paypal multi-order shipping (re-post!)

April 5, 2012

last year i wrote a post about something that dramatically increased my efficiency as a handmade business owner. last night as i was working late,  i thought about how much i love paypal’s shipping system and how in love i am with the fact that my mailman picks up packages at my door so that i don’t have to spend every waking moment at the post office. the thought occurred to me that some of you new readers may have never seen it, so let’s revisit, shall we?!

 

if you own a handmade shop, you may know that shipping, while part of the big  puzzle, can be a major pain! i know i experienced a huge learning curve when i first started, and i sooo wish i would have known more. there just seemed to be no good resources to draw from (or maybe i didn’t know where to look!) and i fumbled my way around trying to figure out the best solution. i made several mistakes and missteps before finally coming to a solution that works for me. please keep in mind, this may not be right for YOU or your customers, but it has been lifesaving for my business. so, i would love to breakdown my shipping processes step by step for you. are you ok with that? hope so, ’cause here it comes! first, a glimpse into packaging. i won’t spend too much time on this because that’s a whole ‘nother post for another time, but here’s a peek at my packaging process:

1. when the products are finally finished (yay!) they are attached to a hangtag with my logo and website on it.

2. the item is then wrapped up in a simple clear flat bag. i have used several types of packaging in the past, but i love the clean simplicity of this style and that it shows off the product. those rosies are the star of the show after all!

3. i insert anywhere from 2-5 business cards in the bag, depending on my mood i suppose.

4. so this is what it looks like from the back – taped with regular old scotch tape.

5. & 6. all piled up and ready to be divvied up into their proper packages!   now, once that is all ready to go, i am ready to fire up the shipping assembly line.

first, let’s meet my good friend, mr. flatrate box (small) .oh boy, we’ve had some fun times together.

now, i must admit something. when i first heard about flat rate boxes, i literally said out loud: what idiot would pay $5 to ship something when it would only cost $3 normally? well, this idiot would. and here’s why: i ship anywhere from 20 to 120 packages a week. flat rate boxes have made my life sooooo much easier. no weighing, no trips to the post office, no questions about whether or not it got delivered, no hassles! and that is one simplification in my life that i can not live without! so, that’s that. and most customers don’t bat an eyelash at $5 for shipping if they know it will be sent via priority mail. no-brainer for me.

POST EDIT – thanks to becca for asking! i have my flatrate boxes shipped directly to my house through usps.com.  the local post office normally doesn’t have a ton in stock, so I order them in bulk and have them ready and waiting for me! p.s. they’re FREE!

So, now that we have that out of the way… my shipping steps:

first i write the names of my lovely customers on the boxes and folding them this way and that to finally make a magical little box. I then take my queue and check off each item for each customer and stuff those little boxes full of rosy yummy goodness. I like having the name on the outside of the box as a double check. Before a label goes on, I want to know that each customer has what they have ordered according to their paypal printout.

next i open up paypal. i used to use usps for shipping because i *thought* it was easier and less complicated. boy was i wrong! paypal multi-order shipping is the fastest and easiest way to ship that i’ve found, by far! it does take some getting used to though, so let me see if i can take out some of the heartache for you.

1. login to paypal. make sure you are using a browser that supports the multi-order shipping tool. here are the requirements:

so, i normally browse in google chrome, but i switch over to firefox when i ship since it doesn’t support chrome.

2. once you are logged in, look at the top right hand side of your account page for the multi-order shipping tool and click on it:

 

that will take you to the shipping tool, where all of your orders that have been received through paypal will populate automatically. the first time you log in, you may have to import orders (see the little “import” button right above “orders to ship”?), but after that they will just be there each time you login to the shipping tool. #awesomesauce

 

so, you can see here that there are 66 orders ready to be shipped. as i get through my queue, i print out the orders that are complete and ready to ship. here’s how that works:

3. use ctrl or shift to highlight all of the orders you want to ship on that day. once they are highlighted, you can either select from a preset like i have below (small flat rate box) or select “edit”on the right side where it says “shipping details”. this will allow you to apply the same method of shipping for every single package going out that day – i.e. small flat rate box at $5.

4. once you apply a method of shipping to each package, the shipping tool will begin to work it’s magic and highlight everything in green that is ready to go. once all of your orders to be shipped are green in that far left column, you are ready for the next step.

