Starting a small business gives you the chance to turn your passion into a money-making opportunity. Whether you are selling your handmade crafts online or are distributing commercially made products, one of your most important decisions is how you will pack the items for shipping. The right shipping supplies keep your products safe so that they arrive at your customers’ homes in perfect condition. As a new business owner, you’ll want to start out with these essential supplies to make sure that each shipment arrives on time and ready for your customers to enjoy.
Make Sure You Have Enough Labels
Shipping labels are necessary to make sure that the delivery company knows exactly where to take the package. However, there are also other important labels that you might want to add. Preprinted shipping labels are available that warn package handlers if the contents in a box are fragile or need to be stacked a certain way. You’ll want to choose the ones that fit the needs of your company.
Keep Enough Boxes on Hand
Running out of boxes can delay shipments and lead to unhappy customers. You’ll want to select the right sized shipping boxes for your products. Ideally, there should be a slight amount of space to add shipping materials without giving the products too much space to move around. Most small businesses need several different sizes of boxes to ship multiple types of products. Consider taking measurements of your products so that you can determine what kind of boxes will best suit your needs.
Make Use of Stick-on Envelopes
Stick-on envelopes give you a place to include packing lists and invoices where they won’t get lost. Although you can put these items in boxes, they tend to get lost once a customer takes out the product. Putting the important information right by the label gives your customers a quick place to identify what is in the box so that they can save the paperwork for their records.
Keep Products Safe With Packing Fill
There are many different types of packing fill that you can choose from. Packing paper works great for keeping artwork and books protected. Bubble wrap and foam peanuts add extra cushioning that keeps especially fragile items safe as well. Using air cushions is another option that works well for preventing breakage during your company’s shipments.
Over time, you may find that your company’s shipping needs will start to change. You may need differently-sized boxes or mailing tubes if you add new products to your inventory. Make sure to review your shipping plan anytime you make major changes to your business operations, and your team will always have what they need to uphold your company’s commitment to making quality deliveries.
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