Spiffed's Computing Notebook

The journey starts with my inbox full of PayPal instant payment emails. At this point, some-one has already dealt with the WebStore purchases and PayPal eChecks. (We file eChecks away until they clear, then the "you're received a cleared eCheck payment" emails are processed with the instant payments. There are none today.) Personally, I now move all the payment emails into their own temporary folder; other people work in-situ.

All of the emails are opened (one-at-a-time) and I open each the PayPal link in a new tab of one Firefox window. (The paypal link begins with "https://www.paypal.com".) The email can now be closed, we'll come back to them later. From here, you should work moderately quickly to avoid PayPal logging you out.

Once all the payment emails are open in tabs, I print the transaction details page for each tab. These serve as the payment records and get filed into the accounting filing-cabinet. This will be a two-page document, so either print two-up or use a duplex printer.

Once you've printed a page, scroll to the bottom and click 'Packing Slip'.

Now you have a window with packing slips in tabs. Print each packing slip. These are only one page.

We have a template for our shipping labels. Both Avery and Uline provide downloadable templates on their website. We've modified our template to use a mono-space font with an appropriate size. From each email, copy the shipping address and paste it into a blank area on your label template. If, like us, you re-use partial sheets of labels, ensure you skip any used cells. I find the PureText tool is great for enforcing your own formatting on copied text. Go ahead and print the labels now.

Depending on your postal system, you may now need to print shipping labels for oversized or international shipments. In the US, stamps.com and click-n-ship are popular; in Canada, Canada Post's ePost/OBC is your only option. If correctly setup, PayPal offers access to online shipping tools through a link called 'Shipping Label' at the bottom of the transaction details page (near the 'packing slip' link). Sadly, this step is left as an exercise to the reader.

Now it's time to do the actual work. Gather up your tools and supplies.

• Boxes and Anti-Static Cushioning. You'll need these for any items larger than an envelope.
• Envelopes. These are great for small/flat objects. We have small, medium, and jinormous sizes.
• Stamps. If you're using the conventional postal service, you'll need appropriate stamps. I cut my rolls of stamps up into strips of of 10, then staple them into books.
• Return Address Labels. These are much easier than writing your address in the corner of every envelope and cheaper than pre-printed envelopes. You may either print your own or buy them preprinted. We put these on everything, even packages with packing labels. You want these to be really sticky; if all else fails you want your package back.
• Packing Slips and Transaction Details. The packing slip is inserted into every envelope, and the transaction detail page is used to confirm we've packaged the correct items. Later the transaction details are filed away for accounting.
• Anti-Static Bags and Warning Labels. We package everything in these poly-anti-static bags. The yellow anti-static stickers are very professional looking.
• Address Labels. These are the printed address labels we made previously. We use pink, yellow, blue, and white address labels to separate our outgoing mail. You should use whatever is right for you.
• Printed Shipping Labels. (Not Pictured) Printed address labels are used for anything that can't be sent regular/first-class mail.
• Scissors and Tape. Trust us, you'll need them. You'll need to tape any non-adhesive packing labels; additionally, we tape the flaps of the envelopes closed.
• Scale. Everything will need to be weighed. Simply guessing the weight is a recipe for overpayment or returned packages.

Fold, stuff, stuff, seal, label, label, stamp, tape, done. Pack your items as appropriate, I have nothing to add here.

Now back to your computer! Reply to each of your payment emails (the reply-to should automatically be the customer). In the reply, you can safely delete everything above "Item# blahblah" and everything below "Total: blahblah". You should also shorten the title to "Re: Item #blahblahblah".

Now add a nice blurb to the top explaining you've shipped their item and how long you expect it will take. I use Direct Access to save typing, but you can copy and paste. There's a separate blurb for overseas, US, and Canadian shipping. There's also special emails for FedEx/DHL/UPS packages.

Take the packages to their drop-off location, and you're all set.