Poly Bags Packages

As the summer begins, I’m always looking for new summer clothes that will just really get me in the mood for the warmer season. I’m usually more of a cold weather type person, but I have found that towards the end of winter, I’m definitely ready for warmer days. Winters here in Michigan can be long, and the most emotionally taxing part is waiting for Spring’s promise of warmer weather. By April and May, I am ready to start feeling the warmth of the sun on my skin again, and witnessing life returning to the trees and gardens around my quaint country home. However, mother nature loves to play dirty tricks in the spring time by throwing varying degrees of warmer weather that will again turn into cold, wet temperatures for several days, before repairing the cycle over again. This happens on the regular until about the middle of May or the beginning of June. 

To combat this ugly display of climate confusion, I try to buy summer clothes online that will uplift my mood and stave off my seasonal depression for just a few days at a time. I like ordering clothes online because I can do it from the comfort of my own home and don’t have to risk going out in public and seeing people I know. I also find it way easier to search for the types of clothes I like online and find what I want compared to shopping in a store or the mall. With the imminent arrival of summer, I have been in that market mostly for shorts and tank-tops that will really get me in the mood for hot summer days on the beautiful beaches of lake Michigan. 

Ordering clothes online can be tricky, though, because it is not always easy to know if a certain size or brand will fit you correctly since there is no way to try it on without ordering it. Luckily, most websites and online stores will let you return things for free if they do not fit. I was looking at this one particular pair of shorts that I really liked online. They were cheap, comfortable looking, and would be great for the upcoming summer. I went ahead and bought them, and was lucky enough to get one of the last ones that were in stock. The expected time for the shorts to ship was about 5-7 business days, so not too long of a wait. Of course, nothing truly compares to Amazon’s two-day shipping, but my shorts were from a smaller and more independent business. 

My shorts arrived on the expected day, and came in several poly bags and plastic packages. I excitedly tried them on, only to find that they did not fit me. To my dismay, I had accidentally ordered a large pair of shorts instead of a medium. Not only were they too big at my waste, but the shorts also hung down well past my knee and just looked awful. I knew that I needed to send them back and order a size down, but was unsure of how I could do this without proper packaging or poly bags of my own. In the end, I decided to keep the shorts because I was too lazy to send them back. If there is not a sad display of an over-consumerist and instant gratification-seeking mindset, then I don’t know what is.

Cheap Moving Boxes 4

Here’s a question for you. Have you ever had to pack up and move a family of 9 all the way across the country? No? Well, I have and let me tell you this, it was one of the craziest, hardest, most annoying, and hilarious things my family and I have ever done. Every single one of us was in tears at one point or another, including my 6’5 former military husband. (Hey, even Chuck Norris would cry being stuck in a van with 7 screaming children for 20 hours.) It was something I would never want to do again but wouldn’t actually trade the experience. Mostly because through the move I gained a plethora of wisdom on how to handle a stressful experience, like moving, with grace, poise, iPads, and about 100 gallons of coffee. And if you’ll let me, I would love to share with you some of that wisdom of how to handle a stressful move.  

 

First thing you must always do is plan ahead before even packing a single box. You want to have a packing method in place, otherwise you’ll just wind up throwing a bunch of random stuff in boxes, which is fine for getting it out of the house, but it’s a nightmare on the other end. So, I am going to share with you the best packing method secret out there. Get yourself a notebook, a pen, and about a million cheap moving boxes. Then assign each room in the house a number. I started with 100. Each box in that room will then be assigned a number within that value range. Then, instead of writing on the box everything you put in there, you’ll instead write in the notebook the box number and everything that’s in the box. Then all you have to do is write the number on the box, and nothing else. 

 

For example, let’s say you assign your master bedroom the number 100. The first box you then pack will be box 100. In it goes sheets, pillows, and your duvet cover. You would then mark in your journal, “Box 100. Sheets, pillows, duvet cover.” After that box is full, you’d move on to box 101, 102, etc. This may seem like a lot of work, but when you get to your destination, not only will you know where everything is, but you’ll be able to tell the movers exactly where all the boxes go by saying “All 100 boxes go in the master bedroom.” Viola! Your nightmare of unpacking just ended.  You’re welcome. 

