When you're running a small business, especially with reduced staffing, you might be tempted to try and handle as much as you can by yourself... but it can get quite counter productive really fast.

You can't help your clients and serve them to the best of your ability if you also have to take care of shipping and handling, and so on. Not only do you waste precious time preparing the packages and sending them through the mail, you also lose money by having to pay full price with each order.

Benefits

Speed of delivery - The number one reason for which people choose to deal with courier services is often to be able to benefit from their speed of delivery. In contrast with traditional options such as national companies or operating a fleet of your own, there's just no comparison. With a courier service, your package will not end up in some warehouse, waiting hours on end for someone to pick it up and finally bring it to its destination. There will be no changing hands, except with the final recipient. Ensuring a fast service can be a critical factor, even more so if you're involved in a business that requires same-day deliveries.

Discounted Rates - If you're familiar with the prices charged by the Post Office, or what you would have to pay to set up your own system (price of a vehicle plus an extra salary, etc), there's no denying that courier services are the most cost effective solution. For one, as couriers work either on a flat-rate basis or implement a pricing per mile mechanism, their rates remain very competitive. For two, the "economies of scale" effect comes into play here as, by offering their services to hundreds of other clients, those companies can better maximize the return on their vehicles and workforce, and then pass those savings on to their customers.

Reliable Service - One factor that shouldnt be neglected either is the fact that hiring a courier service will also ensure that your packages keep arriving on time and in good condition, whatever the destination, whether it rains or snows outside. It provides you with reliability. For extra peace of mind, when your goods are finally delivered, you will receive an email notification or phone call with the name of the person who signed for them.

Insured Parcels - Even though, as we just mentioned, courier services are amongst the most reliable ways to send a parcel, zero risk does not exist. So, should anything happen to your product, you would want to have guarantees.That's where you'll be happy to learn that courier services are fully insured, meaning that if your package sustains any type of damage, you and your customer will be covered. The same cannot be said for using regular postal services.

Conclusion - The benefits we outlined in this presentation are only a few of the many advantages that dedicated courier services show over other types of delivery systems. As common wisdom has it, you can't be a jack-of-all trades and master every area. Leave that part to the experts so you can focus on what YOU do best. Not only will you save a lot of time and money in doing so, you will ultimately deliver a better service and improve on your customer satisfaction.