Ship It Good: Tips For Finding Small Business Shipping ServicesShip It Good: Tips For Finding Small Business Shipping Services


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Ship It Good: Tips For Finding Small Business Shipping Services

One of the hardest parts of starting my manufacturing business was finding the sources to ship products out. I spent a lot of time researching packaging, shipping companies, and rates. It took a lot of time to get everything sorted out and get price quotes that were accurate, relevant, and comprehensive. I decided to detail the path I followed and the information I learned in this blog. My hope is that I can help other entrepreneurs to learn how best to source their shipping services. Before you waste weeks researching about your shipping needs, look at some of the posts here for more information.

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Five In-Town Shipping Options For Business Deliveries

If you own a business in a major metropolitan city, you have several more shipping options for business deliveries than a business in a small town or deliveries that head out of town. If you have never explored these options, maybe you should. You may find them more agreeable for faster, more reliable shipping.

Courier Services via Commercial Vehicle

These are one-day-or-less courier services where drivers pick up packages in the morning and deliver them to their in-town destinations all afternoon and evening. Almost all packages are guaranteed same-day delivery within the city limits. The only times that the guarantees fail is when traffic is particularly heavy, or a major tragedy (e.g., a bombing or terrorist attack) has struck.

Courier Services via Bike Messenger

Bike messengers in major cities are a very popular option for delivery services. Bikes can go where cars and trucks cannot, making them more efficient and sometimes faster option than commercial vehicles. The downside is that bike messengers cannot transport overly large, heavy or awkwardly shaped packages on their bikes or motor scooters or motorbikes.

Delivery by Drone Copter

Many national shippers are now attempting to use drone copters for short range deliveries of small packages and envelopes. If these companies have warehouses in your city, then you can select this service for your small package and large envelope deliveries as well. The drones have to be able to pick up your package or envelope within flying and operation range, and be able to drop it off within the same range as well

Postal Service

If you drop your packages with the local postal office right as they open in the morning, your packages can be delivered in-town within the day. If you drop them off the night before, they will be sorted and delivered the following morning. It is not nearly as fast as some of the alternative services listed above, but the above services also do not come with delivery insurance against damage and loss.

Your Personal Assistant

If you have a personal assistant or "go-fer," he or she can personally deliver packages on a break or a coffee run. Then you know for a fact that the packages were delivered and that they were delivered to the exact locations you requested. Your assistant can request a receipt from the receptionist at each location as proof of delivery, which makes this a fool-proof method (IF you have a personal assistant, of course!).