Black Friday and the long sales weekend that follows is a hectic time for your business. You’ll have countless orders come rolling in across those 4 days, setting you and your employees up for a busy weekend. You’ll be on-the-go so much—wrangling employees and prepping customer orders—that once the sales pass, you’ll be ready to collapse in an exhausted heap.
But, don’t do that just yet. Take some time to check on your supplies (both products- and packaging-wise), meet with your employees, and get your house in order before moving onto the holiday shopping season. You’ll find yourself better organized and better able to handle the weeks ahead. Here’s 4 steps you can take to recover from Black Friday.
Grab a broom (and a teammate or two!)
Cleaning isn’t really anyone’s idea of a good time (unless it’s yours, in which case, we salute you). But, it’s a necessary thing. Between all that running around to find products, packing and taping of boxes, and getting things out the door for shipping, your place is probably a bit of a mess.
Bits of tape, label backings, ripped materials and empty chip bags (potentially lots and lots of chip bags) are probably everywhere. They’re a problem if left underfoot, and an eyesore that can cause you some serious stress.
A clean area to organize, store and pack products is a key part of a good packaging strategy. And it’ll lift your spirits to see clean floors, organized shelves, and room to move around in. So, turn on some good music, grab a broom and a few garbage bags (and some teammates), and your packing and fulfillment areas will be spotless and ready to go in almost no time at all.
Perform a little packaging triage
Now that everything’s tidy, it’s time to size up your packaging supplies. What are you desperately in need of first? Corrugated boxes? Bubble cushion? Printing paper? Prioritize those as must-haves, get them ordered, and move along.
What supplies did you use very little of, or perhaps, not at all? Often, businesses will buy multiple sizes of corrugated boxes and end up using only a few of them. If that’s the case for you, take note of the sizes you haven’t used and consider not ordering them in the future.
Did you use custom packaging for the first time? Identify which pieces your team used most (for example, custom tissue paper), and consider purchasing a bigger quantity the next time you order. Then, see which pieces weren’t fully embraced by your employees. Were they difficult to pack? Was there a better option your team used instead? This will help you refine and improve your custom packaging strategy in the future.
Analyze your packing habits
Gather your team for a post-Black Friday chat. Break out some coffee and doughnuts if you like, and get everyone’s take on how the whole affair went. Here’s a few things you might want to talk about with your employees.
New processes. Did you implement any? Did they help or hinder your team?
Taking the initiative. Did anyone try something on the fly that seemed to work out well?
Packing areas. Did they help speed things up? Would bigger areas (or more of them) help?
Pre-packing techniques. Did that reduce packing times (and headaches)?
Repetitive tasks. What tasks took the longest. Would entry-level automation help?
The answers to these questions are pure gold. Provided they’re constructive, both positive and negative feedback will help you refine everything for the future.
Grab a snack (or three!)
You’ve swept up, re-ordered your packaging supplies, and figured out some new best practices for you and your team. What’s next? It’s time for a well-deserved break (hey, a meeting to talk about Black Friday is not a break—even with coffee and doughnuts!).
Pull out a few chairs, kick your feet up (but not on the shelves, c’mon, you just cleaned those), and grab some grub. Chow down, take a breather, and maybe have a quick nap. Just make sure you take that break now, because—not to burst your bubble, but—now that Black Friday’s done, the holiday shopping season is kicking into high gear!
Black Friday and the entirety of that long (long!) sales weekend, can be exhausting. It’s important to take stock of the good and the bad, and recharge your batteries for whatever’s ahead. You’ve worked hard to make your business successful, and you deserve the chance to enjoy that success. Take a breather, restock your packaging supplies with The Packaging Company, and give yourself a pat on the back. You’ve earned it.
