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Table of Contents<\/p>
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Small business shipping solutions by courier<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n 6 things to consider when shipping as a small business <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n How can small businesses reduce shipping costs?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Are you ready for a 3PL?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Discover the best small business shipping solution<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Small business shipping FAQs<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Running a small business is no easy task. From developing new products to spreading the word about them, there\u2019s no shortage of strategic tasks that demand your attention each day \u2014 including shipping orders to your customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Managing small business shipping in-house can seem easy at first, but there are many factors to take into consideration when you\u2019re just launching an online store:<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this article, we\u2019ll cover the top elements to keep in mind when choosing your shipping strategy, the small business shipping solutions offered by each courier, and how to save money on shipping for your small business. If you\u2019re fulfilling orders in-house, you might choose between <\/span>USPS vs UPS vs FedEx<\/span><\/a>. Each of these major couriers offer their own version of a small business shipping solution, each with its own benefits and drawbacks. Here\u2019s how three of the main couriers compare.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n USPS can be a great option for small businesses shipping lower volumes. They offer a free Priority Mail Starter Kit<\/a> for small businesses and allow you to set up a PO box for your company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition, USPS has several programs that make it easy for small businesses that are shipping low volume to fulfil orders in-house, including Click-N-Ship<\/a>, which allows you to pay postage and print shipping labels online, and a home pickup<\/a> option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the biggest benefits of USPS is its last-mile delivery<\/a> capabilities. Last-mile delivery is a logistics term used to describe the transportation of a package to its final destination with the goal of delivering it as quickly and cost-effectively as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n USPS also offers a certificate of mailing<\/a> for most of their services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because USPS runs local routes every day, they already deliver to your end customer daily and don\u2019t have to go out of their way to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n FedEx offers a program called FedEx Small Business<\/a> geared toward growing companies in need of shipping solutions. This includes a variety of benefits, including a rewards program and the Packaging Help Hub, a resource to help you calculate your packages\u2019 dimensional weight and learn packaging terminology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other features FedEx offers include scheduled pickups and temperature-controlled shipping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Similarly, the UPS Small Business<\/a> program aims to provide resources for small business owners to make the most of their shipping solutions. Your small business is unique, so your shipping needs and strategy will be, too. Here are several factors to keep in mind when choosing an order fulfilment<\/a> strategy for your small business to provide the best experience in real-time for both on and offline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The number of orders you ship each month will play a big role in finding the right small business shipping options for you. If you\u2019re new to the world of online selling, your shipping strategy is going to look very different from that of a big-box store like Target or Best Buy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A low order volume makes it easier (and more cost-effective) to go the DIY route for your shipping operations, from buying and printing labels at home to dropping packages off at the post office every time you have new orders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Choosing packaging is an opportunity to do three things: protect your products, showcase your brand, and save money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First, consider how much protection your products need. If you\u2019re selling t-shirts, you can drop them straight into a poly mailer bag and send them on their way, but if you\u2019re shipping glass ornaments, that\u2019s not a great choice. Make sure fragile items don\u2019t break in transit<\/a> by using bubble wrap, airfill, crinkle paper, bubble mailers, and other forms of dunnage<\/a> for extra protection. All three of these can be affordable and lightweight options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many small businesses these days have sustainability as part of their core values. If this is the case with your business a priority might be <\/span>eco-friendly packaging options<\/span><\/a>. This goes a long way for many customers too, and can help with return business for customers who share their values with eco-friendly companies. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have the budget, you can even showcase your brand using custom packaging. For example, providers like Packlane, Arka, and Noissue offer customisable boxes and poly mailers<\/a> that let you incorporate your logo, colours, and imagery for a branded shipping experience. While this is a more expensive option than plain packaging, it can help keep your brand top-of-mind and leave a lasting impression on your customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To save money<\/a> if you\u2019re shipping directly through the United States Postal Service (USPS), UPS, or FedEx, you can use their flat-rate boxes. These are a great choice to save on shipping for smaller, heavier items. That said, if your products are lightweight, flat-rate shipping may end up costing more than using your own packaging. If that\u2019s the case, consider ordering boxes from a supplier like Uline and shipping orders through whichever courier is most cost-competitive.