It’s not often that a print-related story makes the ‘most read’ section on the BBC website, and when it does it’s usually something of a bad news nature, such as De La Rue losing the passport contract.

An article on this list yesterday made a refreshing change. “I turned a side hussle into millions” featured 27-year-old Ed Snelson* and his Chester-based customised clothing and merchandise business, Signature Printing.

He was featured because eBay has highlighted more than a thousand sellers who have achieved sales of more than £1m on the platform in the past year, and Ed is one such seller.

It’s a classic tale of starting a sideline in a bedroom that then grows into a fully-fledged business of substance, and it reminded me of the Awesome Merchandise story – also involving customised merch but with a different style and focus.  

At a time when there’s no doubt that parts of the industry are in a tough place, this story is a welcome reminder that in the huge and diverse world of printing the opportunities are many and varied, whether that's in an established discipline or a new part of the market.

We just need to be on high alert for them.

* I don’t know if Ed Snelson is related to the APS Group Snelsons or not, shall try and find out.