Starting a business is a daunting venture for anyone, and the costs of all basic needs associated with doing so add up quickly. Custom labels, business cards, packaging, and website design are all hefty investments. However, there are some simple ways to minimize the impact on your wallet. What can you do to minimize your startup costs and save on branding supplies? Here are our top three tips.
Labels are a great way to showcase your products to consumers and market competitors in your own unique way. Custom label printing companies abound, but almost always require order minimums. Plus, the fewer labels you order the more you pay per label. For example, if you’re a budding bath and body company, and you’re looking to have 100- 3”x4”, full color, high gloss labels printed through one of the most popular online printing companies, you’ll pay $2.30 per label. Increase the number of labels to 300, and the cost drops to just $0.87 each. As a consumer, it’s easy to fall into the trap of choosing the “better” deal, even if it means spending more money in the end. In the case of purchasing labels, it can mean winding up with more labels than you truly need. And, because it’s common for new companies to change ingredients or product design, shelling out big bucks for labels might not be the best initial investment to make.
Your solution? Print your own labels. Once you’ve got your designs squared away, save money by ordering blank labels for at-home printing through a company such as OnlineLabels.com. Not only can you choose from an extensive range of custom sizes, you can also choose from a variety of paper type, color, and finishes. Every label has its own template links for easy downloading based on what program/application you’re using. All you have to do is make sure the design fits within the lines – and print! You can print as many, or as few, as you want, and you can always make changes.
When you’re printing brand labels at home, it is important to use a good printer that fits your specific needs. Research printer types (inkjet or laser) and cartridge types (toner, dye-based ink, or pigment-based ink), and figure out a solution that works for your budget. Investing in a company printer and maintaining its ink supply can be expensive, but it’s well worth the money you’ll save over time.
You don’t need to spend an arm and a leg to make your brand’s shipping packaging memorable. If you’re just getting your feet on the ground, take advantage of the free shipping boxes and supplies offered by the USPS. You can order a wide variety of sizes and shapes directly through their website at no cost. The outside of the box may not reflect exactly what you had in mind, but remind yourself that it’s what is inside that counts. Wrap your products nicely with Kraft or colored tissue paper and twine that matches your brand colors as a cute, personal touch—and add a handwritten thank-you note to make it even more special. You can also have a custom stamp made with your logo that costs next-to-nothing, but adds a great touch when used to imprint your logo on the outside of the shipping box.
Until recently, website design has been either expensive (if you choose to hire a professional) or overwhelming (if you choose to tackle the job by yourself). Fortunately, services like Squarespace have made creating a beautiful website simple even for the most technologically unsavvy. You can choose from a variety of layout/design templates to suit your taste, and then further customize your content within each template. These services have also made integrating e-commerce a relative breeze, so you can easily set up online ordering directly through your site.
When you’re just entering the world of business, you want to be especially smart with how you’re spending your money. Save money now where you can so that later on you’ll have less unnecessary debt hanging over your head. Saving money doesn’t mean looking cheap. With a keen eye, and a solid grasp on your image, your brand can thrive even when expenses are minimized.
This article is made possible by Checksforless.com. For more than 35 years, Checksforless.com has provided over 500,000 businesses with high quality business checks, deposit slips, and other banking supplies with easy ordering and fast production times; all at the guaranteed lowest price in the nation. Our discount business checks are easily customizable and compatible with over 4,500 software programs including QuickBooks® and Peachtree/Sage®. Email or call us toll-free at 800-245-5775.
References:
www.onlinelabels.com
www.squarespace.com