Shipping and Packaging Needs of Small Businesses Shipping and packaging needs of small businesses almost always differ from those of larger corporations. Large corporations, for starters, don’t need to worry too much about waste. Whatever they are shipping, they can standardize the process of packing and shipping. Unfortunately, small businesses seldom have this luxury because their needs and the needs of their customers change frequently. This means small businesses need more flexibility in terms of their shipping and packaging needs.
Depending on the type of business you are in, your packaging needs can differ greatly. As a small business, you need to make sure that your margins are good, so you want the best and cheapest option available at each point of time while simultaneously making sure that all your customers are happy and satisfied.
Shipping stores are always helpful for such situations because they are a one-stop-shop for your shipping and packaging needs and they can help you choose the best option both with respect to packing as well as shipping. You can also buy regular packaging material like packing tape or bubble wrap.
If your business is diverse, make sure you know how to pack delicate items. If you are not going to visit a shipping store, you should also know the limits on boxes, their weights and sizes with different carriers. In the long run, this could potentially save you a lot of money, especially if you are shipping a lot of stuff. Different carriers come out with different shipping plans, so make sure you are well aware of these.
Also, you should think about reusing some packaging material that you receive to use it to ship items. Supplies like boxes are easy to reuse. If you get a lot of deliverable items in boxes, think about the kind of goods that can be shipped back in them. This can save you some money and you are only utilizing your material more efficiently.
As businesses grow, shipping cannot be confined to national boundaries. You should also know about international shipping and the best policies with regard to packing and shipping goods internationally. International markets can be lucrative for small businesses and they can see some significant growth in these markets, but many are intimidated because they do not know and understand how they can fulfill these international orders. Make sure you are prepared and take adequate precautions. You should also make sure you are not violating either your local laws or the laws of the country you are shipping the item to.
Philadelphia Mailroom helps small businesses in the greater Philadelphia area with their shipping and packaging needs. We ship with all major carriers both domestically and internationally and offer a full selection of packing supplies as well. Call 215-745-1100 today!
