A Guide to Packing & Shipping Orders
Everything I Personally Use for My Small Catholic Business
If you are creating a physical product, eventually you’ll need to figure out how to ship it to your customer. When I first started shipping from my house, I was shocked by how much it cost to ship one book. Prior to entering business, I thought you could ship anything for like $3, right? Wrong!
Throughout the years, I’ve learned quite a bit (more than I ever wanted to learn) about order fulfillment. In this article, I’m spilling the beans on all the platforms, supplies, and packaging I used when I first started. PLUS the amazing fulfillment center I now use. Spoiler alert: I no longer package and ship my own orders, and it’s amazing!
And if all of this is totally foreign to you, I’m including a handy guide at the end for paid subscribers with all my tips for saving time and money.
Okay, let’s get started.
Where do I buy postage?
Nine times out of ten, I get it right from Pirate Ship. I’ve used them from day one and love them!
What platforms do I integrate with?
I sell on Shopify and Etsy. Pirate Ship syncs with Shopify, meaning an order placed on Shopify gets sent to Pirate Ship. No copying and pasting addresses! I purchase the postage on Pirate Ship. This triggers an email from Shopify to my customer telling them their order has been shipped. I also link my Etsy store to Shopify using an app called Sellbrite so a similar automation happens. Unfortunately, Etsy doesn’t integrate with Pirate Ship, but they do use other similar shipping software: Shippo and ShipStation.
What supplies do I use?
A kitchen scale works just fine for weighing your packages. I used the one we already owned.
I borrowed a Guillotine Paper Cutter from my mom so I could cut labels out faster, but scissors work just fine.
You’ll want some packing tape. I preferred the kind you could tear by hand.
When I first started, I print, cut, and taped labels on everything. As I started getting more orders, I purchased a Rollo Shipping Label Printer. So amazing!
What do I use for branding?
I designed and printed promotional postcards from Mixam. This is the cheapest I have found.
When I used to offer fancy gift wrapping, I got most of it from Paper Mart.
Hang tags and circle stickers to place on packaging from PrintsWell Fulfillment.
What packaging do I personally use?
#5 poly bubble mailers from MailersUSA. These are great for mailing lightweight books.
9 x 12 Kraft .030 Chipboard Pads 340 / Bundle from PaperMart. These are great if you need to add sturdier backing to your product when mailed or reduce the chance of packages being bent.
Paper bubble wrap from EcoEnclose (I love this stuff!) Use my affiliate link and we’ll both get $20 coupons!
For sturdier packaging or when shipping several books at a time: Kraft (Pack of 50 Boxes).
For greeting cards, art prints, bookmarks, or other items I don’t want bent, a rigid mailer from PaperMart.
For protective clear bags for greeting cards or art prints: ClearBags.
What do I do now?
As I mentioned, I now use a fulfillment center, a facility that will store, pack, and ship orders for me. Once you start getting many orders, or even if you just really dislike shipping yourself, this may be something to consider.
I have researched many different fulfillment centers. Most have not been economical for me. They charge so many different fees. For many small businesses, these costs are just too much. Thankfully, I discovered an incredible fulfillment center with very affordable prices: Chews Life Fulfillment! (Yes, the same company that sells the adorable silicone Rosaries for babies).
It has been THE BEST decision I have made. Miles, the fulfillment manager, is fantastic. He gets orders out immediately, is incredibly responsive to my emails, and I always trust he's got everything covered. Unlike other fulfillment centers I looked into, Chews Life's rates are quite reasonable for small businesses. The fees make sense, and I am still able to make profit!
⭐Special Discount!
I have partnered with Chews Life, and they are willing to waive their onboarding and setup fees for Thy Olive Tree Marketplace Vendors who are a good fit for their fulfillment services! This is easily a couple hundred dollars in savings!
Not yet a vendor? If you sell a Catholic product, consider joining my Marketplace.
Whether or not you decide to join my Marketplace, I’d be happy to put you in touch with Chews Life so you can start a conversation and see if this would be a good fit. Simply send me an email and I can introduce you: kate@thyolivetree.com.
I hope this article has been helpful for you!
If you’d like to dive deeper into the following topics, become a paid subscriber:
My tips for finding the cheapest postage
My thoughts on Media Mail
International shipping tips and who you need to email to unlock the cheapest rates
Why you are likely wasting your time if you are driving to the post office
Examples of my shipping and return policies