She brought a plate of cookies to a friend. “You know, you could sell these,” Julie commented, munching on a thick, chewy oatmeal raisin cookie. Mrs. Tyler laughed. Who would want to buy her cookies? She didn’t want to start business at the local mall selling cookies. “I can’t imagine doing that. I really like making cookies for you and my kids,” she replied.

“Well, your business could make cookies for people who aren’t very good at baking cookies for their kids. What about a care package business for college students? They’d love to get homemade cookies in the mail, especially during exam time,” Julie said. She reached for another cookie. Mrs. Tyler thought. It actually sounded like a good idea. Her cookies would cheer up and encourage students as they studied for exams and enjoyed being college students.

In a few short weeks, Mrs. Tyler’s Cookie Care Packages was begun. And the orders were coming in quickly. She hired several friends to help bake and package cookies for packages. And a friend who was savvy with the computer had ordered her company personalized shipping labels. They looked so polished and professional. The personalized shipping labels had a cookie on them, and the company name and mailing address on them. It was easy to put them on the cookie care packages. Mrs. Tyler was so happy. She was lucky to have such great friends who wanted to see her business succeed.

Exam time was hectic, and Mrs. Tyler’s home seemed to be a nonstop cookie factory for two solid weeks. They baked her famous oatmeal raisin cookies, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter cookies. And they packed and shipped them all, with those great personalized mailing labels. The cookies were on their way.

Mrs. Tyler was exhausted. Perhaps she wasn’t quite ready to have a business of her own. Baking cookies was a lot of work. She had no idea her cookies would be so popular, that so many families would want care packages. Some ordered two dozen or more cookies for their students, knowing they would share with friends. But Mrs. Tyler was happy, knowing she’d helped families make their kids’ lives brighter and happier as they studied.

One day Mrs. Tyler went to the mailbox. A note was there. It was from a student, saying Thank You for the delicious cookies.

Dear Mrs. Tyler,

Thank you for the yummy peanut butter cookies. My friends in the dorm enjoyed them, what a great treat during midterms.

We thought you’d like to know that we all got B grades or higher on our exams. We think it is the cookies! Keep baking!

Yours,
Mary

Mrs. Tyler smiled. She was ready to bake more cookies.

Ideally, a company that uses a packing list would use one with their logo printed on it so that the list is easily identified with the product it accompanies, and contains the proper contact information should the recipient need to contact the company that shipped the product.  Additionally, one of the tenants of branding dictates that all items related to the inner workings of a business be branded accordingly – so it will not do to use generic shipping lists if a company wants to create the proper impression with customers and future customers.

When one considers the mechanics of shipping out items, one has to consider not only packaging, but shipping labels and these packing lists that are required.  That is why a great option to save time and money is an integrated label and packing list that prints the shipping label and packing list at the same time, on the same piece of paper.  One pass through the inkjet or laser printer and both the shipping label and packing list are ready.  Simply pull the label off the sheet, affix it to the outside of the package, insert the packing list into the box or envelope, and the package is ready for postage.

Some companies offer custom printed integrated label packing lists where both the label and the packing list are printed with company information, and many layouts are available depending on the company’s need.  For instance, if the company using this product works with UPS, FedEx, or USPS, or all of them, there are forms available to comply with each shipping method, respectively.  Additionally, forms are available that are compatible with eBay, ShipWorks, MOMS, and others so that the business that is doing the shipping looks professional, and saves time and money.

In addition to these innovate labels and lists, it is also smart for a company to order custom printed return labels, if the company has a return policy with their merchandise.  The formats are customizable enough to even include a return shipping label that is only activated should the recipient use it.

Companies are facing more and more competition in an increasingly harsh financial climate, so it is wise for a business to set itself apart from the pack with professional, custom shipping labels and accessories.

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Shipping labels

Shipping and mailing labels are a great resource for companies who ship products or mailers on a regular basis.  Having custom-printed labels let the customer know that the company who is sending the product or communication is professional, resourceful, and brand-conscious.  But how do you choose from the many types of custom printed shipping labels available?

