Paper Talk

You have a fantastic new paper idea. It’s innovative. People are going to love it. 

The only problem? It’s a little off-brand for you. It relates to your paper flower business, but it’s different enough that you’re not sure if you can market it all together. 

You might need a brand new brand. 

Next problem? How in the world do you manage more than one brand?

In our latest episode of Paper Talk, we chatted with Laura Richey of Pucker Up Paper Lips and 2 CLVR Designs. On top of her paper flowers and lip sculptures, she has also started creating paper portraits. Her art is all related, but appeals to different audiences and needs to be handled accordingly. 

► Laura’s paper journey and how it led to sculptures and portraits.
► How to get found by big brands who want to work together.
► How to source paper despite shortages and shipping problems.
► Laura’s process for frequently checking in with customers to ensure they’re happy with the end product.
► How to tell when it’s time to pay for marketing or other outside help.

As a little sneak peek, here are three things to get you ready to branch out with multiple brands. 

As we chatted with Laura, we noticed a thread running through her work. She is a cardstock paper artist. She has over a decade of experience working with that medium. That expertise is invaluable when opportunities arise. 

On the episode, Laura explained how Pucker Up Paper Lips took off. Without spoiling the entire story, her circumstances changed, opportunities arose, and she had the experience to be prepared to seize the moment. The paper lips were still related to what she is skilled at (working with cardstock), but different enough to warrant a new brand. 

“Why can’t I do that with paper?” - Laura

If you’re waiting for your break, or you feel like you’re stuck in a rut, keep innovating. Keep learning new things. Better your skill set. You want to be as prepared as possible for when an opportunity does come up. Otherwise, it doesn’t really matter if you get a chance if you’re not ready for it.

With three brands comes three audiences. Some of those clients will overlap. Some come from more niche markets. Even within a single market for one brand, customers are individuals. As Laura pointed out on the podcast, some people are more comfortable with emails, others with Instagram DMs, etc. 

If you’re looking to expand your sales, then you need to meet people where they are. Your paper art should be in more than one place on the internet, and you should get your work physically in front of people. 

To find the best places to be, you should understand your target customer base. On the episode, Laura discussed how her clientele differs for her various brands. Listen now to better understand who you should be seeking out.

Laura shared that she is now working with a PR company to better market her businesses. This wasn’t an easy decision for her to make, and as we discussed, it isn’t the answer for everyone. 

Sometimes, however, you simply don’t have enough time to run your business, or you don’t have the skills for a particular need. That’s when it’s time to hire someone. You of course should be mindful of what you’re spending, but if you do this well, you’ll keep making money even while outsourcing some parts of your business.

“Taking a leap with your business is definitely something I recommend.” - Laura

Listen to the episode to hear Laura’s very sound reasoning for why she decided to work with a PR company, and how to know when it’s time to hire someone to help your small business grow. 

Also, here's the PDF format for THE WHY WORKSHEET that you can download for free.

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ABOUT Laura Richey:

Hi, I'm Laura. I started my business during the Covid pandemic in mid 2020. I needed a business that was flexible and that I could manage during online schooling and taking care of my son, who has ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). I created the Paper Lip business from the ground up. I have seen so many amazing makeup artists doing lip art that I thought, why can't I do something like that in a form of lip sculpture? Pucker Up Paper Lips was born.

Learn more about Laura Richey by following her on social media:

INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/puckerup_paperlips and www.instagram.com/paper_portraits_2clvr_designs

FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/ByLaurax0x0 and www.facebook.com/2clvrDesigns

WEBSITE: puckeruppaperlips.com and www.2clvrdesigns.ca

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www.papertalkpodcast.com

A lawyer, a biologist, and a marketing and finance specialist sit down and talk about… paper flowers?

If you’ve been in our community for a while, this won’t sound shocking. But if you’re newer, you might be surprised at just how wide ranging paper florists’ backgrounds can be. While many of our stories about discovering our love of paper flowers are very similar, our journeys before that point are all over the map. 

And that’s really where our community’s strength comes from. 

