What can make receiving goods from a small business extra special?

[GoldPaperStars]

I’m in the process of setting up a small business selling jewellery. I really want the experience of receiving the jewellery through the post to be a lovely one and was wondering what extra touches I could add.

Has anyone received something from a small (or large) business in a way that’s made the whole experience extra special? Notes, packaging, something else?

Ooh you could do something a little different like fold an origami flower or good luck crane or something. Or what are also nice you can get tiny tibetan silver charms for next to nothing to tie on with ribbon (in all different types and sizes) - they cost pence each really on ebay.

I’ve had three freebies over the last couple of months with online orders. One was a twix (very welcome indeed) with an ironmongery order, another was a Mars bar (amazing) with a door furniture order, and another was a small wax melt in a decent not to my taste at all, with a candles order in the run up to Christmas. I don’t have a wax burner, and neither does anyone I was seeing at the time, so that was a waste, but I used it as a room scent in the shed.

I wouldn’t appreciate sweets but i do love pretty wrapping. Something simple like tissue paper with a sticker with something like thank you from shop name, you can get these printed up. I had an order recently and whilst it was a beautiful product, they had skimped on the tissue paper and just put a very small thin piece on it. I was glad i got it delivered to me and not the recipient as it made it look cheap when it really wasn’t.
I have also had business cards with a little handwritten note on the back thanking me for supporting them with their name. It made it more personal. This seller had also been brilliant with communication and they’ve stuck with me so now i actively look at their page to see what i can buy from them.

I repeat purchase craft supplies the most.

I like: nice packaging, personal notes (one recent seller even referenced a recent make with her product I'd shared on instagram) and I do like little packets of sweets.

But I agree sweets and jewellery is a bit odd.

Lots of the sellers I buy from are now using brown paper packaging with nice stickers/ tape. I like it.

@fabulousspider

Ooh you could do something a little different like fold an origami flower or good luck crane or something. Or what are also nice you can get tiny tibetan silver charms for next to nothing to tie on with ribbon (in all different types and sizes) - they cost pence each really on ebay.

I love these ideas.

The one about the business card with seeds too.

I did order jewellery which came with a small organza bag with a few dried rose buds - that was nice.

The only thing that makes my day is packaging that is 100% recycable. .I would hate to receive haribo or "tat"

Another thing that might be nice is a few drops of essential oil sprayed lightly on the packaging, sprayed on rose or some other not overbearing scent that's pretty - would make a fabulous scent when it's opened. I think a flower company do this, i loved the smell when I opened it. Obviously it's quite a personal thing scent so would be important not to overdo it!

hand printed brown paper with a hand stamped design on it? Maybe in gold ink or something?

Yes to lovely packaging ,some types of sweets can look a bit cheap though.
A thank you is always nice but no cringy message .
A pet hate of mine is a delivery charge for something very small and light that costs more than the postage fee , really puts me off ordering.

Like alot of PPs, recyclable packaging. Simple tissue paper, you could seal with branded sticker, or tied nicely with a bow?

Will you be providing a jewellery pouch? A cloth might be nice to include too

@fabulousspider

Another thing that might be nice is a few drops of essential oil sprayed lightly on the packaging, sprayed on rose or some other not overbearing scent that's pretty - would make a fabulous scent when it's opened. I think a flower company do this, i loved the smell when I opened it. Obviously it's quite a personal thing scent so would be important not to overdo it!

Yeah, not lavender or I'm going to have to chuck out the packaging in the outside bin and let the item decontaminate in the shed! It makes me gip.

Nice recyclable packaging and string or a bow?

My DD orders a lot of very niche products from Etsy. Some of them pop a little note card in with a print of her favourite characters etc which is always very much appreciated - can be used as a card or framed as a print so makes it into something of higher value than it actually is.

@tsmainsqueeze

Yes to lovely packaging ,some types of sweets can look a bit cheap though. A thank you is always nice but no cringy message . A pet hate of mine is a delivery charge for something very small and light that costs more than the postage fee , really puts me off ordering.

But you get that having read all these messages, the ‘P&P’ cost covers packaging as well as postage, and once you factor in a little gift bag, ribbon, postal bag, tissue etc it’s not just the postage cost you’re paying for.

I would hate all of this. Haribo? Seriously?

Deliver it asap and well packaged and get the order right. That's it.

A little handwritten note always makes me smile

I watch an American soap make on Youtube, and she also posts videaos of packing the orders, so I see her boxes, tissue paper, stickers, etc and it all looks nice.

There are some good ideas here, and looking at YouTube for other makers packing orders could give you some visual ideas too.

Mind you, for £10 per bar of soap, I'd expect nice packaging anyway.

A company we buy from a lot send a handwritten photo card by the guy who packs the order.
I bought a very expensive scarf once that arrived with melted Reece’s Cups stuck to it.
I was gutted, returned it & I won’t buy from them again.

I bought DH a hand knitted pair of gloves and neck gaiter that arrived beautifully wrapped and with a lovely hand written note which left me with the impression that my business was really appreciated.
Good luck with your new venture!

Handwritten notes are always lovely, somehow. I tend to throw the sweets away. I guess a discount code and handwritten note would be the winners for me :)

I think sweets would be fine if you were bulk ordering pens or some such , I ordered some post-it notes and got a free pen , that was nice .

If you are going to give a gift it needs to fit with what you are selling , so could you send a tiny bottle of jewellery cleaner ?

Or as PP have said environmentally friendly packing and a personal note

Rowan Atkinson in Love actually
"Oh no, this isn't just a bag." That always makes me laugh.

What's a neck gaiter. Sounds painful.

I have a small business and have a printed sticker, string bow and thank you card. The whole lot is wrapped in brown paper. All recyclable. Having said all that, it’s a real faff and has taken me a while to get speedy at doing it. There was a time in the middle of xmas craziness that it didnt seem worth it!

This is all absolute gold, thank you so much. Clearly a mix of what people like, but that’s always going to be the way and I just need to find something that fits my brand.

No decent pictures taken yet, but perhaps I’ll pop back with one. Thank you for the good wishes too - I’m nervous about starting a new venture so they’re genuinely appreciated!