What happens if you have been putting all of these tips into practice with wholesaling, consignment, trade fairs, craft shows etc? Well, you will need to think about fulfilling orders.

Independent businesses are able to gain huge orders from major retailers but more often than not, the big order will come with a list of do's and dont's. It is essential you read these guidelines with a fine tooth comb and if there are no guidelines, you may wish to create your own.

It can be tempting to save a few pounds but do not scrimp on packaging. Buy good quality boxes and tape and use some filling materials like polystyrene or air packets. The best way to save some money with packaging is to buy in bulk at wholesale prices rather than from your local Rymans or Staples.

As you package up your lovely handmade products, assume that the parcel will be knocked about during transit. Therefore consider a "fragile" sticker and fill every last space with filling materials to help make it resistent to compression.

Postage costs can put a potential buyer off so consider buying a postage scale to achieve accurate costs. I have my postage as accurate as possible but I have added a policy to Butterfly-Crafts saying if postage paid is more that 70p different I will refund that difference.

If you receive a large wholesale order that you are posting rather than hand delivering consider using Royal Mail parcel force or another large carrier such as FedEx or DHL and they provide an online tracking system.

Postage is also a great opportunity to add the personal touch. For example I include a business card, a hand written thank you nore, occasionally an offer for a future purchase and often matching gift tags.

Remember the joy and excitement you experience when your purchases arrive? That is what you are trying to recreate.

Coming on the next Business Tips blog on the 9th April: Customer Service