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n When choosing packaging and small business shipping solutions, don\u2019t forget about dimensional weight<\/a>, or DIM weight. DIM weight takes the dimensions of your package into account when calculating shipping costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Larger boxes will lead to larger DIM weights, which in turn will lead to more expensive shipping costs<\/a>. Use the smallest box possible while still ensuring orders are shipping securely and leaving enough room for any necessary air fill, bubble wrap, or crinkle paper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your average package dimensions will also play a role in calculating shipping costs and building your budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unless you\u2019re using flat-rate shipping, heavier packages cost more to ship. If you\u2019re printing labels and shipping from home, consider investing in a postage scale to help ensure you\u2019re able to predict costs more accurately and purchase the right shipping labels<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Distance is another factor that affects which small business shipping options are right for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All of these questions are important pieces of your small business shipping strategy. Customers expect quick and affordable delivery, and location plays a big role in how well you can meet those expectations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One way to lessen shipping costs while increasing delivery speeds is by minimising the number of shipping zones<\/a> your average package travels. This can reduce shipping costs<\/a> and delivery times, leading to happier customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, if you\u2019re currently shipping orders from a more rural area, or constantly shipping orders to the opposite side of the country, you\u2019re probably incurring unnecessarily high shipping costs. Instead, you may want to consider outsourcing shipping to a fulfilment centre<\/a> in a more urban or central location. We\u2019ll discuss this option in more detail later on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a growing business trying to save money, it may be tempting to choose the cheapest available options for every piece of your shipping strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While there are several key ways to reduce logistics costs<\/a>, the lowest shipping and fulfilment costs<\/a> don\u2019t necessarily correspond to the highest efficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a business owner, your to-do list is never-ending, but some tasks are more valuable than others. Here are some ways to save on shipping costs for your small business while staying efficient and using your time wisely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Each major courier offers the ability to schedule pickups from your home. While USPS provides this service for free, UPS and FedEx both charge a fee for scheduled pickups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you have the time (and vehicle) available to take orders to the post office or courier storefront<\/a>, or is it worth the potential fees to save time and have the orders picked up from home? Scheduling free USPS pickups can be a happy medium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re shipping more than 100 orders per month, you may be able to negotiate shipping rates with couriers. The higher your shipping volume, the more likely it is that you\u2019ll be able to negotiate lower shipping rates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, even if your shipping volume is too low to give you much leverage, couriers offer a wide variety of discounts and special offers for growing businesses. Look into the small business programs listed above and feel free to reach out to courier representatives to learn more about discounts or lower rate options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to shipping rates, packaging costs can add up quickly. While branded packaging is an enticing option, don\u2019t consider it a must-have if your budget is tight. You can buy plain, traditional packing materials \u2014 boxes, bubble wrap, airfill, and poly mailers \u2014 in bulk to save money. One big money and time-saver for growing businesses can be outsourcing order fulfilment to a <\/span>logistics service provider<\/span><\/a>, also called a 3PL. <\/span>Outsourcing order fulfilment<\/span><\/a> refers to hiring a third party that performs shipping services for small businesses, including storing inventory, packing orders, and preparing them to be picked up by <\/span>shipping companies like UPS<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOther service providers can pass on economies of scale once available only to consumer-goods giants\u2026 Businesses such as ShipBob, a Chicago startup, do something similar with shipping, allowing small brands to offer faster, cheaper deliveries.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Economist<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n While it may not be cost-effective for businesses that don\u2019t yet have a lot of customers, outsourcing retail fulfilment<\/a> can be the small business shipping solution that saves the most time and money as companies scale and order volume increases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nBest small business shipping solutions by courier<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
USPS benefits<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
FedEx benefits<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
UPS benefits<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>\nIn addition to the ability to schedule pickups and manage customer returns, UPS also offers UPS Connect<\/a>, which provides shipping discounts, consultations with logistics experts, and a dedicated support team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n6 things to consider when shipping as a small business <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Order volume<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Packaging<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. Package dimensions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4. Package weight<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
5. Shipping destination<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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How can small businesses reduce shipping costs?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Manage pick-up vs. drop off costs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Negotiating (bulk) shipping rates<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Choosing affordable packing materials<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>\nWhile buying in bulk is more expensive upfront, you\u2019ll have what you need on hand for the foreseeable future while saving money on a per-unit basis. There are also ways to try and score free packing and shipping supplies<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nOutsourcing vs. in-house fulfilment<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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