Monthly Archives: September 2014

Money Saving Tips for Buying Office Supplies for Your Business

As a business owner, you know that there are certain operational costs that you can’t avoid. Hiring employees and the rent or mortgage payment for your office are things that usually come to mind when you think about running your business. Often times, business owners forget to budget for the smaller, but necessary, items such as office supplies.

Office Supply Saving Tips:

Office supplies are an important part of your office business operations, but they can become expensive rather quickly if you’re not careful. Luckily, there are plenty of ways you can save money on office supplies . Here are five money saving tips for buying office supplies:

1. Use a Group Purchasing Organization (GPO)

A group purchasing organization leverages the power of a group of businesses and helps them save money on products they’re already buying, such as office supplies. There’s no cost to join as group purchasing organizations are usually funded by administrative fees from vendors. Members enjoy exclusive business savings that are not available elsewhere, giving your company a competitive edge. When you buy office supplies through a group purchasing organization, you can save up to 80% off items you’re already buying, such as pens, highlighters and notepads.

2. Replenish Office Supplies Before They Run Out

An easy way to spend a fortune on office supplies is to wait until you run out to buy more. When you wait, you frantically run to the store to buy what you need and, in the process, you buy other things, too. Stocking up before you’re out of a product decreases your chance of buying something out of impulse, and it gives you the chance to take advantage of office supply sales, special offers or other bulk discounts.

3. Buy Older Electronics & Furniture to Cut Costs

If you’re buying office electronics or furniture, you can save money by buying the older model of an item. There’s always something newer and cooler coming out, but this also means that there’s money to be saved on an older product. Many online and in-store office supply retailers keep these in stock. If you wait until the end of the year, especially after holidays, you can save additional money and score even bigger discounts on office supplies.

4. Choose Quality Office Supplies

Use your best judgment in choosing whether to buy name brand or generic office supply products. Sometimes, items that seem like a bargain really are too good to be true. However, this doesn’t mean that all bargain items are low quality. Buy products that you trust and get the job done, ensuring both savings and performance.

5. Maximize Savings by Shopping for Office Supplies Online

Often times, shopping online for office supplies is cheaper and more cost-effective than buying in store. Additionally, if you’re buying through a business site or through a group purchasing organization like Windfall, you’ll be able to take advantage of additional business savings when you shop online. Buying online means you get to shop from the convenience of your home or office, and you don’t have to worry about going to the store just to find that an item is out of stock. Shopping online also means that you can take advantage of clearance or sale sections of the website to further reduce costs.

Save on Office Supplies with Windfall

Buying office supplies doesn’t necessarily mean breaking the bank, and there are many smart ways you can save money on office supplies for your business. Using a group purchasing organization, such as Windfall, can help save you money on office supplies and other products that you’re already buying.

Are Promotional Products Worth the Investment?

As a business owner, you may be hesitant to buy promotional products – and you’re not alone. You may have this reservation for a variety of reasons, whether due to price or uncertainty that the products you buy will make a difference in your overall marketing strategy. However, many businesses don’t realize that promotional products are a great way to help with the branding of your company. Also, promotional items are a supplement to your marketing – not something that will replace it all together. Branded promotional items should be considered an investment in your marketing budget.

Giving away promotional items to current and potential customers helps increase brand awareness, improves the opinion of your company and helps them remember your company. In the future, if they ever need your product or service, you’ll be at the top of their mind. Promotional products are also a great way to attract new customers, and they’re an excellent way to say “thank you” to existing customers. Here are a few more ways that promotional products can benefit your business:

People keep promotional products for a long period of time

When people receive promotional products, they tend to keep them. For one reason or another, people don’t like to get rid of promotional products that they’re given, and they tend to hold onto them for an extended period of time. This increases your brand awareness to the person using the promotional product as well as the people they come in contact with.

