Richard Shannon

Saving Money with a Label Maker

Small businesses are always looking for ways to save money. The most basic cost incurred by companies that produce and sell a product is their packaging. Businesses that make wine, beer, or any bottled product know how quickly these costs can add up. Other companies might also use these for labeling flat objects, applying labels, or for all of their envelopes. In order to save some money, many businesses will do as much as they can in the packaging process, even printing and attaching their own labels.

General Costs

Most companies print their labels through an outside company in their facility and with their equipment. The labels are then sent to the manufacturing facility where they are applied to the products. This takes time and money because of all the extra traveling the package must do. If labels run out, a company must wait until more arrive, maybe even paying more in shipping costs.

At a first glance, an average person may not think that the cost of labels is very significant since they are, individually, fairly inexpensive. However, if you are buying thousands of labels, the costs start to add up really fast.

To get a ballpark idea of how much labels can cost to produce, here are some examples. The average cost of packing a is bottle of wine 4% of the purchase price. While this includes the price of a thick glass bottles and corks, it also includes the label. This is true for many business packing expenses. Many small businesses start out buying their products from a retailer, but working directly with the manufacturer can save 25-75% of current costs, especially if you start printing your own labels.

There are varying costs for labels because every company has different requirements. Larger labels will cost more than smaller ones and the amount of color will also have an affect. The way each label is applied is also important because if the labels go completely around the bottle or product, they are going to use more material than one that is applied to the front only.

All of these factors can figure into your final costs, and they may be hard to predict with each new project. Companies who want to cut costs and be more profitable should consider making their own labels, eliminating shipping and middle-man costs.

A Note about Adhesive

Another factor in the cost of a label is the type and amount of adhesive. Some labels that only connect in the spot where the two ends meet around the product, like some forms of bottled water. This type of label uses much less adhesive- usually only a thin line that is required. A full sticker label will require more adhesive that is stronger to ensure it will not fall off.

Accuracy

While making your own labels can save you some money on printing and shipping, there are still some other concerns for the company, such as making sure that the label is applied properly and uniformly. If you are going to print your own labels, you should also have a label dispenser that can apply it to the bottles quickly and effectively. This way every bottle will have the label on straight and all look the same.

When labels are misplaced, it gives the entire product a cheap, low-quality appearance. If you really care about your product and image, a dispenser is a great idea.

Give It a Try

If you decide to try printing and adhering labels for yourself, remember that you should never give up quality. Be sure that your printer still gives the labels a professional look and not a do-it-yourself vibe. Make sure that you have the right resources and knowledge necessary to accomplish this task and it can be a great way to save some money on your packaging expenses.

Reasons Why Owning a Label Maker Will Spice Up Your Parties

There are a lot of small details to plan out when you are throwing a party. No matter what the occasion, there are always ways that you can individualize things for the event. Custom labels are easy to make and easy to apply, making them a great option for parties. With a simple design, labels can turn ordinary products into fun touches at any event.

Baby Showers

Few things in life are as anticipated as much as the birth of a baby. Because of this, many people have their child’s name picked out before the baby arrives, giving you a great opportunity to customize a lot of the baby shower around that name. You can print the child’s name on the party favors, as a candy bar wrapper, or as a label on a drink, and the guests will take it home and have a nice keepsake and reminder of the experience.

Wedding Reception

Monogrammed refreshments at a wedding reception are a fun way to personalize the entire event. Water, wine, soda pop, and beer are common drinks served in bottles at a reception, depending on the theme. These are easy to customize with a nice wrap-around design or even having a label applied with monogrammed labels of the couple’s initials and wedding day.

Another popular thing to do at reception is to put out a candy table where guests can fill little cellophane bags with treats as they are leaving. These are fun for guests, and using labels to personalize the empty bags to commemorate the day is a fun touch.

Birthday Parties

There are a few birthdays that are a bit more significant than others and warrant bigger parties. Whether it is a bar-mitzvah, a sweet 16, or an 18th birthday party, these events are a perfect opportunity to go a bit overboard with.

A 21st birthday is a great time to add a personalized wrapped label around all the alcoholic bottled drinks. Party poppers, kazoos, and other fun trinkets can also be labeled with a variety of messages for a younger crowd. “Happy Birthday,” “Mazel tov,” an age, a name, or any type of inscription like these would be appropriate to put on a label to help personalize them.

On the opposite side, using labels is a great way to make a bag or wrapped gift more personalized to the birthday boy or girl. While you can always just put the basics of who the present is for and from, you can also get fancier by adding a quote or a personalized message instead of using a card.

Office Parties

Companies that have a lot of employees in various departments know that their staff may not all know each other. A lot of office parties are designed for everyone to get acquainted. Some involve families and others are just retreats for team building exercises. Either way, the company can print up name tags for everyone to wear and make it easy for everyone to get to know each other. While some find it is worth the effort to print every name individually, others may just decide to make up their own custom label on which each employee can write their own name on in the space provided.

Of course, it would not be a company party without some merchandise or “swag” given out. If you are in charge of picking the items, you can easily add a label with the company insignia to the products to make them more appropriate.

Party Labels

No matter what the party is for, the right labels can help to make food, prizes, and gift bags more personal for the person the party is being thrown for, or for those who are attending the party. Either way, try using some creative labels at your next party for a more personalized feel and memorable experience.