The shipping, fulfillment, and returns can make your business grow or decline. The customer gets more excited about receiving the order than actually placing it, and being a small business, every step of yours would be the first step. Hence, you need to be very careful with delivering your services in order, to build your customer’s trust. Customer’s expectations are to get their order as fast as they can. All they want is to experience the perfect unboxing. Below is the shipping guide for e-commerce/small businesses. Let’s know Small Business Shipping Guide.
Finest shipping solutions for small businesses:
Shipping is the essential unit of a business. If your business is providing the best quality good but the shipping is not up to the customer’s mark, then you will lose a customer before making one.
A business company that has a user-oriented and affordable courier company is the customer preference.
USPS:
The cheapest and most used service of USPS is prioritmaills. It delivers the package in 3 working days and makes it easier for customers to track their order by providing them with the tracking number.
UPS:
It has the ups ground service that takes 1-5days to deliver. One of its perks is that it does multiple delivery attempts.
FedEX:
However, fed-ex is the fastest shipping line it’s a temperature control service too. In case if you are a food business, then fed-ex is the best option.
Here is the list of finest shipping solutions for small businesses:
| Courier | Delivery | Best for: | Features |
| USPS | 2-8 days | Small shipments | Home pickup. |
| UPS | 1-5 business days | Large shipments | Business discounts, Schedule pickups. |
| FedEx | 1-4 business days | Fast delivery | Packaging help, Schedule pickups. |
Things to consider before shipping:
While handing the order to the shipping line, there are certain things you must put into consideration that may add to the shipping cost. Even when the courier company will be cheaper it might get expensive if you don’t keep the following things into consideration.
- Weight of package
The heavier the package will be, the more you will be charged. The dimensions and weight of your package are directly proportional to the shipping cost. It is better to go for the smaller box in which the parcel is secure.
- Volume:
Businesses having a larger number of orders have the advantage of negotiating the price with the shipping line. As, there will be a mutual benefit at both ends.
- Branding and packaging
Your utmost duty should be to protect the goods so that they can reach safe and secure in the customer’s hand. Even if you are a small business you must make sure that the packaging you are providing must be good. If you are dealing with fragile goods, then you must write “fragile” over the package.
What shipping supplies should be considered?
Some fundamental shipping supplies include scissors, tape, a packaging box, craft paper or wrapping paper, sticky notes, and a pen. You must have a bundle of your business cards with thank you cards for your customers.
Make sure you have appropriate boxes for your goods, if you deal with fragile items do use a bubble wrap in order to avoid damage to goods. Keep in mind delicate products need more cushion to remain safe and secure to reach in the safe hands.
Over time, when your business will grow you may invest more in your packaging supplies to have a sustainable business, as it’s a key to a successful business,
How to know the shipping line is best?
Being a small business owner means you are new to the market, chances are people may fool you for your small business, therefore, it’s important to know certain aspects of shipping that may help you know if it’s best or not.
- Strategic network
- Monitoring shipment
- Help and support
What shipping price to charge your customers?
If you have a (b2b) plan, then you must opt for rates that are real which gives favor to you as both of the parties can quote the price so that there is no fluctuation in the prices at both ends.
On the other hand, many customers look to free shipping. At times small businesses lose their customers because of the shipping cost as the shipping price is more than the actual product’s price. Hence, keeping the profit margin you must offer free shipping this way you will make more customers.
Another alternative for free shipping is fixed shipping cost, you can set a fixed price for the shipment of goods if they have the same dimension in that manner customers can differentiate between the shipping cost.
Save money on shipping:
following are the tips to save money on shipping:
- Reuse or recycle the packaging box
- Know your inventory well, to avoid extra huge boxes
- Talk out the prices, if you have a great number of orders then do negotiate the prices.
