One key to having a successful reselling business is organization, so it’s important to set up some dedicated space for your office and inventory. It doesn’t have to be a big space or anything fancy. For my office, I have a table set up in the corner with my computer. I recently found a set of hooks at a garage sale and I added that so I can hang clothing there while I’m listing it.
I don’t have a storage unit, so I have to stash inventory everywhere I can. I recently watched a genius YouTube video where they hung garment racks from the ceiling and raised and lowered them with cables! I’m not quite to that stage yet but it’s a pretty neat idea. But I digress. I don’t have a ton of dedicated storage for my inventory, so I just have to put it wherever there’s space. I currently have things stashed in Ikea storage boxes, a bookshelf, a computer desk, a dresser, and boxes. I label them so I can keep track of them easily. I bought this garment rack (less than $10!), and I hang my clothing inventory there until I’m able to list it. Be open-minded and flexible and I bet you can find lots of space for your new inventory. I dream of the day my business will be big enough that it will warrant a storage unit!
It’s nice to have a space set up to pack your items to ship. I use the top of the same dresser that I use to hold inventory. On it I have paper to write thank-you notes, packing tape, a paper cutter (to trim labels), and envelopes. When you get a sale right before the post office closes, it’s nice to have everything ready to go. I have a separate shelf with general supplies: lint rollers, packing tape, envelopes (the size I use most often is #6, 19 inches by 14.25 inches), a measuring tape (for dimension photos), extra printer cartridges, and many many ziplock bags. I also have a corner with collapsed shipping boxes and b-flute (very handy for shipping books). My family saves shipping boxes for me, and although I haven’t found a great way to store them, it’s nice to have them ready at the drop of a hat. If you have a good way of storing them, please let me know. They seem to take on a life of their own and creep out of their nice stacks. My goal is that someday when I have a bigger shop, I will buy them brand-new and they will stay in perfect stacks!
I currently have a printer sitting on my sewing table but I need to find a better (more permanent) spot for it. If you happen to have a thermal label printer, you probably won’t need a printer but I’m not to that stage of the game just yet.
It’s helpful if you can designate a dedicated photography area. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. But when I first started and had to dig everything out every time I wanted to take pictures, it was a real drag. During my trip to Ikea, I bought a child’s chalkboard easel for $24.99 and two small stools for $7.99 each. Then I found a really large canvas and painted it white. I also have a small canvas that I use for books and a white gift box that I use to prop up shoes when I’m photographing them. I found all the small stuff around the house. I prop up my canvas on the pencil tray of the easel (I added two binder clips to the pencil tray so the canvas won’t slide off) and also hammered a nail into the top). For clothing, I set up the canvas vertically on the easel and hang the clothes from the nail. To take the measurement photos, I lay the canvas down on the two stools and take pictures of it lying flat. For shoes or dishes, I prop the canvas up horizontally because it gives me a little more background to work with. I work in the basement, so I don’t get a lot of natural light. This makes it more difficult because I think the ambient light is ideal. So I put my easel as near to a window as I can, and as close as possible to the overhead light. Then I purchased these lights on Amazon and they are a huge help. Actually I believe they came in a set of three but I find two are good enough. Please note that if you order these, you’ll also need a USB hub to plug them into.
It doesn’t take a lot of space or money to set up your shop. Just jump in and use what you have. Do you have a better set-up? Send me your suggestions and comments! And best of luck in your new venture! Next time we’ll talk about where to find your inventory.
