Take the guesswork out of product development and sales with these tips from folks who are doing it.

By Susie Boghosian and Jinny Fleischman

Merchandising options
There are a number of merchandise categories that can be created for nonprofit organizations. Following is a breakdown of the most typical categories.

Logo products. The easiest is logo products — the T-shirts, mugs, water bottles, pens, letterhead, backpacks and more that you see sporting any number of logos. All you need to do this is a strong, recognizable logo and the ability to purchase the minimum number of products required by the manufacturer. These products lend themselves to sales through your Web site or newsletter, and some can be used as special donor or member premiums. Logo products can be profitable, but they’re rarely strong enough to merit the creation of a product business.