60K/year
How much did it cost to start: $8K
How many people on the team: 1
Mompreneur builds thriving rustic home decor business that hit $20k in sales during last year's holiday season and continues to grow through Etsy, Shopify, and Faire wholesale.
6. MyPaintedShoes ($48K/year)
Smieon Mo combined his e-commerce background with a passion for painting to launch MyPaintedShoes in 2013, quickly attracting organic traffic and securing his first orders within a month. By 2020, the site reached 10-20 daily orders, transforming his hand-painted shoes into a sustainable business.
How much money it makes: $48K/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
How many people on the team: 3
This case study follows the journey of Smieon Mo, the founder of Mypaintedshoes, one of the first online platforms for selling hand-painted shoes, who shares insights into building a successful custom shoe painting business, attracting customers, and transitioning from canvas to leather shoes.
7. Printstreet Online Retail Pvt Ltd ($48K/year)
Rahul Garewal and his brother Pushkar Garewal started Printstreet in 2017 after recognizing the pain points in the printing industry, such as minimum order quantities, limited product options, and longer turn-around times. Through cold calling and sales visits, they secured their first corporate order within 3 months and generated a good amount of revenue in their first year of operations. They officially launched their online store in 2019, utilizing digital marketing channels like Google ads, email, and WhatsApp to attract and retain customers, with Google ads accounting for 60% of traffic and sales.
How much money it makes: $48K/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
How many people on the team: 6
Indian online customization and merchandising provider Printstreet, founded in 2017, addresses issues such as minimum order quantity, product quality, and longer turnaround times to cater to both individuals and enterprises, all while seeing over 100% year on year growth in the past three years and making $5K per month.
8. 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.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
