How to Choose the Best Delivery Service for Your New Business

Posted on: 8 March 2018

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If you're in the process of setting up a significant new business, you'll want to do a lot of research to make sure that you use the best service providers for each element of the new operation. For a company that relies on distribution of products, this means that you will have to pay particular attention to transportation. As you look into each provider in turn, what do you need to consider to make sure that you make the right decision?

Positioning

In today's world, there are a large number of options available to those who want to distribute products, either nationally or internationally. The first thing that you need to think about is how you are going to position your offer to the prospect from a delivery perspective and whether you can use it to your competitive advantage.

Flexible Options

How many different solutions does the carrier in question offer you? If they have multiple options, this can add a lot of flexibility and will generally be advantageous in the marketplace. You may well be able to offer the most cost effective and appropriate solution for each widget that you sell and this can be particularly advantageous if you have a large number of products in your range.

On the other hand, if you can reliably predict how much the delivery charge is going to be on almost every order, maybe you can come to an agreement with the provider and add their cost into your advertised product price. In this way you can promote "free delivery," which can be a useful marketing tool.

Shipping Rates

Next, ask the provider about discounted shipping rates. Most services these days will be willing to negotiate with each and every vendor and it won't necessarily depend on large daily volumes. It may well depend on the location of your premises and how close it is to their transportation hub or other dispatch locations, but it is worth talking through all of these details in advance to get the best deal possible.

Getting Advice

It is a good idea to talk with a number of different providers, both large and small to get a good indication of what's possible. It also sensible to read all the testimonials and ask others in your niche for recommendations, when you are doing all your due diligence.

Narrowing It down

While many elements must come together successfully to ensure the validity of a new business, parcel delivery is one of the more crucial. Ensure that you make the right decision, so that your business gets off to a great start.