Small Business Must-Haves
When I first opened my small shop I had literally no idea what I was doing. Every part of the new job I had founded for myself was figured out through trial and error. I spent so much money figuring things out and I so wish I had had access to some tips on getting started.
I've received many dms asking abut small business tips and general advice so I thought I'd compile a few blog posts full of what has helped me- in case I can help others avoid spending more than they need to in time and money.
In this blog post I'll cover where to get the least expensive shipping supplies, which tools were an absolute must, and how to be as eco-friendly as possible on an almost non-existent budget.
By the way, none of this is sponsored or paid for in any way. This is all my honest opinion from my experiences and it is not by any means a complete list.
For almost all shipping supplies, I recommend uline.com. They ship very fast, prices are reasonable, and you can choose eco-friendly options like their biodegradable packing peanuts. I love that their boxes have the dimensions printed on the box so when I'm looking for the right box I just look through the collection I have organized in a closet.
A cool and eco-friendly way to add branding to your packaging even before your customer opens their box is through custom packing tape. I get mine from stickermule.com. They include a sponge that works great but if you have some room in your budget I suggest this tool from amazon. It puts the perfect amount of water on the tape and you can cut it right from the device. After just using a sponge for months, this tool was SUCH a lifesaver.
A lot of businesses choose to invest in label printers. I personally never did. I already need a nice printer because I sell prints (by the way, let me know if you're interested in a prints blog post and I can include links to all that). So, if you're like me and have a printer already you can get these super cheap and easy labels to print on.
Those are some of my top favorite tips/recs and I feel like it barely scratches the surface. So, stay tuned for another blog post where I'll dive into more of my favorite tools, tips, or advice for small business owners.