Custom shipping labels can come on a roll, which is great if the company using them has a mail center or station set up to hang that roll of labels for easy access.  With roll labels, you can choose from different label sizes, and you’re usually allowed up to three or four imprint colors, so it is easy to have the labels branded with the corporate colors.  Roll shipping labels also come in a variety of different materials, like labels with permanent adhesive, temporary adhesive, glossy labels, and matte labels, among others.  In order to print the shipping information on roll labels, the proper type of printer must be obtained.

If roll labels are not appropriate for a particular office or workspace, many of the same options are available with fanfold labels that exist with roll labels.  They come in the same material options, have the same color imprint options, and come in many of the same sizes, but they come on a continuous fanfold carrier, rather than on a roll.  This is ideal for an office with limited space to prepare mailing items, and also great for mailing projects that multiple people are working on, so that the labels can be divided more easily.  In order to print on fanfold labels, the proper type of printer must be obtained, as well.

Finally, if neither of the above options suits the company, and the budget is a bit tighter, it might be best to go with labels on sheets.  Sheet labels have usually allow up to two imprint colors, and come in a variety of sizes, but the delivery method is a bit bulkier and more room is needed to store sheet labels than fanfold labels.  Sheet labels come in coated and uncoated varieties, and also come in high temperature like the other labels, but are sold according to the type of printer used.  Labels on sheets are available for printing on laser and inkjet printers, so an office need not order a special printing machine – sheet labels can be printed like any other piece of paper, and the template can be downloaded from the label provider’s website.

No matter which type of custom shipping label a company chooses the benefit is clear.  The company gets more exposure, the mailings look more professional, and because of that, the company looks more professional.

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stock message label: FLAMMABLE

Depending on the type of business a particular company does, there may be a need for any number of stock message labels to use in conjunction with other label and packaging options.  A company that ships frequently holds a greater liability for damaged goods and the mishandling of their products, so why not invest in specific stock labels that are made to protect your merchandise, product, or deliverable?

The “This End Up” label is very useful when shipping an item that is packed carefully and needs to have one end up at all times.  Other labels are even more effective, such as “This Side Up – Fragile” and the “Do Not Stack” label.  These labels provide instructions to the package handler that the package needs to be handled with care, and while there is a certain amount of laxness and carelessness that goes on in the package handling industry, these labels serve another purpose as well.  It is far easier to get a claim to a package handling company approved when a company has taken the extra precaution of labeling their boxes with special directions.

A message label that says “Lay Flat, Do Not Stand on End,” or “Live Plants Inside, Please Rush,” or “This End Up, Fragile, Liquid in Glass” provides very specific instructions to the people who are handling the package.  If instructions are not followed, the package handling company is liable for any damage, since the company who shipped the item provided specific care instructions.  It is also a good idea to take out extra shipping insurance on a package that needs special care.

Stock labels have many other uses, depending on the message.  For instance, if you put a label on the package that says “packing list inside,” it is a much less expensive option than affixing the packing list to the outside of the box, which you would have to do without the stock message label.

Other stock message labels help a company communicate with their customer.  Labels exist that say “Box _ of _” so that the customer knows how many cartons are in their order.  Other labels read “Invoice Enclosed” so that the customer knows the invoice is inside the package and does not overlook it.

General stock message labels are very inexpensive and can be a wonderful asset for a company that does a lot of shipping.

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Know this: your shipping label is noticed whether you like it or not. The shipping label is an ideal opportunity to brand and remind people about your company. The savvy companies have custom shipping labels with their logo and branded colors so that the package recipient is instantly reminded of their company as they receive this package. Best of all, everyone who sees that package will also think of your company.

Fortunately today customized shipping labels are inexpensive and reasonable – so the small business that would like to have them can easily choose to do so. Ordering in small quantities of 500 make these type of lables accessible to every small business. No longer do you have to order a large quantity of labels,  evening the playing field for small businesses everywhere.

You have many options when you choose. Prepackaged shipping labels may give you a few choices but customizing offers you much more. This makes customizing them easy and convenient. In a few mouse clicks you can have the colors, fonts and graphics you prefer. Your shipping labels will be on their way to you in a speedy 3 to 5 turnaround time.

