Delivering candies the optimal way

Have you ever wanted to send someone a package of chocolate, candies or edible and was scared of it melting inside the package or that it wouldn’t reach the person in a good state? It is very common to blow up a gift just by forgetting that chocolate can easily melt in hot weather.

There are also many options for packages that many people don’t account for besides the traditional chocolate box. You can send candies in buckets, jars, candy boxes and even treat bags, those famous plastic cones that they give at kids’ birthday parties.

As for the candies themselves, you have to think and research about the possible reactions your chosen edible can have on the weather, excessive movement and if it can spoil. Some types of candy can expire in a quick manner or get a bad taste if wet.

Types of Candies

Caramel, if too much time passes, can get extremely hard. What is called “hard candy,” like lollipops, for example, can last indefinitely but will get sticky and clumped together if humidity gets to it. Candy boxes are not the best option for caramel.

Chocolate lasts for months, only having a bit of discoloration and softening after too much time has passed, but candies with nuts in them can get spoiled very quickly.

Lastly, a good practice is to account for five months the time you should start doubting the quality of your candies. Besides that, they are still edible as they are primarily made of sugar, so they’ll just get softer as a result.

For hard candy, because they can last longer, will not need too much attention spent on their package, just make sure it can’t get easily wet, so a glass bottle or a tin is the way to go with them.

As for chocolate, those old, classic candy boxes are still a good alternative for them, as you can’t fight back against hot weather. Chocolate boxes usually have a pre-made template for you to put chocolates there and they won’t move around the box. That is important if your candy can break into pieces or if there is a decoration in it.

Shipping

While shipping, keeping the nature of the candy in mind is as important as when deciding the package. Chocolate and caramel, for example, can melt while shipping during hot days.

In the case of fragile candies, it is a good practice to use what is called overnight or one-day shipping. These have better chances of delivering your products in a much better state than other means of transportation.

It is important to keep in mind that candies can get into a bad state if kept inside a hot truck in the weekend. Because of that, remember to always ship them early in the week. That way they won’t get stuck during the weekend, and you’ll also secure that the delivery was fast.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises to put them in the refrigerator or places with a cold temperature for them to return to the optimal state, especially if shipping to hot places.

For packaging, they advise to place a cold source inside an insulated container and place the candy on top. After that, close the container, and you’re ready to ship it.

Make Cardboard Boxes In Simple Steps

Everyone has multiple uses with cardboard boxes in our day to day life as we use it to pack things, present gifts, decorate with boxes, etc. Interestingly, almost every consumer product is coming in some types of boxes similar to the cardboard box. Making cardboard box is not a hefty job, or it doesn’t need any specific knowledge, but I must say it is an interesting job. If you have some creative ideas, you can earn out of it by making the boxes in different styles and designs and sell it to product manufacturers or small shop owners. See the steps how you can make a cardboard in a simpler way.

Choose the Cardboard

It should be according to the use, and for simple uses, it is better to use the side of a cereal box to make small boxes. When it comes to sturdier projects, corrugated cardboard is better, and use cardstock or scrapbooking paper for larger and decorative boxes. Few things to be noted that 1/4th of the length of cardboard becomes the side of a square box and the width of cardboard becomes the height, top, and bottom of the box. For instance, if there is a cardboard of 12″ x 9″ size, it can be converted into 3″ sides with 6″ height.

Decorate Yourself

It is much easier to decorate before starting the cutting or folding the cardboard. You can simply use a designer wrapping paper with ½” more than cardboard size and glue it on one side the cardboard. While making the box, fold it like the cardboard side with wrapping paper forms the exterior of the box.

Make a Flap at One End of the Cardboard

Make “glue flap” at one edge (length-wise edges) to hold the four sides while completing the box making. The flap can be of 2″ wide for larger boxes, and it can be ¼” for small boxes.

Draw the Outline

Divide the remaining part of length into four equal sections using a ruler and pencil to get a square box. But, you can change it the division proportion to a different dimension to get a rectangular box. For instance, if you wanted to make a box of length 4″ and 3″, you have to take dimension with an initial division of 4″, then 3″, continued by 4″, and finally 3″.

