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How do you ship? System? Process? šµāš« š°
Why systems matter, even if they are SO boring to talk about.
So you want to grow your business? Have you implemented any processes or automation to support that growth? While I'd love to talk about my favorite topics like marketing, branding, and production, we need to tackle something that's not as glamorous but absolutely crucial. It nearly led to my brand's downfall and also paved the way to its success. This week, we're diving into SHIPPING.
If youāre anything like me, you keep putting it off, thinking youāll find the time laterā¦ but trust me, you wonāt. It just gets harder and harder to carve out that time to make the necessary changes.
3BN warehouse shipping area
This week, weāre diving into the power of automation, specifically focusing on streamlining your shipping process to save time and reduce errors. I'll share what worked for meāsystems I actually used to scale my business. These recommendations are perfect if you're manually processing orders, lacking a system, have no warehouse locations, or are just winging it. If you already have systems in place that are not working take a peek or reach out as I love to help YOU scale. This by far is the easiest way to revolutionize your business operations, and trust me, I know because Iāve been there.
It took me losing thousands of dollars a week due to errors, wrong products, and inventory issues to finally MAKE the time to get organized. If you're not crazy busy yet, now is the perfect time to set yourself up for success. Letās get the basics right as you grow!
This is an ACTUAL photo from 2016 when we HAD to change our shipping processes or I was in fear of losing THOUSANDS of customers so TRUST me..listen to my advice here
WHY Automating Your Shipping Process is a MUST!
If you are operating a website or sell on a marketplace and are processing orders one by one you are wasting SO SO much time! There are so many ways to automate your shipping, print in bulk and make your shipping error proof giving you more time to market your business Automation is a game-changer for any business, especially when it comes to shipping. By automating your shipping processes, you can increase efficiency, reduce manual errors, and provide a better experience for your customers. Hereās how you can get started.
So where do I start? First things first, organize your SKUs.
My WHAT? Do what? Before you can implement any shipping software, itās crucial to have your products organized. Each product needs a unique SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) to ensure accurate inventory management and seamless order fulfillment. This means that every size and color of the same STYLE has itās own SKU and you should need to create them for EVERY PRODUCT.
Take the time to audit your inventory and assign unique SKUs to all your products. This step is essential for leveraging the full capabilities of any shipping software. I created my own SKU system that we used across all platforms and it allowed us to stay organized and build on the numbers. Once you have implemented SKUs you are ready to start looking at different software or apps for shipping. I will speak to the first platform I personally used and recommend, ShipStation.
This is the system I created and used: Style Number-COLOR-SIZE Make up the style number if needed, I only used THREE letters for color and ONE for size: My SKUs looked like this: HB107-BLK-S
So what do I do now?
If you have a Shopify site you can connect directly to different shipping platforms (most other platforms also connect seamlessly but I like to speak to what Iāve used). Get your SKUs ready, inventory correct, and decide if you want ALL products listed in one place like your website or if youāll just connect each selling channel for shipping.
Implementing ShipStation: One of the best tools I recommend for automating your shipping is ShipStation. Itās a comprehensive platform that allows you to link multiple stores and selling platforms, making it your master inventory manager if you so choose. You can integrate Etsy or Shopify or most selling platforms into ONE PLACE!
Set up ShipStation and link all your stores and platforms. Make sure each product is correctly mapped to its unique SKU and assigned to its respective warehouse location. If you use my link here youāll get a discount off your subscription and help out the newsletter!
Warehouse Locations: Assign warehouse locations for each SKU to optimize your shipping process. What does that mean? That means that you can put a bin number (a specific location within your āwarehouseā where you store ONE SKU) so anyone can help ship your orders. The bin location will print on the invoice allowing ANYONE to help you ship!
Our FIRST warehouse! Each bin had a ālocationā making it easy to find inventory and ship with ease!
Utilize automation rules to set up custom workflows that automatically apply shipping presets based on order criteria. This can significantly speed up your fulfillment process.
This newsletter is sponsored by beehiiv and I recommend HEAVILY in starting your own newsletter NOW, regardless of your sizeā¦
Our first warehouseā¦.totally empty and it was overwhelming!
TRUST ME, implementing automation in your shipping process can transform your business, saving you time and reducing errors. Tools like ShipStation or EasyShip make it easy to manage multiple stores, keep track of inventory, and streamline order fulfillment.
Take the first step today by organizing your SKUs and setting up ShipStation. Your future self (and your customers) will thank you!
Stay tuned for more tips and tricks in next weekās newsletter. Until then, keep pushing forward and watch your business soar! š
Warm regards,
Alicia Shaffer
ShipStation for Making Shipping EASY! Click HERE
a FREE Checklist
Getting Started with ShipStation Checklist
To help you get started, hereās a simple step-by-step guide to setting up ShipStation for your business:
Step 1: Organize Your Products
Ensure each product has a unique SKU.
Group similar products together for easier management.
Step 2: Set Up ShipStation
Sign up for a ShipStation account.
Connect all your selling platforms and stores.
Step 3: Configure Inventory and Warehouses
Assign SKUs to their respective warehouse locations.
Use ShipStationās inventory management tools to keep track of stock levels.
Step 4: Create Automation Rules
Set up automation rules to streamline your shipping process.
Use presets for different shipping carriers and packaging options.
Step 5: Monitor and Optimize
Regularly check your shipping metrics and adjust your workflows as needed.
Take advantage of ShipStationās reporting features to gain insights into your shipping performance.