Starting a small business and don’t know where to begin? You’re not alone, it seems overwhelming doesn’t it? Just take a deep breath and accept the fact that it takes time. No offense to the YouTuber influencers who claim “I Made $25K in just 3 months!”…but how much did they spend to earn $25k?? Nothing happens overnight unless you’re lucky.
In this article I’m going to break down the products I’ve utilized to work on starting my business. Note I’m not claiming I’m successful yet, I’m just going to share tips that have really helped me out with making things run smoothly.
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1. A Good Set Up
You can work anywhere (as I did for a long time); carrying my supplies wherever I went and working while I was waiting for appointments etc. However it becomes a gruesome task after awhile to just keep yourself organized. Creating a set up doesn’t mean it has to be fancy or pricey (unless you want it to be), just sufficient to keep your business organized and provide yourself a good workspace. Maybe you already have this, or you are brainstorming a old desk in the garage to put to use just now. But in any case, this is the one I started off with to keep myself organized and give myself a workspace. I chose it because it had a nice white tabletop which I use as a backdrop to take some of my product photos. Amazon sells it here: https://amzn.to/3YYOo3n
2. A Shipping Printer
Obviously the sky is the limit when it comes to printers, you could get a regular ink printer to print all your needs or a special label printer. But if you’re like me and plan on or are shipping packages frequently, getting a thermal label printer is exceedingly useful and helpful. What I really like about thermal labels is that if they get wet the ink doesn’t smear! Which is the downfall to just regular printers. There are more expensive models, with very fancy features some that you can even print in color with. However I opted for a inexpensive one that does the job. The way it works is I can easily download my shipping label (which I buy mine from PirateShip by the way) and then print them using Bluetooth right from my iPad or Phone. You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BGH7S5KG/ref=cm_sw_r_as_gl_api_gl_i_FJQBJHE42QB401J4ZWR1?linkCode=ml2&tag=radicaladvice-20 If you need thermal labels you can get them here: https://amzn.to/3PmZRGS
3. Unique Packaging
When it comes to packing up your items to ship you want it to stand out, am I right? Since I sell small items such as earrings which are also very lightweight, I opted for padded envelopes. Since my business colors are pink, I found pink padded envelopes to mail my products in. Even better it only came out to be roughly $9.00 for a 50 pack. You can find those here: https://amzn.to/3R66caQ
4. Business Cards
Maybe business cards are something you have already invested in or maybe not, but I highly recommend getting some printed up! I designed some in Adobe Express and I was easily able to have them printed at my local Office Depot. It was quick and simple and they turned out quite nice and professional looking. I chose standard which is 50 cards for $11.99 (I searched the web for a promo code and found one on Forbes.com and only paid $10) Check that out here: https://www.officedepot.com/l/print-and-copy/business-cards
5. Storage
Depending on what you are selling, you need storage. Not a storage unit (unless you plan on having that much inventory) but I mean, bookshelves, totes, organizer bins, etc. What I ended up using to organize my earring inventory is Sterilite shoe totes. It works for me because it is portable and also keeps my earrings all clean and away from dust and debris. I have them also all divided up inside the tote with cardboard dividers labeled with the style earring it is. You can find the same totes I use on Amazon (or about anywhere). Here’s a link to some: https://amzn.to/45YhjXw
In conclusion, I hope you found this article inspiring or helpful just remember organization makes or breaks the success of your business!