There aren’t many people out there who could say that packaging and shipping are their favorite part about being a small business stationer. But if you’re one of them, that’s great! But for the rest of us that are up packaging orders until 3 a.m. . . . something has to give! Well, we’re here to tell you that there’s light at the end of the tunnel. It’s called drop shipping.
In the wee hours of the morning, you’ve probably Googled, “how to streamline shipping for my small business,” only to be met with ads about fancy printers or crazy expensive shipping software. But what if we told you that utilizing a printing partner to drop ship your orders could save you time and energy... so you can focus on growing your business? Keep reading and we’ll tell you exactly what you need to know.
What is Drop Shipping?
Drop shipping is an order fulfillment service that allows small business stationers like you to partner with a fulfillment company (like us) to print and ship your designs straight to your customers’ doorsteps. This service is a great way to help you save time, space, and energy so you can focus on growing your business.
For example, let’s say your business has reached the spot where you can either spend time working on new product designs (something that gives you life) or staying up late to pack and ship orders (not so life-giving). Instead of having to do the not-so-fun parts of the business yourself, you can outsource it! The best part? Depending on the company you work with, your orders will be blind shipped, and your customers won’t know that the package didn’t come directly from you! (More on this later.)
What is Branded Drop Shipping?
Branded drop shipping is a type of drop shipping that allows you to brand your packages before they’re shipped out, so it looks like they came directly from your business. Branded drop shipping helps your orders stay consistent with your brand and gives your customers seamless experiences, order after order. Branding your packages offers a surprise-and-delight experience for your customers that standard drop shipping doesn’t provide.
For example, let’s say you’re sending out custom wedding invitations to a newly engaged couple. You could package it in a standard white box and call it done, or you could put your business’s logo on the box, include a little thank you card with a discount code on the inside, and maybe even another sticker that says, “happy mail” too. Now think about it…which box would you rather receive?
How Branded Drop Shipping Can Help You Scale Your Business
Branded drop shipping can help you offload your order fulfillment so you can focus on what’s most important: growing and scaling your business. Here’s how:
Did we mention no more long nights of printing and packaging orders?
You don’t have to worry about how to organize all your stationery, paper, printers, ink, and the list goes on. When you partner with a fulfillment company, all of that is taken care of. No printer, no ink, and no extra space required.
Now that you aren’t burning the midnight oil working on packaging and shipping, you have enough energy to be able to focus on scaling. How can you grow your offerings this year? Are there new designs or products your customers have been asking for? Now that fulfillment is taken care of, you can focus on the fun stuff.
Why You Should Choose PrintsWell
At PrintsWell, we pride ourselves on making sure every single order goes out meets our standard. The PrintsWell Standard is best in class for quality, consistency, and care. When you choose us as your fulfillment partner, you can trust that your customers are going to get a quality product every single time.
We know that it’s not always easy for small business owners to trust someone else with their designs and products. But you can be sure that when you partner with us, you’re not just another order. We take care of our partners, and protecting your brand is our top priority. And as we mentioned earlier, all our drop ship orders are blind shipped. We don’t print our name or logo anywhere on the box. Every order looks like it came directly from you!
How to Drop Ship with PrintsWell
Design your branding materials and place your order. We suggest two stickers and a drop-in card for your marketing. One sticker can be for your product packaging, and a larger sticker can go on your shipping package for added branding. For instance, “happy mail has arrived!”
Let us manage your branding materials for you! We’ll store your materials and use them for each order that is shipping directly to your customers. Plus, we’ll keep your inventory fresh by replenishing your stock as needed. We store up to three branding materials for your account! The most popular choices include 2" round stickers and business cards. However, any size we offer can be used.
Branding stickers can be applied to the product packaging and the shipping container. We’ll add a drop-in card for marketing your business if requested. All you have to do is let us know exactly where you want them placed!
Choose from our cellophane bags, economy boxes, or premium boxes for your drop ship orders, and we’ll take care of the rest! After you order your first branding materials, any subsequent order with a custom shipping address will automatically offer branding options at checkout. Our goal is to make this process as seamless and efficient as it sounds. A few clicks and your beautiful designs are on their way.
As a small business owner, it can feel intimidating to trust someone else with such an important part of your business. And rightly so! You’ve worked hard to get to where you are, and your designs and products deserve to be as beautiful on paper as they are on the screen. At PrintsWell, we want to help you succeed. When you’re happy (and your customers are happy), then we’ve done our job.