Top 8 Tips to Reduce Shipping Costs for Small Businesses

TL;DR

• Get free shipping supplies from couriers like USPS, UPS, or DHL.
• Invest in a thermal label printer to save time and money.
• Use shipping labels for tracking and efficiency instead of stamps.
• Research carriers to find the best shipping options for your business.

As a business owner, you are probably already aware that shipping can be expensive. Naturally, your interest is to reduce shipping costs for your small business. Read on to find out how to save on shipping costs for small businesses!

To decide on the best shipping option for your small business, you may consider developing a shipping program and optimising your contracts to smooth the supply chain and improve profit margin. This is especially important since you have to keep up with the expectations of consumers who have become accustomed to fast (and free) shipping. There is no one-size-fits-all shipping solution for all small businesses. At Eurosender, we made it our goal to simplify the shipping processes and provide you with various shipping solutions on one platform!

As a small business owner, when shipping with Eurosender, you will have access to a state-of-the-art dashboard where businesses and individuals can oversee all of their past, current and future booked shipping in one place. This will save business owners valuable time and energy.

Furthermore, at Eurosender, we understand that many of you are wondering how to save on shipping costs for small businesses. If you are looking for the most affordable yet safe delivery, Eurosender will surely provide you with the best price-to-performance ratio.

Top 8 Tips to Reduce Shipping Costs for Small Businesses

Tip #1: Get your boxes and mailers delivered

The first step to reduce shipping costs for a small business is to get mailers and boxes from the courier of your choice delivered to your home office or studio. Take advantage of these free shipping supplies from major carriers, such as USPS, UPS, FedEx, and DHL. Most couriers Eurosender works will deliver various shipping supplies such as boxes, air bills, mailers, stickers and Express Documents for free.

You may also be interested in:

• Shipping with USPS
• Shipping with UPS
• Shipping with FedEx
• Shipping with DHL

Tip #2: Invest in a thermal label printer

If you are a small business owner who ships regularly, you will definitely benefit from a thermal label printer. This device will significantly reduce shipping costs for your small business. Since the labels come in a roll, there will be no need for cutting and taping, saving you valuable time and energy. Refer to our blog on thermal label printers to choose the best option for you.

Tip #3: “Ship it, don’t mail it.”

Avoid using stamps on packages to reduce shipping costs for a small business. Consider paying for a shipping label so that you can get track your packages. This will also be an additional value for your customers. Another tip would be to keep your packages as simple as possible and make sure the address on the shipping label is written in clear letters. If you are wondering how to correctly handwritten shipping labels; you can refer to our blog.

Tip #4: Sign up for shipping software

Regardless of having only one or multiple e-commerce shops, you may consider investing in shipping software like Eurosender. This way, you will be able to see all your transactions in one place and set up shipping profiles for your products to streamline the process.

You may also be interested in:

• Shipping services for companies
• Shipping services for e-commerce
• Shipping small items internationally
• Low-cost international shipping services
• International door-to-door delivery services

Tip #5 Research carriers

Choosing the right courier is also a way to reduce shipping costs for a small business. Make sure you research all your shipping options before sticking with one, and don’t assume one carrier will be cheaper than another until you check. Further, reduce shipping costs for your small business by keeping on top of rate changes. Or choose Eurosender, where you will be instantly given the cheapest shipping option available for your desired route. This means that you will significantly reduce the shipping costs for your small business.

Tip #6 Stay on top of returns

Still, wondering how to save on shipping costs for a small business? Make sure that you optimise your returns process! Since returns are a crucial part of e-commerce, making the returns process smooth will help. Consider including a return label in every package to make it easy for customers to send the item back. Or implement a prepaid returns policy; this way, you won’t have to cover the costs.

Tip #7 Consider hiring a fulfilment company

The fulfilment process is exceptionally time-consuming for you and your employees. Most fulfilment companies have negotiated discounts on shipping rates. If you use a distributed fulfilment strategy, where your products are spread at various warehouses, you will reduce shipping costs for your small business because they’re closer to customers.

Tip #8 Free shipping dilemma

Many customers have grown accustomed to free shipping with their orders. Consider offering free shipping only over a certain threshold to make it worthwhile for your small business. You can also provide faster service if the customer is ready to pay.

FAQ on how to save money on shipping costs as a small business

Why is shipping so expensive for small businesses?

You’ve probably asked yourself this when trying to figure out how to save on shipping costs for small businesses. The shipping process is rather complicated, with many separate costs that add up and produce higher prices—factors like labour, fuel surcharges, parcel weight, package dimensions, value, and destination.

What is the cheapest shipping method for small businesses?

If you’re looking to reduce shipping costs for your small business, consider using Eurosenders Standard Shipping Service. It is the most cost-efficient solution for non-urgent parcels. You can easily book single and multiple package deliveries and take advantage of our parcel tracking services.

How to save on shipping costs for a small business?

• Get your boxes and mailers delivered. Explore the free supplies carries offer.
• Invest in a thermal label printer. It will save you time and money.
• “Ship it, don’t mail it.” Use shipping labels instead of postage stamps.
• Sign up for shipping software. Use Eurosender’s digital solutions for businesses.
• Research carriers. Make sure you find the optimal solution for your small business.
• Stay on top of returns. Fully optimise your returns policy.
• Consider hiring a fulfilment company. Negotiate discount rates and optimise fulfilment.
• Free shipping dilemma. Consider offering free shipping only over a certain threshold.