As a self-employed small business owner, you need to make the most of your time while at work. You don’t have a workforce to delegate tasks to, and can’t expect to run a profitable organization if you’re constantly catching up with admin work and shipping procedures.
However, if you ship a physical product to customers, you’ll know that it’s all too easy to spend most of your day printing labels and driving to the post office. This can completely derail your productivity and force you to take time away from more meaningful tasks that boost your bottom line.
Rather than losing dozens of hours per week to labeling and shipping, you can set up new, more efficient strategies to save you time and help expand your operations.
Smart Labeling
Properly labeling your goods and products is key to running an efficient business. Labels ensure you can find your raw materials quickly and minimize the risk of an error occurring when you get ready to send a product to a consumer. However, manual labeling isn’t just monotonous — it costs you time and money.
While barcodes are helpful, the future of labeling is all about tags. Smart label machines can speed up tagging and allow you to take advantage of tools like:
RFID Tags: RFID can transmit data using radio waves. This helps the operations manager keep better track of inventory and equipment anytime it passes an antenna or RFID reader. This approach is particularly helpful if you’re shipping in bulk.
Data Matrix Codes: These 2D barcodes are able to store more data than traditional barcodes and can be corrected at a later date. These matrix codes can also be read if partially damaged.
3D Barcodes: These require specialist printing, but may improve the amount of data you can store on your labels. They’re particularly useful if you want to work with AI in the future, as they increase the volume of data available to machine-learning algorithms.
You don’t necessarily need to move away from barcodes to embrace the future of labeling. However, if you do decide to use RFID tags, you’ll likely see an improvement in your ability to track and monitor shipping progress. Proper labeling will also boost your credibility and improve your consumers' user experience. This can make a world of difference if you only ship a few expensive items to high-profile clients per year.
Calculating Costs
Before you make any changes to your shipping or labeling processes, you need to ensure that the proposed changes make sense financially. However, if, like many self-employed people, you run an online store, you may struggle to figure out what your shipping costs may be.
You can calculate your shipping costs and save money by experimenting with different methods. For example, if you decide to use a dropshipping service, calculate how much you’ll pay for details like weight, volume, delivery range, and pricing plan. Some drop shippers will charge an increased premium for unlimited shipping, while others will encourage higher order volumes.
Similarly, flat-rate shipping could cut costs based on your needs. You can even use tools like online USPS or FedEx calculators to figure out how much you’ll pay before you start packaging products. This can give you a better estimate of the costs associated with shipping and will ensure you’re charging an appropriate amount.
Sustainable Shipping
Many modern consumers prefer to buy from small businesses as they tend to have lower carbon costs than big brands. This means you’ll need to double down on your eco-friendly initiatives if you want to appeal to more sustainable shoppers. You can make your products and packaging greener by:
Embracing minimalist packaging like small labels to save time and minimize waste;
Choosing biodegradable boxes;
Revising the transportation methods you use when shipping products to customers to minimize carbon use.
These changes may require some extra effort upfront but will streamline your shipping process in the long run. They’ll also draw eco-friendly consumers to your business, which will increase demand and improve your brand image. Repackaging your wares may impress prospective customers and help you pivot towards more cost-effective, low-waste alternatives.
Opting for minimalist, low-waste packaging can help you better manage your inventory. By choosing smaller boxes and plastic wraps, you free up shelf space and minimize the risk of overstocking. The space you save by repackaging your wares can improve your operational agility and help you handle a sudden influx in demand, too.
Conclusion
Streamlining your labeling and shipping can maximize your profitability and help you connect with eco-friendly consumers. This can be transformative if you’re trying to grow your business and want to target sustainable customers. Switching to smart labels can save you time and improve communications with your customers. This is because you’ll have a better idea of where your product is and will find it easier to ship in bulk if a client places a large order.