In our latest episode of Paper Talk, we chatted with Chi-Chi Nnakwe Whitley of AfroBloom Art and Design. She is a PhD trained biologist, app creator, and joyful paper florist. Her unique set of skills has helped her succeed on a path that is just right for her and has strengthened our community in a way that no one else could. 

So how can you use your unique talents to help your paper flower business flourish? Listen to the episode to learn from Chi-Chi’s experience, and use these three tips that we discussed on the podcast.

► Chi-Chi’s journey to becoming a paper florist.
►How her why has guided her through academia, paper flowers, and more.
► How our community has helped her, and how she’s giving back now.
►Why Chi-Chi chose her business name, AfroBloom Art and Design.
►How to save on her app, Crafty Notes (spoiler: Use code PAPERTALK2022 to get a discount on an annual subscription for one year) 

No paper florist is simply a paper florist. We have interests that are wide-ranging. These outside influences are what give us inspiration to do new things. They cultivate new skills. They keep us motivated as we stay curious.

“Once I started down that path, I really couldn’t let go because the flowers brought something to me that I felt like I didn’t have, which was a sense of creating beauty.”

Chi-Chi told us about how she didn’t know what she wanted to major in at college. She took a wide range of classes, and some of them just clicked. So she chased them. She took more science classes. She narrowed down her focus to studying things at a cellular level. She loved observing the little details. 

See the connection with paper flowers, recreating little details? In a totally different subject, Chi-Chi discovered something about herself that later translated to a love of creating paper flowers. She found a skill that weaves through different areas of her life. 

While we each have unique skills that will help us succeed, we also need to lean on other people’s strengths at times. By supporting each other, we all can do more. 

In the episode, Chi-Chi shared the story about how she created her app, Crafty Notes. It is something that could only come from her, but that doesn’t mean that she didn’t get help with it. She got inspiration from our Makers Meetings. She took a class about how to create an app without coding experience. You can hear the entire story on the episode, but in short, she leaned on community to help her achieve her goal.

Listen to the podcast to hear all about how this app is perfect for paper florists or any creator needing to organize their ideas and projects. We’ve been very excited watching Chi-Chi’s work on this project.

Yes, we’ve been talking about this a lot, but that’s because it’s so important! Throughout your life, in any area, your underlying why will guide you and keep you energized enough to keep going. 

“There’s that inner pride and joy that comes from creating a flower, and it’s addictive.”

As Chi-Chi shared on the episode, “To push through times when that ambiguity is there, you have to come back to your why and your motivation.” She said this while talking about earning her PhD, but it’s applicable to any part of your life. 

Keep listening with us this season to focus on your why and find what will motivate you long-term to succeed. 

Also, here's the PDF format for THE WHY WORKSHEET that you can download for free.

DISCLAIMER: Chinonye Nnakwe Whitley is participating in her personal capacity.  Her participation does not constitute an endorsement by any federal agency or the United States Government.

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ABOUT Chi-Chi Nnakwe Whitley: 

Chinonye Nnakwe Whitley (Chi-Chi) is a self-taught mixed media artist that finds joy in color, florals and afrocentric prints. Her aesthetic is romantically bold, feminine and whimsical. She builds community by teaching her distinct style in in-depth tutorials and building tools that empower emerging artists.  She created the Crafty Notes Pro app to quickly capture thoughts when inspiration strikes, for talking to clients, for use when creating art work, and for recreating past projects. 

Learn more about Chi-Chi Nnakwe Whitley by following her on social media:

INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/afrobloomart

WEBSITE: www.afrobloomart.com

WEBSITE (Crafty Notes Pro app): https://craftynotes.afrobloomart.com/

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Join our Facebook group where you can share, connect, and grow with us. Please also consider supporting us through a donation so we can continue to produce great content like this.

www.papertalkpodcast.com

As this pandemic has stretched on, paper florists and artists like us have had to become more flexible than ever before. 

Revenue streams that we relied on have dried up. Guessing what events will look like in a month’s time feels as accurate as guessing what they’ll be like in fifty years. 

Now more than ever, we have to diversify our income so that whatever happens in a week, month, or year, we will have something to rely on.

