Small Business Packaging: What You Need to Know

There are well over 30 million small businesses operating in the United States today. Each business represents a hardworking team with a great idea. With so much creativity and innovation out there, how do you differentiate your business from the other millions?

The first step—and one of the most important—is upgrading your packaging. With the perfect small business packaging, your products will stand out from the rest—you’ll likely find that sales will increase organically, too.

But when you make the decision to source exceptional packaging, it’s hard to know who to trust. Big packaging companies may not offer personalized care to their smaller clients. If you arm yourself with knowledge from the get-go, you can avoid potential pitfalls and find a packaging company that suits your needs.

Why Packaging Matters

Think of your packaging as a miniature billboard that engages customers wherever it goes. A well-crafted design can be a make-or-break as your product vies for limited shelf space. In fact, a 2018 study proved that packaging influenced the purchasing decisions of at least 72% of Americans.

With that metric in mind, it’s clear that lackluster packaging can reduce your company’s market viability, even with a great product. Take the time to create a thoughtful, engaging brand image and let your new portable advertisement do your marketing work for you.

Especially in the case of eCommerce, your packaging serves as your storefront. Brainstorm small business packaging ideas and take your company to the next level. Here’s what you need to know to make your packaging dynamic, vibrant, and appealing.

Buy in Bulk

It might seem counterintuitive, but buying in bulk will actually save your small business money. If you’re working with a qualified company like Global Printing & Packaging, you will lose money if your order is smaller than 1,000 units.

When you hire a company to design custom small business packaging, there are certain sunk costs like materials and printing for prototypes. These initial charges will be spread out over the total number of units, meaning that a small order will cost astronomically more per unit.

Although 1,000 is generally considered to be the minimum order in the industry, larger orders of 2,000+ units will save you even more money.

Due to supply chain delays, it’s better to stockpile packaging for the long term. Imagine your sales taking off, only for you to run out of packaging. Shipping delays could push back delivery times for weeks or months, leaving you without packaging for your most popular products.

Many companies like GPP ship their folding cartons and boxes in a protective wrapper. You can remove packages one at a time and trust that the rest will stay in good condition, allowing you to keep the majority of your supplies in compact boxes. If your small business has even less available space, find a supplier who offers warehouse space for your pre-paid materials.

Related Content: How to Reduce the Cost of Product Packaging

Consider Custom Packaging

A cohesive brand image starts from the moment a customer orders your product. Make sure your brand identity is apparent both inside and outside your packaging.

As a small business with a limited marketing budget, packaging is one of your few chances to leave customers with a positive impression. Use this opportunity wisely and increase return customers and overall revenue through impressive, eye-catching packaging. While custom packaging represents a higher upfront expense, this investment will pay dividends as you enjoy increased customer engagement for years to come.

Even if you have no small business packaging ideas, many suppliers like GPP have years of experience guiding companies through the process. GPP will work with you to perfect your brand and logo, locally sourcing all front-end work needed to complete your design—including all graphic design, structural design, and packaging prototypes.

Find a Trusted Packaging Partner

A deal with a qualified packaging company should be more than transactional—it should offer a comprehensive strategy to help your business succeed.

With the right approach, your packaging partner can boost sales, increase customer engagement, and create instantly recognizable packaging that will fly off the physical and virtual shelves.

Remember: packaging is its own form of marketing. People place products out on their countertops, reuse nice packaging, post attractive packaging on social media, and even film unboxing videos for up to millions of viewers. Create unique and easily recognizable packaging the represents your product and your brand as a whole.