Promotional products capture the interest of your customers

We live in a world where we’re flooded with hundreds of advertising messages daily, and it’s important that businesses find a way to stand out. When you’re building your brand, you need to build buzz around your brand and product in order to make a name for yourself. You can lose thousands of dollars when creating a print or TV ad. If you want to truly capture the interest of your customers without spending a ton of money, promotional products are a great way to do this. Promotional products come in a variety of forms, and they have the ability to capture the interest of your customers. Most people welcome promotional products and are excited to receive one from a company.

Promotional products make great giveaways

Whenever you go to an event or trade show, it’s no secret that booths with giveaways attract the most people. Sometimes these people are interested in your product, and other times they’re just trying to get something for free. Either way, your brand will be at the top of their mind every time they grab that item. You can also use promotional items for giveaways at community events, company parties and other events where current or future customers may be present.

Regardless of whether you’re a small or big business owner, promotional products are a great supplement to your current marketing strategy. Everybody loves receiving free items, and giving away gifts to your customers and future customers will help increase brand awareness as well as brand loyalty.

How Outsourcing Your Payroll Can Benefit Your Business

If you own a small business, you know how stressful and overwhelming it is to make sure that everything is getting done. With all of the other responsibilities you have to take care of, handling payroll can quickly turn into a headache. This is why many small to midsized businesses often outsource their payroll services to a company that handles payroll on a daily basis. Outsourcing your payroll is extremely beneficial to all types of companies, but it’s especially attractive for businesses that don’t have their own HR department. Many small to midsized businesses find that outsourcing payroll is easier and less stressful than handling it in-house. Outsourcing payroll can give your business peace of mind knowing the job is getting done right and is in compliance with governing laws and regulations.

Why outsource your payroll

Many businesses in the United States process their payroll internally, but it’s not always the most cost-effective option for small businesses. Handling payroll internally requires purchasing an accounting program and extensive training on how to use it. In addition, businesses that do payroll in-house need to keep up on changes in tax laws and requirements that happen on an ongoing basis.

Outsourcing your payroll makes sense if your business doesn’t have an internal HR professional or department or if your HR staff is already overworked. Although outsourcing payroll can be a big company expense, it can also be a big headache if it’s not done correctly. Outsourcing your payroll provides improved compliance and accuracy in all payroll services and can greatly reduce the amount of time that your business spends on payroll internally.

Services provided

Basic payroll services include calculating payroll and tax obligations for each employee. However, many payroll companies also offer more than just standard payroll services. Some payroll companies offer integrated HR software systems that can track employee benefits information. Other companies offer employee self-service, time and attendance, HR management and benefits administration. If you’re looking to outsource more than just payroll services, look for a payroll provider that also offers these services so that everything can be integrated into one system.

Choosing the right provider

Choosing the right provider is an important decision that requires you to consider many factors. Besides looking for a provider that offers the services you require, it’s also important to choose a payroll service that offers great customer service. Even though someone else is handling your payroll, you’re likely to have some questions down the road. When this happens, it’s important that the payroll provider answers these questions in a timely manner.

As with any business decision, cost is an important factor as well. When your business is choosing a payroll provider, make sure that you know exactly how much it will cost every month for the services your business needs. Remember – even though the cost may seem expensive, it’s often less expensive than handling payroll in-house.

There’s no right or wrong answer when it comes to deciding whether to outsource your payroll or to handle it in-house. However, outsourcing your payroll ensures that employees are getting paid on time and that all payroll services are in compliance with laws and regulations. Outsourcing your payroll can greatly benefit your small business and will ensure that the job is being done correctly.

What is LTL Shipping?

The term “LTL shipping” is a commonly used term in the world of freight shipping. For people who don’t ship products often or who are new to shipping for their business, the term “LTL shipping” can be a little obscure. LTL, which stands for “less than truckload”, refers to a freight shipment that doesn’t fill an entire truck. LTL shipments are usually palletized and range anywhere from 150 to 10,000 pounds.

