Shipping For New Beaders: Simplify your Selling Process

Finding your Place to Sell

There is plenty of platforms to sell from Etsy, Facebook page, Instagram, etc.

Taking good photos is KEY to happy customers. Bright sunlight/blank background help showcase your beadwork. Try out editing features on your phone to create the best result.

Create a post with a clear description price/shipping information to attract serious inquires to message you. Each platform has different benefits, make sure you research before you sell. With Esty, please beware of selling fees and price accordingly.

*Optional: Brand Yourself*

Watermarking your Beadwork

When we put our artwork on social media there always runs the risk of people stealing your designs/photos.

Branding yourself can deter anyone from using your photos. Putting a watermark/text or logo on a picture either above your beadwork or directly on top of the beadwork is common on Instagram/Facebook.

Think about where you would like your beading business to go, as sites like Pinterest will have access to your photos once posted. Without acknowledgement of the artist, how will your future customers find you?

Make The Sale: Use Paypal

We suggest using PayPal to protect you and your buyer!

We suggest sending invoices via PayPal, as it has protection for your buyer which builds trust with your customer when you are starting out. 

"Buyer Protection ensures you get what you pay for. When something goes wrong with your eligible transactions, PayPal Buyer Protection has you covered. Get a full refund if an eligible order isn't significantly as described, or doesn't arrive at your doorstep." https://www.paypal.com/my/webapps/mpp/paypal-buyer-protection

Using the Paypal method will charge 3% fees to the beadwork seller, so beware of the fee when pricing your items. For example, Beadwork costing $50, will cost you $1.50 in PayPal fees.  Increase prices to reflect these fees, they can be built in your shipping costs as well. 

Paypal also can help you purchase tracked shipping.

Safeguard your Beadwork

We suggest using bubble envelopes to protect your beadwork.

Tracked shipping saves you from missing or lost packages from Canada Post and gives you additional insurance if your package goes missing/damaged up to $100.

Letter-mail is risky but cheaper, however, it is not insurable with PayPal and can take up to 21 Business Days to arrive.

Don't risk it- track it!

Know Your Stamp Prices

This information is for Canadian Beadwork Artisans.

Stamps will go up every year, so be informed about stamp prices for "Oversized Lettermail" as your beadwork will exceed the 5mm thickness limit on standard mail.

20mm x 270mm x 380mm is the allowable size for oversized items, with a weight of less than 100g is $1.94, and for 100g-195g is $3.19 in 2020. These prices are without tax. You can buy books of stamps at the Canada Post to prevent waiting in lines to ship products. 

Remember to add Envelope/ Business Card/etc. costs to your final shipping prices.

More Canada Post information can be found at

https://www.canadapost.ca/cpc/en/personal/sending/letters-mail/postage-rates-2020.page

Shipping - Notify Customer

Good communication leads to happy customers!

A thank you note/email with shipping information can go a long way to ease customer tension from buying from a new beader.

Asking for confirmation can also help create good communication/relationship building between beader and customer.

A Happy customer will be a repeat customer and a great word of mouth marketer!