What a new shop needs before its first order
Five things worth having before the first parcel leaves. Four of them can be fixed later. One cannot.
New shops keep asking me: what do I need before the first order goes out?
The honest answer is: less than you think. But one of them is painful to fix later, so I put it first.
1. A fixed pickup location
This is the one that hurts to change, so it goes at the top.
The pickup address determines who collects, at what time, and where the freight is calculated from. Change it midway and you have to re-register, routes shift, and parcels already moving get confused.
No warehouse yet, collecting from home is completely normal. But pick one spot and stay there for a few months. Not home one week, warehouse the next.
And pick somewhere with a human present during the collection window. A courier who misses twice means a late order, and late means cancelled.
2. A way to keep records, even a spreadsheet
You do not need software yet. One file with these columns covers the first few months:
| Column | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Order ID | The key for reconciling with the carrier |
| Created date, delivered date | These two differ, and that difference is what causes COD gaps |
| Goods value, freight, COD received | Do not collapse these three into one |
| Status | Delivered, returning, returned |
Leave out "delivered date" and you will not be able to reconcile later. I wrote about that in detail in the COD post.
3. One consistent packing spec
Pick one or two box sizes and stick with them. Pack every order differently and you will never know whether the breakage rate comes from the goods or from the packing.
Fix it first, then you can measure it. Measure it, then you can improve it.
4. A prepared reply for late orders
Sounds minor, saves a lot of orders. A customer messages "why is this taking so long" at ten at night, and you reply two days later - that order is gone.
Write two or three lines in advance and paste them when needed. Not to fob people off - to answer in time.
5. Legal status, once you are big enough
Worth stating clearly, because it is often confused.
A few dozen orders a month of something you make at home, no rush. But once you are buying stock, issuing invoices, or a marketplace demands it, you need a household business or a company.
Signs it is time:
- Business customers asking for invoices.
- A marketplace requiring documents for an official store.
- Buying stock in volume, which needs supply contracts.
- Wanting a shipping contract on business terms.
That last one touches what I do, so to be clear: the shipping contract is between your shop and SPX Express Co. Ltd. Individuals and household businesses can both register, but the paperwork differs. Call me and I will check what your specific case needs.
Where things can be combined
I am the director of Vui Cười Lên Media, Technology and Entertainment Co. Ltd. The administrative items in section 5 - household business registration, company registration, tax filing, accounting - my team and our partner IAI Partner handle.
We also do livestream room setup, e-commerce storefront management, web builds, and carrier API integration for automated reporting.
To be clear: those services are quoted and contracted separately, and are not part of the SPX shipping side. I mention them because plenty of shops are running five or six separate vendors for this, and consolidating is simply easier.
In short
Missing items 2, 3 and 4 can be added as you go. Missing item 1 is painful to fix. Item 5 waits until you need it.
As for the first order, just send it. Waiting until everything is in place means waiting forever.