Shipping 101 Guide For Small Businesses

Erika Remmington

September 04, 2014

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Imagine finally getting everything set up for your business only to discover you still have to arrange for shipping. If you're a small business owner, you may feel especially frustrated with the number of options that you have for shipping in addition to the number of smaller related tasks that need to be taken care of.

Explore All of Your Options

Just as you had to conduct careful research in order to determine where you were going to set up your small business, you also have to conduct research to see which shipping business is the best for you. For instance, are there certain companies that are a better fit for your particular industry, the weight that you need to ship, or the products that you sell? Something else to keep an eye out for while you're searching is the reputation that the shipping company has.

Talk With Representatives

Rather than set up your shipping account online and start sending out products, you should schedule a meeting with a shipping vendor. While you may think that everything that you need to know is spelled out on a company webpage, the truth is that there could be special deals that you aren't aware of. For example, by agreeing to meet with a representative, you might discover you qualify for a special year long discount. Now you suddenly have more liquid capital to put back into your business if you wish.

Shipping Policy

Not only do you have to decide how much you're willing to spend to ship your products, you also have to decide how much you're going to charge your customers. Remember that you shouldn't see your shipping costs as one of your main ways of making money. Imagine that you have one of the best products in your industry, but your shipping costs are completely outrageous. There aren't very many people who will pay padded shipping costs for a quality product, no matter how much they might need or want it. You'll be better off charging your customers what it costs you to ship your product so that you break even.

Exchanges and Returns

In regards to exchanges and returns, you and your small business may be benefit from taking care of the shipping costs for exchanges and letting the customer pay on their own if they're wanting to return an item. One reason that it's best that you take care of shipping on exchanges is so that you can keep your customers satisfied, keep their business, and potentially get new business in the future.

When it comes to shipping for small businesses, make sure that you don't ship yourself into a state of frustration by making unsound business choices and not asking the right questions.

Information credit to em3 Commerce, an automated fulfillment system company.