There are many carriers that specialize in LTL shipping, and they often specialize in different services such as residential pickups and deliveries, guaranteed services, trade show exhibits, freeze protection and transit. When products are shipped via LTL, products are moved from point to point by a number of different modes of transportation including air, rail, water and truck.

Why use LTL shipping?

Shipping locally and nationally can be stressful and time consuming for many business owners. With LTL shipping, you can get your shipments to their final destination quicker and more conveniently than with other forms of shipping. With LTL shipping, carriers move goods from many different customers on one truck. This gives businesses a more cost-effective method of shipping.

Benefits

The major benefit of LTL shipping is that it minimizes costs for businesses. Instead of paying higher rates to deliver shipments by parcel carrier, businesses can benefit through lower rates with LTL shipping. Also, LTL shipments are transported at a fraction of the cost of hiring an entire truck for a shipment. When you use LTL shipping, the carrier puts all shipments from multiple businesses onto a single freight truck. Therefore, each business only pays a fraction of the shipping cost.

Many companies use LTL shipping because LTL shipments often have a quicker delivery time than full truckload shipments. With LTL shipments, there are fewer stops and weigh-ins happen quicker along the way. In general, there are fewer logistics to deal with when it comes to LTL shipping.

Items shipped via LTL shipping are carefully packaged and put into the truck prior to shipping. This ensures that packages aren’t damaged or destroyed while in transit. Damaged items are common in parcel and full truckload shipping, and for this reason many businesses prefer using LTL shipping for their business’ needs.

How shipping rates work

Unlike full truckload shipping, which has rates based on a set-in-stone system, LTL freight rates can get confusing. There are many factors that regulate LTL shipping rates, and these factors largely impact the cost of a shipment. Here are the four most important factors that determine LTL freight rates:

  • Weight: LTL freight rates are structured so that the more the shipment weighs, the less you pay.
  • Distance: Typically, the longer the distance between sender and receiver, the higher the price-per-hundred weight will be. Some LTL carriers only serve a specific geographic area, so it’s important to consider where you’ll be sending your product when you choose an LTL carrier.
  • Classification: Each piece of freight has a freight classification, and this is a huge factor in determining the LTL freight rate. There are 18 different classes, and the higher the class, the more expensive the rate will be.
  • Accessorials/Surcharges: Accessorial charges come from extra services performed by the LTL carrier that go beyond typical business to business pickups and deliveries. Examples of accessorial charges include lift gate services, residential pickup or delivery, inside delivery and limited access locations (jails, prisons, storage units, schools, etc.).

What Does a Debt Collection Agency Do?

If you’re a business owner in a field that deals with debt collection often, it’s important to know what a debt collection agency does and the laws that govern debt collection.

What does a debt collection agency do?

A debt collection agency is a company that regularly collects debts owed to others. A vast majority of the collection agencies in the United States work on a contingency, third party basis. This means that they collect on accounts that are owned by other companies. Businesses that commonly use debt collection agencies are doctors, hospitals, government, auto lenders, utilities and small businesses. Most collection agencies collect debt for a fee or percentage of the total amount owed, but some agencies have their own fee structure.

Debt collection agencies vs. debt buyers

Many people confuse debt collection agencies and debt buyers. Debt collection agencies are B2B service businesses. Collection agencies get paid after the work on an order is completed. Debt buyers, on the other hand, buy debt. Debt buyers are financial firms, and their financial practices are similar to large consumer banks. Although debt collection agencies and debt buyers are different, they’re often linked. However, even though they both work on returning debt to businesses, they go about it in a completely different way.

Governing laws for debt collection agencies

Many people associate debt collection agencies with harassment. However, in the state of Florida, for example, it’s illegal for debt collection agencies to contact you with such frequency that it could be considered harassment. In addition, debt collection agencies may not harass or abuse anyone while trying to collect the debt. For example, a debt collector may not threaten someone, use profane language, advertise the debt or continuously make phone calls with the intent to harass the person being called.

