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If you are looking for an easy way to expand your Silhouette or Cricut small business, consider shipping your products worldwide. It isn’t difficult, so let’s look at what you need to know before you dive in!
Checklist Before You Start Shipping Internationally
- Choose your shipping provider. The USPS, FedEx, and UPS all ship internationally. Do research on what it costs to ship your products with each carrier, then decide which one is a best fit for your business.
- The USPS offers flat rate International Priority Mail boxes. They are usually a good deal if your items will fit inside.
- Research prohibited items. All countries have lists of items that are prohibited to be shipped to their country. Additionally, there may be specific labeling requirements.
- Understand estimated shipping times. Obviously, the farther a package has to travel; the longer it will take. You’ll need to be sure to advertise correct shipping estimates to your international buyers.
- Understand customs paperwork. Customs paperwork must be completed. The good news? When you ship online through USPS, FedEx, or UPS – there is a online wizard that walks you through the paperwork.
- Understand the customs process. When packages arrive in a foreign country, they will be subject to a search. This could mean x-ray or physically being opened and looked at. Fragile items may be unwrapped and not rewrapped in the same manner.
- Familiarize yourself with import/duties fees. Know the estimated fees for the country you are shipping to. The buyer will pay these fees when their package arrives in their country. You should advertise that the buyer is responsible for import duties and fees.
Great! That’s a lot of information, now how exactly do you get started? If I were starting out with shipping Internationally, I would choose 3 to 5 countries to add to my “ship to” countries. For example, in addition to the USA – I could also add United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada. I’d then research the costs and prohibited items, then add these countries to my listings. As time goes on, I’d add new countries or continents.
Tell me in the comments, do you ship internationally? Why or why not?
Looking for more shipping information? Head to this section of the blog.
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Since 2015, Christine Schinagl has been helping crafters start and run craft businesses through her blog, Cutting for Business. As a Silhouette and Cricut crafter herself, she has a unique take on what works and what doesn’t work in the craft business world. She also enjoys teaching other crafters how to create digital SVG designs, available through the Design with Me series.