 

Aside from that, which is honestly the reason I’m still a sane person, you need to make sure you’re staying organized with your time. You can wait for the movers, but the movers won’t wait for you to finish packing all those cheap moving boxes. So, ask for lots of help (yes, it’s ok) and try to have your packing done at least a day in advance before the movers arrive. If you need to sleep in the house, just have your mattresses on the floor and use sleeping bags. (We just told the kids we were camping, and they loved it.) As far as food, get takeout and use disposable everything. (Shh, don’t tell mother earth I said that.)

 

The task of moving doesn’t have to be the death of you, your spouse, or your children. You just need a solid packing method, be organized with your time, make sure the kids have something distracting them at all times, ASK FOR HELP, and don’t strangle your spouse… trust me you’ll need them for the drive. 

Shipping Supplies 2

Question. Who loves cupcakes?! Answer. Pretty much everybody on the planet, and if you don’t you’re either a robot or have never had one. I mean who couldn’t love cupcakes? They are literally a cake that you can hold in your hand. Not to mention they’re delicious and come in every flavor and variety you can possibly think of. They even have a TV show dedicated to them, and I can’t think of too many foods that can make that claim. The best part about cupcakes though is where they’re made. Bakeries. (Well, at least the best ones are.) And our cupcakes are no exception. They’ll pretty much blow your mind. But, one thing that we’ve had trouble with recently is the whole 2020 COVID pandemic. Unfortunately we had to close our doors to our walk in guests and move strictly online for an extended period of time. (Thankfully we can now serve pre order and pickup guests) And for a bakery that specializes in cupcakes, that’s been a challenge to say the least. Because we lost a lot of our upsells. Like coffee and other non baked food items.  

We did however stay in business and that was mostly due in part to our ability to ship our cupcakes to our regular customers. That however was also not without its challenges. First we had to figure out our online ordering system. Before it was more catered to those who wanted to make appointments for tastings or those who had giant orders that we needed time in advance to fill. But, after we got the kinks worked out, we had a good flow of steady customers, some of whom were ordering daily. 

That brought another challenge. Shipping our cupcakes and other baked goods. We never really had to think much about it before, but after a few of our orders not reaching our customers in the same way they left our shop, we had to reevaluate the shipping supplies we were using. And our thin cardboard boxes that we use for normal pickups, did not do the trick. Instead we had to invest in heavy duty boxes that we placed our more flimsy (yet cute) boxes inside of. This took care of the baked goods getting damaged in transit, but it upped our shopping costs. So, that leads to even another problem, how do we handle the shipping charges? Especially when the shipping outweighed the cost of some of the orders. So, what we decided to do was take the hit, initially. We then started a campaign to incentivize our customers to have higher cart sizes and that way we could throw in a shipping charge that made sense for covering our costs and customers didn’t feel as though they were getting cheated. (I mean who really wants to spend more on getting the cupcake to you than what you spend on that actual cupcake?) And thanks to our loyal customer base, we were able to not only stay afloat during the pandemic, but we actually grew in our profit margins. So all in all, we can say win-win. 

However, there is one more slight problem. Now that we have been able to open our doors back up and our customers have come back in waves, our shipping orders have gone down dramatically. Which, actually is a plus for us, but now we have a ton of extra shipping supplies sitting in the back that we have no idea what to use. But, I suppose that’s not such a bad problem to have after all. 

What you Need to Sell Ice Cream

Ice cream is a favorite for people of all ages. From hard ice cream to frozen yogurt and gelato, and even sorbet and sherbet, and even sundaes and so much more, there are a lot of ice cream options out there that you can enjoy too. 

In order to make customers happy though about the product, you need the correct equipment and supplies that are there, but what else do you need besides the obvious stuff? Well, let’s talk about it here and what you can do to properly sell ice cream, no matter what. 

Bowls and Containers 

While most sales are done in cones or in cups, you should also have other containers, especially if you make it for customers to take home. Have a few of these directly on hand, since it’ll save you money. 

There are disposable bowls that are made of heavyweight paper that of course is soak-proof, and in most cases, you can use that, or double-sided poly containers in a variety of sizes, offering better portions for the customers at hand, and you can even offer lids for the containers if needed at all. 

Spoons 

Remember most ice cream is eaten with a spoon, so you definitely want to have some of those, which should be obvious of course. 

But thee are certain parts to spoons to also look into. 

