Learning About International Shipping Guidelines Learning About International Shipping Guidelines

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Learning About International Shipping Guidelines

Hello, my name is Francine. Welcome to my site about international shipping practices. When I ship my products overseas, I have to follow the guidelines of my own country and the destination of the delivery. The guidelines can be confusing or contradictory at times. I have to seek clarification often to keep my shipments from coming right back to me. I will use this site to talk about all of the international shipping guidelines you might come across. I hope to clear up the confusion and help others tackle this important task with ease. Please feel free to stop by anytime to learn more.

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4 Tips For Keeping Your Business Shipping Costs To A Minimum

19 January 2018
 Categories: , Blog

Small- to medium-sized ecommerce companies, especially those who have just started, will find it difficult to manage their shipping costs and stay in business if they fail to adopt the most suitable strategy and technology from the get-go. With Amazon in play, many customers expect low to no-cost shipping and a seamless transaction. So, with this type of expectation, how can your company compete and also control your bottom line? Here are a few tips that will help keep your shipping costs low:

Tip #1: Utilize a USB Digital Postal Scale.

For ecommerce shipping, you should use a USB digital postal scale. These are designed to be accurate and are ideal for parcel and package shipping. These scales are electronic and connect directly into your computer, which then automatically feeds the weight of your shipment to your shipping software. The end result is an easier, faster and more accurate weight measurement.

Tip #2: Purchase and Print Your Postage Online

While you could take all of your packages to the local post office and have them print your labels for you, it takes a lot of your time to do this. Plus, to be honest, it is more expensive this way. You can save a significant amount of money – especially if you are shipping out a lot of packages each week – by purchasing and printing your postage online or through an app.

Tip #3: Set Up a Business Account

There are many shipping carriers that you can use, such as USPS, FedEx, or UPS. You will likely want to decide on a couple of these, such as USPS and then a larger carrier (FedEx or UPS). Once you decide on which carriers you will be using, you should think about setting up a business account with each one of these. As a general rule, you will receive discounts from them, online management tools and expense tracking. If you plan on shipping a fair amount of packages on a weekly basis, it makes sense to sign up for a business account.

Tip #4: Always Compare Costs

On each shipment that leaves your warehouse or office, make sure that you are comparing shipping rates as well as delivery times. This will help you save a significant amount of money. Don't assume that just because one carrier was cheaper last time that they will be your cheapest option this time, as rates change all the time. You may also want to research local shipping companies like Morningside Courier Systems and compare their prices as well.