Articles
  Getting Started
  Marketing Your Business
  Design Ideas
  Business Operations

Books
  Gift Basket Business
  Motivation
  Sales and Marketing

Newsletter Archives
  GiftBasketOnlineNewsletter

Magazines
  Magazines

E-Courses
  Make Summer Sales Sizzle Satisfy Customer Demands  How to Dramatically   Improve Your Website

Visit our Sister Sites
   GiftBasketBusinessWorld
  HomeBasedBusinessMatters
  CraftIdeaWorld
  Easy Gift Basket Ideas
  Make Gift Baskets Now
  Start a Gift Basket Website

You Can Design,
but How's Your Delivery?

by

Flora M. Brown, Ph.D.
Copyright 2005
All rights reserved

You just finished making a gift basket. How do you get it to the recipient? Even if customers walk into your retail store, they may want you to ship or deliver the order. Delivery is an important part of the gift basket business.

In the 1880's the Butterfield Express took 23 days to deliver letters or packages across the country. When Pony Express signed a contract with the government to deliver army supplies in the West, they could deliver a letter across the country in 10 days by averaging 250 miles a day.

Advances in transportation and communication have made consumers grow impatient. The increase of fast food, fast cars and fast information transmission has made the public expect quick, if not instant service. Also, the success of floral wire services has mistakenly lead the public to believe that the gift basket industry has wire services that work equally as fast and as well. So far that has not been the case. For this reason you must establish some guidelines for your business regarding delivery.

First, be sure to charge a fee for delivery. Some retailers use a chart based on the cost of the gift basket. Others pass on the cost charged by their carrier.

Second, be realistic. If you're a sole proprieter and can't promise a fast turnaround, consider a policy that orders placed after a set time, let's say 10 AM, will be shipped the next business day.

Third, you may consider delivering your own designs, but if you have a one-person business you'll be taking precious time away from the rest of your business. Also, you must find a way to stabilize the designs in transit.

Residential deliveries are particularly challenging. You must be ready to deal with gated communities, aggressive dogs and hard-to-find addresses. After all of that, what's your plan when the recipient is not at home?

Fourth, consider using courier services, but only after research. These services are accustomed to delivering for the medical and legal industry, and therefore charge hefty fees. You'll have to make it clear that you want them to deliver gift baskets in order to get affordable rates. Look for them under Messenger Services.

Fifth, become familiar with the major carriers, and don't forget the United States Post Office. Rates are typically based on a combination of weight, distance and speed of delivery. With the advent of the Internet, all the major carriers have made opening accounts, creating labels and shipping easy.

UPS started in 1907 by a teenager, James E. Casey. It was called the American Messenger Company, and its largest client in the early days was the United States Post Office. They delivered all special delivery mail entering Seattle, WA. They debuted the first conveyor belt system for handling packages. They are the best choice if you ship a lot and don't require express service. They offer ground service and are good for residences. Open your UPS account here.

FedEX started in 1973. They began bar code labeling in 1985. This service is preferred by many businesses for overnight delivery and international deliverires to business addresses.Open your FedEx account here.

DHL was founded in 1969 by Adrian Dalsey, Larry Hillblom and Robert Lynn (D, H, and L) and began shuttling lading between San Francisco and Honolulu. They were the first to ship to Eastern Bloc countries and the People's Republic of China in 1986. Open your DHL account here.

Airborne Express was started in 1980 and some believe they have amazing rates. They were a full-service global transportation and logistics partner to businesses and government agencies around the globe. This company was acquired by DHL in 2003.

United States Post Office-Some believe the Post Office is best for next day domestic delivery. They deliver Express on Saturdays at no extra cost. They also offer a money-back guarantee if their Express deliveries don't arrive on time, so keep your receipt and call their 800 number to verify the delivery time. I received a refund once when the delivery was only one minute late. Get started with the Post Office here

No gift basket business can succeed without offering shipping or delivery services. Be sure you perfect your delivery.

===========

About the Author

Flora Morris Brown, Ph.D. is a Professor Emeritus at Fullerton College, educational consultant, gift basket expert, writer and professional motivational speaker. From her main website, www.GiftBasketBusinessWorld.com ,and blogs and newsletters she motivates small business owners and gift retailers with sales-generating ideas, marketing tips, design ideas and business success strategies. She is mother of four and grandmother of three. When she's not traveling she enjoys her home in Anaheim, CA.