Make the Edges Easier to Fold

To make easier folding at the edges, make a hard press at the edges of each section using a ruler. If thick materials like corrugated cardboards are used, get the help of a utility knife to make a soft cut.

Fold the Sides

Make a bend to inward at the edges and release it; this can make sure an easy fold later.

Draw Flaps for Top and Bottom of Box

Take the width of each side of the designed box and divide it by half. Extend the line top and bottom of the initial draw with that measurement. For instance, if the width of the designed box is 4″, then divide it by half, and the result is 2″. Extend 2″ height lines of sides at the bottom and top to make them top and bottom flaps.

Cut each of the Flaps

Cut the flaps on top and bottom until it meets the height lines of sides. This adds four flaps each on top and bottom of the initial drawing.

Fold the Sides and Stick together

Bend all the four sides and stick it along the narrow glue flap using sticky tape or glue and make the structure.

Fold and Stick the Base

Tuck the flaps of opposite sides together like one overlap the other and stick together using glue or sticky tape.

Tuck the Top Flaps

You can tuck and stick top flaps like the base if you are shipping things with products inside or using as decorative cardboard boxes. Otherwise, keep the flaps just tucked for easy opening.

Your Cardboard Box is Ready

Shipping Boxes and Product Security Notes

Businesses that are shipping items to their clients should not dismiss the power of security. Security is not a matter of the delivery service provider, but the shipping boxes that you utilize. This seems odd at first, but truly is an element of shipping that should not be dismissed.

If you own a small business and are shipping on a regular basis, consider a few key elements of your supply chain. Boxes can either make or break security elements, and there’s a few key things to remember.

Preventing Loss and Damage

When making decisions about boxes, you’re going to often look for the lowest price. There’s nothing wrong with that. Price matters as it effects the bottom line of your profit. But before you go with something cheap, take into consideration how it may help or hurt the consumer.

The packaging and shipping of products needs to be rethought. Small items that are put into similarly sized boxes, can be stolen with ease. It also may limit the display, which can help consumers understand some simple benefits that come with their purchase. The size of boxes and product packaging can work hand in hand to deter loss, and even damage. Don’t dismiss this notion.

Protecting Against Damage

Aside from just shipping, consider the design of the package being shipped often. Design should not dismiss the need to protect the item inside. Adding an extra packaging for shipping can help deter breakage, in case of dropping, pressure, or weight. Once you give a package to a shipping source, they are going to treat the package like others, stacking, sorting, and moving it around without care.

Even items labeled “fragile” take a beating. To protecting against damage requires specific thought to the interior package design, as well as extra sleeves for items. Reducing movement and pressure is one of the keys to ensuring a product doesn’t arrive broken or unusable for the consumer.

Tracing Packages Easily

Tracking can make or break your supply chain. Consumers are more demanding today, and if they cannot trace packages easily, they will be very upset. It’s up to your business to ensure that tracking information is easy to utilize, read, and display. Using modern technologies can help with ink-coding, and other elements that help with this process.

New labeling systems, automated labeling, and larger displays for shipping companies to scan and read is critical. Without these in place on your shipping boxes, you can expect consumer complaints mid-way through the shipping process.

Never Overlook Packaging

It is important that small business protects their products from damage, theft, and other elements. It’s easy to overlook packaging due to cost. It’s for that reason that the above elements are so critical. Think about these as you marginalize your supply chain. Saving money by cutting corners on packaging, shipping labels, and technology is never a good idea. Doing so will come with a variety of complaints from consumers. It will also cause theft, damage, and production problems. It’s better to spend a little more to ensure packaging is secure, easy to trace, and safe, then to replace items over and over again due to theft and damage.

Making Candy Boxes For Gifts

Candy boxes are quite exciting as they may be created for anyone at any time. There are quite a few people who are searching for a better way to present the gifts they have bought. The finest of all gifts may be put together in the form of a candy box, and cardboard boxes may be used to create something special, and the candy may be chosen specifically for the box. This article explains how someone may create a lovely set of candies that may be given to anyone.

