In the past few months, I have done WAY more shipping than I have done in my life! It has been nuts! A lot of the time my apartment is covered in boxes, tissue paper, shipping labels and tape.

I feel like shipping is one aspect of small business that nobody really talks about. It is easy to become so fixated on the product you're selling, the social media, the advertising, the numbers and the other seemingly "big" things when you start a business. As it turns out though, shipping is a HUGE part of your success in running a company. Your packaging is the very first impression that your seller gets of you/your company and let me tell ya- first impressions are very important. I believe your packaging and shipping habits truly can make or break your company. Not to mention the whole cost factor. Trying to get your shipping costs as low as possible WHILE keeping it professional is very important- and tough sometimes.

Over these last few months I have made my share of shipping mistakes and I have learned from them, so today I'd like to share 5 of my top tips for shipping!


1. Use free boxes from USPS.com. They are professional, they come in all sorts of sizes, they are delivered straight to your doorstep and they are FREE. Forget the poly mailers and the bubble-lined envelopes, these boxes are the way to go. I didn't discover these until like 2 months into my business and I wish I would have figured it out sooner! It would have saved me so much money and would have protected my items a lot better. Just go to the website (not the app) and order whatever boxes you'd like (make sure they're Priority Mail) and they'll be delivered to your doorstep in just a few days. The sizes you should order really depend on what you're shipping. With my clothes I generally use the 1097 size box.



2. Use the right tape. All tape brands are the same, right? Wrong. Tape is what actually keeps your product in the box so it is a VERY important part of your shipping process! I can't tell you how many times I have received packages taped together with thin, low-quality tape. When you use thin, low-quality tape on your boxes, you risk the possibility of it coming off (and your product coming out/getting damaged) OR you end up having to use a ton of it, which looks bad and wastes money. Again, low price + high quality is what you want here. After trying a HUGE variety of packaging tapes I tried DuckMax Packaging Tape and don't think I'll be going back to anything else!

I remember my handyman-dad always using the Duck brand of tape ALL the time and always asking my mom to buy more of it from the store, so the Duck brand is super familiar to me. Because they have been around forever, they KNOW how to make tape! This stuff is 100x stronger than acrylic tapes and has a professional hot melt adhesive that makes it immediately stick to whatever it's put on! It is perfect for heavy duty shipping, moving boxes and storage. I bought this pack of 8 rolls at Sam's Club in the office supplies isle for under $20. Easily one of the best investments I have made in my little business.




3. Ship Quick

If you've ever ordered anything online, you know how hard it can be to wait for your item(s) to arrive at your door. Nobody likes waiting around for packages to arrive, so try and get your packages out ASAP! I always try and get my orders out by the very next business day. It is tricky sometimes but it makes a huge difference in customer retention. I either use pre-paid shipping labels and then just drop them off at the post office or I go to the post office and use the little do-it-yourself machine they have there. I hardly ever have to wait in any lines when I do it that way so I am usually in and out of the post office!

4. Keep it neat!

Always use tissue paper, bubble wrap or some other kind of packaging material to keep your items protected and looking pretty! ALWAYS fold clothes nicely, never just throw anything in the box. I know this probably sounds obvious but I can't tell you how many times I have received something in the mail that wasn't packaged pretty and it was kind of a turn-off, haha. I always use tissue paper (either white or some kind of cute pattern) and bubble wrap bags for my jewelry.


5. Have an organized packaging system

Like I said, I live in a little apartment so I don't have tons of space to store all of my boxes and shipping supplies! I have a little office area in my bedroom and I store it all under the desk there. Then when it is time to package things up, I make sure my bed is cleared off and I do it all there. Keep your area cleaned!

It also helps to have a cute boy to keep you entertained while you're working ;)