People and businesses all over the world are trying to cut costs on what can be one of the most expensive assets annually: shipping.
While it's crucial to have and provides a tremendous service for you or your business, the costs add up pretty quickly.
That's why it's so important to look into the methods you use and how they can be more efficient. Simply taking a brief look in the mirror can save you a boatload of money for your mailing.
Here are several of the best ways to save money and how they can play a big role in your shipping habits from here on out.
1. Look at How You're Being Charged
One of the best ways to start looking into your methods of shipping is by seeing how you're being charged on what you've sent.
Some, if not most, mailing services charge you based on the weight of your boxes that you're shipping. This can either be helping you, hurting you, or balancing out among everything you ship.
However, if you're the type of person to pack as much into each box as possible, the "charge by weight" method is most likely hurting you.
Rather, you can use the United States Postal Service (USPS) method that charges based on your box's size, not how much it weighs. Assuming you don't often opt for the largest box you can find, this should help you save significantly over time.
It'd be advantageous to choose the shipping provider based on which side of that line your individual boxes benefit more from. While it can be a bit tedious to spend time and energy on this, it will be rewarding in the long run.
If you don't want to take that route, then just pick the path your boxes will benefit from more often than not. You'll still save significant money doing it!
2. Take Advantage of Free Shipping Supplies
Most major shipping companies will offer you free shipping supplies and even offer to ship them to wherever you do your business/shipping from.
It's a tactic for them to increase the likelihood of you using their services, so they're often happy to do it in exchange for your business. What does that mean for you? It means saving a huge amount on things like boxes and pouches.
You can effectively stock up on almost any form of packaging and shipping materials for the cost of $0.00.
If you aren't taking advantage of this, you're doing a disservice to yourself and your bank account. It's virtually pointless to buy your own shipping supplies when a company will give them to you for free.
However, don't skimp out on your labels. You'll want to keep high-quality labels to maintain the integrity of your shipping.
Not sure you're doing your shipping correctly (such as placing the label in the right spot)? These companies will also give you a free manual to assist with that.
You've got a million other things to worry about in growing your business besides shipping processes. Hook yourself up with a free manual to have when you need it most.
3. Plan Ahead (to Reduce the Urgency)
Everyone's guilty of putting off shipping a box until the night before it's supposed to arrive at its destination. Heck, sometimes it's after the box was supposed to arrive.
Continuing that trend puts you in a position where you have no choice but to spend extra on quick shipping. All you need to do is choose the slowest shipping to reduce the average cost of your mailing.
So, what does that look like?
If you or your business has planned shipping that goes out every month, plan ahead and send those packages on the slowest possible shipping.
That way it will arrive in plenty of time, while also saving you money by dodging the urgency fees.
Developing this as a consistent habit won't just help your bank account. It will also give you happier customer service, better brand recognition, and a consistent budget.
4. Opt for the Premium Packaging Products
Maybe you've had some nightmare situations happen to you where the product or item you sent has shattered or been severely dented upon arrival.
That could be chalked up to a number of things, but your packaging materials that you used probably played a factor in some capacity.
Always make sure that your items are secure and hold in place before you tape up the box or shipment pouch. If you notice it's shaking too much, fill it up with more bubble wrap, styrofoam peanuts, etc. to keep it stable.
If the problem still persists, it's more than likely time to find higher-quality packaging products to use.
However, don't just run to the most expensive materials, either. Don't be afraid to experiment a bit with this.
For example, if you believe the bubble wrap you're using is the problem, go buy some that are a bit pricier and see if that alone fixes the trend.
Find the Best Ways to Save Money on All Aspects!
One of the best ways to save money on shipping is by partnering up with a mail label business to keep costs down.
Be sure to read this article on the benefits of using certified mail for your business for more helpful insight into how it can help you.
For more inquiries, please fill out our contact form and we'll be happy to assist you further!