Choosing the right shipping partner

By Mike Gratton on Small Business UK - Advice and Ideas for UK Small Businesses and SMEs

As one of the world’s leading postal and shipping services franchise groups, serving over one million business customers a year through our multi-brand operations, we at Fortidia are very aware of the number of options available when choosing a partner for the shipping of goods.

Our group alone manages ten distinct brands, delivering services under this broad banner, some of which are complementary, and some of which overlap. Several of these brands work together with all the main courier companies, providing services that directly help customers choose the best end-provider, while also delivering an extra level of customer service than when buying direct.

But, when a key value we are adding to the process is helping businesses choose the best options amongst the competing courier companies themselves, why, you might ask, would we manage several different brands ourselves, if effectively they all help businesses move goods across the world?

In a world of complexity, the answer to this is actually quite simple: Every business is different.

When it comes to shipping, one size does not fit all. Getting the fit right will help maximise your productivity, your efficiency and therefore your profitability.

So, how do you choose the best fit for you? If you ship goods either nationally or internationally, how do you choose the best solution for your business? Well, let’s take a look at some of the main options in the UK, each of which – for disclaimer purposes – is part of the Fortidia group of brands.

Mail Boxes Etc.

Arguably one of the brands you’re most likely to have heard of already, due to its approximately 140 high street branches across the UK, is Mail Boxes Etc., which has key differentiator with a clue in the name.

Mail Boxes Etc. is, in fact, one of the world’s leading third-party providers of shipping, fulfilment, print and marketing solutions to small and medium enterprises and consumers across the globe, with a network of 1,910 service centres in 58 countries.

As a brand, Mail Boxes Etc. is currently bucking the trend on UK high streets and is one of the few chain store outlets opening more stores, because its service range meets so many growing needs.

The national boom in both ecommerce and working-from-home businesses means there are a huge number of people who want a professional solution for shipping worldwide, or a postal mailbox separate to their operational or residential address.

While these mailboxes are the headline service, Mail Boxes Etc. shops also provide shipping solutions, design and print and other services, bookable instore or online through your own local service centre.

The key reason to choose Mail Boxes Etc. as a preferred provider is the walk-in, physical, high-street location, where you can also find a range of commonly required services to support your business. As well as easily-accessible services, Mail Boxes Etc. service centres can provide a bit of a community hub that businesses really enjoy.

World Options

But, if you just want to choose the best shipping option online, with extra customer service by phone if required, World Options could be a better choice.

Managed through a network of approximately 100 franchises across six countries, the World Options portal provides a complete shipping solution, allowing customers to compare, book and track national and international shipments of parcels, pallets, freight transport, documents, and imports, with customer service provided by a dedicated account manager.

World Options offers customers the opportunity to ship domestically and internationally with the likes of DHL, FedEx, UPS, TNT and more, helping them choose the right option for every item. Backed by Fortidia’s bulk-buying power, customers pay a competitive price for their shipping, but crucially, are also offered assistance with paperwork to help minimise the risk of delays with customs when shipping to different territories overseas.

As a franchised operation, every customer’s account manager is, in fact, running their own business. That means they individually care that your shipping is successful in the same way that you care about your own customers. As a small business owner, you know the difference when it’s your own business.

The ability to speak to an invested human being about the whereabouts of your package in transit is an extra level of care that is highly valued by World Options’ customers.

PACK & SEND

With PACK & SEND, the clue – once again – is in the name. But there is more to it than that. The key differentiator for PACK & SEND is its recognised specialism in the shipment of fragile, large, awkward, and valuable items.

Its national network of postal, freight, courier, packing and removal service centres provide packing and shipping services to local customers in speciality areas including fine art, antiques, IT and electronics, lab and medical equipment, musical instruments, sports equipment and bikes and motorbikes.

An approved service provider to LAPADA, the UK’s largest association of professional art and antiques dealers, PACK & SEND service centres worldwide have handled packing and shipping of artworks by some of the world’s most famous artists, and the company is a preferred supplier to many art galleries, collectors, dealers, artists and exhibitions around the world.

With such a proven track record dealing in fragile, large, awkward, and valuable items, PACK & SEND fits the bill if your shipments fit into those criteria.

Conclusion

When shipping items worldwide, you and your business want them to arrive on time and intact. Choosing the right partner for the type of shipping you do – and preferably one with true global abilities and a long-term proven track record – is just good business sense.

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