Running a small business means wearing many hats. You could be acting as director, sales manager, creative designer, marketing guru and payroll! It’s easy to spread yourself too thinly and end up cutting corners that could prove costly in the long run. You have a product, you need to ship it to a customer – but what about the in-between process? Many small businesses make mistakes during this part, through no fault of their own other than being overstretched. There’s a lot more than meets the eye in getting a product from one place to another and here are a few of the ways problems can occur:
- Estimating shipping costs
When you’re in a rush to dispatch an order, it can be easy to guess at the amount of postage that should cover it. Researching the cost is crucial, no matter how time-pressed you are as there is nothing worse than underestimating the cost, being handed a much larger bill than you were expecting and making a loss on that order.
- International Shipping
Getting an international order is exciting for a small business and promises growth but before you let the success go to your head, make sure you do your research on how much it’s really going to cost to ship that item. One example of failing to know your market involved a motorcycle part being shipped to Canada. The customer had paid $99 and so it seemed ideal to go ahead and fulfil the order but when the delivery driver arrived at the customer’s home, he demanded $100 of unpaid taxes. The company failed to realise that the item was highly taxed in that country. One big financial loss and a rather upset customer!
- Service and Speed
The fastest delivery service to please customers might also be the most expensive, which you will have to pass onto your customer. For non-urgent deliveries, choose a next day option or 2-3 day turnaround. For extremely time-sensitive deliveries, make sure you choose a reliable courier who can guarantee that level of service. For Same Day Courier Slough, visit https://www.uk-tdl.com/. Speed is a major bonus for customers but this comes with increased pressure to remain adaptable to sudden changes, for example, weather disruption, order amendments and traffic problems. Customers want speed, great customer service and accuracy so it pays to set up a regular service with a trusted courier service.
- Tracking
Many small businesses don’t rely on tracking details enough. Businesses and customers both lose out when goods aren’t tracked properly and then get lost during transportation. Trust is lost on both sides. Successful logistics means not moving anything without knowing where it is at all times. During peak times for your business, this can save the headaches caused by incorrect orders, lost packages and lateness in delivery. Always put the emphasis on detailed tracking information for your peace of mind and the satisfaction of the customer.
