Blood, sweat, tears, coffee, spite, me… OH wait. That’s not what this post is about.
Hi!
Even though I do all of this by myself (by choice because I’m very stubborn and want things to be a certain way but shhhh I didn’t tell you that), I couldn’t do it without the help of technology.
Like, at all.
I love helping other small business owners (or future SBOs) discover things that will help them get started for pretty damn cheap. Here is some of the hardware, software, and other stuff that helps terranmade run smoothly, and can possibly do the same for your business! (None of this is sponsored, btw, but there is an affiliate link.)
Also worth noting, I got a lot of this over time, not right when I started terranmade.
Shipping scale
For a VERY long time, I was using a kitchen scale to weight out all my shipments. And while it worked well, I didn’t like haven’t to go back and forth moving the scale from one “station” to the next, so I decided to get a shipping scale! This one, to be exact!
This scale has a 110 pound capacity and a screen attached to an extended cord so I can weigh larger package without turning into a pretzel trying to read the screen. Plus, this scale is under $25! I also like that it has a “Hold” button so I can keep the weight of the last weighed package on the screen in case I need to remove the package for whatever reason. It’s TOO convenient.
Label printer
A label maker is one of those things that I always tell future SBOs to invest in as soon as they can, especially a thermal one. The first one I had was the Brother QL-800. This is a GREAT sub-$100 printer, but it comes with a caveat. It prints 2” wide labels and the only carrier that can accept these is USPS. Worked for me because I was only using USPS anyway.
But if I decided to switch to another carrier or ship internationally, I’d need to use the more standard 4x6 labels. So I got the Brother QL-1100.
By far, one of the BEST things I’ve bought to run my business so far. Not only can I switch to any carrier I want (especially if they have lower rates), but I can also ship to my friends in Canada! It also makes wholesale shipping WAY easier.
USPS boxes
While I do order smaller boxes for smaller orders, I keep these USPS medium priority mail boxes on me AT ALL TIMES. Why? They’re free and they fit. I can throw 4 candles in one box and it just works SO WELL. The ones I use are here.
If you’re just starting out on your small product shop journey, PLEASE check out USPS’s shipping supplies. For your wallet’s sake. Just be sure that if you’re shipping all over America, do NOT get the Regional Rate boxes.
Affinity Suite
Did you know that I design my own labels? Always have! I’ve used the Affinity Suite for like 5+ years now and I won’t use anything else (for the foreseeable future). It’s a P****S**p competitor and it’s GLORIOUS. I’ve made my labels, edited photos, and made like 99.9% of the posts that you see on my account using this software. I literally cannot recommend it enough.
You can grab it here!
Canva
Since I’ve gotten Affinity, the prices have gone up QUITE a bit. And I realize that not everyone can afford that. But if you need to make high quality social graphics for FREE, let’s talk about Canva.
Canva is an online graphic design tool that I hated for a long time. Why? Because I didn’t know how to work smarter, not harder. I was doing the opposite, thinking that everything I made needed to be done the “hard” way instead of the smart way.
The reality is, when people see your posts, they don’t care how you made it. It just needs to give what it’s supposed to GIVE. You can create your own branding and make posts for ALL your socials in Canva, including Reels for IG!
If you need Canva Pro for any reason, you can get 30-days of it free here! (this is the affiliate link I told you about.)
Avery
Not only do I design my own labels, I also print them at home! I buy the right kind of labels that I need from Amazon, throw my label design on them, and print them from Avery. The only thing I pay for regularly in this scenario is the physical labels themselves.
Printing your own labels doesn’t result in the highest quality labels, but honestly? I don’t mind. It saves me money and time and I can print and get what I need THAT day instead of paying hundreds or thousands for labels that I may change my mind about the next week (these current ones aren’t going anywhere for a while, so you’re fine.)
While this isn't an EXHAUSTIVE list of everything I use (I'm not telling you ALL my secrets), these are great tools for any product based business to get started! If you're thinking about starting one, be sure to check out my 4 Things to do Before Launch post!
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