You want to buy these in bulk, since it is cheaper, and so you don’t run out either. That way, you definitely can get the most out of this. 

While it is hard to get environmentally-sound spoons, there are biodegradable ones you can get if that’s something you’re looking into. If you’re not focused on that, there are individually wrapped ones, or just single spoons that you can have in there. Buying them in larger quantities prevents you from running out. 

Napkins 

Napkins are something that you also need because even on a cool day, it melts pretty fast, and that of course can get messy as well. 

Not to mention, if you’re selling to kids you will definitely have more messes to clean up too. 

So yes, you should make sure that you have a steady supply of napkins to sell ice cream with, with a variety of different options. 

You can get disposable napkins that are biodegradable too, and that definitely is something worth looking into. 

If you really want to take it a step further, then you may want to consider moist towelettes that are lemon scented in order to offer better cleaning of your hands and mouths, and also do smell great too. 

Trays 

Finally, you may want to get some trays if you’re someone who serves customers that offer larger amounts of orders, especially family-sized orders that can sometimes be hard to carry. 

The best way to get this part handled is of course, some cardboard trays. They’re easy, cheap, and a good way to ensure that customers are happy and satisfied with everything that’s going on too and is a good way to make sure that everyone’s properly served and happy. 

And there you have it, everything that you need for your ice cream business. If you’re going to serve to a few people, or to a whole community, you definitely want minimal all of this, and of course the ice cream that they will love and want too. And with that said, have fun making some great ice cream, serving it to others, and also as well really building the customer base that you want to have for your business too. 

Flexible Film for Packaging

If you’re someone who is looking to make your products more useful, you might want to consider flexible films. A lot of flexibility is there for protection, marketing, and then finally distributing a variety of different products that are there.

Whether you’re ensuring that the food is safely on there or improving the shelf-life, or just adding heating and protection, or making it easier for you to use, then you’ll want to look at flexible packaging.

There are a lot of benefits to this, in fact there’s so many that you won’t want to miss this. They’re lightweight, easy to store and carry, and also can be resealed, making it some of the best, and offering a sustainability that knows no bounds. 

Why Customers Like Flexible Packaging 

Flexible packaging is something you might wonder about using. You may 7 consider it to be worth it, or not.  There are a lot of people in different markets that are interested in utilizing flexible packaging.  

It’s in.  While you probably already know this, if you’re looking for the ideal customers for different products, then you’ll want to consider flexible packaging. 

They’re great for when you want to speak not just to the needs of a customer, but if you need some ideas for better sustainability, to help with the reduction of waste, and also, to boost the efficiency of the transportation of stuff.

It actually offers new ways for a lot of businesses to reduce the costs of shipping, and also to improve the shelf space of this, and also to create a means of design that attracts your customers to this.

Packaging Made for Customers 

Did you know that this is actually made for consumers.  It was found that according to a poll, customers have needs when they’re shopping.

The two three things people look at for their packaging include the following: 

• They’re easy to store. 

• You can open this easily. 

• They’re resealable. 

This also comes with two more that are important to look at, such as improving the product life, and they’re easy to carry around.  This, of course, is something that flexible packaging gets right in many sorts of ways.

Some even actually will change their purchasing habits if the packaging is different.  

They may choose something that’s resealable or has a longer shelf life compared to those that don’t. This is especially true with impulse purchases.

Furthermore, some people also look at seeing the product as a reason. They want to make sure what they’re getting is fresh, and with flexible packaging, this gives a branch a chance to see different types of opportunities for the brands and the packaging.

You’ll start to notice that with this, you’ll have a much longer shelf space so there’s less food waste, and better impacts on the costs of transport since you’re not spending as much on travel costs. You also will notice that the different graphics do impact the brand, and also will help showcase the product in a much more formidable manner. Overall, it’s clear as day what you need to do.

You need to choose a flexible packaging that fits your brands and your needs.,
When choosing the correct packaging brand, there are a few things that you should bear in mind when choosing a flexible packaging.

The color and label is something that you should look at. You also should pay attention to the product, how it’s going to be packaged, and also the way the journey of the product goes.

Factor these in when you choose the packaging and see what happens next!

Tips For Packaging Holiday Gifts For Shipping

There may be a lot of things going through your head when you think about holidays. On top of everything is the tradition of giving gifts to your loved ones. Whether you are an online shopper or prefer going to the physical store to purchase everything from the gift to all packing supplies requires for gift packing, you will want to prepare the perfect gift. Good thing is that you can pack your gifts perfectly quite easily.

