When you are looking at launching a shipping business, there will be lots of considerations you will need to take on board. For example, how much are you going to need to spend on startup costs and what markets are you going to target? Will you be reaching out to other businesses or are you going to be focused on the consumer market?
What You Will Ship
One of the first things you must establish is what you will ship. This will depend on who your target market is, and it will also depend on how large your truck or van is. Some items such as furniture shipping will attract higher shipping costs and potentially larger profit margins. However, you may find that furniture takes up a lot of space in your truck, especially if it is assorted and not flat-packed. So you want to focus on shipping items that businesses will require such as stationery or office supplies, or do you want to focus on those householders who are moving home?
Who Are Your Customers?
Building a customer profile will be useful for all of your future efforts. Knowing where customers are, knowing their age and how often they will use your service is crucial. When you can establish more information about your customers, you can then create advertisements that are targeted at them. You can also establish how you can best meet their needs and requirements. To build a customer profile, you need to think like a customer. Establish what type of advertising you would like to see and how much you are willing to spend on a product. When you can put yourself in the position of a customer, you can build a business that is focused firmly on customer’s needs.
Running Costs and Operational Costs
Your shipping business is going to have to face costs from the get-go. These will be one off start-up costs, and they will be operational and running costs too. When you are aware of these costs, you then know how much you need to charge to make a profit. For example, you will have to factor in tax, insurance and gas prices into each quote or price you provided to customers. You can get a rough estimate about figures by looking at other businesses. See what they are charging and see what their breakdown covers.
Advertising and MarketingÂ
Getting your business up and running is one thing. However, attracting customers and gaining repeat custom is another thing entirely. To make sure this happens you are going to need to think about what marketing and advertising you will use, where and when. Customers do not know about your business unless you shout about it, and get it seen. So, what advertising and marketing are you going to do, and how much do you want to invest in your efforts? Are you going to focus on cheap methods of marketing such as Social Media marketing or are you going to look at producing print campaigns? Your customer, your growth goals and your budget will all dictate what you use.Â