A debt collector may contact you in person or by email, mail, telephone or fax. However, debt collectors may not contact you at work if they know your employer doesn’t approve. Additionally, they may not contact you at unreasonable times, such as before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. unless you agree that it’s okay. Debt collectors are required to send you a written notice within five days after you are first contacted telling you the amount of money that you owe. They are also required to specify the name of the creditor that you owe money to and what will you need to do if you believe you don’t owe this creditor money.

Reputable debt collection agencies are aware of all of these laws and are diligent in making sure that they comply with all governing rules and regulations. If your business is looking for a debt collection agency, make sure you do your research and hire someone with a good reputation and one that follows all of the laws. The last thing you want is a customer being harassed by the debt collection agency you hire.

Why Office Organization & Personalization Matters

Major corporations like Google, ZapposPixar, and HubSpot already know that happy employees are the best employees. They invest countless dollars into providing perks that make life easier for their teams, but what if you don’t work for one of those companies? Or maybe you own your own business and WANT to operate like them but don’t have the funds to devote to it. The good news is that regardless of where you work or the extent of your funding, you can make your office a little slice of heaven for everyone that works there. How? Simple – think of space.
If you’re like most Americans, you spend the majority of your day at your job. You easily end up spending the vast majority of your “awake” time at your office – making this space very important to you. At first glance your desk is just a place that holds your computer, mouse, coffee mug, and the odd figurines your sister-in-law brings you from her travels. But, in reality, that desk is an extension of your personal space and how that space looks, feels, and functions has a major impact on your and your employees’ work days.

Instead of viewing desks and office workspace as just empty space, take a step back and imagine what the perfect workspace would look like for you, or for each of your employees. How can you impact their daily work lives for the better? Organize the office so that it allows everyone to feel that they have a space they love to work in.

Personality

This may not come as a huge surprise to you, but everyone is different. Which means that we all think, create, live, and work in different ways. It may not be possible for you to create the “perfect” workspace for each employee, but giving them a say in how they work will go along way for allowing them to set up an environment that is conducive for their optimum productivity. Your office introvert may prefer to spend the majority of his workday alone in a quiet office, while the extroverts of your team will thrive in an environment where they can interact with people all day long.

Productivity

We all come to work to, well, work. When laying out the organization of your office, always focus on productivity. What arrangement, office type, or space will allow for the maximum amount of productivity from your team? Have places available for every personality type, but also create spaces that nurture creative thinking. An empty room with white boards, chalkboards, and simple chairs is a great place to allow your team to collaborate. Also, try to cut down on outside distractions that can derail the productivity of your office. Deliveries are always fun, but does your entire team need to know that the latest shipment of business cards have arrived?

Functionality

If designing an office space around employee happiness and optimum productivity sounds like a pipe dream, then functionality is the reality anchor you’ve been looking for. In a perfect world, every great idea we had would come to life, everyone would have the perfect working space for them, each space would fit nicely next to each other, and all would live together in harmony. But, we know that we don’t live in a perfect world and that there are real limitations that hinder creating the “perfect office.” Budget, time, physical space, buy-in, and functionally – all of these things play important roles in what your office looks like.

Do your best to make your office the best place to work for each of your employees. Do that by considering the personalities, productivity, and functionality of your team and company as a whole. And then decide what you can do as a business owner to create a working environment that benefits both your employees and your bottom line.

4 Reasons Why Your Business Should Be Using HR Self Service for Employees

If you work in a company’s HR department or if you manage HR for your company, you know how common it is to meet with an employee only to update their personal information, such as an address or phone number. These tasks, while small and easy to update, take time away from other important job duties.

Employee Self Service

An increasingly popular tool in today’s workplace is employee self-service (ESS). Employee self-service helps manage many HR related tasks that normally would have fallen to management or administrative staff. Employee self-service removes the middleman and allows HR staff to focus on other tasks while allowing employee to manage their personal information. If you’re not already using employee self-service, here are 4 reasons why using ESS can greatly benefit your business:

Increased productivity

Nothing takes up more time in your HR department than managing employee benefits, personal information and payroll data. When you implement an employee self-service option, you’ll lift much of that burden off of your HR department. Your HR staff won’t be bombarded with requests from other employees to update their personal information. Instead, your HR department can focus on developing strategies for managing employee performance and increasing morale in the workplace, and your employees can use the employee self-service to update their personal information and print out their paystubs.

