This last week we were noticed on a Canadian wedding forum, where one of our customers, LulieDecorDesigns, gave us a plug. We were caught off guard with the response. We hadn't really done too much research into shipping to Canada or elsewhere. I had read on some Etsy forums that for most sellers, Canadian buyers make up about 25% of their total sells, so I knew this was a market we needed to tap into, but wasn't quite ready yet. As they say.....when opportunity calls.... It was a bit of a scramble trying to find out the best way to ship to our Canadian friends. Unfortunately for us, a lot of our products make shipping internationally financially unviable. That doesn't mean people don't do it, but I think the overall cost is just too much for most. Our only reprieve is our small boards, 9 x 12, can fit in a USPS flat rate envelope and ship anywhere around the globe for $15. When it comes to the large boards, $38 was the lowest we could find. That $38 price is for up to 3 cutting boards which we can fit in a single flat rate box. It works for those buying multiples, but maybe not so much for the single board buyer. Prices have really gone up for international shipping since they got rid of surface mail and made all international shipping air mail. And for a small business like us, those cost really make it hard to hit that international market.
Starting next week we will be offering Howard's Butcher Block Conditioner for sale at a price that is lower than you can find at your local Home Depot and other hardware stores. This is a product we use and recommend to be used regularly to maintain the boards we sell. Their product EXCEEDS the FDA's requirements for food safety, so we feel safe in applying it to our boards and recommending it to our customers. In addition, with the purchase of one of our boards, there is no additional shipping cost. We feel this is a great product to sell with our cutting boards as it provides the customer with what they need to protect the beautiful wood cutting board without having to go out and find someone who sells it at a much higher mark up.
