With more cellphones in the world than people, there is ample opportunity in terms of the phone accessory industry. Between add-ons and pop-ons, phones are creating a market with just accessories alone. In particular, phone cases are popular as people look to reflect individuality in a functional accessory.

Looking to tap into this market? It can be accomplished through understanding the market, learning how to create a product, and building a customer base. Selling your own phone cases is also beneficially personally, like in the situation where you are looking for a case for your iPhone 8 Plus. Read on to discover how to become a vendor in the phone case market and start reaping the profits.

Benefits of a Phone (News - Alert) Case Business

On top of having access to new phone cases when you need it, there are a few other benefits to starting a phone case business. The benefits include:

• Easy to maintain inventory due to the size of the product
• Relatively low production costs
• Ability to sell physically or through online platforms
• Print designs on demand or buy in bulk for lower cost and lower risk
• Rotating market; new phone releases means new customers seeking a new case

Special Considerations for Entering this Market

With every potential new business, there are considerations to keep in mind. The barriers to entry in the phone accessory industry are low, so there can be ample competition. To succeed in this market, you’ll need to answer the following questions:

• What are the different types of phone cases to offer?
• Where do the designs come from?
• How do you determine the designs and cases that will be popular?
• Where will you sell the phone cases?

Types of Phone Cases 

Offering phone cases means finding variation and balance between practical options and aesthetic appeal. Some cases primarily offer protection while others are slim build attachments. Here are a few types of phone cases you could potentially offer:

• Gel and Slim Cases
• Bumper Cases
• Wallet or Folio Cases
• Protective Cases
• Battery Cases

Focus Your Inventory

With so many different types of cases, the first step is to focus on inventory. Decide what phone cases you want to stock and what types of phones you want to cover. Yes, Apple (News - Alert) devices are popular, but depending on where you live, there might other types of phones that don’t have as many options on the market. Consider diversifying inventory to cater to phones that might be underserved.

Create Designs

Designs are where you stand out in a flooded market, especially with the standard slim cases. There are few design options that let you create designs to transfer to phone cases later on. Some of those include Photoshop, Photopea, Dribble, Caseapp, and Printful.

Creating designs will be a fun part of this process, but definitely requires some market research. When deciding what design should make it to the final product, consider feedback routes like:

• Posting to social media to garner anticipated interest
• Garnering feedback through family or friends
• Using online communities like Reddit while using anonymity
• Conducting focus group research with intended niche audiences

Design to Product

Once amazing designs are locked in, the next part is bringing them to life. Personal printing equipment is expensive, so look for other routes to manufacturing. Some of the options for production include:

• On-demand print services that allow you to only print what has been ordered. This allows you to order in bulk after sales have accumulated and transfers the responsibility of final shipping to a third party. Good options are Printify or Printful.
• Build a relationship with a manufacturer and maximize profit by ordering in bulk in advance. This cuts up-front costs but does lock you into a certain number of units that you then have to sell.

Sell the Product

After determining the product, market, and supply chain, you’ll then have to sell the product. Online is a great route for phone case suppliers. Sites like Amazon and Etsy (News - Alert) are great places to post and list phone cases and make sales. An online store is necessary to create a brand, grow marketing, and build a sustainable business.

Ready, Set, Succeed

Are you ready for the next step in creating your own phone case company? Don’t get overwhelmed by the market competition. Instead, focus on a niche to get your product out there. Play around with designs and find what works to further increase margins as the business grows.