In my experience, getting your workspace organized will make your selling process as pleasant, easy, and fun as possible — and boy do I mean FUN! Want to see what I mean? Here are a few tips and tricks I’ve learned during my two years as a shop owner on Kidizen.
CARVE OUT YOUR OWN SPACE
Choose a designated area in your home to keep the items you’ve listed organized, that way you won’t have to search for an item or wonder where you’ve put it once it has sold. You’d be surprised how things can disappear! I have a cabinet I use just for Kidizen, which makes staying organized so easy! It has multiple shelves and I store my items in categories like pants, rompers, dresses, sleepwear, vintage, etc. I have an extra shelf for shoes and another for books and toys. Some people choose to store their items in bins and categorize them according to size and season. I suggest playing around with it to find the system that works best for you.
KEEP ALL YOUR SUPPLIES TOGETHER
Choose one area to keep all your packaging supplies together, like poly mailers, boxes, packing tape, printer, scale, thank you notes, and any little extras you like to use for packaging. You can be as creative or simple as you like. I have found that as long as the buyer receives exactly what they’ve ordered, they are happy — with or without any fancy extra steps. I like to bag my item with a handmade printed thank you note inside and a cute sticker to seal it shut.
HINT: Don’t forget to double bag! If your poly mailer gets damaged in transit your items inside will still be protected. I find the plastic bread bags at the grocery store are cheap and very efficient. They’re usually in the aisle with the other baggies.
DON’T MIX INVENTORY
Keep the items you have not listed separate from your items that are already published in your shop, so you don’t get them mixed up. Again, you’d be surprised how easily this can happen! Once you photograph and list an item, promptly get it put away. To photograph your items, choose a naturally lit spot in your home with a nice clean background. A consistent background will make your shop appear clean and inviting.
I use a fun colored wall in my kitchen with a little mushroom cut out that represents my shop. Backgrounds can also be purchased on websites like Amazon (and there are some really fun choices out there).
With just these few extra steps, you’ll be well on your way to being an organized selling machine! Go mama, go!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shelley Levin, a.k.a. The Happy Gnome, is a vintage-loving, homeschooling mama to a sweet, adorable, and amazing 6-year-old boy who is taking in all of life’s happy moments.
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