Customization Business

4 Customization Business Success Stories [2024]

Pat Walls

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Updated: October 8th, 2024

Stand out in a world of sameness by starting a customization business. This entrepreneurial venture revolves around creating personalized products tailored to individual customer preferences.

From custom t-shirts and mugs to bespoke phone cases and home decor, the opportunities are vast. You can use digital tools to design and manufacture unique items that speak to your customer’s identity.

The commitment involves setting up a business platform, working with clients to understand their needs, and managing production and delivery. While it does require some upfront effort and creativity, the reward is a loyal customer base who value the personal touch.

If you have an eye for design and are ready to meet the increasing demand for personalized products, a customization business offers a fulfilling path to explore.

In this list, you'll find real-world customization business success stories and very profitable examples of starting a customization business that makes money.

1. Underground Printing ($36M/year)

UGP co-founders Rishi Narayan and Ryan Gregg started their business in 2001 as a t-shirt company called A-1 Screenprinting. They focused on providing exceptional customer service to college students and quickly expanded their production capabilities by acquiring another screen printer, which led to a name change to Underground Printing. They opened their first retail storefront in 2008 and have since grown to 35+ locations nationwide, generating over $1 million in revenue in their first year. Their commitment to customer service and investment in manufacturing and technology has propelled their success.

How much money it makes: $36M/year
How many people on the team: 250

How I Started A $3M/Month Custom Printed Apparel Company

National custom printing apparel and promotional products provider, Underground Printing, shares their start-up success story which has led them to be ranked amongst Inc. Magazine’s 5000 fastest-growing companies for three years running, with a customer-centric business model driving strong word-of-mouth promotion.

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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

How We Grew Our Corporate Gifting Platform To $2M/Year

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.

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3. Wave Connect ($300K/year)

After working in banking and transitioning to a sales role, George El-Hage noticed that sales teams wasted countless hours managing new contacts. Frustrated by the inefficiency, he built Wave Connect with just $5,000, a digital business card solution now generating $25K in monthly revenue.

How much money it makes: $300K/year
How much did it cost to start: $5K
How many people on the team: 2

Turning A Sales Problem I Experienced During My Job Into A $25K/Month Business

Discover how George El-Hage built Wave Connect, a sales and marketing tool that helps professionals exchange contact information and manage leads efficiently, resulting in monthly revenues of $25K per month and a customer base of 12,000, primarily acquired through organic LinkedIn outreach.

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4. Wokecustoms ($60K/year)

While strolling through Tartu, Estonia, Juhan was struck by the uniformity of teenagers all wearing Vans Old Skools. He then stumbled upon Sierato’s custom basketball shoes on social media, inspiring him to create WokeCustoms—a business now generating €3k-€6k monthly revenue.

How much money it makes: $60K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
How many people on the team: 2

Becoming A Trusted Brand For Customizing Sneakers, Making $60K/Year In Revenue

WokeCustoms is an art-focused custom sneaker brand that has experienced remarkable success, with a monthly revenue ranging from 3k to 6k euros organically and a year-on-year growth consistently averaging around 20% to 30%.

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Read by 1,033 founders