If you’re a small business owner who sells physical items, you have probably struggled with shipping and packaging. Let’s chat about shipping and packaging tips that are helpful for craft and small business owners.
If you haven’t started your small business yet, my 5 Things You Should Know Before You Start tutorial is a great place to begin!
You can watch this episode of Crafting for Profit Live by pressing play on the video below.
Shipping and Packaging Tips
You can find my top 5 tips below or watch the video above for even more advice!
Tip #1 Find the Best Shipping Rates
If you’re mailing physical items, it’s important to find the best shipping rates. This is helpful for you and your customer.
If you offer free shipping, when you save money on shipping your profit margin increases. If you have your buyer pay for shipping, a lower price is always appreciated.
When it comes to shipping costs, you will need to take time to check pricing. If you have an Etsy Shop or Shopify store, the prices when you ship directly through them you may pay less. For instance, shipping a regular stamped envelope that includes tracking through Etsy shipping is $0.69, and a regular stamp (without tracking) is currently $0.73. While $0.04 doesn’t seem like a lot it does add up.
Note – Be aware of shipping to US Territories as well as international shipping. Shipping to a US Territory is not the same as shipping within the US.
There are other ways to ship and save money. Sites like Pirate Ship and Shippo also offer discounted shipping. Make sure you check USPS, UPS, FedEx, etc. You may find one is significantly less expensive than the others.
Another way to save money on shipping is to bulk order shipping supplies. For your more common products, it is helpful to keep supplies on hand. For example, a single box could cost you $2.00, but if you purchase 25 of them, that price can go down to $0.50 per box.
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Tip #2 Packaging Items for Protection
It’s important to make sure your items arrive safely. If you ship, a mug for example, and it breaks in shipping you will need to replace that mug. If you purchased insurance you may be covered, if you didn’t you’ll be out the cost of packaging, shipping, and the broken item.
Depending on what you’re shipping, the supplies needed will be different. If you’re shipping something like stickers you’ll likely be safe with an envelope and maybe a thin piece of cardboard to prevent bending.
When it comes to breakable items, you’ll need packaging materials. Boxes that fit your item well and bubble wrap are a great option.
I recommend doing a trial shipment. Anytime you add a new item to your inventory package it up how you plan to ship it and mail it to someone. This will allow you to see how your packaging holds up through the mailing process.
Tip #3 Make Your Package Stand Out
There are a variety of ways to help make your packages stand out.
- We all love to receive happy mail. You can make your packages stand out by using colorful labels and tape on the exterior of your packaging. Make sure your labels are readable, don’t use anything too dark.
- By adding a thank you note to your package, you can tell your customers a little more about you, which will help you stand out. You can also include a free sticker or inspirational note that they can keep and think about you each time they look at it.
- Another way to make your package stand out is to package everything similarly. Use white poly mailers, white boxes, or white envelopes with colorful tape so that no matter what someone orders from you they know it’s from you before they even open it. This is just one example, your branding can be whatever you like just keep it consistent.
Another thing to mention is to make sure you’re using the right kind of tape. Make sure you’re using a heavy-duty tape to secure your packages so they don’t come open during the shipping process.
Tip #4 Overcome Shipping and Packaging Challenges
One of the biggest challenges when it comes to mailing items is lost mail.
Tracking and insurance are your friends. While they may have a fee associated with them, depending on the price of your package it may be worth it.
Make sure you find out what your insurance covers. If your customer says they didn’t receive the package but the tracking says it’s delivered, it may not be covered by the insurance.
Adding tracking on your package makes it easy for both you and your customer to see where it’s at in the delivery process. If you don’t have tracking, be prepared to respond in a timely manner as to when an item was shipped and when the expected delivery date is.
Communication is key, especially during the holidays. If you know something went out later than it should have or you’re given a longer delivery window than normal, communicate with your customer so they know when to expect the item.
Tip #5 Speed Up the Shipping Process
One way to speed up the shipping process is to have everything you need on hand. Make sure you have the supplies you need ready any time you receive an order, regardless of what size the package is.
Having a shipping label printer is so helpful. They’re quick and don’t require ink. You can then easily apply the labels to envelopes, poly mailers, or boxes with no additional tape required.
If you’re shipping multiple packages every week, you’ll save time with a label printer.
Another way to save time is to schedule package pick-ups. Depending on where you live and how you choose to ship you may be able to have packages picked up right at your home. Depending on how you ship, there may be fees for pick-up but it may be worth it to save you gas and time.
If you have to go to a location for your shipping, I would plan 1-2 days per week when you’ll ship and include that info in your listings.
Another way to speed up the shipping process is to have a scale on hand. Being able to weigh and measure your package at home will save you a trip to the post office.
I hope you find these shipping and packaging tips helpful. If you have any additional questions leave them in the comments and I’ll be happy to answer them for you.