#1: Building The Tray

Building the trays that are used in the candy boxes is important as there are many types of corrugated cardboard, and they may be put into sets of ridges that will hold the candy that has been chosen. Someone who wishes to use the boxes to build a new candy box must ensure they have chosen something that will help them create the ridges that are needed.

#2: Choosing The Lid

The lid that is chosen for the box may be selected because it will hold down the candy, and the giver may create padding that will hold the candy down when the lid is applied. The box may be opened to show the candy int he configuration that was chosen, and the candy will not move around while the box is moved. Boxes that are moved around or shipped may see the candy jostled, but the problem will be solved when the lid is used to hold the candy down.

#3: Decorating The Box

The box must be decorated in a way that will be appealing to the recipient. The box may be built up in a number of different ways, and some of the candy may be placed on the outside. The candy makes the box look much more fun, and it helps the recipient know what is on the inside. They may pluck a piece of candy from the box as they are opening it, and they will see how much thought was put into the box itself.

#4: Labeling The Box

The candy box that has been created will have labels that show what all the different candies are. The labels may have descriptions to ensure the recipient knows what sort of candy they have been given, and they may read the labels when they are unsure what it is they are eating. The labels may have their own inside jokes for the recipient, and the recipients may enjoy the jokes that have been printed on the box. The box must tell the recipient all they need to know about their candy when they open the box.

There are quite a few people who wish to begin unpacking their candy as soon as they find it, and they may build a candy box that is given to someone else. The labels in the box will make the candy easy to enjoy, and the exterior of the box will look lovely because it was decorated with a bow or lid that makes it much more professional in appearance. The finest candy box is built from a simple selection of candy that was chosen for the recipient. It is accompanied by descriptions of the candy, and it may come with a special decoration on the outside.

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Storage Options

People find a need for storing their stuff for lots of reasons. From a temporary spot for shipping boxes to downsizing living space to making extra room for a growing family, there are various options one can choose from, four of which are covered here.

Classic Storage Units
Most people are aware of self-storage units, and these make a great choice for keeping stuff out of the way. It’s a common choice when consumers are in between homes and need a place to centralize their belongings.

On the positive side, self-storage units typically provide users with around-the-clock access. They also frequently have security monitoring as well as coded gates that allow only customers to get in via a personal code that’s been assigned. On the downside, customers have to get their items to and from storage using their own vehicles.

The cost of renting a self-storage unit is dependent upon factors including location, features, and size. Larger units that are suitable for storing the contents of an entire home may cost, on average, $150 to $230 each month.

Pods
Another option for storage is what’s known as a “pod”. These offer the convenience of bringing the storage directly to the packing location which makes it easy to fill. Once full, the pod is relocated to a new place. The pod company will haul the pod via truck on behalf of customers. The downside to pods is that they’re not as large as a stationary unit.

Quotes for pod rental can be obtained online. On average, a pod with space for three or four rooms’ worth of stuff runs around $175 per month. In addition, there’s a transporting fee for both delivery and relocation, and that runs approximately $65 for each.

Concierge Storage
Concierge storage is simply a complete service in which the company takes care of both packing and storing. They’ll also bring customers items they may discover are needed after they’ve been stored. This means that customers don’t have to be concerned with transporting items.

This service is very convenient as the concierge company performs a complete inventory of the contents. The finished list that’s given to the customer has numbered labels with a description of what each number represents.

On the downside, items that are needed can only be gotten during company hours. The cost of concierge storage depends on the location’s general cost of living.

Peer-to-Peer
This simple storage method is just what it sounds like. People in need of storage can search for someone who’s offering to rent out home space, such as an attic or cellar, for storage.

There are benefits to the peer-to-peer approach because it’s more personalized as far as amount of space and cost. There’s more flexibility than there would be with a firmly-structured company. On the downside, the peer-to-peer storage trend is still new and only available in a limited number of places, so it may not be convenient.

The cost of peer-to-peer storage is determined by a number of factors including location and negotiations agreed upon by the host and the renter. However, the overall cost for this type of storage is about half the cost of commercial storage.