Work Smarter NOT Harder in your direct sales or WAHM business - Mailing Packages

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My mantra (all the time, every day!) is “Smarter not Harder”.  I pretty much just try to pay very close attention to what I avoid doing and why, and then I try to solve that barrier. I worked for a time management consulting company for many years as an administrative assistant, I learned a lot from all that stuff I typed!

That means that if it can be automated, streamlined or eliminated, I do it. If it is not a “business building activity” I try to avoid it. If it is something that has to be repeated (consistency and follow through are my arch nemesis) then I find a way to make technology my slave!   

Mailing packages is a chore for me. It's not HARD, it's time consuming. And boring. And I'd rather do something exciting and productive!

• First you have to gather up whatever you're mailing.  
• And find the address.  
• And a box.  
• And some packing tape.  
• And you have to go to the post office to figure out how much postage it needs 
• And pay for it.  

(Barrier: Me, supplies, information)

Enter USPS.com  I set up a FREE online account, filled in my information and invested about 15 minutes to figure out how to use it.  I can create mailing labels, pay for them and print them out, right at my desk.  When I use the flat rate shipping option, I don't even need to use my Postal Scale.

Something that I noticed was slowing me down (aka keeping me from getting stuff done!) was when it was time to pay, I would have to get up and get my credit card out of my purse.  With 4 kids in the house, when mom gets up from the desk, it means that everyone instantly needs something!  So I would finally remember what I was doing, get the card and go back to the computer, only to find that my session had "timed out".

Enter PayPal.com I've had a PayPal account for a loooong time.  It's safe, easy and reliable.  The merchant never sees your credit card info.  And, most online merchants accept it.  So now when I get to the payment screen, I choose PayPal and viola!  I'm done (with that part anyway!)

The next thing that slows me down is not having the proper supplies.  Finding a box or envelope and packing tape to put the label on the box... meh!  You know what?  You can order supplies for Priority Mail for FREE (that's my favorite price, how about you?) and they come right to your door!  And priority mail envelopes have a sticky tab already, so I only need to find packing tape for the label I printed out.

You'd think that would make it easy enough, right?  I mentioned that I have 4 kids... They like tape.  A lot.  So, that still was something that became an excuse for me.  (I am a procrastinator, I come from a long line of them.  Don't judge!  LOL)

You know what?  You can get Shipping Labels that work perfectly with the USPS printing system (just remember to print them WITHOUT the receipt)

So, in summary.  I used to take days to send out packages.  I have used online tools from PayPal and USPS to streamline my process.  Now, I have no excuses for procrastinating sending packages!  It's all right there at my fingertips.

Smarter.  Not.  Harder.

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