Finding a cost-effective way to ship products to customers can be difficult for small business owners. Chances are, because you aren't frequently sending out large shipments, you end up paying more for shipping per package than larger companies. However, you can't charge your customers a lot of money for shipping, because you could end up losing customers. In fact, a consumer survey completed by Jupiter Media Matrix states that 63 percent of the people they surveyed cited excessive shipping costs as a reason for cancelling orders. So, it's imperative that you try your best to get your shipping rates as low as possible. Check out these tips to learn how you can cut your shipping costs.
Sign a Contract with a National Shipping Provider
Large companies get good deals on shipping by signing a contract with one of the large national shipping providers, and you can too. While you might not lock in shipping prices that are as low as a major retailer, you should be able to get a good rate. By working with a small business specialist from the provider that you choose to map out shipping criteria for your company, you can save up to 40 percent on your company's shipping costs.
Buy Supplies in Bulk
Order shipping supplies for your business in bulk to save money on shipping supplies. Also, instead of ordering shipping supplies from multiple companies, you may be able to save money by purchasing all of your shipping supplies from the same place — especially if you agree to ordering a set amount of supplies each month. A lot of companies that sell custom packaging for businesses also sell items such as packing peanuts and packing tape, so it isn't difficult to find the supplies your company needs. Just make sure you let the shipping supply company know if your company regularly ships items that are oddly shaped or extremely heavy so that they can help you find packaging products that are right for your company.
Know When to Choose Flat Rate Shipping
Flat rate shipping is a simple solution, but it isn't the most cost-effective way to ship many products. If you're shipping a heavy product, choosing flat rate shipping might be your best option. However, for lighter packages, you might be able to save money by choosing another shipping option. To determine this, use a postage meter to weigh your packages before they are shipped. This way, you'll know right away if a package is heavy enough that shipping it flat rate would save money.
It isn't always easy to get your shipping costs as low as you'd like them to be. In fact, you'll probably have to continually assess your company's shipping process on a regular basis to make sure you're getting the lowest shipping rates possible.
Share13 July 2016
A few years back, I was faced with a serious dilemma. Our employees had started to strike for what they said were dangerous working conditions when everything was in line with the recommendations from our parent company. We knew that we had to make things right, so we started working as a team to make things better. It was incredible to see how big of a difference we were able to make. Within a few short months, we completely overhauled our business and our employees felt like we cared about them. This website is here to help you to create better employee policies.
