Air, Sea, And Road Freight; The Choice Is Yours

Are you thinking about employing a freight method to your business? If you know you need to transport goods across the country and in some cases, even across the world, then you may be thinking about what choices you have. The three most popular freight choices include, air, sea and road.

To help you decide what freight method is right for you, I have listed some handy tips that may help make your decision.

Air Freight

Air freight basically means to ship your goods to another destination, via the air. In recent years, air freight has grown more popular, this is because of the advancements we have seen in this freight method.

A majority of businesses will choose this option because it is known as ‘express’ shipping, meaning it is one of the fastest ways to get your goods from one point to another. If you need to ship a large amount of goods on a regular basis, air freight can get rather expensive.

These services are usually aimed at small-medium sized businesses that do not use services on a regular basis, but when they do they like to achieve an effective fast result.

Just like another freight option that you will use when crossing borders, you will need to ensure that you document your goods properly; this will allow them to travel through customs.

 Sea Freight

Sae freight is the more popular choice when it comes to transporting good across the world; this is because it is much more affordable. Before you sign any contracts with a freight forwarding company, it is important that you understand where they travel to and where they are limited to.

Most freight forwarding companies will on travel on seas that they are familiar with, this means if you want to transport goods to somewhere unusual, you will need to hire a freight company that is specialised in this area.

The price of shipment is usually calculated per cubic metre of goods. It is likely you will also incur extra costs such as taxes and insurance surcharges and local terminal and port charges.

In the UK alone there are 120 ports, meaning it is possible to transport goods from almost anywhere.

Road Freight

Road freight is the most popular choice of freight services, with around 90% of freight travelling on the roads. Road freight services usually work closely with sea freight services; this is so that goods can get to their intended destination on time and in perfect condition.

If you need to transport goods over an extremely long distance, it probably would not be suitable to use road freight services, this is because it is not possible to drive to certain destinations and it can take a much longer time.

Kerry needed a freight company, so she contacted a number of different companies to find services that suited her needs. She found http://www.ccfreight.com was extremely helpful.

 

 

How To Find A Reliable Air Freight Company?

If you are exporting freight from the UK to it may be necessary to employ an air freight company to move your goods. You will want to choose an air freight company that handle all aspects of the export process and will ensure that the goods get to their destination, quickly, safely and securely.

Search Air Freight Companies

Finding a good air freight company is not a straight forward process. It would be worth considering several different companies and perhaps taking a look at their websites as a first step. Look for companies that have a depth of experience and that really understand international markets.

A follow up phone call or email will allow you to get a feel for how responsive the company is and whether you feel you could work with them. The air freight business is a people business, and you will need to understand whether the person you are speaking with will be directly responsible for handling your shipments, or is just another sales person.

Packaging

Prior to preparing your goods for export you should contact your air freight company to understand any size or weight restrictions that may apply for the destination you are shipping to. There is little point packing your goods and then finding out they are too big for security measures or too big or heavy for the available aircraft size.

It is essential that you package your goods properly for air export. If you don’t you may find that your cargo may not fly or may arrive damaged. Also bear in mind that insufficient or incorrect packaging can invalidate the insurance that you purchase for your goods to have the right to travel.

If you are unsure how to package your products then your freight company should be able to guide you or suggest a suitable export packing company. The packing company will design the packaging to ensure a safe transit and make sure that packing standards such as ISPM15 are complied with.

Air Freight Options

A good global freight company will be able to offer both economy and express services and will also offer a courier option for smaller shipments. It is also important that your freight company can offer freight insurance (if needed) and a full documentation service. It is essential your goods have the correct documents to travel with or could find that you can have a considerable loss to your company.

James works on behalf of Allenco, The Freight People who are a global freight company. They specialise in a variety of different export services, you can find a list of services at http://www.thefreightpeople.com/

 

 

Five Tips for Making a Positive Online Impression

Just because you’re running an internet business and not meeting your customers face to face, it doesn’t mean good service is unimportant. On the contrary, with so little to distinguish between so many faceless online operators, giving your customers something positive to remember you by is absolutely essential. But what can you do to make sure your customers recommend rather than forget you? Here are five ideas to give your business a boost!

1. Make sure they know what they’re getting

Buying online is not the same as buying in a shop: you can’t pick the item up, read the box, check the size or colour or ask the sales assistant for advice. Unless it’s a widely available product which people can find out about elsewhere, you’re going to be the only source of information they have. And, of course, if they have to go looking for information elsewhere, they’re just as likely to buy elsewhere – probably more so! Last but not least, make the description accurate, because if your customers don’t get what they’re expecting, they’ll just return the item. Then you really will be out of pocket, as you’ll not only have to refund the cost of their purchase, but you’ll still have to pay delivery charges both ways.

2. Offer them an incentive

People like to feel they’re getting a bargain – check the prices of your competitors and make sure you’re competitive; offer quantity discounts to encourage people to spend more; you could even give away a free gift with every order – it doesn’t have to be an expensive one, but it’s the sort of thing people remember!

3. Keep them informed

Make sure people know the status of their order at each stage of the process. Send an email to confirm you’ve received it, with an estimate of when you’re likely to dispatch their purchase. Send another email when you do dispatch, so they’ll know when it’s likely to get to them, also telling them whether they’ll need to be at home to sign for it.

4. Deliver to them safely and on time

You may not be making the actual delivery yourself, but you’ll still be held responsible if it goes wrong. Find a reliable courier that you can trust to make your deliveries on time and to treat your goods with respect. Good quality packaging materials are also important – even the most careful courier can’t guard against every eventuality. Going for the cheapest option in either case will nearly always be a false economy, because the money you’ve saved will soon be dwarfed by the lost sales and replacement costs incurred by a lost or damaged delivery.

