A better question might be "should I start a sticker business?" A whole book could be written on this subject but for purposes of this article we'll try to summarize some things to consider and questions to ask your self before jumping into a sticker related business.
What type of sticker business are you considering?
There are several options. Are you looking to design and create stock sticker designs that you can sell in stores, specialty shows or online? This is often what people envision when they ask about starting a "bumper sticker business". They have a great idea for a sticker or a series of stickers and they want to sell them. An offshoot of this is people looking to start a "vinyl sticker business" - which usually implies vinyl cut decal designs cut on a plotter.
The second type of sticker business would be producing or selling custom stickers to other businesses and individuals. The ideas and the distribution responsibility are not your own, you are just the manufacturer, middleman or perhaps the designer for the product. This article is not going to focus on this type of custom sticker business (perhaps in another).
How much time can you devote to your sticker business?
How serious are you about starting this business? Is it a project you are thinking of doing on the side of other work, or are you looking to make a living and work it full time? Either way, businesses are not easy to start, market or grow. And the sticker business, though it may sound fun, shares all the struggles other businesses face with visibility, distribution, competition and profitability.
As with any business passion is a necessity. The brand "Salt Life" was started by two entrepreneurs who loved everything about the ocean lifestyle and had "Salt Life" tattooed on their necks. This led to stickers, then clothing and on to more branded products that are now in over 600 retailers nationwide. So, yes, a sticker idea can take off but it needs a lot of passion, hard work and dedication to grow and succeed.
Should you buy equipment or outsource production?
You can buy special papers and print pre-die-cut labels right out of any basic printer, but, it's not recommended. Most people envision a sticker business as producing or selling quality stickers that are outdoor durable and can hold up on cars. While you could make stickers as a hobby and use special papers and protective sprays, to survive as a legitimate business, higher quality products are essential.
You could probably find used vinyl plotters for a couple hundred dollars and new and better printers and plotters on up into the thousands. For a good digital print and cut system you are looking at over $10,000. Commercial printing presses can be hundreds of thousands. But, I am not an equipment seller and unlike a dealer I would not recommend buying equipment at all.
It is easy to test the viability of your sticker idea without investing in any equipment. So, why risk it? Why not produce your ideas with the best quality stickers possible made by experts on which ever equipment and method is most appropriate? There is still room for good profit margins. And, if things go well it is much easier to scale upward with outsourced production. If you are thinking you need prototypes to test and show before ordering larger quantities, you could go to any local sign shop and get vinyl cut or digitally printed samples. But remember, the style and quality might not be the same as stickers created in bulk on proper commercial sticker printing equipment.