Even though you may be able to negotiate a lower cost by dealing with one shipping carrier exclusively, you can increase customer satisfaction by offering several choices so that your customers can choose who they would like you to use. Shipping cost calculations aside, the math is simple: The farther you’re shipping, the more it costs. If you're not shipping hundreds of packages a day, you probably fall into the category of "small business shipper." In addition to the ability to schedule pickups and manage customer returns, UPS also offers UPS Connect, which provides shipping discounts, consultations with logistics experts, and a dedicated support team. If you’re doing self-fulfillment, 2-day shipping can take a huge toll on your margins — especially if you’re offering it for free. If your order volume is steadily increasing, however, you may outgrow your shipping strategy. 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. The more time you spend doing high dollar tasks in a given bucket ultimately determines how quickly your company will be able to scale in the long term, especially if you are bootstrapping and have zero investment dollars coming in.”, Teri Miyahira, Founder, TERI MIYAHIRA BEAUTY. Offering this shipping option has increased our average order value [in qualifying zones] from $75 to $148.”, [Download: ShipBob’s 2-Day Express Shipping: How to Drive Revenue Through Ecommerce Fulfillment]. This site has been created as a courier services solution for small businesses, designed for companies just like yours. Shipping for Business Helping You Do Business. Every major carrier offers their own version of a small business shipping solution, each with its own benefits and drawbacks. Menu. USPS can be a great option for small businesses shipping lower volumes. Also, this can create some competition between the carriers for your business. I kept hearing very good things about ShipBob and decided to go with them.”, Noel Churchill, Owner and CEO of Rainbow OPTX. One of the biggest benefits of USPS is its last-mile delivery capabilities. Postage for packages and thick envelopes will vary depending upon the carrier's rules and restrictions. While it may not be cost-effective for businesses that don’t yet have a lot of customers, outsourcing retail fulfillment can be the small business shipping solution that saves the most time and money as companies scale and order volume increases. UPS for small businesses features rates you will love with a prime service starting at £3.49 (VAT excl). The more you ship, the more leverage you will have when negotiating for a lower rate. If you’re shipping more than 100 orders per month, you may be able to negotiate shipping rates with carriers. Here are several factors to keep in mind when choosing an order fulfillment strategy for your small business to provide the best experience in real-time for both on and offline. Rates on this website include everything you need and you see the final price upfront. Discounts can be negotiated with as few as 100 packages per month. User ID User ID. It’s important to find a fulfillment company that you trust to handle your inventory, provide a positive experience to your customers, and ultimately help you grow your business. Managing small business shipping in-house can seem easy at first, but there are many factors to take into consideration when you’re just launching an online store: In this article, we’ll cover the top elements to keep in mind when choosing your shipping strategy, the small business shipping solutions offered by each carrier, and how to save money on shipping for your small business. Small businesses get a discount on domestic shipping rates and discount on international shipping. From developing new products to spreading the word about them, there’s no shortage of strategic tasks that demand your attention each day — including shipping orders to your customers. ), Package tracking and delivery confirmation. Download the Parcel Delivery Prices Guide to see parcel delivery rates at a glance. If that’s the case, consider ordering boxes from a supplier like Uline and shipping orders through whichever carrier is most cost-competitive. Other features FedEx offers include scheduled pickups and temperature-controlled shipping. If you’re printing labels and shipping from home, consider investing in a postage scale to help ensure you’re able to predict costs more accurately and purchase the right shipping labels. You can get discounted USPS rates immediately at signup. There are a variety of small business shipping solutions available to help you scale your ecommerce fulfillment, including packaging and shipping discounts from carriers and third-party fulfillment options (more on that later). With the seasonal nature of our business, meaning we’d have to scale up our fulfillment and workforce every year, I knew I had to find a 3PL partner.”, Noel Churchill, Owner and CEO of RainbowOPTX. If you’re shipping fewer than 100 orders per month, outsourcing fulfillment may be more expensive than it’s worth. The number of orders you ship each month will play a big role in finding the right small business shipping options for you. If the carrier will make pick-ups and deliveries free of charge, this can save you some money. If you’re in a hurry to send off your parcels, you can ship straight away without having to create an account. You can register later when you have a bit more time to spare to enjoy the benefits of an account and speed up your next shipments. Each major carrier offers the ability to schedule pickups from your home. In addition to shipping rates, packaging costs can add up quickly. Unless you’re using flat-rate shipping, heavier packages cost more to ship. All of these questions are important pieces of your small business shipping strategy.