 

5. here is where you are ready to pay and print! simply select the “pay & print” button and then go down to the blue highlighted part that shows how many labels you will be printing and click on that. here i have (10) orders ready to print.

 

6. a new window will pop up and you are almost there! you will see a sample of what your label will look like, and you can print that off if you need to, or you can just hit “print labels (10 pages)” like i always do.

 

7. your printer menu will pop up. here is where you will want to select a tray if you have labels in a different place than regular printer paper. if everything is all good and ready to go, hit “ok” and start printing!

 

8. once all of your labels are printed, you can schedule a carrier pickup and never make another trip to the post office again!! can i get a hallelujah!?!  you will have to schedule the pickup the day (or night) before you want them to be picked up, and you will need to know how many packages you will be shipping. just click on the “schedule” button on the right side under “carrier pickup” and your postman will be happy to take those lovelies off your hands.

 

9. a few more notes: i order labels from label universe.com. they are easy to use and have really fast shipping. again, labels aren’t necessary, but it is one more way to simplify the process. much faster than cutting out a label from a piece of paper and gluing or taping it on.

10. if you accept international orders, the process is different. you will need to print labels out individually from your main paypal account page after clicking “details” next to the order. (then go down to the bottom and click “print label” international orders require a customs form (like the picture above on the bottom right) and this will print out when you have followed all the procedures from that screen.

and that’s it! match up labels to names on boxes, stick those labels on and send them off with a kiss. the end.

some reasons i love using paypal multi-order ship:

  • all of your packages will have a free tracking number, and your customers will be notified when the label is printed with the tracking information. sooo helpful.
  • you can easily see in paypal which orders have been shipped and which ones have not.
  • you pay for your shipping directly from your paypal balance
  • addresses and customer information are already there

just to name a few!

again, this may not be the perfect solution for you, but it sure has helped me to simplify getting all those rosies out the door and to your house!

as always, let me know if you have any questions!

what about you? how do you prefer to ship?

i was not compensated in anyway for this post. i really just love using paypal multi-order shipping and wish someone would have told me sooner!

12 Comments | Filed Under: handmade business tips

handmade business q&a part 2: commit.

