Guides/How To's
August 2, 2023

How to ship more parcels as a small business

E-commerce is more important now than ever, so knowing how to ship parcels quickly as a small business is essential. The e-commerce market share has increased by 45.8% in the last two years. This indicates a substantial projected growth for the future. This is one reason why, as a small business, you need to be as efficient as possible.

One of the best ways to increase efficiency, growth, and profit in your small business is to improve your fulfillment process.

Make sure that you can ship parcels as fast as possible. And, are able to keep up the pace whenever your business sees an increase in orders. So, how can you do this? There are a few simple solutions that our app, EasyScan, can help with.

Why is shipping more parcels important?

Being able to ship more parcels efficiently as a small business whenever you see a spike in sales is very important. Your order and delivery processes can affect your customers' experience in your store. And, as a consequence, your customer return rate, reputation and revenue.

Customers often expect free, fast shipping, especially in an e-commerce market dominated by the likes of Amazon. Shipping fast and frequently as a small business owner will allow you to corner your share of the market more effectively.

Nowadays, we are seeing a trend in people wanting to purchase unique products, from small businesses. It is very difficult to compete with prices from big retailers that is for sure.

Focus on what is your power. For example, making sure that your fulfillment processes are optimized. So when someone decides to shop in your store, they get the best experience possible and receive their item quickly. This will help you gain a good reputation and loyal customers.

Moreover, as your business grows, you need to keep up with demand. It’s no use having big sales if you can’t get your orders out promptly at scale. Shipping more parcels as a small business leads to growth, profit and customer satisfaction. Keeping customers loyal and happy is essential for success. 

Now you know why this is important, let’s get into how to achieve it!

Top tips to ship more parcels as a small business

1. Use barcodes for your products

Screenshot of EasyScan showing how to generate SKUs and barcodes

Barcodes can help small businesses become more efficient in their stock keeping and shipping. This leads to faster shipping and more parcels sent. Barcodes are well-established and used worldwide, as well as being cheap and easy to implement. They mean you know exactly what stock you have so you can pick, pack, and ship it most efficiently.

Not sure what barcodes are and how to use them? We’ve got an article that can help you out. Our app, EasyScan makes barcode creation, printing, and scanning a breeze for your business. It's fast and simple.

2. Make your packaging efficient

Second, packing can take up time, hindering your shipping process. Efficient packaging can help reduce costs. It can also reduce the time spent in picking and packing during the distribution process.

One way to reduce shipping costs is to purchase packaging in bulk. Standard sizes or flat-rate boxes for products can also be used. Finally, look for carriers that offer free shipping supplies. And also, make sure that your shipping labels always have the right information.

The more cost-effective and quick your packaging is to use, the more parcels you will be able to ship to your customers.

3. Automate your order and inventory process

EasyScan has a shipping software that can also help you out with streamlining your distribution process. Use the app to manage inventory accurately, fulfill orders, and avoid shipping mistakes. After setting up a barcode system with our app, you can easily check your stock levels and product types. Plus, you can view all your orders with just one click.

This simplifies the shipping process, reducing the potential for human error. It also helps keep track of various tasks, such as warehouse organization, packing, and shipping.

Errors can be very expensive and time-consuming (for your business and customers). Automating your order and inventory process is essential for small businesses that want to ship more. EasyScan offers a simple yet effective solution to help with this.

4. Pick your shipping carrier carefully

Finally, you need to pick your shipping carrier carefully when trying to increase your shipping productivity.

Choosing a good shipping carrier is essential for your business. They should be reliable and offer services that fit your business size, shipping volume, and distribution needs. Consider the services they offer, including free packaging supplies, order tracking, international shipping and shipping rates.

Think of looking at the reviews of the company. It will help you find out how quickly they distribute orders, how responsive they are to increase/decrease orders. And how well they handle complaints/disagreements which is important as you want to have good relationships with your suppliers.

Note: Once you’ve got the perfect shipping carrier, don't forget to use EasyScan to grow your business and ship more parcels. You can find our app on the Shopify App Store and try it for free, what are you waiting for?

Sources
https://www.shopify.co.uk/enterprise/global-ecommerce-statistics

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