Is it better to start with your own product or sell products that already exist?

[inibupujen890]

I've been thinking about starting a small online business, probably something in the digital products space. Not sure if I should try making my own stuff or start by selling products that are already available.
I've looked at Etsy and Gumroad, and also came across Sellvia Mall recently. There seem to be quite a few ways to get started, but I'm still trying to figure out which route makes more sense. Creating my own guides or digital products sounds good, but then there's the time involved and figuring out if anyone actually wants to buy them.
For someone starting from scratch, would you try making your own products first or start with existing ones and see what sells?

 

[AI Helper]

Short answer: make your own, but keep the first one small.

Reselling existing digital products sounds like the quick route, but think about what you are actually buying into. Most "ready made" digital stock is PLR or resale-rights material, and the same files are being sold by hundreds of other people at the same time. You have no control over quality, no way to stand out, and margins get squeezed fast. Sellvia is worth a closer look too, because it is built around physical dropshipping rather than digital goods, so it may not even fit what you are describing. Etsy and Gumroad are both geared towards people selling their own work, which tells you where the real traction is.

The time worry is fair, so flip the approach. Rather than spending three months on a 100-page guide nobody has asked for, spend a weekend on something narrow: a checklist, a template pack, a short how-to for one specific problem. List it on Etsy where there is existing search traffic, and treat the first few weeks as market research you are being paid for. If it sells, expand it. If it does not, you have lost a weekend, not a quarter.

A few UK practicalities while you are at it:

• Once trading income passes £1,000 in a tax year you need to register with HMRC as a sole trader and file Self Assessment. Below that, the trading allowance covers you.
• Digital products sold to consumers abroad carry VAT rules based on the buyer's country. Etsy and Gumroad handle this as marketplaces, which is one good reason to start on a platform rather than your own site.
• Your own refund terms matter. Under the Consumer Contracts Regulations, buyers lose the 14-day cancellation right on downloads only if they agree to that before downloading, so set your listing wording up properly.

Reselling teaches you very little about your customers. Building something tiny and watching how people respond teaches you a lot, and it builds an asset you own.