Start now
←  Fourthwall Blog
·
Aug 28, 2023
·
5
min read

How to Start a Keychain Business in 2025

Unlocking Success: How to Build Your Keychain Business from Scratch with Fourthwall
Keychain blog image

Table of Contents

Are you a content creator looking to take your brand to the next level? Imagine having a tangible piece of your brand and content that your fans can carry with them everywhere. That's where creating and selling a custom keychain comes into play.

In this guide, we'll walk you through the ins and outs of launching your very own keychains on your online store, from designing to selling, and how Fourthwall can manage this entire process for you.

Is a Keychain Business Profitable?

Absolutely! Keychains are more than just accessories; they're small expressions of personal style and allow followers to show their support. Their wide-ranging appeal, coupled with their easy customization, makes them a great product to add to your collection. Plus, their compact size makes them an attractive option for supporters of all ages.

People bring their keychains everywhere, which means every time a supporter carries your product, you're getting free advertising. You’ll make your customers happy and increase your profits by choosing a unique design that stands out, having a strong marketing strategy, and offering high-quality keychains.

How to Start a Keychain Business: 4 Steps for Creators

Philip DeFranco's 'Emotionally Exhausted' Keychain

1. Identify Your Niche Market

What makes your content stand out? Is it your love for gaming, your passion for movies, or your expertise in a particular field? Defining your niche helps you connect with a specific group of fans who share your interests. From there, you can curate keychain designs that speak directly to their hearts, making your creations even more irresistible. 

2. Design Your Keychain

Now, the fun part—designing! Your keychain is a visual representation of your brand, so make it count. Figure out what material you want your keychain to be made of, which will help you decide if you can DIY these custom keychains, or if you need to seek a platform to mold and create them for you. If you're looking for acrylic keychains, Fourthwall is the platform for you. 

Keep in mind that your artwork should be on the small side, so you should choose designs that are easily recognizable and impactful even in a compact size. As a general guideline, keychains between 1.5 to 2.5 inches work well, and materials like acrylic and metal offer both durability and a premium feel. While your design truly depends on the content you make, here are some ideas for keychains that sell well:

  • Characters or avatars
  • Logos
  • Funny quotes or catchphrases
  • Simple, aesthetically pleasing designs  

3. Choose a Keychain Manufacturer

Now that your designs are ready to come to life, it's time to choose a keychain manufacturer that aligns with your vision and quality standards. This decision plays a pivotal role in the success of your keychain business.

One great place to find a keychain manufacturer is in the Fourthwall Product Catalog. Our expert collaboration with manufacturers ensures that these factors are seamlessly managed, leaving you with peace of mind and more time to channel your creative energy into what truly matters—your designs.

4. Set a Price

Pricing your keychains appropriately is a delicate balance between offering value to your fans and ensuring your efforts are compensated. Research similar products in the market and factor in your production costs, marketing expenses, and desired profit margin. From our research, keychains tend to be sold for $7-$15.

How to Sell Keychains Online

As a creator, you have an incredible advantage when it comes to promoting and selling your products — you already have online reach and presence. Leverage your engaged audience and digital platforms to transform your keychains into desirable collectibles. Here are some valuable tips to ensure your keychains find their way into the hands of eager supporters:

  1. Post on Social Media: Leverage your social media platforms to their full potential. Post engaging content showcasing your keychains regularly. Utilize features like Instagram Stories, announce your new product on your Twitch stream, or post about it on Twitter or TikTok and ask for feedback from your supporters. Find ways to interact directly with your followers and give them a sneak peek into your creative process.

  2. Offer Limited Edition Products: Boost the appeal of your keychains by bundling them with other related products or offering limited edition runs. This creates a sense of exclusivity and excitement, encouraging your audience to act quickly to secure their favorite designs. Fourthwall allows you to create promotions to build hype around any of your product launches.

  3. Collaborate and Cross-Promote: Team up with fellow creators or influencers whose audiences align with your target market. Collaborative giveaways or cross-promotions can introduce your keychains to a wider audience, fueling interest and potentially gaining new followers and purchases.

Adding keychains to your shop is a way to strengthen the connection with your community and turn your passion into a profitable venture. With these tips in your arsenal and Fourthwall as your platform, you're well on your way to keychain-selling success!

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. How much does it cost to start a keychain business? With Fourthwall, it’s free! You can create your site, design your keychains, and start selling without paying a penny. The initial costs of starting a keychain business can vary widely. Fourthwall allows you to sell your keychains as pre-orders ("drop") style, so there's no up front risks. The cost of each item can vary based on your design complexity. Factors such as your design complexity, choice of materials, manufacturing process, and marketing efforts all contribute to the overall cost. Research and budgeting are essential to determine the expenses involved.
  2. How are keychains manufactured? Keychains are manufactured using a range of materials, including acrylic, metal, rubber, and more. Designs can be applied through methods like printing, engraving, or molding. The manufacturing process involves creating the physical keychains based on your design specifications. Each custom keychain comes with a keyring attached to the keychain for easy attachment to other keychains, lanyards, purses, etc.
  3. Do I need specialized skills to start a keychain business? Starting a keychain business doesn't necessarily require specialized skills, but having a creative mindset and an understanding of design principles can be beneficial. Many platforms and resources, like Fourthwall, are available to help you navigate the process, making it accessible to individuals with various backgrounds and skill levels.

