With retail increasingly moving online, effective packaging is more important than ever. Not only does a positive ‘unboxing experience’ generate brand loyalty, but appropriate packaging also reduces the risk of costly damages.

If you’re a cosmetic business, you need to choose materials that properly contain your liquid, gel, or cream. Equally, if you’re producing food or drinks, you need to ensure the contents stay fresh and fit for consumption.

Lots of people are influenced to buy from small businesses and independent retailers because they promise a personal, unique shopping experience. This is something to capitalise on at the outset, demonstrating to your customers that your business is one-of-a-kind.

Essentially, packaging for any business is effective if it balances two central concerns. It should maximise and showcase the desirability of your products, but minimise your costs in terms of materials, transport, and storage.

Fillcon deliver high-quality packaging solutions to a wide range of businesses. We manufacture sachets and fill tubes, pouches, and bottles to an outstanding specification. We’re passionate about offering our clients the best level of customer care, and a superior quality of finish.

In this article, our team of filling experts outline some top tips for choosing the best packaging.

Packaging Tips and Ideas for Small Businesses

If you’re a small business, getting to grips with your packaging early on is crucial. You will need to consider your secondary as well as primary packaging. These are the two types of packaging that consumers will interact with – the materials directly in contact with the product, and the box, envelope, or pouch that the product is shipped in.

Making sure both of these are attractive and bespoke to your brand but also fit for purpose can make or break an independent business, so listen up! Below, we explore the key things to consider when making the right choice for your products.

Secure & Durable

Whether it’s primary or secondary, your packaging needs to contain your product and prevent leakage or loss during transit. Though your courier or logistics provider may be at fault, as the business owner, you will unavoidably be tainted by the negative experience your customer has when your package turns up crumbled and broken. So, take steps now and avoid this situation.

Test your packaging using the ‘drop test’ and make sure it stands up to a bit of rough handling. Keep in mind that your different levels of packaging are in dialogue with each other. If your products are packaged in glass bottles, for example, your secondary packaging will need to be even more robust to make up for it and filled with insulating materials to prevent damage.

Right for Product

Your packaging requirements will largely depend upon what your product is. If you’re selling mouthwash, you’re not going to pack it in a paper bag! In practical terms, your packaging needs to be able to properly contain your product, particularly if the contents are volatile and difficult to transport.

Beyond this, it’s important to make sure your packaging can protect the product from external hazards that might cause it to spoil like heat, water, and bacteria.

Shape & Size

These days, people live busy lives, so making your secondary packaging letterbox friendly is super convenient for your customers. Even more important, though, is ensuring the size and shape of your shipping boxes are appropriate to the size and number of products in the order. No one likes unnecessary packaging!

From your perspective, you might also want to consider choosing standard sizes where possible. Doing so will reduce production costs and give you greater logistical flexibility when it comes to domestic and international shipping because these dimensions will be relative to pallet, warehouse, lorry, and freight size.

Packaging Tips and Advice for International Delivery >

Sustainability

Consumers are becoming increasingly eco-aware, so trying to minimise your business’ impact on the environment can help differentiate your brand and build loyalty. One way of doing this is choosing sustainable materials for your packaging. This might include recycled or recyclable materials, biodegradable packaging or even offering a refill scheme!

At Fillcon, we fill a range of eco-friendly containers. Whether you want to cut down on plastic use or eradicate it altogether with alternative materials, we can create a filling solution to suit your brand.

See more: Switching to Eco-Friendly Cosmetic Packaging

Bespoke to Brand

Packaging design is a great opportunity to build brand awareness. A stunning, luxury packaging design can target your ideal demographic and help you make a name for yourself if you’re a new start-up on the scene.

The opportunities for creating branded packaging are endless these days. Your design can be printed onto boxes, tubes, sachets, bottles – whatever you like! Though it might seem like a large outlay when you’re still finding your feet, investing in attractive packaging that is bespoke to your brand will help distinguish you from your competitors.

Best E-Commerce Packaging for Beauty and Cosmetics Brands >

Personal Touches

Finally, a great tip for small businesses who are still building their reputations is to add personal touches to their orders. This might include a personalised note or even a few free samples.

At Fillcon, we specialise in filling sachets and can work with your business to produce a range of highly desirable sample-size products to wow your customers – just get in touch and ask!

Types of Packaging for Small Businesses

There are a variety of options out there suited to different budgets, business values, and product types. Here are some popular options:

Paper/Cardboard Boxes

Commonly used for secondary packaging.
Made from recycled paper pulp and recyclable in turn.
Cheap and robust.
Can become damaged if wet.

Aluminium Tubes

Infinitely recyclable without degrading integrity.
Flexible and lightweight.
Ideal for cosmetics.

Why Aluminium Tube Packaging is so Popular in Cosmetics >

Glass Bottles

Can be recycled again and again.
Adds feeling of luxury.
Heavy and fragile.
Can be more expensive.
Great for liquids and high-end cosmetics.

Plastic Packaging

Lightweight, cheap, and durable.
Highly polluting and does not degrade.
Effectively contains liquid and low-viscosity products.

Pouches

Can be made from a variety of materials, including eco-friendly options.
Saves space during shipping due to flexibility.

See more: Benefits of Using Pouches for Your Packaging

Premium Filling Solutions from Fillcon

At Fillcon, we create packaging and filling solutions to suit your brand. We’ve worked with clients in all sorts of sectors, from cosmetic to medical to automotive to industrial. Whether you’ve got a gel, liquid, or a cream, we can manufacture and fill the right flexible packaging for you. Then, we’ll even pack them up in bulk or point of sale packaging – it’s up to you!

Get in touch with our friendly team to find out more.

Tips for Choosing the Right Packaging for Small Businesses