This post is all about small business packaging supplies and ideas on a budget
Looking for a few super effective, fun and affordable small business packaging ideas that will help you elevate your branding while sticking to your budget? Packaging is one of the most creative, tactile ways a brand can communicate what it’s all about – and there are so many ways to package your products – it can get gloriously overwhelming fast.
This post is all about simple small business packaging strategies with a big impact; from showcasing your brand colors through your packaging and shipping, to repurposing labels and stamps, to using nontraditional materials to give your brand a little extra volume.
Read on to learn about the products and companies that can help your business maintain a professional image on a DIY budget.
Small Business Packaging Supplies and Ideas on a Budget
1 – Infuse your brand colors into your packaging in small, inexpensive ways
One of the most simple and straightforward ways to give your customers a special and branded experience is to bring your brand colors into your packaging supplies. One super simple packaging strategy is to package your products in shredded paper or tissue paper that matches your brand colors. If you want to save a ton of money but still make an impact, ordering a large quantity of tissue paper wholesale is a great way to go.
Places like Papermart.com offer big discounts when you order a few hundred sheets. And if you want to bring in more of a design element, take a look at some of the tissue papers from Faire. And if your heart simply can’t refrain from spending a few bucks on some truly decadent patterns, venture on over to Noissue.co for some tissue paper that will make you feel like you’re wandering the aisles of a vintage fabric store.. Orrrr something like that..
If you can’t afford to order huge quantities of product labels, and you’re working on more of a DIY labeling system, there are a lot of ways you can still look just as professional as someone using higher end labels – and one of those ways is using color strategically.
One way to do this is to print simple white labels with your logo and information laid out to present a sleek and professional product. Just be sure to take the time to lay out your label with plenty of white space around the text. Use a font that is branded, legible and conveys your style, whether that means using your polished serif font or a gritty but refined block font. Add your logo in a size that looks balanced with your text, and bring in a pop of color to connect your customer to your main branding color palette.
And don’t underestimate the power of a product insert like a custom product card, post card, hang tag, discount card with a QR code, or some other inexpensive add-in that you can package with your products. I always like to support my local printers for these kinds of things, but if you are in a remote location or just need something super quick, a wholesale account at places like OvernightPrints.com is super handy and they do great work.
2 – Simplify your packaging by repurposing labels, stickers and stamps
One of the best ways for small businesses to look professional on a budget is through professionally designed stickers, labels and stamps. You can really dress up some plain wholesale brown, black or white bags and boxes through stickers, labels and stamps. Using gift bags in your brand color with a clean black and white sticker label will also give a clean, branded aesthetic also.
If you already have a product label with your branding on it, try to carry over the components that also make sense onto a sticker that you can use to seal your product box. Stickers with your logo, business url and business name can be used as giveaways for outreach, but can also be used to seal an envelope – or label a bag – or seal an art print. Another fun way to promote your brand is to use the same sticker to seal your colored tissue paper if you wrap up your product like a gift, or seal a plain paper belly band like a pro.
And one of the most old fashioned but still ever so effective small business packing ideas is to get a stamp with your logo, business address, url – or whatever info you want on there. Especially if your brand focuses on hand made or artistic items, using a stamp is a more tactile feeling, and it has a retro charm about it that may really vibe with your brand.
Just find an ink pad (or a few) with your brand color(s) and enjoy the variation that comes from stamping. For all you pattern lovers out there, try stamping out a pattern with your logo on a sheet of butcher paper if you have items you could gift wrap. From that deeply saturated first stamp to the more faded 5th stamp, this is still a great way to brand anything from product boxes to envelopes to labels.
If you are on a super tight budget and need to print your own labels on traditional label paper, do your research and be sure to choose paper that is compatible with your products. If you sell potions and elixirs, for example, you’ll want to make sure to get waterproof label paper. You can always graduate to professional printers when your budget is beefier.
3 – Protect your products while showcasing them
If you are running a small creative business, your art and design is likely a huge bite of your brand. And making sure it is packaged professionally will communicate your brand’s commitment to value and function.
Do you sell art prints? Greeting cards? Sticker packs? Package your wares up like a pro in ways that will keep them from crumpling or wrinkling. There are lots of ways to do this. From printing on acid free paper to actually protect the fidelity of your colors and your art to choosing a backer board and sleeve that protects and showcases your prints, the goal is to protect your products in ways that align with your brand’s values – and work with a budget.
If your brand values eco-friendly products, do your research to find what you can personally invest in. These eco-friendly compostable crystal clear bags from Clearbags.com + these 100% recycled printable greeting cards (both from clearbags.com) are pretty affordable, and if your brand communicates your commitment to caring for our environment, protect your art and your brand with products that align with that value. Psst – use code LUCKYCOSMOS for 10% off from ClearBags! Note: I do not receive a commission from this link, it’s just a little discount I wanted to share.
If you’re shipping out products, you’re probably careful about packaging your products in a way that keeps them safe from your door to your customer’s. This is where you can bring in some of those fun and affordable extra touches to shine a light on your brand – colored crinkle paper, decorative tissue paper, super cute mailers.. Since this is the first impression of your product for your customer, determine where you might feel like splurging and where you want to save.
