Small Business Owners - Why Your Packaging Strategy is Failing You and How to FIX it by Jeremy Bower

In this episode S5:E32 of Small Biz Stories, Dr. LL sits down with Jeremy Bower, founder of Givr Packaging, chemical-engineer-turned-eco-entrepreneur, and one of the most refreshingly honest voices in sustainability.

Jeremy doesn’t just sell boxes — he rethinks packaging from the ground up.

You’ll hear how his background in paper science (yes, they actually award degrees for this specialty science and Jeremy has one) and sustainability led him to start Givr Packaging, why he fights to protect small businesses from predatory packaging minimums, and the surprising truth: most small businesses get packaging wrong and waste thousands.

From sustainable materials like bio-polymers and chitin foam, to the brutal realities of recycling, to Jeremy’s no-minimum-order philosophy that helps startups scale responsibly — this episode is packed with practical insights and contrarian wisdom.

⏱️ Timestamp Highlights (Entrepreneur Value Moments)

[3:03] — “I’m good at contrarian thinking.”
→ Jeremy shares how seeing holes others miss gives him a competitive edge.

[7:25] — “We give sustainable startups traction they’d never get on their own.”
→ How Giver helps eco-innovators break into the market.

[14:16] — “Our minimum order is one. People are shocked.”
→ Why serving tiny startups can produce massive long-term wins.

[20:57] — “Get paid. Protect yourself. Only 2% will try to screw you — but they will.”
→ Critical advice for entrepreneurs dealing with receivables, contracts, and bad actors.

[24:02] — “Don’t print your boxes. You don’t need it.”
→ The #1 packaging mistake entrepreneurs make that wastes thousands — and what to do instead.

AND here's a first - we would have easily kept talking for another hour or so, but we lost power due to a thunderstorm and that was the end of the show!

Clearly he has something against the letter "E" ... but you can follow Jamie:
👉 Instagram ⁨@boxbuildr⁩
👉 Web https://givrpackaging.com

✴️ You can follow @STEERus on Instagram and @MidlifeSuccess on YouTube

#smallbusiness #entrepreneur #packaging #waste #sustainability