Welcome back! This week I would love to share with y'all some small business shipping tips. I wish I had known these from the beginning. I would have saved so many trips to the post office, so many times I loaded up 1 then 2 babies throwing tantrums because they didn't want to go. So here's the name of the game: Scheduled pick ups.
You need a scale and a printer. I use this plain kitchen scale. You do not need a large shipping scale unless you are shipping very large boxes.
If a purchase is made through Etsy I buy shipping labels from them, if you sell on Etsy and are not doing this I highly recommend it. You get a shipping discount and the customer has easy access to their tracking info.
To ship all other items, like commissions, I use Pirate Ship. It uses USPS as the actual carrier but you receive a substantial discount when buying your labels, typically between 15-30%. I offer free shipping with almost all my orders, so this discount really adds up. The interface is very easy to navigate and it auto-fills repeat customers.
Once you have bought your shipping label through whatever your preferred service is, you print it. While you can buy special adhesive labels, I print on plain paper and adhere with clear packing tape. If I ever reach the point that my volume requires the special printers I may take the plunge, but at this point it is not cost effective.
After packing your order you simply "Request Pickup". Let them know how many packages need to be picked up and the total estimated weight. The next day USPS will pick up your packages while delivering your regular mail. Pickup is free if you schedule it for the next day and costs a fee if you need it same day. This has saved me so much time, and after all, "Time Is Money"