Running a small business is tough in today’s competitive market. Regardless of what industry you are in, you will need to dedicate a large chunk of your capital to attracting and retaining customers. There are many ways to do this: from coming up with a killer advertisement strategy, creating an eye-catching logo, to investing in premium product packaging.
Unfortunately, all these promotional techniques are very costly, and as a small business, you might want to cut back on these costs, especially the packaging. However, I advise against it since packaging plays a much bigger role in your marketing strategy than you might believe. Packaging is an excellent way to connect with your customers and make your product appeal to the target market. Catchy product packaging is like hiring a salesperson who markets your products while they rest on the shelf.
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A common misconception about good packaging is its extremely high cost. It could not be further from the truth and companies like MK Printing Ads have set the precedent for designing premium yet affordable packaging.
We have put together a list of the most affordable packaging ideas will your budget and clientele both pleased!
Most Affordable Product Packaging Options:
Here are the most affordable product packaging types that you could consider for your small business:
Polythene Bags:
Polythene bags, or poly bags, are the most economical form of packaging for both retailers and industrialists. These are bags of thin, mostly clear plastic and are popular in many different industries for their numerous advantages. Not only do poly bags let your customers see what is inside the package, but they also make your products waterproof and dustproof. Polythene bags are fully customizable, so you can opt for special features such as zip locks, or ribbons added for extra protection or a more luxurious look. Besides, you now have the option to use biodegradable polythene bags that are not bad for the environmen
Paper Bags:
Paper bags are now a much more common sight than they were a decade ago. Companies around the globe have ditched regular plastic bags for paper bags in a bid to lower their carbon footprint. On top of being eco-friendly, paper bags are extremely inexpensive and easily customizable. These bags come in an assortment of styles and can have different unique features incorporated into them such as embossing or gold-detailing
Paperboard boxes:
Paperboard boxes are lightweight yet very durable and are popular due to their easy customization. Paperboard material can have any variances based on the production methods and materials used. Based on the type of paperboard material you choose, your costs can vary greatly and so are your customization options. You can even opt for environmentally friendly paperboard material such as Kraft. The variety of options has made this type of packaging so fashionable.
Corrugated cardboard boxes:
Cardboard is a fairly common packaging material and is widespread across a multitude of industries. Corrugated cardboard boxes are a lot sturdier than other types of packaging and many retailers use them to transport their goods from one place to the other safely. However, shipping is not their only use; these boxes are an excellent choice for retail packaging, as well. Although not as easy to customize as paperboard boxes, cardboard boxes can still be made aesthetically pleasing by adding see-through windows, paper dye, and unique cut-outs.
Plastic Containers:
Plastic boxes serve an array of purposes and are quite nifty. They are widely popular in food industries as well as for packing small stationery items such as thumbnails. The greatest advantage of plastic containers over all the other boxes on this list is that these prevent wet contents to leak or poke through. They can also be airtight so that food stays fresh longer. Plastic boxes are near as affordable as cardboard boxes but come with extra durability. Furthermore, plastic boxes let your customers peek at the contents within if you choose lighter prints.
Rigid Boxes:
Rigid luxury boxes are common at high-end retail stores since they provide the best possible protection and look good simultaneously. These are a lot denser than regular paper board boxes and give you a variety of thickness options. You can cover Rigid luxury boxes with many different materials such as textiles, paper, gold leaf, leather, and just about anything else. They are a little on the pricey side but you can work around the options to maintain that perfect balance between luxury and affordability.
Top 3 Tips To Further Reduce Packaging Costs:
Even with affordable packaging options, you could still be overblowing your budget. So, here are some tips on how to cut back your packaging costs even more.
- Even if you are selling products of various sizes, we advise you to pick a standard-sized box for all of them. Boxes that you order in larger quantities will be more inexpensive than smaller quantities of various boxes. The only issue here is that you will have a lot of space left with smaller products. You can sort it out with filler material such as bubble wrap, peanut packaging, or airbags.
- Purchase your packaging in bulk since most suppliers offer discounts on volume buying. It will significantly lower the per-unit cost of your packaging. If storage is an issue, you could pay the supplier extra for storage and pick the boxes as needed.
- Buy used boxes (if you can). Major retailers may want to get rid of packaging that has become obsolete or is slightly damaged. You will, of course, need to make little mends such as remove or cover up the print and maybe cover up the boxes with your own design, etc. All in all, it will still cost you less than buying new boxes.
Conclusion:
Packaging plays a significant role in building your brand image and the protection of your products. Small businesses usually overlook this and are usually not willing to dedicate a good amount to this. Mostly, SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises) are not aware of cheap packaging options since they have this misconception that it is very expensive to get custom packaging. In reality, the advancement in printing and packaging has brought us very inexpensive options, which we should take into consideration when setting up our business. Reduce your costs even more by ordering in bulk or sticking to a one-size-fits-all packaging strategy.