Who will notice your shipping label? Some small companies may wonder, “Why bother?” to customize. But often your package is seen by many people as it reaches the recipient. Let’s say you sell business cards. That order of business cards will first be picked up at your location where it may be seen by customers placing orders and they will admire a professionally put together package with a customized shipping label. Then it will go to an office where a receptionist will often accept the package and others may see it. This may even prompt them to realize that they too need to order business cards! Just by seeing your customized shipping label, you have the opportunity to receive business. Finally it will be seen by the person who receives the package who will be pleased to see their business cards in the mail.

Part of your customized shipping labels getting you noticed is understanding how to create the most successful one. They are smaller than many other things we create, and you’ll want to keep that in mind when choosing or sizing down your graphics. Select clear and easy to read fonts like Arial, Courier or Times New Roman for your customized shipping label. It’s wise to choose colors that would be connected with your company but you also have to think about what is easy to read. If your primary business color is a pale yellow, then don’t make the fonts appear in white. The fonts might be best in a dark purple or a black – a darker color so they are easier to read. The best customized shipping label is one that helps get your package to the recipient.

Shipping labels are an excellent marketing tool and are available to every small business today. Take advantage of this great business opportunity, and  withorder your customized shipping labels MaverickLabel.com!

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Everybody loves Mrs. Weatherbee and her care packages. Parents in the Stony Hill community have ordered care packages for their kids for more than 10 years. As a teacher, Mrs. Weatherbee has known many of the children and somehow always knows exactly what to send in her great care packages. Fun and full of treats and surprises, both the kids and parents look forward to them every year.

When Mrs. Weatherbee retired from teaching at school, she decided to take her care package business and dedicate more of her time to it. In the past she’d had to turn away parents because she didn’t have time to do every care package with her teaching schedule. Now as a retired teacher, her schedule was more free. But her sister suggested that she make her care package business a bit more professional. “Why not start by getting custom shipping labels?” her sister suggested. Mrs. Weatherbee thought about it and her sister made a good point.

With custom shipping labels, everyone knew right away that a care package came from Mrs. Weatherbee’s Care Packages & More. The labels were easy to order, Mrs. Weatherbee picked out her custom shipping labels while sipping a cup of tea in front of her computer. A wide selection of fonts and colors, and she chose clear and attractive custom shipping labels that would be easy to spot by kids, parents and that busy camp counselor or dorm manager at college. Mrs. Weatherbee chose large labels because she knew sometimes the kids’ addresses could be very detailed and she wanted the extra room to add everything – and with the custom shipping labels she had plenty of label sizes and choices to select from.

Mrs. Weatherbee admits that she hasn’t put very much money into advertising her business. But she’s glad she got the new shipping labels and thinks they have helped a lot. With the new shipping labels she hasn’t had any problems with packages reaching the kids – and this has made both kids and parents very happy. There’s nothing like imagining disappointing a homesick kid at camp or first year college student to make Mrs. Weatherbee feel it is important to have that great custom shipping label that lets her get every detail of the address exactly as it needs to be – every time.

Mrs. Weatherbee has found success with custom shipping labels for her new business. Without them she might have faced care packages not getting delivered or having a less than professional image for her company. For a small investment, Mrs. Weatherbee’s Care Packages & More is on its way to great success.

Some say after you retire you are busier than ever – and those people likely have met Mrs. Weatherbee! She’s gone from being a popular teacher to running a successful care package business with little downtime in between. Some might say she is even more popular with the kids as she sends them coloring books, glow in the dark stickers and coloring books instead of homework!

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Cindy is like most moms who want to spend more time with their children. As the mom to 4 growing boys, she’s always on the go. Someone always has baseball, basketball or soccer practice. And as a mom with a home business she can be there for all of their games, cheering them on to victory.

“Your home business needs to be just as professional as a brick and mortar business,” her husband reminded her when she decided to start Cindy’s Gifts. He was right of course and when her husband showed her the shipping labels they were using in his office, Cindy decided to order some for her giftware business.

Cindy put the spaghetti on the stove and went to her computer to check out purchasing shipping labels. She thought at first she would just preview their collection and then decide later, but the ordering process was so easy – she was able to order them before the spaghetti was done. Cindy chose her favorite font, the dark purple she likes and a large shipping label to stick and peel onto her giftware boxes. All with the click of a mouse the custom shipping labels were ordered.