In our latest episode of Paper Talk, we chatted with Ashley Reagan of ibleedheART about how she has diversified how she sells her art—including the things she tried that are definitely not for her. Listen now to hear our discussion about the many different ways you can earn income from paper flowers, and how you can choose which ones are true to your why. 

If you’re interested in selling at craft and art shows, you need to hear Ashley’s advice on navigating how to find, choose, and evaluate which shows are right for you. Her expertise in this area is really fantastic. Here’s a little taste of what you’ll learn with three things you should look for when researching shows.

► How Ashley finds and chooses which shows to sell at.
►Why having different sources of income is so important.
► How to pick the right audience to sell your paper flowers.
►What happened to the white lily installation from the Tulsa Massacre Memorial. 

Different art or craft shows attract different audiences. Ashley spoke about why she felt her paper flowers didn’t do well in certain venues, and it boils down to the audience. 

What are their expectations for this event? Did they come here planning on buying bespoke, slightly expensive, handmade goods? Or are they looking for a bargain? 

“Paper flowers became a way to honor my granddad, because he was an avid gardener. He loved gardening. He would always tell me which flowers we were passing wherever we were. So one of the first flowers that I created from my own template was a marigold because he always grew marigolds in his garden.” - Ashley

This doesn’t mean that you can only sell at shows specifically catering to your specialty. As Quynh pointed out on the podcast, our past guest Stephen Brooks quickly sells out of paper peonies at a show mostly focused on fresh peonies. Interest in your work can come from adjacent industries. It might take some trial and error to figure out which ones, but if you pay attention, you can start to better anticipate which audiences will be more receptive to your paper flowers.

If Ashley finds a show that she might be interested in, she looks for their home on the internet. Search for websites, Facebook pages, or news articles that mention it. You can see how the show has been marketed in the past, and that will let you know how it will probably be advertised in the future. 

Marketing a show is essential to your success. More eyes walking past your booth means more potential sales. Good marketing will also reach the people who are most likely to be enthusiastic about your art. Marketing should not be the artists’ responsibility. The event coordinator should be spreading the word.

Researching all of this is easier if the art or craft show has been held in the past. If it’s a new event, you will probably have less marketing information to work with. Their current internet presence will hopefully give you a small glimpse into how they plan to present the show in their marketing materials and how they will go about reaching the right audience.

As Ashley shared in the episode, the event coordinator makes or breaks how successful a show will be. The coordinator is responsible for planning and marketing the show.

We touched on why marketing is important, but keep in mind the organization piece as well. A well-organized event is going to run smoother. You won’t waste time figuring out answers to questions that should have already been answered. You won’t waste time problem solving issues that arise because things weren’t planned out well in advance.

“The lilies made such an impact…Sometimes we think about why do we do this? It must be for something greater than ourselves. Why do we make paper flowers? If anything, one little act can create such an impact on someone else’s life. I don’t know about you, but isn’t that powerful?” - Jessie

Do as much research as you can on coordinators you aren’t familiar with. Chat with friends or colleagues who know them. Reach out to them with questions to get a feel for whether or not they’re on top of their game.

In the end, you will have to take a leap of faith when it comes to trying out new craft or art shows, but these tips will steer you in the right direction. Also, be sure to listen to the episode to hear how Ashley sets herself up for success at the shows and how she systematically evaluates the events afterward to continually improve her experience at shows.

Also, here's the PDF format for THE WHY WORKSHEET that you can download for free.

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ABOUT Ashley Reagan:

Ashley Reagan of ibleedheART is inspired by nature and creates feather and butterfly wing jewelry from embroidery thread, crepe paper flowers and plants, and hobbit door shelf sitters. She started making earrings after wearing real feather earrings and trying to find a solution to not have to readjust the earrings in the Oklahoma wind, so she came up with a method that still had the look of a feather, but had just enough weight to stay put on its own, but still be very light weight. Crepe paper flowers came along several years later as a way to honor her Granddad's love for gardening and realizing the green thumb wasn't passed down to her. Proceeds from each hobbit door sale goes towards one day building a human sized hobbit house to live in and one to rent out!

