Give one way someone starts a pack and ship business?
To help you smoothly start up your new business venture, we asked entrepreneurs and logistics experts this question for their best recommendations. From taking care of your customers to fulfilling your legal obligations, there are several tips that may help you lay the best foundation for your pack and ship startup.
Here are nine ways to start a pack and ship business:
- Take Care of your Customers
- Break the Mold
- Nail Down the Logistics First
- Buy Supplies in Bulk
- Identify your Audience Before Spending Money
- Utilize Empty Real Estate
- Write a Comprehensive Business Plan
- Create an Attractive Website
- Fulfill your Legal Obligations
Take Care of your Customers
My top tip is to make sure that you have the budget and infrastructure to ship your products safely and satisfactorily. Right now we have the example of the woman selling her Pink Sauce who went viral on social media and is now being investigated by the FDA for not following sanitary guidelines and endangering customers. Wanting to push through and succeed is important, but taking care of your customer is crucial as well. So no matter your product, be sure you can ship it in the right conditions so it reaches its destination in top quality.
John Cheng, Baotris
Break the Mold
If you want to start a new pack and ship business, focus on introducing something new. Don’t just try to execute better than the big brands. Don’t just be a better alternative—be a unique alternative. Find something original and tout that in your marketing campaign. Whatever the new hook is, make sure customers are aware of it. Maybe it’s an easier way to download a shipping label. Maybe you have a state-of-the-art way to pack breakable items. Maybe you offer a drive-thru service. Break the mold somehow.
Chris Riley, USA Rx
Nail Down the Logistics First
The best way to start a pack and ship business is to figure out the shipping logistics first. Customers nowadays want fast deliveries and a streamlined process. You might even need to collaborate with UPS, FedEx, USPS, DHL, and other local shippers. After all, more options mean you have a better chance of making timely deliveries.
It’s also important to look at the areas you want to cater to when understanding the shipping logistics. Areas close to your business will be easy to handle. You’ll need to ensure the package is secure and well-handled for places far away. After all, you must deliver products in good condition instead of breaking them.
Aviad Faruz, Faruzo
Buy Supplies in Bulk
If you are starting a pack and ship business then it’s vital to both your bottom line and your customer satisfaction rates that your shipping methods are protective, lightweight, and low cost. Costco is your best friend for making bulk purchases or packing supplies such as bubble wrap, tape, packing paper, and cardboard boxes. Find two to three sizes of boxes that will be able to encompass the range of sizes of your products and then stock up on them.
Be mindful of how much packaging you need to ensure that any delicate products will be able to survive a potentially rocky journey. Don’t skimp on padding, but also don’t include so much that it drastically increases the overall weight, which will end up increasing your overall shipping costs.
Anthony Martin, Choice Mutual
Identify your Audience Before Spending Money
Knowing who is your target market is the first consideration you should have before starting a pack and ship business. This will be a determining factor for how you’ll be introducing your products and advertising them in a way that it will actually reach your audience.
You need to ask yourself: How big is your intended market?
Are your goods something they can consume or use in their daily lives? Will I need to store products or do I have to make it an order then pack service?
Debbie Meeuws, Nature’s Arc Organic
Utilize Empty Real Estate
Pack and ship businesses can exist anywhere there’s underutilized used space these days, especially start-ups that focus on just-in-time delivery. So much of the E-commerce front-end is done online. But back-end storage, logistics, and last mile fulfillment are still the most challenging parts.
So, an empty storefront along Main Street, a parking lot at a closed mall, or an empty suburban office complex could all quickly be transformed into a real estate command central for a successful pack and ship or E-fulfillment business that also helps struggling landlords and commercial real estate developers pay their mortgages so it’s a win-win.
Vincent Chan, Christina
Write a Comprehensive Business Plan
Writing a comprehensive business plan is one way to launch a pack and ship business. You can set goals for your company and monitor your success with the use of a business plan. Your market research, a statement of the aim of any organization, and projected financial information are all crucial components of your business plan. Use the business plan as a guide and include as much information as you can about your organization.
Create a mission statement for your company that expresses the objectives of the organization. Include your daily activities in the detailed description of your firm.
Include information about the location, the design and workflow of the packing and shipping stations, the shipping procedures, the regulations, and the operating hours. Give your business financial estimates. Any documentation you will need to start your business should be attached at the end of the business plan. Writing a business strategy aids in turning complex ideas into actionable plans.
Maneesh Sharma, Donorbox
Create an Attractive Website
If you’re like most entrepreneurs, you’ve had ideas for products and services that could be profitable. But you didn’t have the time, money, or connections to turn those ideas into reality. That’s where a pack and ship business comes in. As the name implies, you’ll pack and ship products and services for others, often for less than the traditional competitors charge. Like all businesses, your pack and ship company will need a professionally-designed website in order to stand out from the competition.
You can hire a professional web designer from freelance platforms such as Upwork. Then you can work with the designer to plan the website’s structure and hierarchy. Appealing visuals and graphics will entice people to the site and cause them to want to learn more. Compelling copy will gain their interest and persuade them to buy your services. And of course, it’s important to test the website before it launches.
Jibran Qazi, MCPD
Fulfill your Legal Obligations
One of the first things you’ll want to do is get legal paperwork in order. This means registering your business, getting a business license and insurance, and making sure you have all of the necessary permits to operate a business. There are also tax considerations for buying inventory, hiring employees, paying taxes on income and profits, and paying for goods sold.
You’ll also need to keep track of all of your business receipts so that you can deduct them from your taxes at the end of the year. All of these things cost money—so it’s important to set aside funds for them. I’d say you must have a solid plan for all of these obligations before you start running your pack-and-ship business.
Tiffany Homan, Texas Divorce Laws