Guide / Stage guides / Chapter 9.1
Start-up packaging on a budget.
You don't need thousands of custom boxes to look professional. Here's how to package your first orders well, spend where customers notice and keep cash free for growing.
The short answer
Start with protection and fit: stock packaging in two or three sizes that fit your products snugly, so you can order small quantities and receive them quickly. Stocked items dispatch in 1–3 business days, subject to availability. Test samples before you buy in quantity. Then brand it with affordable extras: tissue, a custom sticker and a thank-you card. When you're ready for your own printed boxes, digital printing starts from 25 units.
Where to spend and where to save
Spend: the right fit and protection first
A plain stock mailer box or satchel that fits well does the main job: protecting your product and keeping postage down. A box that fits well also needs less filler. With hundreds of sizes available, you can usually find a good fit without custom sizing.
Then spend: what the customer sees first
Tissue paper, a custom sticker seal and a card turn a plain box into a branded experience for a small cost per order. Custom stickers start from 100.
Save: storage and stock
Order the quantities you'll use in the next month or two. Stock that sits in your spare room is cash you can't spend on growing.
A simple start-up kit
A starting point. Adjust it for what you sell.
| Item | Why | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Two or three box or satchel sizes | Covers most orders | Choose sizes that fit your best-sellers snugly |
| Tissue paper | An affordable branded reveal | Fold it over the product before closing |
| Custom stickers | Your logo on every order | From 100 stickers |
| Thank-you card | Brings customers back | Add a code or a handwritten note |
| Packaging tape and filler | Secure, protected orders | Enough cushioning on every side, not just enough to stop movement |
Test before you commit
Samples are the most affordable packaging lesson you can get. Standard samples are plain (brown or white) and cost $2–$10 plus postage, with colour swatches on request. Order the sizes you're considering, pack your real product and send one to yourself or a friend interstate. You'll see how it travels, how it looks on arrival and whether the fit is right.
What it means for you
The same question, answered for where your business is today.
Choose your stage at the top of the page to open the advice for you.
Start-up · under 100 units
This chapter is written for you. Keep to a few sizes, brand with extras, and test before buying more.
Write down how each product is packed, so it's the same every time, even when someone helps you.
Growing · 100 to 2,499 units
If you're regularly ordering 100 or more of the same box at a time, compare the time and cost of stickers and extras with a small digitally printed run. It may now be the cheaper option.
Try this: add up your packaging cost per order, including stickers and filler.
Enterprise · 2,500 units and more
Start-up methods still help at scale for new product launches and trials. Use stock packaging and small digital runs to test before committing to long runs.
Keep a small stock of plain packaging for overflow and one-off orders.
Common mistakes
- 1Buying too many sizes. Each extra size adds cost and storage. Two or three sizes cover most start-ups.
- 2Ordering custom too early. Wait until you know your best-sellers before printing hundreds of boxes.
- 3Overusing filler. Lots of filler costs money and looks messy. Choose a better-fitting box.
- 4Skipping the test. A sample sent to yourself can save a batch of broken orders.
Start-up packaging questions
What is an affordable way to make packaging look professional?
What's the minimum for custom stickers?
Can I get printed boxes in small quantities?
How fast do stock items arrive?
Can I try packaging before I buy?
From our customers
Herbolaria ApothecaLower minimum order quantities let them create a professional brand presentation without buying excessive stock.
Read their story →Keep reading
Start-up essentials
Starting out?
Tell us what you sell and roughly how many orders you send. Our Melbourne team will suggest a simple kit that fits your budget, usually within 1 business day.