Learn more about Ashley Reagan by following her on social media:

INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/ibleedheart

FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/ibleedheart

WEBSITE: www.ibleedheart.com

ONLINE STORE: www.etsy.com/shop/ibleedheart

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Join our Facebook group where you can share, connect, and grow with us. Please also consider supporting us by making a donation on our website so we can continue to produce great content like this.

www.papertalkpodcast.com

What will bring you happiness and fulfillment as a paper florist?  

You won’t know until you try it! 

In our latest episode of Paper Talk, we discussed the importance of trying new things in order to find your why.

Finding your why is the entire focus of Season 5, and we’ll be helping you better understand the purpose in life and paper flowers that will make you the happiest. We highly recommend our Why Worksheet to get you started.

Be sure to listen to this episode as we dive deeper into ways you can hone in on your why. In the meantime, here are three tips on exploring new avenues on your journey to finding purpose and contentment.

► How to dive even deeper into the reasons behind your why and better understand it.
► Why trying new things is so important to finding fulfillment.
► More about Quynh’s journey refocusing on her why.
► Why talking with someone else is essential to self-reflection.
► How long it takes to find your why.

The paper flower industry is as varied and wide ranging as the people in it. We have paper florists who only work on big events. Some start teaching and love it. Others move in the fine art direction, or prefer to scale up into selling kits through retail stores. 

“I really couldn’t have done this without practically talking to Quynh on a weekly basis.” - Jessie

We explored many of these outlets in our Paper to Profits course. If you haven’t had the chance yet to join us for that course, you can get a good idea of the many different directions you can go by talking with other paper florists. Dig through the podcast archives and listen to what others are doing. Follow them on Instagram. Join our Facebook group to chat with others.

And then try something new! If you haven’t made flowers for a wedding, try it! Never made a big installation? Try it! Teach a class. Partner with a store. You don’t have to commit to doing it forever, but you should dip your toes into different areas. You may be pleasantly surprised by how much you enjoy it.

Over the course of four seasons of Paper Talk, we’ve asked many paper florists and other creatives about their journeys. A very common story is starting in one creative field and finding your way into crepe paper flowers. And sometimes paper florists find their way from crepe to other things, as well. You don’t have to be just one thing!

Quynh shared on the podcast about her long journey to focusing back on her why. One important aspect is that her why threads through her entire life. Cooking, marketing, and running a podcast all tap into something that energizes her. On the surface those things don’t look connected, but they all feed Quynh’s creativity and her need to help others. 

Listen to the episode to hear even more about Quynh’s journey and how she’s pivoted to her marketing work more recently. 

Building a community is essential as you branch out and explore. You can bounce ideas off trusted colleagues. You can collaborate on big projects that would be impossible to do on your own (like this podcast!). Your friends can cheer you on and help you when you hit a bump in the road and have to slow down for a bit.

“What drives me is knowing the responsibility I have to [Jessie], the Paper Talk community, and the people who we’ve mentored.” - Quynh

As Quynh said, “What drives me is knowing the responsibility I have to [Jessie], the Paper Talk community, and the people who we’ve mentored.” 

Our entire reason for building Paper Talk is to help our community grow and flourish. That work is incredibly satisfying because of the relationships we’ve been able to build with listeners like you.  

Also, here's the PDF format for THE WHY WORKSHEET that you can download for free.

Join our Facebook group where you can share, connect, and grow with us. Please also consider supporting us for even more great content like this.

www.papertalkpodcast.com

Is the joy that you first found in creating paper flowers missing? Does the stress of your business override the fun that you used to have as a paper florist?

You need to refocus on your why.

For this new season of Paper Talk, we’re getting back to the heart of our purpose: our whys. When you focus on your why, you’ll be happier. You’ll be more balanced. You’ll have the confidence to make decisions. And yes! You can find your why and achieve all of this. 

In our latest episode, we discuss our whys and how you can get back to yours. Now, this isn’t a fifteen-minute process. That’s why we’ll be spending Season 5 talking to a fantastic lineup of guests who will help us on this journey.

For now, we’ve put together a worksheet to get you started on uncovering your why. You can also get a jumpstart on what we discussed in the episode by thinking about the questions below. 

