Keeping It All Organized

[Former_Member]

Hi all,

With the new sold orders page just rolled out to everyone, I've been thinking about ways we keep our orders organized.

I recently bumped into the Etsy EcoTeam's blog and found this post about keeping organized: http://blog.ecoetsy.com/2011/01/bus-tips-lori-keeping-it-all-organized/html All the gorgeous photos in this post make me want to run home and whip my craft area into shape!

How do you keep your invoices, shipping stations and packages organized? I'd love to hear it! Link to photos if you have 'em.

xo,
Danielle

[RutledgeJewelers]

Hi Danielle!

We use click to ship, and we ship about 20+ packages a week. Kristin has been cutting off a part of the remainder of the shipping label with the customer's information and pasting it into a log book. This is a nice permanent hard copy, which we have used many times to find customer information, especially if the internets are down or if one of us is using a smart phone. There is a lot to learn with this new system, and, once we have caught up with our orders, I can really see what the new system can do. Thank the tech guys for me, will you?

[Former_Member]

Hi Seababes :) I shall thank them for you! Sounds like a good system you have down.

[LaPellaPottery]

I a pottery studio, we deal with a lot of chemicals and formulas and need to keep things organized, dry, and safe.

http://lapellaart.blogspot.com/2008/02/getting-organized.html

In my shipping area, it is very important to buy boxes with the most shipped pieces in mind. Having my boxes well stocked has cut my packing time down by 75%!!

Finally, we use the printable half sheet shipping labels. The label sticks to the box and the receipt gets stuck to the back of our Etsy invoice and filed.

[RutledgeJewelers]

Click to ship in and of itself is one of our best tools. The best Part is not having to go to the actual post office. They also automagically send a tracking email to your customer. If you are not using click to ship, you may want to use this.

One more item I would like to point out: in the past, we used little plastic bags for our rings, to keep from tarnishing, scratching, etc. Through Rio Grande we have found green zip and bio zip compostable baggies. Thee bags fully break down in about 2 years. Anyone shipping with plastic baggies may want to look for these type of bags in their size. This does not help organize our shipping, but it makes it more green.

[heartsabustin]

I don't have tremendous amounts of sales, but all my PayPal receipts - the portion you cut off, gets put in my accordion file, along with all receipts of my supplies and such. It works for me, since I don't have HUGE numbers of orders coming in. I just keep track of my sales on a spreadsheet so end of the year, I just have to add 'em all up!

[RutledgeJewelers]

I totally agree with keeping extra stock in packaging supplies, LaPella. This is vital for us!

[Former_Member]

I am fast outgrowing my "studio" which BTW used to be the family's dinning room but as we have an eat in kitchen it was converted to a permanent studio about a year and a half ago.

I am organized... having stations for the different types of things I make. In other words all the tools and materials for PMC projects separate from beaded projects etc.

The shipping also has its own station. I avoid my biggest fear (sending the wrong thing to the wrong person lol) by never bringing more than ONE order w/ invoice to the wrapping station at a time. The others stay on my workstation until I finish the first... my 8 year old son calls this "on deck" like they are baseball players.

This works fine most of the time but during the Holiday when I made close to 150 custom orders in about 3 weeks... well I was SERIOUSLY running out of "on deck" space.

My photo area is also becoming a space issue in that I keep the photo tent and photographic lights (and camera on tripod) set up 24/7 so I can shoot pictures whenever i get a spare moment. Space-wise that wasn't so bad BUT I just bought a mannequin for neck shots (my facebook fans named her Candace but I haven't gotten to use her yet) and well Candace and I have been bumping into each other a lot.

I am thinking of adding a Kiln this summer and am not sure spacewise how I will swing THAT!

And so I am organized but outgrowing my space and am not sure what's next. I keep kidding with my children that when they go off to college I am eyeing up their rooms... they are only 8 and 11 so I will have to make other arrangements before then... what I do not know :)

[KristinNoelDesigns]

I LOVE the pics! The peg board is a great idea! This really gets my wheels spinning!

[heartsabustin]

Oh, gracious, newhope - yeah, I have no room for a kiln right now. I would love one, but no dice. Right now, we're trying to figure out how to get my sewing stuff into the room where my jewelry stuff is kept. This room also has office stuff in it, so we're gonna have to get REAL creative.

But I never pack more than one order at once. That would be just too much for me, and I WOULD send something out to the wrong person otherwise. LOL

[Former_Member]

This is great, thanks for all the info! I'm soaking it all in for when I get to my new space, (very soon!) Thanks again!

[Former_Member]

Really nice studios, it's nice to have all that room to store.

[claylicious]

Organization is for sure my first lesson, once I'm in my studio and start organizing in about 10 min I'm creating something ......( no self control)
So this is a great thread for me
Thanks

[NutfieldWeaver]

Umm... is it time for true confessions?

My loom has to live in our bedroom because of its size and because I desperately wanted a window nearby while weaving in lieu of being holed up in our basement. There are cones of yarn everywhere. Really. My warping reel is also in our bedroom, and my warping board hops from here to there. I think it has legs.

