Ready To Start Selling Your Crafts? Here's What You Need to Know About Order Fulfillment
Order Fulfillment

One of the hardest decisions you are likely to make is to sell the products of your hobby. Once you decide to go for it, there are a number of different angles you will need to consider, one of the most important being fulfilling the orders. There are five things to consider when you get started.

1. Shipping Costs

Shipping costs are likely to be one of the biggest problems you encounter when it comes to fulfilling orders. Sending something out of the country will be far more costly than sending something locally. When potential customers go to checkout, you should include the shipping cost at that time so that it does not come as a surprise after they have completed their order.

You will need to include different shipping costs for the different delivery speeds. If a client wants something within 24 hours, that will need to be included as part of the shipping cost at checkout.

2. Shipping Laws & Regulations

Shipping laws are another potential problem. Depending on how you setup your shop, you might want to consider keeping your sales to a national level. The wider your potential customers’ locations, the more laws, rules, and regulations you will need to follow. Spend time researching the laws regulating the shipping of your goods both nationally and internationally before you branch out into new areas.

3. Customer Communication

Communication is something that can make or break your shop. It is a fine line to walk because you want to keep the customer updated without spamming their inbox. At a minimum, you should provide communication at the different stages following order placement.

  • Order Confirmation - Send a "thank you" email for purchasing your product. Some eCommerce sites will do this automatically for you. Reiterate product details, expected delivery, and a way to contact you should the buyer need more information.
  • Shipping Details- Brief email that the product has shipped, preferably with a tracking number.
  • After Delivery - Include a note with the product thanking the customer again. Adding a coupon can also help persuade them to return for more items in the future.

4. Delivery Delays

Delays happen. If you do not have adequate stock for a particular purchase or if something arises that prevents you from sending the product on the established timeline, make sure to communicate this to the customer immediately.

5. Returns

Returns are another problem that you are likely to encounter the longer you sell your crafts. Your website should provide the details for how to handle returns. When you send the initial thank you email for purchases, include template information on how to return products.

A Little Experience Goes a Long Way

As you gain experience you will want to modify your procedures and methods to meet your specific needs. Fulfilling an order of crocheted scarves may be considerably different than handmade bowls, but these steps will help you find your footing. Ultimately the process needs to be something that works for you.

Additional Resources

Many sites where you can sell your crafts provide their own set of instructions, so if you are curious to see where others have started, here are a couple links to help you figure out what is right for you.