► How we’ve refocused on our whys.
►Tips for narrowing down what your core why is.
► How to decide whether or not to say yes to a new project.
► Why time to reflect is crucial to staying energized and happy.
► How to beat FOMO.

In the episode, Jessie shared how draining it is for her to teach more interactive courses where she has to talk with students face to face, over and over again. She can do it, but it leaves her running on empty. That means no energy left for the things that actually bring her more joy. 

Every paper florist is different. There are many of us who feel energized after teaching a class and chatting with a dozen students. Others draw energy from sitting quietly and letting creativity flow. 

“Just looking back and understanding why did we even start it, and then asking that particular question the entire time that we’re doing the podcast is still making us happy.” - Quynh

Think about what energizes you. There is no one right answer here! Now dig into that. Ask yourself what exactly about that thing you find energizing. Our worksheet will help you reflect more on this, but simply recognizing your energy drains and avoiding them is a great first step.

As Quynh has discussed before, she pulled back from her monthly paper flower tutorials at The Posey Box. There was always something to do to get ready for the next box. She had no space for creativity or reflection. She wasn’t fulfilled doing the same things month after month. So she made a change. 

She did the same with the podcast by hiring a team to edit the audio for her. As she said in the episode, “Taking that huge workload off has really given me a refresh, a real joy in recording the podcast.”

By giving herself space to reflect on what she really wanted, she was able to make changes. She gave herself room to be creative in the avenues that bring her greater happiness. 

If you find yourself constantly scrambling to get things done with no time to just sit back and think, carve out some quiet space. You may have to drop a project or hand something off to someone else. It will be worth it.

Getting back to your why means finding what really matters to you beyond paper flowers. It focuses on the core of who you are. Being a paper florist should complement and support your personal life, not trample all over it. Otherwise, you’re going to burnout and regret losing time with those you love. 

Jessie shared how she got back to her core why this past year. You can hear the entire story in the episode, but in short, she lost focus of her main why for a time. She quit practicing law to be more present for her children, and then had a wake-up call that paper flowers were starting to do the exact same thing that she had been trying to avoid.

“I was like, ‘I’ve got to stop, and I’ve got to choose my projects that align with my why.’ Part of my why is having that flexibility and that mind space to be there with my kids.”

You need space for self-care. You need space to nurture the relationships that matter most to you. Finding your why should help you create that space and support those goals. 

Also, here's the PDF format for THE WHY WORKSHEET that you can download for free.

Join our Facebook group where you can share, connect, and grow with us. Please also consider supporting us for even more great content like this.

www.papertalkpodcast.com

We reflect on the past year of the podcast and our paper flower businesses. Learn how we’ll focus on the heart of our craft moving forward, plus what goes into building a successful partnership.

Season 4 is over! We can’t believe it! Thank you to our Patrons who have made it possible for us to keep making this podcast.

In our last episode of Season 4, we reflected on what went well and what didn’t last year, as well as what kind of changes we’re planning on making for the podcast and our paper flower businesses. We agree that our big focus for 2022 is getting back to the why: the heart of why we keep wanting to be paper florists and share our love of paper flower making. 

We highly recommend taking time like we did on the podcast to reflect on your challenges and triumphs. But who has the time or energy for that? You can find the space in your mind to ask these difficult questions. Here are just a few ideas we shared on the episode.

Here’s what you’ll learn when you listen to our conversation:
► How we balance our personal lives and paper flower businesses.
► Why leaning into your strengths is the key to avoiding burn out.
► Practical ideas for giving yourself space to focus on the big why and direction of your business.
► How to build a successful partnership, even between two very different people.

Find Space to Reflect

If you’re overwhelmed with your work, you won’t have the ability to think deeply or widely about where your paper flower business is and where you want it to be. 

As Quynh shared in the episode, she scaled way back on The Posey Box last year because of this very reason. She felt like she never had time to reflect or do anything different. There was always something with an urgent deadline to take care of. She felt burnt out. You can hear the entire story on the podcast, but in short, she decided to focus on other things and is all the happier for it. 

