There is no better, and probably no worse time to start up in business. Everything is up in the air, and very few people can predict what will happen to the global economy anymore. So many financial crises have occurred, and there appears to be no quick fix to bring everyone back to prosperity. You may be thinking about starting up in business because you lost your job during the recession. Or it may be that your current job is expecting you to take on two or three people’s work in a bid to cut costs.
Whatever your reason for wanting to go it alone, you are in for a complete lifestyle change. You may well have to take on two, three or four people’s work to get your business going, and your working hours are likely to increase substantially. But you answer only to yourself, and you have only yourself to rely on for help. Most start-ups look to sell online. The products that are sold may be from a supplier, or you may be a small manufacturer. Jewellery and craft products are popular ways to get into business.
When you are starting out on your own, figuring out how you will complete your orders on your own can be challenging. Perhaps more importantly, you need to think about how you will get your orders to your customers safely. The type of packaging you use will say a lot about your business to any customer. Using cheap products may be what you need to turn a profit, but if the product ends up damaged, you will end up with an expensive returns process.
Your packaging should be sturdy enough to cope with a few bashes and bumps, as well as having the weight of other parcels on top of it. It should also be waterproof. You will need to ensure the product is secure and protected on the inside by using extra padding. Most customers are conscious about disposing of your packaging once they have their product. People prefer cardboard that they can easily put out to be recycled. It should be environmentally friendly packaging throughout if you can source it and afford it.
You may need to order some custom boxes to be sure your products are adequately packaged. If you produce cakes or other food items, protecting the food is essential, and the packaging you use will also have to be labelled appropriately. Some packaging is customised to be fun or novel for the customer. For example, Graze use little cardboard trays in their design to send food portions through letterboxes safely and securely. This saves them a fortune as they use the postal service rather than having to cover courier charges.
However you manage your packaging dilemmas, making sure your products reach your customers securely and safely is essential. You may need think about branding your packaging if customers need to know the contents are from you. The size of the packaging may affect your delivery charges, so this needs to be factored in too.