It's important to note that selling keychains on Fourthwall requires reaching a minimum of 300 units. You can allow supporters to preorder your key chains, or pay for all 300 of them upfront and earn the money back through selling them.

Start Your Keychain Business with Fourthwall's Help

Fourthwall is here to be your right-hand platform in this entrepreneurial endeavor. Design your key chains, set up your shop, and let Fourthwall handle the rest.

Join a community of successful creators who have seamlessly turned their passions into profits. Why wait? Get started on Fourthwall today and let your supporters rep your merch everywhere.

Design & sell custom products

Multiple designs being placed onto a sweatshirt/jumper/crewneck and then being shown as a mockup image
4.6
(766+ seller reviews)
Fourthwall is the best way to create your own premium quality products to sell to your online audience
Premium quality. Fast shipping. No minimums.
Multiple designs being placed onto a sweatshirt/jumper/crewneck and then being shown as a mockup image

Build your brand. On your terms

Browse our product catalog

Choose from hundreds of premium products you can design and sell instantly
Cotton Heritage M2580
Cotton Heritage Unisex Premium Hoodie
71
Printed
Embroidered
From $25.45
|
No minimums
+11
Allcolor 5493
Kiss Cut Stickers
46
Sticker
From $2.20
|
No minimums
+0
Mugz WGM78
White Glossy Mug
43
Sublimation
From $5.95
|
No minimums
+0
Mugz WGM79B
Black Glossy Mug
42
Sublimation
From $8.95
|
No minimums
+0
Gildan 5000
Gildan Heavyweight T-Shirt
42
Printed
Embroidered
From $9.25
|
No minimums
+31
Mugz WGM79C
Ceramic Mug with Color Inside
40
Sublimation
From $8.95
|
No minimums
+6
Gildan 64000
Gildan Unisex Softstyle T-Shirt
34
Printed
From $9.25
|
No minimums
+3

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to use Fourthwall?

There are no monthly fees, no upfront costs, and no contracts to use Fourthwall. You set your prices and choose your own margins. Here is how our pricing and splits work when you sell:

  • Products from our product catalog. All products in our product catalog have a publicly listed flat fee, which gets deducted from the selling price you set. There are no extra percentages/margins. You keep 100% of profits.
  • Products you ship yourself. No fee (0% fee)
  • Digital products. 3% flat fee
  • Subscription memberships. 5% flat fee

Additionally, all US-based credit card transactions have an added 2.9% + $0.30 payment processing fee (same as Shopify). Fees vary for PayPal and other providers. Learn more.

How much money do I make on sales from the Fourthwall catalog?

Product costs are listed directly in our product catalog.

If a t-shirt is listed in our catalog at a $10 cost, we will automatically deduct that amount from your profits whenever you make a sale. You can sell products for any price you want.

For example, if you sell the shirt for $22, you'll make $12 in profit on each unit sold. If you sell it for $50, then you'll make $40 in profit on each unit sold.

Does Fourthwall ship worldwide?

Yes! Fourthwall works with manufacturing & fulfillment partners around the globe in the US, UK, EU, Canada, Mexico, Australia, and Japan.

Shipping rates are dynamically determined by the size of package and destination. We work with most major carriers and pass through the true cost of shipping. That means that you can offer low-cost, fast shipping to your fans. Most items have a delivery window of 5-8 days.

Be sure to browse our product catalog to find products that are fulfilled out of your target regions to provide the fastest & cheapest shipping for your community.

Does Fourthwall handle sales tax?

Fourthwall operates as the "Merchant of Record", which means that we're responsible for handling all sales taxes. This includes nexus registration, collecting sales tax, and remitting this to US states & other countries.

That way you can focus on designing products and promoting your shop, not taxes.

Can I connect a custom domain to Fourthwall?

Yes. You can connect a custom domain or subdomain on Fourthwall. Learn More.

Does Fourthwall offer artwork & design support?

If you need help finding an artist or designer, check out our design community.

This is a vetted network of exceptional designers that can help you make great quality designs for your audience. We also recommend tools like Canva or Kittl.

Does Fourthwall provide customer support for my orders?

Yes. For any product from our product catalog, we'll handle all customer support for you.

From answering general order questions to making address changes, our team is there to ensure that your buyers are treated with the same level of care that you would personally give them. We have a 12-hour or less average reply time, including nights and weekends.

For any items that you source on your own and ship from home, however, you'll need to do customer support.

Can you show me examples of storefronts on Fourthwall?

Yes! Over 200,000 sellers use Fourthwall to power their storefronts. This includes creators, podcasters, artists, musicians, startups, non-profits, and more.

Get inspired and browse all examples sites.

What integrations does Fourthwall have?

Fourthwall supports many free integrations, including:

  • YouTube Product Shelf (Merch Shelf)
  • TikTok Shop
  • Facebook and Instagram Shopping
  • Twitch Product Gifting
  • StreamElements and Streamlabs stream alerts
  • Zapier
  • Klaviyo
  • Mailchimp
  • And many, many more

See all apps & integrations.

Are there any requirements to join Fourthwall?

There are no requirements to join Fourthwall! Sign up now.