For SMEs, one of the biggest business outlays will often be shipping. An absolute necessity in a world where online retail has taken the commercial sector by storm, it nonetheless cuts into your profit margins and makes you wish you could find ways to reduce the cost.

If you do your research, you’ll soon discover that this is entirely possible. Rather than just accepting the sting, you need to be proactive in scaling back how much you’re spending on shipping, so that you can then put this money to better use.

So where to start? Take a look at our three top tips and tricks to see how we can help you…

1: Shop Around

Our first and most important rule is this: always shop around. No matter what you’re buying, if you want to save money, you need to put the time into comparing prices, and choosing a couriering company like My parcel Delivery is no exception. Call around, get quotes, and then call back again to see if anybody will be willing to go lower. Many firms will, so long as you realise that the power to negotiate is in your hands. If you can cut a deal whilst letting them know that you’re willing to take your business elsewhere should you receive a bad offer, most will do all they can to hold on to your custom.

2: Buy Insurance from Elsewhere

If you’re sending out high value goods, you may be footing an additional bill for insurance, and if you’re simply taking this out from your carrier as part of your package, this has to stop. Although the prices they offer may be competitive, you can’t be certain of this without first looking at the cover that’s on offer elsewhere. Once again, take the time to ring around and find out the best deals on the market rather than just going with the easiest option.

3: Charge Your Shipping Fees to Your Customers

You may already have thought of this and then discounted it, but it’s also perfectly reasonable to have your customers foot couriering costs themselves. Although sending parcels out free of charge will do wonders for winning you brownie points, as long as your service is up to scratch in other ways, most will simply shrug their shoulders and pay up, especially if you’ve taken the time to negotiate a fair deal for them. This could save you a huge amount of money each month, and shouldn’t knock your business too badly in the sense of deterring customers.    

Cut your costs today: follow our three simple tips and tricks to see how much you could save.