If you’re a small business owner handling your own distribution, you know how hectic and stressful the shipping process can be. There’s never any guarantee that your packaged products will arrive on time, undamaged, or at all. But by selecting the appropriate shipping supplies for your product you can at least increase the odds that your product won’t get destroyed or otherwise tampered with during shipment.
There are a lot of questions to ask about your product. Is your product complicated (i.e. excessively large, excessively heavy, or with specific temperature requirements) to ship? How much volume and how often do you ship? How much material do you use in a shipment, and is it enough to necessitate buying supplies in bulk? How important is packaging to your company’s image?
Your first step is to consult with a supply specialist. For these guys, packaging is not just a means of transporting goods, it is an art. They can troubleshoot your existing packaging, provide solutions and optimization services, and in some cases even custom-design packaging. They can also provide instructions for best practices in packing for the greatest protection and greatest visual appearance to your customers.
Once you have an idea of the best possible packaging supply design for your company and products, your next step is to shop around for the best deal. Figure out how many units of packaging product you will order, and find the best deal for volume. Often you can get great deals if you are willing and able to order large quantities at a time.
Now start requesting quotes from a variety of suppliers. While price is extremely important, you should not neglect customer service and other factors that will make your dealings with suppliers, and the shipping process, much easier.