Delivery of a damaged gift box can put a damper on the holiday joy. That is why it is crucial to take your time and pack the gift safely to ensure the delivery of an undamaged package.

Here are a few tips that you may find helpful in this regard.

Using the right-sized box

The first and foremost thing to take into consideration is to choose the right-sized box. Although this requirement is quite obvious, not many people seem to fulfill it the right way. To pack the gift, you will need to have a box large enough to hold the product and some cushioning supplies. At the same time, you will also have to make sure that it is not too large to require an excessive amount of cushioning material.

Cushioning

Cushioning your gift inside the box is one of the most prominent necessities of gift packing. Fortunately, you don’t have to do something out of the blue in this regard. You can look for previously read newspapers, foam peanuts, corrugated rolls, starch film, or similar kind of used packaging supplies to secure your gift inside the box. Nonetheless, you have to make sure to select the right padding according to the size and weight of your product.

Sealing

Sealing your box completely from all of the elements is necessary. When your package is traveling through a distance to reach its destination, it is exposed to several factors, including dust, snow, and moisture. Using packing tape on the outside of the box to seal it properly is the best way to prevent all those elements from entering the box and damaging the gift. Make sure to apply at least three to four strips of packing tape.

Wrapping the gift

Aside from securing your gift, you also have to make it look attractive. That is why you will need to use wrapping sheets with attractive designs to amuse your receiver. If you send a gift to a loved one, you can use simple wrapping sheets with designs and patterns. The package doesn’t have to look professionally prepared. On the other hand, you will need to make the package showcase your professional approach if you send a gift to your customers or other clients on behalf of your business or brand.

It may be worth mentioning here that packing a gift doesn’t have to be a daunting process. You do not have to go out to purchase expensive packaging supplies to prepare a gift pack. Sometimes, looking around in the house allows you to gather everything required to make a gift good-looking and well-protected.

Necessary Shipping Supplies

If you are running a business and plan on shipping your products regularly, then there are some serious things for you to consider about shipping supplies. There is a huge market for packaging and shipping supplies, tools, and supply chain systems that can make your business work much more efficient and profitable. Shipping and production costs can be high, and it is likely that management will constantly be looking for ways to cut costs at every step of the production process. There are a few things that I believe every company should be using when it comes to shipping packages. No matter the size or frequency of the packages being sent, here are some necessary shipping supplies that you need to consider.

One huge issue with online ordering and shipping is found in the occurrence of lost or damaged goods. The last thing you want is for one of your customers to order a product that never arrives at their door. This will likely drive them away and leave them searching for a different company from which to buy their products from. In this market, many businesses cannot afford to make mistakes like this. A way to prevent damaged items is through the efficient use of bubble wrap or other packing material. A well-packed package will prevent items from being broken or damaged in the event that their handler is not careful with them during transportation. Bubble wrap, packing peanuts, and other materials are really good at keeping items safe and snug in their box or package. I’ve seen many businesses fall behind in this area in attempts to save money and time, only to see a loss in total revenue each month when customers become dissatisfied with the quality of shipping and delivery that they received. This is a mistake that you don’t want to make. 

Another necessary item for shipping your product is poly bags. These are essentially plastic bags specifically made for easy packaging and shipping of your product on a daily basis. These bags can be an absolute staple in your supply chain line. What I mean by this is that almost every company uses some sort of poly bags to package and ship their products. They can be ordered in bulk which cuts down the cost, and they are extremely easy to customize as far as size and design when you order them. They can be ordered to be much more stiff, flexible, smaller, larger, with or without adhesive, and to fit many other customizable options. These bags will keep your items safer and in airtight conditions that will eliminate some of the problems associated with the shipping and handling of your products.

Another item that is extremely useful for packing and shipping is some sort of packing tape or adhesive. Boxes and bags must be sealed before being sent on their way to your customer. Finding the most fitting type of tape or adhesive is critical to the efficiency of your business’ supply chain management. I have found that packing tape is generally very useful and not expensive to purchase in bulk. I would suggest finding a supplier of packing tape that you can trust to get deliveries to you on time, however, because you would not want this to be the reason that your customer's orders are being delayed. 

Hope this helps!