Buying packaging materials together with another entrepreneur: splitting bundles and making agreements
,
by Verpakkingdeals.nl
6 min reading time
A bundle of 100 boxes is cheaper per unit, but you only need 40. Buying them together with a fellow entrepreneur solves that – if you agree beforehand who pays, who stores them, and who reorders.
You send about forty letterbox packages a month. The bundle of a hundred is clearly more cost-effective per box than individual items, but you don't want to have a two-and-a-half-month supply in your hallway. With tape, it's even starker: a box of 36 rolls offers the best price per roll, and you might use only four per quarter.
That's precisely when buying together with another small business owner becomes interesting. Someone in your network who also ships: a ceramicist, a caterer, someone with an Etsy shop, your neighbor with her jewelry line. You buy one bundle, you split it, and you both pay the bundle price per item. It sounds simple — and it is, as long as you arrange four things beforehand.
First, calculate if it really makes a difference
Before you call anyone: calculate the price per item. Only then will you see if the hassle is worth it. A few examples from our assortment:
With tape, the large box saves €0.50 per roll compared to the pack of six. On 36 rolls, that's €18.00 — enough to make the effort, not enough to argue about. With the boxes, the per-item difference is small, but the quantity is large; the main gain there is in one shipment instead of four separate orders.
Rule of thumb: if the difference is less than ten euros on the entire bundle, just do it yourself. Splitting, distributing, and settling also takes time.
Choose products that are easy to split
Not everything is suitable. What is easy to divide has three characteristics: it is countable, it does not break easily, and it does not spoil.
What you should not share: equipment. A price gun MX-5500 with 50,000 white price stickers (€ 59.95) is fine to buy together if the stickers are divided, but the gun itself belongs at one address. Tools that travel back and forth are tools that disappear or break — and then there is no good outcome.
Four agreements you make beforehand
Most collaborations fail not because of money, but because of unclearness. Therefore, in one message — a chat message is enough — confirm the following before ordering:
Who orders and who pays back, and when. One person places the order, the other pays their share within a week. Not "we'll settle it sometime."
What the exact division looks like. 60/40 is fine, but include the number: 60 boxes and 40 boxes, not "you a bit more than me."
Where the stock is stored. At one of you, or half at each? At one address, it's handier and riskier — whoever doesn't live there has to keep visiting.
What happens to the remnants. If twenty boxes are left because one of you switches to a different size: are they bought out or just divided?
Preferably divide the items immediately on the day the order arrives. A bundle that "just stays put" as a whole will be half used up three months later without anyone knowing by whom.
Storage: the point where it usually goes wrong
Divided stock has one weak spot: it is often stored in a place not intended for it. A shed, a hallway, an attic. Cardboard that absorbs moisture becomes flimsy, and flimsy cardboard is unusable for shipping — then all your advantage is lost.
Three things that help: lay boxes flat and not on their side, keep them off the floor, and store the stock in a closed container if the space is not heated. A moving box of 480 x 430 x 330 mm (50 liters) (€ 3.50) per person is sufficient for this: your own part goes in, with the date and quantity written on the side. This way, you can see at a glance how quickly you are going through your share — and thus when it's time for a new joint order.
For tape, something else applies: you don't want to keep it in stock for too long in a cold room. It's better to jointly order a box twice a year than a double quantity once. A single roll as a reserve, for example KINZO packing tape of 50 meters x 48 mm (€ 3.00), you simply keep separate for when you unexpectedly run out.
When it's better to order alone
Buying together is not an end in itself. Don't do it if you need different box sizes — then you'll buy a compromise that doesn't quite fit either of you. Also, don't do it with someone you only know from the internet, or with whom you haven't tested a previous agreement. And certainly don't do it if the price difference per item is small: the peace of mind of your own stock is worth more than a few euros.
If it does work, it yields more than just money. You have someone with whom you can consult about box sizes, someone who knows what good tape is, and someone who can step in if your stock runs out in the middle of a peak.
View bundles and value packs
All bundle packaging is grouped together in Value Packs for Webshops. Individual box sizes can be found under Boxes and Letterbox Packaging, envelopes under Envelopes, and rolls and dispensers under Tape. The complete assortment is in Packaging & Shipping. Do you want to know if a bundle truly makes a difference for your combined quantities, or which sizes combine best? Send your quantities to info@verpakkingdeals.nl and we will calculate it with you.
Choosing a USB hub for working from home: 2.0 or 3.0, how many ports, and with switches
· 3 min reading time
Choosing a USB hub for working from home: 2.0 or 3.0, how many ports and with switchesYour desk needs three USB devices, but your laptop only has two ports. Or...
Power outages in autumn: emergency supplies you'll actually use
· 2 min reading time
Autumn Power Outages: Emergency Supplies You'll Actually Use October to December. Heating isn't in full swing yet, but the nights are getting long and cold. If a power outage strikes...
Choosing a power bank: capacity, charging speed, and weight compared
· 2 min reading time
Choosing a Power Bank: Capacity, Charging Speed, and Weight Compared Your phone dies when you're out and about. The classic emergency solution is a power bank. But what capacity do...
