Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Everyone has been very helpful!  thanks to all of you.  Guna, thanks for the link to your site, I just don`t have the funds for it right now... I`m having pkg / boxes/ and shipping issues that is about to drive me insane!  I`ll be busy this next week trying to resolve this, otherwise... well... I don`t know!   

Also, I`m very surprised, but if people go to msn search engine and type in scrapbook furniture, I`m number 7!  and it`s been that way for weeks now... Google, tends to go back and forth... I`ve been on page 2, 4, and sometime I`ve gone to page 20 and not find it!  Not sure what drives google... it`s all very confusing to me!  On ask jeeves, I tend come up on the 2 or 3 page... so, I`m not sure how it`s happening, but it is... My article should be coming out the 22nd, but if I can`t get this pkg and shipping fixed, it may all blow up in my face!!  I need some expert opinions (anyone?)  Just had 4 pieces arrived damaged!  Thankfully, the customer is super sweet, understands that I`m new and is willing to let me ship her another set... but FED EX, handles things so rough!!  It feels hopeless! I actually sent a unit in a crate that my mfr made... well, they tore it up, and stuffed it in some thin box with no packing and it arrived with all the drawers off, runners bent, unit crooked... how can they get away with this??  I have all my units insured, but what if they come back and say that I didn`t pack it right? I didn`t take a picture of it before it shipped?  Guess I`ll find out tomorrow... ANY suggestions would be wonderful!!

Thanks Marcy

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Marcy Shuler
www.ScrapbookSpaceStation.com
Scrapbook Furniture and Organizers

Scrappy,

Are you shipping your products pre assembled?  If you are is it possible to ship them unassembled?  This would make your product more shipping resistent.

Secondly, have you thought about outsourcing your shipping to a distributor or local shipping company?  This would free up a lot of time and hassle.  Also, it would bring accountability to the shipper make them responsible for packing it properly and handling issues when it goes wrong.

Have you tried other shippers?  DHL, UPS, USPS

I hope that this helps.

Aaron,

One of the `features` of my business is everything ships assembled... honestly, the only item that would benefit from shipping flat packed is my cabinets... my tables are both one solid rectangle with 4 legs that screw on... and it too got damaged... one of the organizers is only 6" deep... but it is wide... it`s 48"wide.. and about 15" high... so it`s long and narrow, but not deep... and where it`s getting damaged is on the top narrow side... which means instead of them following the direction of the arrows that I put all over the box, they choose to ignore that and sit it up on it`s side... so when they put items on top... It would matter if it was flat packed or not... how frustrating... I`m going to try and set up an appt with a LTL rep today at lunch...

thanks for the input

Marcy

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Marcy Shuler
www.ScrapbookSpaceStation.com
Scrapbook Furniture and Organizers

 

I hope things work out for you.  There aren`t too many shippers these days that will take care of your product.  Quantity vs Quality for them.

You might want to reconsider the assembled shipping.  I think that most people expect some assembly of most products that they order these days.

Scrappy,

Off subject just a tad. Ran across this article today from a Detroit paper and thought of you:

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060515/B IZ02/605150356/1029/SCHOOLS

Titled: Home, sweet office - Work space should be efficient, comfortable

Reading this article made me think that there is another article that needs to be written along the same lines about efficient furniture in the scrapbook business. Maybe contact this writer and suggest another article. Or use these same ideas to pitch local newspapers in your area. As I`ve said before, your furniture lends itself to other fields of work. Free publicity like this is priceless.

Just thought I`d pass along - food for thought.

R@

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Richard Arnold · Key Concept Writers · Business Communication: The "Key" To Success· Law of Attraction Blog · Life Ain`t Brain Surgery Blog

Richard,

Thank you so much for sending me this article.  I email them... you never know... 

I found a company called uship.com I`ll be researching it further tonight... but it may be a solution for my shipping problem... I`m waiting for a rep to call me with a pkg company, I hope to get it wrapped up this week!

Thanks again The people here at Start Up Nation are GREAT!!

Marcy

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Marcy Shuler
www.ScrapbookSpaceStation.com
Scrapbook Furniture and Organizers

First stop using Fed Ex, for two reason.

First they have been given multi chance and have not delivered for you.  No pun intended.  Second, all the major players us UPS unless its someone like dell.  QVC uses UPS exclusively I believe.

Call UPS business help office and explain what you are trying to accomplish, they use to customize a plan for you on how they can handle your shipping needs.

Good Luck, and I will be taking a look at your website.

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Erik
www.usspin.com
www.unitedbusinessalliance.com

UPS does not take large shpmts like my 30x80 desk top... I checked with them 1st... I`m looking at a company called uship.com I`m waiting for a rep to call me to ask some more detailed questions...   I`ve also set up a meeting with K&G box company Thur... I`m going to have them check out one of my more popular units and let him tell me what kind of pkg is needed... I have a horrible feeling this is going to cost me big time...which scares me.  I hate the fact that I have a product that I believe can do well in an industry that continues to grow... Scrapbooking is a 3billion dollar a year industry.  More and more people are looking to set up a room in their home just for this hobby.  I`ve managed to come up with some unique solutions for these people and I can`t seem to get it to them... it`s very frustrating!   Keep your fingers crossed for me... maybe this rep I`m meeting with has the solution and maybe it won`t cost me an arm and a leg!

Marcy

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Marcy Shuler
www.ScrapbookSpaceStation.com
Scrapbook Furniture and Organizers