4. Create a space to package your products that protects your supplies and shows you when you are due to replace items
This may feel a little out of place for this post, but if you are running a small creative business on a budget, every dollar counts. And if your packaging, labeling and branding supplies are not organized in a way that protects and respects them, you may end up buying replacements you don’t need, or damaging the supplies you do have. So find a space you can dedicate to product packaging.
We’re talking assembly line. However much space you’ve got, set up your packaging and shipping supplies in a way that shows you how much you have of each item, allows you the space to properly package your products in an aesthetically pleasing way, and works with your packaging workflow.
A small table, credenza or even the kitchen counter space can all work. If you can’t dedicate a space, and you need to set up in a community space (kitchen, for example), having a portable way to bring your packaging supplies will be really helpful.
This mobile craft storage cart from Michaels is less than $100 and offers a few different spaces for your packaging supplies. And this super affordable rolling supply cart + some handy storage containers is a lightweight option if your packaging supplies fit in this space.
A well thought space for packaging will save you time and money, and it can be a really conducive space to listen to your favorite podcasts..
5. Where can you find your small business packaging supplies and suppliers?
There are so. many. suppliers. This list is definitely not exhaustive, but it’s a curation of suppliers we trust, or suppliers we are dying to try because they offer such cute supplies and have great reviews…
Sticker and Label Suppliers
- Stand Out Stickers: Stand Out Stickers delivers quality stickers for really great prices. The quality is similar to Sticker Mule, but there is a big price difference. At the time this post is published, you can currently get 250 2” round stickers from Stand Out Stickers for $50.80, while 200 2” round stickers from Sticker Mule is around $80.Stand Out Stickers is also a sister company to Pure Buttons, so if your business makes buttons for giveaways, check them out!
- Cousin Ross Productions: Cousin Ross Productions is a small business located near Salt Lake City, Utah and specializes in high-quality eco-friendly printing – from the ink used to the carbon footprint of the printer, to the compostability of the stickers. You’ll need to contact them directly to get pricing. If environmentally kind printing is part of your mission, support a small business with eco-friendly stickers and labels that showcase your awesomeness!
- Noissue: Noissue offers a ton of cute small business supplies, and these customizable labels work great on all sorts of products that require moisture and grease resistant coating.
- Overnight Prints: OvernightPrints.com has been a reliable source for all sorts of marketing and packaging supplies. We’re talking flyers, brochures, custom product cards, all sorts of things to help you promote your brand. If you can’t print locally, these guys are a good alternative.
Boxes and Bags for Products and Shipping
- Upaknship: Upaknship also has a huge breadth of business packaging and packing supplies – with stylized options like decorative boxes and bubble wrap.
- Peached Mailers: Peached Mailers is an Austin based small business offering a curated list of really trendy and cute mailers – such cute small business packaging supplies. Tell us you’re not swooning over this midnights poly mailer…
- Polylush: Polylush offers some really cute and Gen-Z styled poly mailers, tissue paper, oversized totes and tons more. Their fun pastel color palette with groovy fonts and illustrations will literally steal your bubblegum heart..
- Small Business Supply Co: smallbusinesssplyco.com is a small family run business offering super cute small business and seasonal mailing supplies that are durable and absolutely swoon worthy.
- Clearbags.com – Clearbags offers a huge supply of product bags, clear packaging, plain poly mailers, backer boards, greeting card paper.. Browse their site for small business packaging ideas that may work for your products.
- Uline: Uline is a favorite supplier of larger businesses and corporations. But it’s still a solid resource for any small business looking for some basics, brown boxes, bags, standard packing supplies – the nuts and bolts of your packing material list.
6 – Add a special brand touch, and don’t be afraid to use nontraditional materials
If you’re packing your own orders and have the time to add a personal touch, those little extras can go a long way. If your customer opens your package and sees a personal touch like their name with a smiley face written in your brand’s hot pink, or they see your product tied up with a piece of gold twine (or whatever your brand palette is), this is a great way to personalize the product while connecting the customer to your brand.
It’s up to you to determine how much value this brings your business. If those human touches are helping you keep repeat customers who continue to buy, you may determine that the extra time and effort it takes is a good investment for your business.
This strategy won’t work for most print on demand or drop shipping business models, but if you’re a new small business selling your creative wares from your own studio or home, and you enjoy the packing process anyway, try getting creative. Wrapping up a fragile item in pretty vintage magazine pages or fabric can add a creative element that is unique and memorable – and if it’s in line with your brand, it’s a great way to add a personal touch to your small business packaging without getting too spendy.
Depending on what you are selling, you can get really interesting with these personal touches – fabrics, twines, gold papers, a cute little totally nonrandom twig, a piece of candy, fun magazine pages with a handwritten note, or used as hang tags…
As a creative business owner, you get to decide how to incorporate your brand in your packaging and packing strategy. We hope this article gave you some useful places to start to pull together your own business’s packaging strategy if that’s been a source of confusion, or if you believed you have to spend a ton of money to be taken seriously.
With some good design, practical supplies, and imagination, you’ll be able to take your product from a seed to a fully packaged product – in a way that can have a major impact without stressing out your bank account.
This post was all about small business packaging ideas on a budget so your business can look polished and professional using a budget friendly strategy.
Still wondering if you’re ready to start your creative business?