And they aren’t just labels for a business shipping out products; it’s a way to send out your company image every time one of the packages leaves the front door. Cindy was proud to send her boxes with Cindy’s Gifts custom shipping labels on them. She had many colors and fonts to choose from, easily matching the dark purple she uses on her website. This meant her customers or gift recipients would recognize instantly who this great package was from – that it was another special gift from Cindy’s Gifts.

Not only were custom shipping labels inexpensive but they were one of the savviest marketing tools around. Cindy’s Gifts is an online business so Cindy’s customers don’t visit a brick and mortar store. Their first impression of Cindy’s Gifts is visiting the website and the next important impression is when that gift arrives. It’s critical that her box containing the gift be perfect – so her customers are more than satisfied and remember her for their gift giving needs. Today’s customers have plenty of choices to buy gifts and Cindy, without blushing, wants them to remember her unique and whimsical gift store. To stand out from the competition, she’s got to do everything she can.

You may not know Cindy but we do and one thing she really doesn’t like is spending money. The stay at home mom of 4 boys, Cindy really knows how to make her money work for her. But even Cindy could recognize a bargain when she saw it with shipping labels. Unlike some other marketing tactics where the customer had the option not to notice or pay attention – every single customer couldn’t help but notice these were polished and professional. Cindy knew the impression the labels would make would pay for itself in the long run. Cindy’s been right too: her reorders have been up by 35% since.

Congratulations to Cindy’s Gifts and her success!

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10. You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

Just like that guy who showed up for an interview wearing a suit from the 1970’s, you know that a polished and professional appearance matters for every company.

9. Choices, Choices, Did we say choices?

It used to be you had a few choices when it came to your shipping labels and that was it. But today, the sky is just about the limit for your custom shipping labels. Choose from the rainbow of colors and many fonts

8. Small orders equal professional results.

Today’s options are even better as you can order just 500 custom shipping labels to receive high-quality custom labels with every option you can imagine. The current shipping labels you have can even be matched, duplicated so there’s no worry about changing to a different label!

7. Quick turnaround time.

Get your labels ordered and your order will be turned around quickly. There’s no excess wait time, no frustration or hassle. Just a 3 to 5 day turnaround on the typical order. It’s easy and convenient to order your company’s shipping labels.

6. Even a kid can order custom shipping labels.

Go ahead and put your teens to work in the family business and let them order the custom shipping labels. An easy ordering system walks them through every option. The intuitive system helps them with each choice from choosing the fonts to the different colors for the custom shipping labels.

5. Help is just a phone call or email away.

Most companies can pick out their shipping labels and they’re ready to order. But if you’ve never ordered shipping labels or you’re doing something new, you might have a question or two – and that’s okay. Customer service is always available to answer questions or to guide you through the ordering process.

4. Variety, did we say Variety?

Some may think of Labels on Rolls. Others may like Labels on Sheets or Fanfold Labels. Happily, each person and company can easily order the type of labels they prefer. You aren’t limited to just rolls of labels or labels in sheets. Options are a great thing for every company to have, and make your labels so much easier to store.

3. Customers notice – even if they don’t think they do.

Coco Chanel once said that if a dress was beautiful, people noticed the woman. We have to agree with her. Sometimes customers notice something without completely noticing every detail that makes it great. When your package arrives, you want that package to look polished and professional. A shipping label that is clear, easy to read and represents your company brand is the ideal choice. We think Coco Chanel would have to agree with us!

2. Make shipping packages easier on your staff.

It’s great when business is good but even better when it is terrific. But for the small business when you’ve got a lot of packages to send out, your staff can be busier than ever trying to manage the front of the store while shipping out packages at the same time. Custom shipping labels mean the store or company’s mailing address is already written out for them in a clear and professional way. They just add the customer or recipient’s mailing address – and that package is ready to go!