February 8, 2012
“until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, the providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way. I learned a deep respect for one of Goethe’s couplets: ‘Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it!’” W. H. Murray 
one of the questions i hear most often goes a little something like this:
“how can i take my shop/business…
…to the next level?”
…from a hobby to a business?”
…from part time to full time?”
there are a lot of potential answers to these questions. lots of ideas to share, strategies etc. and we will get to some of those later.
however.
there is something much more important that you MUST do first.
decide.
decide.
decide.
now it’s time for more hard questions. ( i apologize in advance for going all drill sergeant on you.)
ok, hold up.
i feel a reason to explain myself before you start feeling like i’m yelling at you.
we (as humans) are really good at making excuses for why we are not living up to our potential and why we are not achieving our dreams. i really hope that you can answer these questions honestly so that you can get out of your own way! we are looking for change, for success, for dreams to take flight! so, take a deep breath, and get ready to inspect your intentions closely and unabashedly.
are you ready? (breathe in, breathe out.)
what DO you want out of this? is it a hobby? is it a way to get your creative juices out? is it an experiment? is it a way to drive your husband nuts? is it “me time” ? is it a justification for your fabric/craft supply hoarding tendencies?
WHAT IS THIS?
is it a business?
have you actually decided? if you are calling it a business, but treating it like a hobby, it will pay you like a hobby.
promise.
however, if you decide it is a business, you might actually get somewhere.
now, i know– not everyone is ready to treat their shop like an actual business. but, i am guessing that if you are still reading, you want  to have a real thriving business. so, continue…
be honest with yourself about your time commitments. i know working from home sounds so convenient, and certainly there are things about it that are wonderful. i can stay at home with my kids. i can work in my pjs. but i assure you that i spend more time working for myself than i ever did at a 9 to 5. you MUST have the time to put into it. have you considered whether or not you have the time to invest in your business as it is to make it into a thriving, growing, profitable business? if you have the time, and now is the right time, awesome. check, check. if you don’t, right now may not be the right moment for you. it might be the WRONG time for you. and that is 100% ok. you can come back to it when you do. but, own that fact. trying to commit to something halfway now will just frustrate you and everyone around you.
do you have the resources? that could mean $$, but not necessarily!! do you have access to the supplies you need to be successful? to a helpful babysitter if need be? to mentors, support systems, web designers, etc? if yes, congratulations. fantastic! you are well on your way.  if not, that’s ok — all of those things can be found. but if you want to take it up a notch and get serious about being a business, gather your resources and remove the excuses. step out of your own way.
do you have the support of your loved ones? does your husband/boyfriend/mom/sister/roommate/friend think you are a genius? or just crazy? are they willing to encourage you when sales are down or help you package and ship when sales are up?
having a supportive husband through the last 3 years has made all the difference. honest. he makes up for my weaknesses in so many ways. and a supportive extended family and friends have been the cherry on top. even if you have great relationships in your life, you may want to consider the timing for your loved ones as well. for instance, if i were to start a new business at the same time that my husband was just up for a promotion and was working super long hours, the timing might make it harder for him to be as supportive while he is already stretched thin. i would not encourage anyone to take this hard journey without that support. talk to your loved ones and include them in your decisions on where you want to go with this. make sure you can be on the same page and can count on their support. you will need it.
so, if you have decided that now is the time, you have the resources and support you need,
 this is why a lot of people get stuck in hobby land. they’re just making stuff and listing stuff with high hopes, but not a lot of commitment to actually make it work. can you stick to a budget, put in long hours, be confident in your product and your role as a business owner, not be too emotionally attached to products that aren’t selling, be decisive,  and really go for it? can you keep moving forward, try again, and stand back up every time you fall? can you let go of the safety net of “if i don’t sell anything, oh well! it’s just something i love to do!” ? you must be willing to approach it as a business if you want to get paid.
i know that safe place. that if you don’t risk anything, no one will ever know that you failed. that you can spare yourself the shame of really going for it and putting everything into it and falling flat on your face. i know it feels soft and cuddly and warm and safe to stay in that place. but success from that place? rare. possibly non-existent.
to be honest, my circumstances were a little different here. i had greater things to fear than putting myself out there and failing. i had to fear how we were going to pay our rent and what would happen if this DIDN’T succeed. my story started in desperation, and really, looking back, i am glad it did. i never got stuck in hobby land. i never got paralyzed by fear. i couldn’t. i didn’t have that option. and if you ask me, i’m not sure i would have ever reached this point if i hadn’t been operating on such a “do or die” mentality.
now, to the majority of you who are not relying on your shop income to pay the rent: there is no reason you can not adjust your mentality to be just as effective in powering you through to success. let go of the fear, and embrace the opportunity. the only way your business will change, your sales will change, your success will change is if YOU change your mind about it. 
i know that this post has been a little bit of tough love. i hope you don’t think that i’m being harsh, but that you take these questions seriously and use them to change your mind about how you are working. are you really ready for this? you say you want it, but do you really? and if so, what is stopping you then? if your shop is not making you money, it is taking your time away from another area in your life. and to me, that sounds pretty silly. we don’t have enough time on this earth to dilly dally around, so do yourself a favor: make your decision, and make it quick. the success lies first in the choice.
need some day to day motivation? i made a handful of printables for you that will (hopefully) kick you in the pants when you need it most!
love you, mean it.
are you new around here? don’t miss out on part one here!
6 Comments | Filed Under: handmade business tips, printables, what i've learned

handmade business Q&A {part 1}

February 1, 2012

i am so excited to jump into this! i hope you will follow along and glean something from all of this information.

in contemplating where to start with all of your fabulous questions, i knew i had to start at the beginning. so, here goes:

 

i know.

(gulp.)

those of you who already have a shop and have been working hard to be as successful as possible, this might be a hard thing to do. however, i can’t tell you how many people go full force into the wrong thing. so, before we go any further, it’s time for some tough questions.

what are you good at?

what do other people think you are good at?

what do you get compliments on?

what comes easily to you?

what can you do that is different from everyone else?

are you still with me? hang in there…

you may notice that those questions above are a little bit “other-oriented.” what do other people think you are good at. what do other people compliment you on.  what do you do different from other people. the fact of the matter is – you might think you are an amazing belly dancer. but if no one else thinks you’re an amazing belly dancer? you might be a littttttle bit delusional. while  in most circumstances it is perfectly ok to think you have strengths that the world may not recognize, (i’m all for a good healthy sense of self-esteem!) that all changes when you want the world to be your customer!! you must be cognizant of what your customer wants.

