Stop Throwing Money Away on Unnecessary Shipping Costs

Do You Have Any Tips For Small And New Businesses Looking To Streamline Their Shipping Process? 

Shipping doesn't have to be a business headache. In this eye-opening conversation with James Banks, owner of ParcelPedia in Frisco, Texas, we uncover simple yet powerful strategies that can save business owners significant time and money on their shipping operations.

James reveals several game-changing approaches that many business owners overlook. His first golden nugget? Batch shipping. By consolidating shipments instead of spreading them throughout the month, you can avoid the frequent price increases carriers implement throughout the year. Another surprising tip: organizing your customers geographically from west coast to east coast can help you strategically manage shipping costs based on distance and regional pricing variations.

Perhaps the most shocking revelation comes when James demonstrates how using the wrong envelope can cost you $3-4 extra per shipment. "You'd be surprised," he explains, showing how the same exact item shipped in a bubble-lined manila envelope versus a regular manila envelope will cost significantly more simply because it gets categorized differently by carriers. For businesses shipping dozens or hundreds of packages monthly, this seemingly small detail can represent thousands in unnecessary expenses annually.

Beyond cost-cutting, James emphasizes the value of leveraging local shipping centers to completely transform your business operations. "If you know how to utilize us, you can eliminate so many processes of your business that just take up time but don't really help you make money," he points out. From stuffing envelopes to creating custom packaging solutions, these services free business owners to focus on revenue-generating activities instead of time-consuming logistics.

Ready to stop overpaying for shipping and reclaim valuable time in your business day? Mention "podcast" at ParcelPedia to receive 10% off select shipping services and experience firsthand how the right shipping partner can revolutionize your business operations.

To learn more about ParcelPedia visit:
https://www.ParcelPedia.com
ParcelPedia
8992 Preston Road, Suite 110
Frisco, Texas
972- 335-1450

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to the Parcelpedia podcast, the
ultimate guide to all thingsshipping and business services
in Frisco, texas, from US mailand FedEx to private mailboxes
and packing supplies.
We've got you covered.
Stay tuned for a specialdiscount code to save on your
next order.
And now delivering expert tipsand insider insights with a

(00:26):
smile, here's your host, jamesBanks.
Owner of Parcelpedia.

Speaker 2 (00:32):
Shipping doesn't have to be chaotic.
James shares simple, powerfulstrategies to help business
owners save time, money andheadaches from picking the right
carriers to setting up smartersystems from day one.
Welcome back everyone.
I'm Sofia Ayiveth, co-host andproducer, back in the studio
today with James Banks.
Owner of Parcelpedia.

(00:53):
James, how's it going today?

Speaker 3 (00:55):
Hey Sofia, I'm doing well.
How are you?

Speaker 2 (00:58):
Also doing well.
Well, James, it's great to haveyou back on Now.
James, do you have any tips forsmall businesses looking to
streamline their shippingprocess, and what about some
tips for new business owners?

Speaker 3 (01:14):
Definitely yeah for sure.
Streamlining and shipping,that's huge.
I can save you so much money inthe long run that it is very
important.
So I can definitely go over afew different tips I have for
that.
One of those ways to streamlineis by batch shipping or bulk
shipping, getting everythingdone at once versus spread out.
Anyone that's familiar withshipping will know that shipping
prices and rates can rise overthe course of a year, throughout

(01:37):
the year at any given time.
So if you want to save on thatby beating those price raises,
you can ship out all together atonce.
Another way is organizing yourcustomers if you are a
multi-state.
If you already have multi-statecustomers, if you're a
multi-state business, you wantto organize them by state,
starting from west coast,central to east coast, and that
way you can get your regionsbased out to know which ways are

(01:59):
the most expensive versus theleast expensive, based on where
you're shipping from, and thatway you can know what items you
can ship as far as for the leastcost.
So you may be able to ship abigger box local for the same
price of shipping a small parcelall the way down to the coast,
like to California or to NewYork, and that way you can
ensure certain customers certainthings for the same price and
that way you cover your costsbut you can still reach those

(02:20):
profit margins.
Another way to streamline isknowing the customer by knowing
what to use for your materials,for the actual type of shipping.
If you're just sending out anadvertisement just to get them
to get to know your business,you don't want to send that
first thing overnight signaturenecessary and all these extra
things that are going to drivethat cost up.
You want to do something verysimple, maybe a mail blast like

(02:42):
an EDDM.
We'll be more in tune for that.
If you're sending somethinghighly personalized, like a
sweepstakes gift that you knowis high value, then you want to
make sure that's insured.
You want to make sure you havetracking.
Those are the things to coveryour basis and you just want to
make sure that's matching.

(03:03):
To recommend is always usingyour local neighborhood shipping
center wink, wink like aparcelpedia.
You can always use theemployees there.
You can use their brains, picktheir brains.
You can call us, email us, walkin anytime We'll go do things
with you.
Especially if you're juststarting out, we'd love to help
you get your foot started in theright direction and really show
you how to save costs early on,because your business will grow
, your business will build.

(03:23):
The important part about thatis having the funds to build it
in the early stages, and a bigpart of that is cutting your
costs.
So we'd love to help customerswith that when they're starting
a business out, if they've beenin business for a while and
trying to look for ways to save.