We shared some practical tips in the episode on how you can find space. Every paper florist has different circumstances, so there’s no one size fits all answer here. But if you are feeling unsatisfied or overwhelmed, start by carving out some space for yourself.

Say No Sometimes

Jessie put it well:

“Just because you have these great ideas, or opportunities come knocking, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they're the right ones for you. And some of them are really tempting! But they might not get you to your why.” 

You need to master the art of saying no! We had an entire episode of Paper Talk dedicated to this subject, because it’s just so powerful. (Listen to Episode 85 here.) It’s hard to do, but the more you practice this skill, the better you’ll be at it.

Once you find the space to think critically about where you want your business to be, you have to focus on it. That means saying no to opportunities or ideas that don’t lead to it.

Build in Accountability

You can’t build a paper flower business alone. We all get help from family, friends, peers, and mentors. These relationships are essential for giving you someone to bounce ideas off of, to cheer you on, and very importantly, to keep you accountable. When you share your goals with someone, you’re going to have more motivation to work on them because that person is going to ask about them.

Our partnership in particular has been absolutely critical to our success both with Paper Talk and our individual businesses. And as Quynh said, “If you haven’t collaborated with another paper florist, I highly recommend it. The energy and the happiness that you get talking about paper flowers is just so fun.” 

“If you haven’t collaborated with another paper florist, I highly recommend it. The energy and the happiness that you get talking about paper flowers is just so fun.” - Quynh 

We talked a lot in the episode about how we’ve built our partnership so successfully. It isn’t always easy! But it’s completely worth it. You can also hear about our mentor for the podcast and how that has shaped our path for Paper Talk. 

Join our Facebook group where you can share, connect, and grow with us. Please also consider supporting us on Patreon for even more great content like this.

Dive into the details of what it really takes to offer paper flower kits to your customers. We talk packaging, shipping, client expectations, and more. 

Many paper florists end up teaching our craft. People want to know how you created that amazing paper flower! And once you start offering tutorials or classes, you are inevitably going to be asked about where to source our specialized materials like a crepe.

One answer to this issue? Offering kits with your tutorials.

In our latest episode of Paper Talk, we dove into what it really takes to offer kits to your customers. If you haven’t put a kit together before, there are lots of issues that you probably haven’t thought of. Here’s just a few to get you started.

Here’s what you’ll learn when you listen to our conversation:
► How Quynh began teaching and creating kits.
► What goes into creating, packaging, and shipping paper flower kits.
► Whether you should ship internationally or not.
► Managing clients’ expectations around ordering and shipping.
► How to manage preorders and why they could help your business.

Packaging Wholesale Items

If you’re going to make a profit from selling kits, you should definitely look into buying items wholesale. That said, you can’t just throw a bunch of unmarked wholesale wires and crepe paper into a kit.

“I don’t think people are going to be hard on you because you’re not offering international [shipping]. They might be disappointed, but I think it’s totally understandable why. It’s out of your control.” - Jessie

Many customers who are buying paper flower kits are new to our craft. They bought your tutorial and kit because they often don’t feel equipped to find the items themselves. It’s all so new to them! So they aren’t going to recognize the difference between a 22 gauge and a 16 gauge wire. You need to repackage these wholesale items in a way that customers can easily understand.

We discussed much more in the episode about packaging kits, including how to best present your product to make it a magical experience for the customer. Presentation matters!

Storing Products Safely

Buying all of those wholesale items means that you are going to need space to store them all. But you can’t shove them just anywhere.

As we discussed in more detail on the podcast, you have to make sure that these items won’t be damaged by crushing weight or by the elements, and that they will still be fresh if you don’t ship them out to a customer until months later. 

One way to avoid some of these issues is to offer preorders, meaning that customers buy something that won’t ship to them for some time. In the episode, we talked about how we used this method for our Awesome Blossom! workshop series, and everything you need to think about when offering preorders. 

Shipping Costs

Many small business owners don’t take into account all of their shipping costs. They ultimately end up losing money because they didn’t account for all of their expenses.

When you put together paper flower kits, you need to take into account the shipping costs for buying wholesale items, as well as what it will cost you to ship to customers. Kits can be heavy or bulky depending on what you include! You need to know how much a kit will cost to ship before you sell it at a set price that won’t cover this expense.

