This year has been a boom and a bust for much of the economy. I have seen tons of brick and mortar stores closed down due to the regulations put in place by local governments. I have also seen none of those regulations put in place for large big box stores. the fact is that in order to servive in a nearing socialist and borderline communist country eCommerce is the way. It is a way to get around a lot of the regulations put in place and it allows many companies to stay open and to sell online. There are lots of things to know about starting an online company, but one area that many people skimp on research is the sending of the product to the actual customer. The packaging is a huge deal and can be a financial breaking point if it is not done correctly. I don't want any companies going bankrupt due to purchasing the wrong boxes and tape. So today, I want to go over a few small things that can help companies transition from brick and mortar to eCommerce.
The first thing to know is that not all packaging is made alike. Each different item you are going to be sending may need special packaging or it may be simple and cheap. What I have found is that talking with the right people to determine this before you purchase your packaging items is key. The best thing to do is not to make guesses but talk to consultants who have been doing this for decades. You may think this will cost money, but instead all you have to do is go online and find the customer service numbers for packaging supply stores. This tip will save you thousands and maybe even millions of dollars. You need to know what shipping supplies will work best for your items and you need to be able to source them at the best prices.
For instance, if you are using boxes for an item that could be shipped in a bag you may be spending an extra 5 to 10% on the item that you didn't need to do. That margin could cost you precious money that you need to move into other areas. If you could use a bubble mailer that costs much less and now you don't need to buy a box and fill it with stuffing and still get the product safe to the purchaser why wouldn't you want this. But we miss these opportunities because we are scared, feel we don't have the time, and just don't want to risk it. But a 20-minute call could be a huge difference in the viability of your company.
My favorite part is that I like to price shop at local stores, Amazon, and then these huge online shipping supplies stores. I have found that 10 out of 10 I can get all my shopping done in one stop and save 10-30% from those other locations. Sometimes 50% versus the local shops. It is amazing what you can save and how you can take that money and put it into say more inventory or marketing. So just this little tip can be the difference between closing, surviving, and thriving. So take the time and talk to the experts for free. It really is worth it.
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