ParcelPedia Podcast

Stop Throwing Money Away on Unnecessary Shipping Costs

• James Banks • Episode 36

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Do You Have Any Tips For Small And New Businesses Looking To Streamline Their Shipping Process? 

Shipping doesn't have to be a business headache. In this eye-opening conversation with James Banks, owner of ParcelPedia in Frisco, Texas, we uncover simple yet powerful strategies that can save business owners significant time and money on their shipping operations.

James reveals several game-changing approaches that many business owners overlook. His first golden nugget? Batch shipping. By consolidating shipments instead of spreading them throughout the month, you can avoid the frequent price increases carriers implement throughout the year. Another surprising tip: organizing your customers geographically from west coast to east coast can help you strategically manage shipping costs based on distance and regional pricing variations.

Perhaps the most shocking revelation comes when James demonstrates how using the wrong envelope can cost you $3-4 extra per shipment. "You'd be surprised," he explains, showing how the same exact item shipped in a bubble-lined manila envelope versus a regular manila envelope will cost significantly more simply because it gets categorized differently by carriers. For businesses shipping dozens or hundreds of packages monthly, this seemingly small detail can represent thousands in unnecessary expenses annually.

Beyond cost-cutting, James emphasizes the value of leveraging local shipping centers to completely transform your business operations. "If you know how to utilize us, you can eliminate so many processes of your business that just take up time but don't really help you make money," he points out. From stuffing envelopes to creating custom packaging solutions, these services free business owners to focus on revenue-generating activities instead of time-consuming logistics.

Ready to stop overpaying for shipping and reclaim valuable time in your business day? Mention "podcast" at ParcelPedia to receive 10% off select shipping services and experience firsthand how the right shipping partner can revolutionize your business operations.

To learn more about ParcelPedia visit:
https://www.ParcelPedia.com
ParcelPedia
8992 Preston Road, Suite 110
Frisco, Texas
972- 335-1450

Speaker 1:

Welcome to the Parcelpedia podcast, the ultimate guide to all things shipping and business services in Frisco, texas, from US mail and FedEx to private mailboxes and packing supplies. We've got you covered. Stay tuned for a special discount code to save on your next order. And now delivering expert tips and insider insights with a smile, here's your host, james Banks. Owner of Parcelpedia.

Speaker 2:

Shipping doesn't have to be chaotic. James shares simple, powerful strategies to help business owners save time, money and headaches from picking the right carriers to setting up smarter systems from day one. Welcome back everyone. I'm Sofia Ayiveth, co-host and producer, back in the studio today with James Banks. Owner of Parcelpedia. James, how's it going today?

Speaker 3:

Hey Sofia, I'm doing well. How are you?

Speaker 2:

Also doing well. Well, James, it's great to have you back on Now. James, do you have any tips for small businesses looking to streamline their shipping process, and what about some tips for new business owners?

Speaker 3:

Definitely yeah for sure. Streamlining and shipping, that's huge. I can save you so much money in the long run that it is very important. So I can definitely go over a few different tips I have for that. One of those ways to streamline is by batch shipping or bulk shipping, getting everything done at once versus spread out. Anyone that's familiar with shipping will know that shipping prices and rates can rise over the course of a year, throughout the year at any given time. So if you want to save on that by beating those price raises, you can ship out all together at once.

Speaker 3:

Another way is organizing your customers if you are a multi-state. If you already have multi-state customers, if you're a multi-state business, you want to organize them by state, starting from west coast, central to east coast, and that way you can get your regions based out to know which ways are the most expensive versus the least expensive, based on where you're shipping from, and that way you can know what items you can ship as far as for the least cost. So you may be able to ship a bigger box local for the same price of shipping a small parcel all the way down to the coast, like to California or to New York, and that way you can ensure certain customers certain things for the same price and that way you cover your costs but you can still reach those profit margins. Another way to streamline is knowing the customer by knowing what to use for your materials, for the actual type of shipping. If you're just sending out an advertisement just to get them to get to know your business, you don't want to send that first thing overnight signature necessary and all these extra things that are going to drive that cost up. You want to do something very simple, maybe a mail blast like an EDDM. We'll be more in tune for that.

Speaker 3:

If you're sending something highly personalized, like a sweepstakes gift that you know is high value, then you want to make sure that's insured. You want to make sure you have tracking. Those are the things to cover your basis and you just want to make sure that's matching. To recommend is always using your local neighborhood shipping center wink, wink like a parcelpedia. You can always use the employees there. You can use their brains, pick their brains. You can call us, email us, walk in anytime We'll go do things with you. Especially if you're just starting out, we'd love to help you get your foot started in the right direction and really show you how to save costs early on, because your business will grow, your business will build. The important part about that is having the funds to build it in the early stages, and a big part of that is cutting your costs. So we'd love to help customers with that when they're starting a business out, if they've been in business for a while and trying to look for ways to save.