“I think that’s really key when you’re selling things to other people. You want to make it appealing. You want to make it look pretty.” - Quynh

And this gets even more complicated with international shipping. Quynh has had international customers request her kits, but it isn’t as simple as them offering to cover the increased costs. On the podcast, you can hear our discussion about the pros and cons of shipping internationally, and how to deal with the guilt that might come when you turn down international customers. 

Join our Facebook group where you can share, connect, and grow with us. Please also consider supporting us on Patreon for even more great content like this.

We share our best tips for packaging and branding products and how to safely ship paper flowers. We also check in with a longtime friend of the podcast, Mike Benson.

As the holidays near, everyone’s got shipping on their minds. 

How do you package your paper flowers to withstand being tossed around in the back of a truck? How do you save money on shipping costs? Just how bad are these shipping delays we keep hearing about?

In our latest episode of Paper Talk, we chatted about all this and more. Longtime friend of the podcast, Mike Benson, gave us an update on Carte Fini, including how he’s handling delays in importing crepe paper and other supplies from Italy and beyond. We also shared some of our best tips for branding and packaging your products safely, as well as how to make sure your shipping costs don’t eat into your profit. 

Listen now to get ready for all of your holiday shipping. In the meantime, here’s a peek at three things you might not have thought about that we discussed in the episode.

Here’s what you’ll learn when you listen to our conversation:
► What is new and available now at Carte Fini.
► Discussion of the different weights of Italian crepe paper.
► How to charge for the handling part of shipping and handling.
► Our best tips for branding and safely packaging your products for shipping.
► How to cultivate reasonable shipping expectations from customers.

Create a Product That Can Ship

We make delicate paper flowers, but that doesn’t mean that each bloom can withstand the same amount of abuse in a shipping box. If you’ll be shipping a bouquet or flower, make sure that it is as sturdy as you can make it.

“I’m always trying to make it better. I’m going to try to in the coming months improve some of the ways that you can shop so that it’s easier. The line has grown over the years to where I don’t want people to be frustrated with trying to find the color they want, so I want to add some features.” - Mike

As we shared on the podcast, that means that certain materials like fine crepe paper should be avoided. Why? As Jessie said, “You can’t expect your customer to know how to fluff [a paper flower] up.” 

 No matter how beautiful your packaging is, your client will not be impressed if they pull out a flower that looks like it wilted. Make something that can withstand being jostled.  

Share Tracking Numbers with Customers

Some apps will automatically send out this info to clients who purchase from you. If your shopping platform doesn’t do this, you should be emailing the customer with the tracking number as soon as you have it. 

 Why? First, your customer will feel like you haven’t forgotten their order. You’re maintaining your relationship with them. Second, you will save yourself some work. If they email you asking about where their product is, you’re going to look up the tracking number to see where it is. That’s something that your client can easily and willingly do. Lastly, it shows that you held up your end of the deal, and now the package is out of your hands.

This might seem like a really obvious thing to do, but when you’re a creative small business owner with often varying volume of orders, it can be easy to forget little things like sharing tracking numbers.

Throw an Aftermath Party

You should be evaluating your sales long after they have arrived to your customers. This postmortem lets you better plan for the future. When it comes to shipping, that means keeping track of your packaging and shipping costs, as well as trying to figure out what wowed your clients. 

 As we shared in the episode, that could mean emailing a customer to ask if your paper flower arrived, what condition it was in, if they are satisfied, etc. Obviously this should all be done in a friendly and not overbearing way. But if they liked your art enough to pay for it, they will probably be happy to share what they think.

“It boils down to your aesthetics and the presentation you want to present to the customer. Are you going to be eco-friendly? Are you going to be over the top—when they open it, it’s going to be the most magical and wonderful experience?” - Quynh

Once you have all of the info about how things went, you can dive into the details of what needs to change. Did you charge enough to cover packaging costs? How much profit did you actually make once you added on shipping? Could you change anything in your packaging to save money or improve the experience for your clients? Ask the tough questions, and your next sale will be even better.

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