5 Simple Christmas Delivery Tips To Take On Board
Managing the shipping of items during the festive season is a stressful prospect for a new business. If you are a new business owner who is looking for a way to manage your delivery for the first time this Christmas, we have some helpful tips for you.
There are some brilliant ways to both save money and stress on Christmas orders and here are our top tips.
1. Set a deadline for orders
The biggest mistake you can make as a small business owner is to not set a deadline for Christmas orders.
You will notice a lot of the time when shopping worn retailers that they have deadlines for certain things to help them stay on track; and you should do the same.
Stop allowing Christmas orders 1-2 weeks before the big day and allow yourself time to catch up on orders and get them shipped out in time.
This small decision can make a massive impact on your business and ensure that you don’t become overwhelmed and disappoint a lot of your customers.
2. Use a fuel card
If you are a new business and looking to send your employees out on the roads this winter, a fuel card is a great idea. A fuel card for truckers allows you to put a certain budget on the card that your truckers can use for fuel during their deliveries.
They will be able to use the card to fill up along the way, and because there is a limit, they are less likely to take diversions along the way.
It will ensure that you don’t end up spending too much on fuel for your fleet and will keep your workers on a schedule.
3. Do it yourself
One of the things you can consider doing as a new business owner is to ship items yourself.
Delivering yourself is a scary prospect however it can be a brilliant thing for a smaller business on a budget.
Especially if you are a company working locally, it is a good idea to hire a van for a few weeks and do the rounds yourself to save money on expensive shipping companies.
4. Cover liability
When sending truck drivers out to ship your items, it is so important for you to cover yourself for damages to property as well as vehicles on the road.
Consider contacting professional truck accident attorneys who will advise you on what to do in the event of an accident. You can also ensure you have liability insurance so that if items are damaged in transit you won’t be blamed.
5. Consider outsourcing to independent drivers
It is a good idea when starting a small lot of deliveries around Christmas to outsource to independent truck drivers. There are many independent and freelance drivers you can hire for a short period of time and you won’t be tied into keeping them any longer.
Shipping as a small business is a challenge, and Christmas often makes this even more difficult, but with these simple tips, you should hopefully be able to manage your first Christmas with ease.