i tell you a story. (yes, say it with an accent.)

back in 2009 when i found myself in a tiny little house in utah with a husband in school, an 18 month old, a newborn, and no money — i racked my brain for the options that were open to me. i knew leaving the babies behind to go out and work wasn’t an option. not only was it totally against my own instincts, financially it just didn’t make sense — paying someone else to watch my kids so i could go out and make a couple dollars an hour after the cost of that daycare. all the while there was a little voice in the back of my mind hinting at starting a handmade business. but oh, how i ignored it! after trying to find anything i could do from home, finally i gave ear to that little voice.

for years and years, one friend of mine had told me that i needed to sell my creations. i loved to give her handmade gifts and every time without fail she would say, “you HAVE to figure out a way to go into business!” and i would blush and shyly tell her she was too nice and who-would-ever-pay-money-for-that nonsense and quiet her supportive praise. but when i was really in a bind and didn’t know how we were going to pay rent the next month, that voice came back to me. i remembered that she thought i was good at ____________.

so i ask you again, what do other people think you are good at? what would they pay you money for?

here’s the thing. the handmade world is getting more and more saturated by the minute. i don’t want you to think of this as discouraging or negative in any way, but i really really really want you to be happy and successful and over the moon excited about what you are doing! it is really hard to get to that point if your product a) doesn’t resonate with buyers b) doesn’t stand out in a crowd or c) isn’t original.

now, believe you me – i LIVE in an over-saturated market. i promise you, i KNOW that there are one million billion rosette makers in this community. when i started, that wasn’t the case. and i worked hard to create a unique technique, a reinvented product, and a constant brand. and that is why i can still be in business even though there are sooooo many others out there like me.

so, let’s say you make…. pillows. and your shop is called “shmillows” (i know, i’m a genius.)

what makes your shmillow pillows different from the many other pillows i might find on etsy or big cartel or anywhere else? is it the fabrics? the style? the shape? how will i know it is a shmillow pillow and not a willow pillow or any other brand?

your product must stand out. 

i will say that again.

YOUR PRODUCT MUST STAND OUT.

it must be recognizable. it must be unique. if i can’t tell that you made it, why would i buy yours over any of the others i might find online?

so, now you may be asking- “how do i know when i’ve found THE product? the one that is the perfect fit for me? the one that will fly off the shelves?”

i’ll tell you!

it will sell.

and it will sell again. and again. and again.

i get asked if i started out selling rosies or how they became my signature. i actually started with a whoooole shop full of random things. but when i got a good response from the rosies, i made more. and when they kept selling, i kept improving the product, thinking of different ways to present it, and working until one day i made my first modern pearl necklace. it felt like magic. it was something i had never seen, it was something i was excited about, and it was something that instantly resonated with buyers. that was almost 2 years ago, and it is still by FAR my best selling product. and so i continue to tweak it, add variation in color and size, and give the people what they want ;)

lastly, does your shop present a cohesive brand?

for the longest time i had no idea how to introduce other products back into my shop that weren’t a rosette in some way shape or form. i had a hard time wrapping my mind around how to make it work. then i had a stroke of inspiration while watching project runway. (see…. reality tv is good for something!) i remember the judges praising one of the finalist’s saying that each of the looks in their collection looked like they belonged to the same girl. and suddenly it hit me– that is how i can add to my shop in a way that makes sense! would the girl who wears rosies also wear __________. seeing as i make what i love to wear, it became really easy to answer that question. if something i make fits in with my style/wardrobe/lifestyle, then it will go into the shop. easy as that!

now, if you’re still reading, you deserve a cookie. for reals. i realize that i may have asked you to answer a lot of difficult questions, but this is the ONLY place to start if you are serious about seeing results in your handmade business. you MUST be honest with yourself and do yourself a favor in finding the product that will stop you from pounding your head against the wall. you will not get different results if you keep doing the same thing, so it’s time to focus your energy, put your best foot forward, and streamline your business so you are poised for success.

ready, set, go!

remember, if you have other questions for me, feel free to leave them in the comments or email me! info@allorahandmade.com.

 

41 Comments | Filed Under: handmade business tips, what i've learned

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