1. More sales.

We thought that would get your attention. Customers like to do business with companies and stores that appear professional. Having shipping labels may seem like a smaller detail than some – but what is the first thought that comes to mind when they don’t have shipping labels? Maybe they are missing some other details that should be taken care of. Adding custom shipping labels shows a professional attitude at all times – and lets your customers know you are ready and open for business.

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White’s Gardening Supplies has been busy and often they wind up delivering large orders for customers. Tim realized these orders would be more organized if he had customized shipping stickers. While he wasn’t shipping plants, trees and bushes – the way the label was set up was perfect to let everyone know who the order was from. Best of all, the customized labels looked so professional.

The labels were kept on a roll so everyone could find them easily. Tim had the choice of ordering them in sheets, folded labels or on a roll. He chose ordering them as a roll because he knew his employees would find this the most convenient method. He appreciated having the options available to him.

Tim used the new computers to order the shipping labels and was able to get the gardening center’s exact color of green they use on their stationary and awning. It was nice to get a great match like that. He added the Courier font because it is easy to read and included a blooming plant, the White’s Gardening Supplies logo. In just a few mouse clicks their order was complete.

The labels worked perfectly when delivering large plants or smaller orders. Tim knew he didn’t want any mix ups. By adding the shipping stickers to the side of the plants everyone knew right away which plants and trees were going to which customer. This was a great convenience for his employees, especially the ones who did deliveries. Tim was pleased to see that deliveries from the store became even quicker and he thinks it is a direct result of getting the shipping labels. The labels were so easy to read. His employees could read them and know where the plants and trees were going without any fuss or hassle.

Tim also appreciated how professional the everything looked when plants were ordered as a gift. Some customers would order plants for housewarming gifts or other celebrations. They lookoked neat, polished and professional. He knew that when they arrived the gift recipient would admire the label whether they realized it or not.

Business at White’s Gardening Supply is doing quite well. Tim doesn’t think he is doing everything as well as his dad. Many of his customers like to ask about his parents, who have moved to Florida to enjoy retirement. But his father did grudgingly admit that the new computers and shipping labels were a good idea and were helpful to the business. Dad noticed the shipping labels as deliveries were about to go out and saw how easy it was to organize the deliveries. “This is not the way it used to me,” Dad admitted with a wry grin. Tim knew from his dad that was a high compliment. And he was pleased.

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The band has fans that like their CDs. While they aren’t available in the music stores, Frank and his buddies sell them at their gig venues. Tasty Potato CDs have been pretty popular, and it wasn’t long before Frank and his buddies started getting email requests to send a CD along to someone who’d heard the band was great.

Then Tasty Potato was featured in a popular blog for indie rock bands. The requests started pouring in for their CDs. Frank realized that writing on the envelopes just wasn’t that successful. It didn’t look professional and he wanted their CDs to make a great impression when they arrived in the mail. Then he found custom shipping labels. With custom shipping labels he could get shipping labels that featured their baked potato mascot and with brown and white, the colors of the band and all of their gear (website, CD, t-shirts). Anyone would easily know that package was from Tasty Potato. Why they would tear right into it, knowing that CD had arrived! Frank ordered right away.

The CD orders kept coming and Frank was glad he had the custom shipping labels. His band members were tired of writing Tasty Potato’s P.O. Box on every package, and the shipping labels saved them time and looked much better. Their drummer doesn’t have great handwriting and every package he did – well let’s just say the guys hoped it would make it there okay.

Tasty Potato operates on a shoestring budget (shoestring potato maybe…..). So spending a lot of money really wasn’t an option. Frank and his band members were relieved to find that custom shipping labels were a competitive and reasonable price that was wallet friendly. They could easily order the labels they needed and the options to make them look great like colors, fonts and adding graphics were all included in the price.

Now Tasty Potato has a larger fan base – in part because they have been able to mail out CDs to new fans. They are hard at work on their new CD and are almost ready to order another set of custom shipping labels so they’ll be ready for orders. Frank and his buddies know just how important they were to their first CDs success and they don’t want to miss out for their next one.

Ordering labels can make a difference for a band or any small business. While custom shipping labels can’t make you sound better, they sure can help get your music into the hands of people that will enjoy it. This makes a big difference in connecting you with fans and people who might become fans. Keep playing Tasty Potato!

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