More cones of yarn are in the guest room closet.

The den has my sewing machine, laptop,a huge box of padded mailer envelopes, ironing board, and a folding card table for cutting burlap. I just spotted my embroidery scissors in the family room this morning. (They weren't lost. At least not permanently).

I just organized my ribbon into boxes by size. Some of it.

Somehow it works for me, but I can't believe I used to be a librarian....

I would like to have a house elf, like Dobby.

[Former_Member]

Wow, that's great inspiration!! Thanks for posting that link that's what I'm doing right now.

Since I sew I have a pen type organizer on my cutting table with my cutting sissors, (no one dare use them on paper ;)) rotary cutter & so on.

I store my business cards in a pretty vintage tea cup at my packaging station, I double them as a hang tang.

I made my pin board/inspiration post with vintage materials, will have to post a pic.....eventually ;)

I use mason jars of all sizes to store needles, buttons, elastic's & so on in.

been wanting to do the ribbon dowel thing for a long while only it would have to be a 3 story long one!

[Former_Member]

heartsabustin says

But I never pack more than one order at once. That would be just too much for me, and I WOULD send something out to the wrong person otherwise. LOL
-------------------------
lol especially if they look similar.... it could happen! It never has but I am always VERY cautious about it LOL

[Former_Member]

Here is the pic of my tea cup/business card holder :) http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_W6eCCyaa6lk/TS0j2Cn00LI/AAAAAAAAAHA/ciTjeef2djI/s1600/teacup+5.png

[Former_Member]

That photo is lovely vintageprecious!

[Former_Member]

I have turned the "coat closet" into my packing storage. I keep all my boxes and packing materials in there. That keeps them out of my work space and I don't have to rumage around for tape, labels etc.
I also use the mason jar storage system. When sewing it just makes everything easy to see and they are decorative at the same time.
I bought a two drawer filing cabniet at a garage sale to use for my paperwork, recipts blank cards etc. That was my best purchase for my business. Now I don't have to go through personal files only the business stuff.
But my greatest storage itme is a Japanese kimono closet (kinda like an amoir) that I got while living in Japan a few years ago. It has lots of narrow drawers and little cubby holes. I'll get a picture and post it later today.

Happy storaging!

[RutledgeJewelers]

ok, sad as I am to say it, this is my current workspace:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1294232412958&set=a.1232331065463.28228.1744759492&theater

The only reason that I am not embarrassed is that this is the before picture. The good news is we finish priming today, and the color goes up tomorrow. The bad news is this is where I'm working today. That's okay though, I'll turn on my Cake station on Pandora and happily get to work. I'll post some pics when we are done. Note my cool school locker storage. I'll get some strong locks and lock up some of my bench tools and valuable materials until we can find a good safe. Our shipping station and office is in much worse shape than this, but Ill be back to post some pics of that as well. Love seeing all of your work and storage spaces!

[Former_Member]

Oh boy. While I have a second room for all of my stuff, I am nowhere near as organized as these people. I definitely will be taking away some tips from everyone. Unfortunately, my second room is also for visitors. So, I have to make it nice for them & organized for me.

[SoulRole]

One more item I would like to point out: in the past, we used little plastic bags for our rings, to keep from tarnishing, scratching, etc. Through "Rio Grande we have found green zip and bio zip compostable baggies. Thee bags fully break down in about 2 years. Anyone shipping with plastic baggies may want to look for these type of bags in their size. This does not help organize our shipping, but it makes it more green. "

thanks..i will look into this!i just bought some compostable bags from 'clearbags' and they are terrible.no matter how gently i place the eye pillow in there it makes cracks in the bag.
sorry to be off topic.
i could post pics of my work space to use as examples of how NOT to do it!I have very little space to organize and not a lot of funds to invest in things to help me organize.it is one of my biggest issues actually.one day my dream is to have my work studio separate from my house.
off to check out the blog!

[sibstudio]

Hi Daniellexo !
I print out my invoices and keep them in a binder. I also keep the delivery confirmation receipts near the computer so I can keep an eye on items getting to where they are supposed to. [Lost items has been a problem for me, and having the receipts nearby is helpful] After an item arrives to the customer, I staple the receipt to the invoice and enter the transaction into excel.

Having a printed copy of the invoices was invaluable when my computer was down due to a computer virus - I could still function and get things shipped.

My shipping supplies are in a cute large cloth box in my studio so I don't waste time finding supplies. Or find my family has used them for other things! : - )

[peacesofindigo]

great tips! our new house here in nashville has a perfect little studio room for me. i'm thrilled to have my own space, with a door, where i can set up and have everything organized or kept out as i want it.

i bought a great little three shelf piece from wisteria that holds all of my shipping supplies, gift boxes and business cards, so i can sit in front of it and pack each order in no time.

[LunaEssence]

Fantastic tips ! Thanks everyone :D