Speaker 2:

So, James, on that note, what are some of the biggest areas that new business owners can cut costs to save money?

Speaker 3:

But they're really, they're packing materials. You'd be surprised you have the same exact package going to the same exact customer same weight, same size, everything. If and I'll tell you the difference If one envelope is a regular, say, manila envelope, six by nine, and the other is a Manila envelope, six by nine, with a bubble lining, that six by nine, with a bubble lining again same item, same customer, same region, same weight, everything will be at least three to $4 more expensive because you're shipping it. Yes, exactly, you're shipping it under a different category. You're shipping it under a parcel rate which is similar to a box or a tube or something large like a poly mailer. So when you do that, you just I don't want to say you're throwing money away, but you're really using a higher service than what's necessary. So that's one way you know.

Speaker 3:

I tell so many customers that and they're always like what? Oh, I didn't know that it's not a thing that's taught to you, it's not something that you really would figure out on your own. It's just one of those things where, if you have the experience, you learn from that and you move forward. So I love to share that with people. Let them know. So if you put this in that same item, same thing. It won't get hurt, It'll be fine. You're going to save so much money, especially when you have 10 of them, 20 of them, hundreds of them. You're saving a lot of money in the long run.

Speaker 2:

Wow. Now another question for you today Can using a service like Parcelpedia make local business operations smoother overall?

Speaker 3:

Oh, of course, Of course. Yes, I mean, when you talk about the full service that we offer. As far as full service customer service, I mean I don't know how it can get more smooth than let the other guys do it. Right, that's pretty smooth when he can just drop off an order and it gets done, and then you receive an email with the tracking numbers, with the. You know, for each individual person, the cost of receipt, a digital receipt, anything you need we're here to help you with. So for sure. I mean, if you know how to utilize us, which we're here for, we're hoping we can be of help and be of assistance. You can really eliminate so many processes of your business that just take up time so they don't really help you make money. They just take time in your day. Give that to us, you know, let us handle that part. For you. Stuff they just take time in your day. Give that to us, you know, let us handle that part. For you.

Speaker 3:

Stuffing envelopes you know you have a thousand envelopes to stamp. Who wants to sit there for an hour and do that when you can be making calls, you can be meeting people, you can be doing, you know, much more important things than that. Drop it to us. We're here, we got milk going out all day. We'll stamp it for you. We're not going to charge you for that, you know, it's just a service. We'd like to offer. So little things for that building up to bring us your item, we'll box it, get a custom box, or you know, just pull to the parking lot and call us and we'll come to your car and grab the item from you because it's too big and heavy, it all those little things that we can help you save time. We're looking to do that for you. So just call us. Don't be afraid to ask what, how or where we can help.

Speaker 2:

You'll be surprised. We say yes to almost everything, so if we can help you, we'll be there to do it. Now, james, what final tips do you have for today, for the listeners, maybe the small business owners or the new business owners, to help their business run more smoothly in?

Speaker 3:

those early stages. Yeah, I would say, don't get so caught up on how to ship things, especially if you're just starting out. If you're just starting out, you know, just come to a place like Parcelpedia If we're not local to you. Go to your local place and just ask them hey, I just need to ship this out, it's this item, it's this value and it's for this reason and they'll tell you what you know they're not gonna say, oh, you're shipping out a six by nine piece of paper, let me get this three foot box for you in this 12 feet of bubble wrap. They're not going to do that to you. They'll show you what you need to do. But again, you can call us. You know we can help you with that. It's just ask questions. I would say that's the thing You're starting out.

Speaker 3:

You're new. Everything is going to be an experience, and just capitalize on that. Ask people that have been doing it for a long time. They're going to have the experience for you. Ask other sellers or other business owners that may have been in the industry a little bit longer than you. A lot of people in this community are just here to help. We love helping each other, so that's what I would say, is my biggest piece of advice Just don't be afraid to ask for help.

Speaker 2:

Wow, James. So those were some great golden nuggets that you shared with us today. Always a pleasure to learn from the guy who made shipping smarter for so many. We'll catch you next time on the Parcelpedia Podcast.

Speaker 1:

Thank you Thanks for joining us on the Parcelpedia Podcast. Don't forget mention podcast at our store to snag 10% off select shipping services. Elect shipping services. Stop by at 8992 Preston Road, suite 110, frisco, texas, or give us a ring at 972-335-1450. We're here to make your shipping a breeze. Until next time, keep shipping and smiling.