If you’re trying to figure out how to make money online without having to start from scratch, let me introduce you to PLR—Private Label Rights. It’s a total game-changer, especially if you’re a busy mom like me, juggling life, kids, and maybe a dream of running your own digital product shop. PLR gives you a shortcut. It hands you the foundation so you can skip right to the fun part—selling.
How I Got Started with PLR (and What Went Totally Wrong)
Back in 2021, I had this idea to sell printables for homeschooling moms and their kids. I figured it was the perfect combo: something I was passionate about and something I could sell. But when it came time to actually create the designs? I froze. I wasn’t feeling creative, and honestly, I didn’t even know where to start.
That’s when I found Suzie and John’s site, Freedom by Number, and it was like everything clicked. I spent $97 on Canva templates from them and thought, “Okay, I’ve got this now.” I tweaked the designs, made them my own, and listed them on Etsy.
And… nothing. That shop flopped fast. I didn’t know what I was doing—how to title my products, how to get people to see them, how to market any of it. But even though that first try didn’t work, I knew I wasn’t done. I saw how easy it was to use PLR, so I kept going. I bought more planners, explored more PLR shops, and slowly started to build my own systems around rebranding and selling. I didn’t want to spend forever designing. I just wanted to get good products out there.
What is PLR?
PPLR stands for Private Label Rights. When you buy a PLR product, you get the right to edit it, brand it, and sell it as your own. It’s essentially a done-for-you product that you can customize however you want.
PLR can be:
- Planners and journals
- Workbooks and guides
- Canva templates
- Printables
- Ebooks
- Google Docs templates
- Courses or challenge prompts
You get the product already made—you just add your flavor to it and make it yours.
How Can You Make Money Online with PLR?
There are so many ways to turn PLR into income. You don’t need a big team or a huge audience to start. Here are a few simple ways to use PLR in your online business:
1. Sell PLR Digital Products in Your Own Store
This is one of the easiest ways to get started. You take the PLR product, edit it, make it look like you, and upload it to your shop.
In my shop, I sell PLR wellness templates like the Wellness Tracker Bundle. It includes things like:
- Mood trackers
- Period tracker
- Workout logs
- Self-care planners
All fully customizable. These are the kinds of products you can brand, package, and sell right away.
2. Start a Printables Business
Printables are a solid niche, and using PLR makes it easy to dive in. Instead of designing from scratch, use PLR templates, change them up, and sell them on Etsy (use my referral link for 40 free listings!), Shopify, or your website.
Let’s say you’re in the wellness or self-growth space—you could grab a PLR journal, tweak it for your niche, and sell it as a self-love or mindfulness printable.
3. Use PLR for Lead Magnets & Email List Growth
Creating a freebie can be time-consuming, but PLR saves you hours. You can use a workbook, planner page, or challenge as a lead magnet.
For example, I offer free “Thank You” Canva templates to grow my list. You could do something similar by customizing a PLR gratitude journal or goal-setting worksheet and offering it in exchange for an email address.
4. Bundle PLR Products for More Value
This is one of my favorite strategies. Instead of selling single items, bundle 2 or 3 PLR products together and increase your product’s perceived value.
Example:
- Self-care planner + mood tracker + habit tracker
- Monthly budget planner + debt tracker + savings challenge
Bundles are attractive because they feel like a complete solution—and people love that.
5. Turn PLR Content into an Online Course or Membership
This is where you can really scale. PLR content makes it easy to create digital courses, email challenges, or even a low-cost membership.
Ideas:
- Turn a PLR workbook into a mini course and drip it through email
- Use a PLR body image journal to create content for a coaching program
- Start a membership where subscribers get new PLR templates every month
You’re not starting from scratch, you’re just repurposing smart.
How to Customize PLR to Make It Unique
Here’s the truth: if you don’t personalize it, your PLR will blend in. To make real sales, take a little time to rebrand the product.
Here’s how to do that:
- Change the fonts and colors
- Add your logo and brand name
- Edit the copy so it sounds like you
- Mix pages from different PLR products
- Add extra pages or sections
These small tweaks make a huge difference. Your buyers won’t know it was ever PLR—and that’s the goal..
What You Can’t Do with PLR
Now before you dive in, it’s important to know what’s off-limits. PLR gives you a lot of freedom, but it doesn’t mean you can do anything you want with it. Most PLR products come with clear usage terms—and breaking them can get you into trouble.
Here’s what you usually can’t do with PLR:
- You can’t resell the Canva templates or editable files as PLR. You can only sell the finished, flattened PDF version (unless the license says otherwise).
- You can’t claim copyright to the original design. You’re licensing it to resell, not owning it outright.
- You can’t give it away as-is for free (especially not the editable version).
- You can’t use it in illegal or offensive ways (this one’s common sense, but it’s usually written into the terms).
Always read the license that comes with your PLR purchase. If it’s not clear, reach out to the seller. When in doubt, assume you’re supposed to rebrand and sell the final product only.
Final Thoughts: So, Is PLR Worth It?
Absolutely. If you’re trying to run an online business and you don’t have time to design everything from scratch, PLR is a shortcut worth taking. It gives you a starting point, saves time, and allows you to focus on branding, selling, and connecting with your audience.
If you’re just getting started, check out my PLR Wellness Tracker Bundle, Body Image Workbook, and all the other templates in my shop. They’re designed to help you get up and running—without the stress.
Which idea are you excited to try first? Message me or leave a comment—I’d love to hear what you’re working on.