Scaling Without Burning Out: Smart Growth for Stationery Brands Part 2

If you’re trying to grow your stationery business but are worried about the toll it will take on you, there’s good news: Only you can define what growth means for you. In Part 1, we asked you to define what growth means for your business. In the small business world, many believe that to be successful, you have to get investors, explore crowdfunding, and grow by leaps and bounds as quickly as possible. But that’s not always the case! You don’t have to define your business by others’ version of success.

Let’s chat about a few ways you can grow your stationery business with intentionality:

Section 1: Make Smart Product Decisions

Focus on your best-selling and high-margin products.

One of the most tempting things to do when you’re scaling is to offer too many products too fast. Doing that will leave you scrambling to figure out how to market each new product, leaving you to spread your valuable time even thinner. Can you say one ticket to burn out city, please? Focus on your best-selling items and other high-margin items, and you will be surprised at how much easier it is to scale!

Consider seasonal collections (holiday cards, wedding suites, teacher gifts).

Think about focusing your time and energy on seasonal offerings. Everyone loves holiday-themed cards, teacher gifts for back-to-school and end-of-school, and even wedding suites (think place setting cards, invitations, save-the-dates, thank you cards, and more).

Explore small add-ons that scale profit easily.

Sometimes scaling means focusing on the little things that increase your order totals. Think about your product offerings: How can you serve your customer even further? One idea? Offer add-ons! By offering custom stickers with certain products or matching products like notepads, lined envelopes, or belly bands, you can delight your customers and increase those totals.

Section 2: Streamline Your Fulfillment and Printing

As a small business, you have to wear many hats... more hats than you have time for. And while some of those hats are fun and remind you of why you started your business in the first place, others are undeniably the ones that are more draining and time-consuming. One of those, for many stationers, is in fulfillment. Sure, getting an order, printing labels, packing boxes with your brand on them, and mailing them out can be so rewarding. But it can also be extremely time-consuming, leaving you with little time to focus on design or growth. If you’re ready to scale, you might start thinking about outsourcing.

When you outsource fulfillment, the benefits are undeniable:

• You gain hours back weekly. If you’re worried about the time commitment of growing a business, outsourcing takes care of that for you. That’s a huge perk!
• Orders look professional and consistent.
• Less overhead (no stocking supplies or renting space). Not to mention your family will thank you for giving them their closets back!

Did you know that PrintsWell can manage your fulfillment for you? We make it easy for your business to grow with:

• Reliable, high-quality stationery printing.
• Support from a printing company that gets creatives. No, really, we understand your world because we are in it!

Section 3: Protect Your Energy with Boundaries & Tools

Whether you’re working from an office, a warehouse, or a walk-in closet, avoiding distractions is hard to do. Especially if you’re a small business. If that sounds like you, don’t worry. There are so many ways to keep your business organized. Here are a few things that might help:

• Batch your creative work to avoid daily distractions.

Getting in the creative mind space can sometimes be hard to do, especially when you’ve got new orders dinging in the background. Pick a day and time and turn off all notifications on your phone and computer, and focus on just being creative. Once you’re in that zone, you can start batching all your social media posts and videos, product pictures, website descriptions, and even new designs.

• Use project management tools (Asana, Trello, or Notion).

Using a product management tool may sound a bit intimidating at first, but it can really help you keep track of orders, projects, and designs. If you have a small team working around you, this tool can help streamline your communication and keep track of orders or projects. Once you start using this, you’ll be glad you did. Oh, and did we mention that it streamlines processes?

• Set client boundaries (turnaround times, revisions, and office hours).

One of the hardest things to do as a small business owner is to set healthy boundaries. Setting boundaries gives you the room to be a human (like taking a lunch break) and to have your own life outside of work. By implementing client turnaround times, sharing a set number of revisions on orders, and creating office hours, you and your business will thrive. Remember, clarity is kindness!

• Make space for rest, breaks, and creative inspiration.

Making space for yourself to take breaks, have evenings off, and find creative inspiration is a must. As a small business owner, it can be tempting to just push forward on all cylinders, but that will be the first thing that causes you to burn out. By keeping those healthy habits along the way, you and your business will thrive.

Conclusion: You Can Grow Your Way

Remember, there is no right way to scale your stationery business... but burnout isn’t one of them. With the right support system (using project management tools, setting healthy boundaries, communicating clearly, and utilizing the right vendors), you can grow your stationery business on your terms.

We hope you feel encouraged instead of intimidated by the thought of scaling your business. And if you’re ready to take the next step, check out PrintsWell’s services. We can help you grow a successful stationery business with less stress.