Employee self-service helps to increase productivity by allowing all employees to focus on their roles and responsibilities instead of worrying about tasks that take time away from more important jobs.

Legal compliance

There are so many things that can go wrong in HR, and a single mistake can cause an even bigger one for the entire company. Employee self-service takes the guesswork out of many HR tasks that used to result in errors. Your employee self-service vendor takes the responsibility of being up-to-date on compliance regulations and ensures that your software is up-to-date as well. Employee self-service reduces the chance that you’re not being compliant with payroll and tax laws. It will also ensure that employees who don’t qualify for certain benefits won’t mistakenly receive them.

Ease of use

Employee self-service is easy to use, both for employees and the HR department. Employees can easily log into their employee self-service account and modify their information whenever they need to without having to talk to the HR department. If they need to add a child or spouse to their insurance or want to change how much they contribute to their retirement plan, employee self-service makes it easy for them to do so. Additionally, your HR department will be able to easily keep up with all of the changes happening to an employee’s account.

Automation

Employee self-service turns basic, yet time consuming, tasks into a simple automated process. Payroll responsibilities such as wages, child support deductions and retirement plan donations are all handled automatically rather than having to be done manually. This saves time and eliminates human error.

Many companies that offer payroll services also offer employee self-service options. Employee self-service is becoming more and more popular in the workplace, and it’s helping to make many HR-related tasks more streamlined and automated.

4 HR Services That Help Small Businesses be More Efficient

If you’re a business owner, much of your life revolves around your business. You’ve put blood, sweat and tears into making your business grow and succeed. Choosing companies to partner with for HR and payroll is no simple task. After all, you’re handing off some of the responsibilities to someone who doesn’t know your business as well as you do. However, allowing another company to handle administrative duties gives you the time to focus on what really matters – bringing in new business and watching your company flourish.

Going through all of the services an HR and payroll company offers can be daunting. If you’re looking to outsource some of this work, here are four services that can greatly benefit your business and help make it more efficient:

Employee Self-Service

As a business owner, you’re responsible for everything – from ordering office supplies to managing payroll. Employee self service allows employees to manage their benefits information, update their personal information and print paystubs. It gives them the freedom to do this whenever it is convenient for them, without having to bother HR (or in a small business’ case – you). It automates many HR tasks and turns basic, but time consuming tasks, into a simple automated process. Employee self-service allows employees to manage their own personal information so you can focus on other important duties.

Time and Attendance

If you’re in an industry that commonly requires employees to track time, such as IT or marketing, you may benefit from using a time and attendance solution from your payroll company. Time and attendance software allows your employees to track time on their computer or phones and comes in several different formats, such as electronic timesheets and biometric time clocks. Time and attendance software also allows you to monitor your employee’s paid time off, and it allows employees to see balances before they request time off. Time and attendance software can also help you make sure that you’re in compliance with wage and hour regulations by giving you access to labor reports and timecard records.

Human Resources Management

Let’s face it: as a business owner, you probably don’t have a ton of experience in HR management. That’s okay. HR for small businesses is complex, and it involves more than just hiring and paying employees. HR problems usually occur when you least expect it, and they’re often time consuming and costly. Using an HR management solution can help assist you with the tasks that you don’t have time to manage and the ones you don’t fully understand. An HR management solution can help guide you through questions you may have while giving you the administrative freedom to manage your business. An HR management tool will also make sure you have the right procedures and processes in place to help your business steer clear of compliance issues.