5. Ask them to provide feedback

There are many places where your customers can tell the world about the service you’ve provided. If you’re selling on Amazon, for instance, you’ll probably already know what a positive effect a good rating can have on your sales. If you get a bad review, don’t ignore it – a well-handled complaint can make as good an impression as a perfect transaction, because it shows you care what your customers think. Other sites like Trustpilot are also good for generating positive word of mouth about your business, while social media sites allow you to engage with customers and let them know about new products and special offers.

About the Author: Dave Smith is lead copywriter and blogger at Davpack packaging suppliers. At the time of writing, Davpack has a lifetime rating of 96% on Amazon and a 97% rating on Trustpilot.

 

 

Designing Promotional Products for Your Brand

A company needs to make creative, exceptional designs that grab the attention of customers. One of the most effectual ways to develop a commendable brand is to hand out promotional products. Promotional products are items that appeal to different types of customers. Tangible items are used to spread important messages to as many people as possible. A good graphic design service uses the art of visuals to represent your company.

Radio, television and newspapers are the most well-known forms of media, but promotional merchandise is a unique form that is just as effective. One product has a bold, colourful imprint of your company’s logo. Typical items include pens, coffee mugs, shirts and tote bags. Each promotional item must have the company’s logo and contact details. This type of product works much like a business card. People who like nice things to carry around will love this type of merchandise.

Using a graphic designer is not a luxury for many companies. Using a professional is the only way to complete a serious project. There are a few tips that should be followed to find the most creative and efficient designer.

Here are some tips to help your life a little easier:

• The most important step is to review the portfolios of designers. Some are specially trained to work for companies of certain types or sizes. There are different specialties of graphic design, such as brochures, slogans, websites and corporate identity.
• If a portfolio looks impressive, the next step is to talk about the project and ask a long list of questions. Before a contract is signed, it must contain a good outline of the work, including the cost estimate and deadline. Half of the bill is paid, and the rest is paid after the print work is done.
• The client and designer must convene regularly to make sure that the right steps are being made. A real professional accepts feedback well and makes a series of suggestions. Setting up several meetings is the only way to create an optimal design.

Of course, using a graphic design service to create hats, shirts and coffee mugs is not required. However, promotional marketing increases the honour and professionalism of any business. A company that makes and sells products will seem more productive. This is similar to designing a website that is full of videos and pictures. Customers are impressed by any company that promotes a long line of merchandise made in different colours, styles and designs.

This great tip was brought to you by Belinda Wright, a graphic designer and artist for Kwik Kopy Corporate design and Printing solutions. Belinda likes writing blogs that focuses on creative graphic designs.

 

 

How To Make Your Business Cool!

For recent generations the word cool has become a slang term used for when something is perceived as being great or brilliant or fantastic.   Commonly used by the young when they like something, it has become one of those buzzwords used to describe everything from music to gadgets to foodstuffs and other products, so as a business owner it is a word you should want to be associated with your products or services.

Ok, so there are other ways of measuring customer satisfaction with what you have to offer and I have yet to see ‘coolness’ used as a survey rating.  However, what it implies is that your products or services are seen as exciting, they are talked about and even seen as the ‘latest must have’ or the place to be.  It is a form of customer loyalty that is often attributed to the big brands of this world, but that doesn’t mean that the smaller players cannot be ‘cool’ as well.

Moving from the temperate world of ‘mediocre’ to the sub-zero temperatures of ‘cool’ relies on developing an intuitive approach to your business.  You could describe it as having your finger on the pulse, knowing what is happening and what is not and having a sense of moving with the times to keep your business going forward.  This applies to all businesses, big or small and across all industries; businesses can only keep growing if you give your customers what they want.

Whatever your business and no matter what your market-share, there are a few simple rules to follow in order to ensure your business reaches the height of cool and stays there:

• Know Your Customers: few businesses can be all things to all people so it is important to identify your core customer group, those people most likely to buy into your products or services.  Knowing who they are, what age group they fit into and what they are looking for will help you to market your products or services more effectively.

• Know What They Want: there is little point having customers if you cannot give them what they want, but you also need to know what it is they want in the first place.  Researching your market, what’s hot and what’s not and checking out the ‘next big thing’ in your industry will ensure you are always on the ball and able to provide whatever it is they have come to you for.  The ability to give people what they want will always improve your coolness rating!

• Create The Image: you may have the products or services but customers may not even look twice at you if they perceive your image to be all wrong.  Building a business brand is as much about how you look as it is about what you do, so to get customers interested in you in the first place you need to design a logo that catches their eye.  Logos are often overlooked yet in marketing terms they are vital to the way in which a business is perceived and the quality of the products or services it provides.  A killer logo will not only draw customers in but will also provide a point of reference that will help build your brand and generate customer loyalty.

• Give Good Service: you can have the greatest products, know exactly who your target customers are and have the most memorable logo design on earth, but it will all mean nothing if you cannot back it up with great service.  You need to give customers the whole experience if you want them to come back time and time again, and tell all their friends.  Going that extra mile to give customers what they want will help raise your business profile and improve your coolness rating!

Being seen as cool is really about offering the ultimate in customer satisfaction both in terms of the products or services you provide and the customer service you give.  The coolest brands in the world all have a cult following, a core number of customers who buy from them time and time again and rarely consider going elsewhere.  Now wouldn’t it be nice to have customers like that?

Article written by Georgina Clatworthy, a freelance writer who writes extensively about marketing, corporate branding and logo design.  Although I do not personally provide logo design services, I have worked with the professionals over at logomojo.com in the past, and they have taken very good care of both myself and my customers.