Speaker 2 (03:38):
So, James, on that note, what are some of the
biggest areas that new businessowners can cut costs to save
money?

Speaker 3 (03:45):
But they're really, they're packing materials.
You'd be surprised you have thesame exact package going to the
same exact customer same weight, same size, everything.
If and I'll tell you thedifference If one envelope is a
regular, say, manila envelope,six by nine, and the other is a
Manila envelope, six by nine,with a bubble lining, that six
by nine, with a bubble liningagain same item, same customer,

(04:07):
same region, same weight,everything will be at least
three to $4 more expensivebecause you're shipping it.
Yes, exactly, you're shippingit under a different category.
You're shipping it under aparcel rate which is similar to
a box or a tube or somethinglarge like a poly mailer.
So when you do that, you just Idon't want to say you're
throwing money away, but you'rereally using a higher service

(04:29):
than what's necessary.
So that's one way you know.
I tell so many customers thatand they're always like what?
Oh, I didn't know that it's nota thing that's taught to you,
it's not something that youreally would figure out on your
own.
It's just one of those thingswhere, if you have the
experience, you learn from thatand you move forward.
So I love to share that withpeople.
Let them know.
So if you put this in that sameitem, same thing.
It won't get hurt, It'll befine.
You're going to save so muchmoney, especially when you have

(04:51):
10 of them, 20 of them, hundredsof them.
You're saving a lot of money inthe long run.

Speaker 2 (04:57):
Wow.
Now another question for youtoday Can using a service like
Parcelpedia make local businessoperations smoother overall?

Speaker 3 (05:07):
Oh, of course, Of course.
Yes, I mean, when you talkabout the full service that we
offer.
As far as full service customerservice, I mean I don't know
how it can get more smooth thanlet the other guys do it.
Right, that's pretty smoothwhen he can just drop off an
order and it gets done, and thenyou receive an email with the
tracking numbers, with the.
You know, for each individualperson, the cost of receipt, a

(05:29):
digital receipt, anything youneed we're here to help you with
.
So for sure.
I mean, if you know how toutilize us, which we're here for
, we're hoping we can be of helpand be of assistance.
You can really eliminate somany processes of your business
that just take up time so theydon't really help you make money
.
They just take time in your day.
Give that to us, you know, letus handle that part.
For you.
Stuff they just take time inyour day.

(05:51):
Give that to us, you know, letus handle that part.
For you.
Stuffing envelopes you know youhave a thousand envelopes to
stamp.
Who wants to sit there for anhour and do that when you can be
making calls, you can bemeeting people, you can be doing
, you know, much more importantthings than that.
Drop it to us.
We're here, we got milk goingout all day.
We'll stamp it for you.
We're not going to charge youfor that, you know, it's just a
service.
We'd like to offer.
So little things for thatbuilding up to bring us your
item, we'll box it, get a custombox, or you know, just pull to

(06:11):
the parking lot and call us andwe'll come to your car and grab
the item from you because it'stoo big and heavy, it all those
little things that we can helpyou save time.
We're looking to do that foryou.
So just call us.
Don't be afraid to ask what,how or where we can help.

Speaker 2 (06:37):
You'll be surprised.
We say yes to almost everything, so if we can help you, we'll
be there to do it.
Now, james, what final tips doyou have for today, for the
listeners, maybe the smallbusiness owners or the new
business owners, to help theirbusiness run more smoothly in?

Speaker 3 (06:43):
those early stages.
Yeah, I would say, don't get socaught up on how to ship things
, especially if you're juststarting out.
If you're just starting out,you know, just come to a place
like Parcelpedia If we're notlocal to you.
Go to your local place and justask them hey, I just need to
ship this out, it's this item,it's this value and it's for
this reason and they'll tell youwhat you know they're not gonna

(07:04):
say, oh, you're shipping out asix by nine piece of paper, let
me get this three foot box foryou in this 12 feet of bubble
wrap.
They're not going to do that toyou.
They'll show you what you needto do.
But again, you can call us.
You know we can help you withthat.
It's just ask questions.
I would say that's the thingYou're starting out.
You're new.
Everything is going to be anexperience, and just capitalize
on that.
Ask people that have been doingit for a long time.

(07:26):
They're going to have theexperience for you.
Ask other sellers or otherbusiness owners that may have
been in the industry a littlebit longer than you.
A lot of people in thiscommunity are just here to help.
We love helping each other, sothat's what I would say, is my
biggest piece of advice Justdon't be afraid to ask for help.

Speaker 2 (07:41):
Wow, James.
So those were some great goldennuggets that you shared with us
today.
Always a pleasure to learn fromthe guy who made shipping
smarter for so many.
We'll catch you next time onthe Parcelpedia Podcast.

Speaker 1 (07:52):
Thank you Thanks for joining us on the Parcelpedia
Podcast.
Don't forget mention podcast atour store to snag 10% off
select shipping services.
Elect shipping services.

(08:14):
Stop by at 8992 Preston Road,suite 110, frisco, texas, or
give us a ring at 972-335-1450.
We're here to make yourshipping a breeze.
Until next time, keep shippingand smiling.