The Internet has enabled a lot of entrepreneurs to run a business from home. A lot of home businesses rely on shipping. Drop shipping is catching up really fast and is an example of a home business that requires shipping on a regular basis. A seller sets up shop on eBay or Amazon and sells his ware online. In such a business, it is mandatory to have efficient and safe shipping procedures; the customer trusts you to deliver the goods safely and you are obliged to serve them. Shipping your products from home must satisfy your customers, optimize your time and cost.
There’s no one size that fits all
Manual shipping is feasible if you ship less than 4 items per day. You can afford to stand in long lines and ship your parcel from the local post office.
If you ship more than 10 items a day, it is better to invest more in your shipping process. Get a label printer, postage scale and all the paraphernalia that would help you weigh your packages and mark them right. Services like Endicia help you calculate postage charges when you enter the ZIP code. Check out Endicia and Stamps.com for their monthly service offers.
A business that sends you to the shipping office at least 30 times a month indicates that you need to get an account with UPS or FedEx. The major advantage of getting such accounts is that you can schedule shipment pickup from your doorstep. You need not step out at all.
The Priority Mail from U.S. Postal Service is very feasible for low value products. It is faster than other peer options. For high value items, it is better to make use of UPS, FedEx or DHL. They are reliable and are faster than U.S. Postal Service options. Stock up on supplies like boxes, envelopes, tape and labels. Retail stores, gift shops, kitchen and hardware stores have a lot of boxes that you can pick up and use. Allocate some space at home for the shipping process. Otherwise, you will find sticky tape and bits of cardboard flying all around your house.
Price points
If you offer free shipping, which is a USP on drop shipping sites, you have to build that cost into the product price. With more volumes, you can save on shipping charges as you’d pay for it in bulk. If you take care of shipping on your own, make sure you do shipping audits frequently. Keep track of shipping delays. Most shipping pcarriers offer a late shipment refund. Claim all the refunds you are eligible for. This brings down overall shipping cost and you can factor this in your pricing strategies.
Reliability
You are accountable to the customer and if you fail to deliver the product on time, you lose reputation. So, shipping has to be very reliable. If you can do it on your own, in a very efficient manner, take it up. Else, trust a third party vendor who specializes in this and give him the task. As a home business owner, it might be difficult for you to keep track of all your shipments manually and claiming refunds for those delivered late. You can make use of tools that are available online that help reduce your shipping costs through these refunds. This helps you not only save a lot on shipping but also ensure that you maintain a good image with your end customer.
