Classy Bish Post Office Tips
Updated: Feb 24, 2020
Do you ship packages often to your customers? I am at the post office dropping packages 2-3 times a week on AVERAGE. I am someone who has spend the last 4 years of my businesses shipping packages out, I am here to spread a little knowledge on USPS shipping supplies suggestions and why!
Let's talk supplies first! Here is my supply list:
Regional Rate A boxes
Padded Flat Rate Envelopes
Corrugated boxes (this is my preferred size)
Starch Packing Peanuts (dissolve in water)
This is just what I use for SHIPPING. Most of the supplies you see you can get on Amazon, but you can only get Regional Rate boxes online and what is great about USPS is their supplies are free and are delivered straight to your door!
I love Regional Rate A boxes as they go off of how far someone is away from you and they are just a tad bit smaller than Medium Flat Rate boxes! These boxes are also priority mail so that means they come with an automatic $50 insurance for if anything happens to the contents! The photo you see below are the contents that I fit into the Regional Rate A box with padding and protection for the items inside! The boxes fit quite a bit and they are my top method of shipping items over one pound!
I also buy smaller boxes off of Amazon for small items, I usually only ship them in this box if it is under a pound. You can fit about 8 tubes of long lipsticks or glosses or a bunch of hair ties or some shampoo bars or some other small items. I only ship in this box though if it is under a pound because once it goes over, it is usually much cheaper to do flat rate shipping options.
If a Regional Rate box is just way too big and the purchase still fits in my smaller box but is over a pound, I stick the items in to a Padded Flat Rate envelope! If the items need to be in a box for protection, like shower steamers, I just slip the box in to the envelope as it should fit and then there is the extra protection!
You then obviously need tape for the boxes, you need bubble wrap for padding, and I love these starch packing peanuts as they dissolve in water!
As to actually shipping, I like to use Stamps.com! I like Stamps as it keeps all my contacts, notifies when I ship them something, gives me tracking, and it is so easy to use! Another thing I like about Stamps is that if my printer malfunctions, I have one chance to reprint. If something doesn't go right and I printed someones shipping label twice, meaning I was charged twice, I can get a refund on items that I won't actually ship. It does have a monthly cost, but it is a business expense and write off. You can also order supplies through them as well! If you are interested in Stamps, use the code C-DTFJ-97W, and you will get a $100 offer which includes a digital scale and $45 in printing credits.
Hopefully these tips will help you spend less time at the post office as well as save you and your customers some shipping frustrations!