Payroll and Tax Services

This one is a given, as outsourcing your payroll and tax services can greatly improve efficiency in the workplace. Payroll is one of those areas where you don’t want to make any mistakes, and there’s nothing worse than an employee not getting paid on time or not getting paid the right amount. Outsourcing your payroll means not having to worry about this and having peace of mind knowing your company’s data is private and secure.

For business owners, it can be daunting to outsource your HR or payroll, but doing so will greatly improve your efficiency and will give you time to focus on your biggest investment – your business.

How to Choose a Point-of-Sale System for Your Business

[fusion_text]For business owners, opening your first store is one of the most exciting, yet scary, endeavors. Opening a store is more than finding the perfect location. It means getting a sign made, ordering promotional items, arranging the store and purchasing a point of sale (POS) system to process transactions. Choosing the right point of sale system for your business can be overwhelming, but choosing the right system can save you time and money in the future. Here are five steps for choosing the right POS system for your business:

Determine the needs of your business

Every business has a different set of needs. Some businesses are looking for the top-of-the line system that can process every type of payment, while other business owners are just looking to accept cash and credit/debit cards. When determining your needs, you need to take into consideration which types of payments you’re going to accept, your inventory and how customer information is stored. If you already have a POS system and are looking to upgrade, make a note of the missing features on your existing system. Also, write down any special needs that your business might have in the future such as multiple locations, mobile payments, e-commerce site, coupons or rewards programs.

Set a budget

The costs of POS systems vary depending on the size of your business and the features you’re looking for. You also have to decide whether to go with a one-time licensing fee or a monthly recurring fee for a software-as-a-service solution. When you set your budget, don’t just think about how much you’re about to spend. Think about the money you’ll save in the long run with a reliable POS system. POS systems save you time and money, and picking the right one will pay for itself.

Compare different POS systems

It’s important to do some research. Talk to other businesses in your industry about what POS system they’re using and how it’s working for them. Look at vendor websites and read the reviews. Call vendors and ask about their products and services, but don’t be afraid to ask about the company itself. When you buy a POS system, you’re also getting yourself into a relationship with the company. It’s important that you have an understanding of the systems, as well as, the companies.

See the POS system in action

Once you know everything there is to know about the POS systems on paper, it’s time to see them in action. There are two ways to go about this: contacting vendors for local references and asking for a free trial. When you contact vendors for local references, they’ll give you a list of local businesses who use their systems. Then, you can reach out to those businesses to see how the POS system works. If you’re unable to contact other businesses, ask for a free trial. Most vendors will let you try out their software so you can see how their system works.

Installing your system

Once you’ve chosen a vendor and a system, it’s time to get your system up and running. It’s important that you learn about installation and set-up before signing the papers. Taking the time to get the set up right will make your entire POS experience better. Your vendor should provide you with instructions on how to properly install your new system, but they should also be available to provide support if you have any questions.

Although these five things are a lot to think about, the benefits of getting the right point of sale system for your business are worth it. A reliable POS system will save you time and money and will help you make more educated business decisions in the future.

5 Advantages of Outsourcing Employee Benefits Administration

Employee benefits administration used to mean filling out a stack of papers and manually entering in information, and the process came with a lot of uncertainty. The modern solution to benefits administration means real-time access to information, as well as, increased visibility and control over information.

Benefits administration doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, it should make the process of establishing, maintaining and managing employee benefits easier. Many payroll companies offer benefits administration with their payroll services, and using this service within your business can greatly help streamline your human resources department. Here are five reasons to outsource your employee benefits administration:

Streamline the benefits process

Using a company that is experienced in benefits administration can help you streamline and improve your benefits process. We all know how confusing it can be to read through a stack of papers outlining different options you have for benefits. Additionally, it can be hard to understand the different plan options and what it means to make those selections. Confusion can lead to choices that aren’t beneficial to you or your employee. Benefits administration technology can help reduce the confusion by helping to further the education process and provide more in-depth information about the different options.

Increases efficiency

A great employee benefits administration portal can help employers streamline their processes and find ways to reduce premiums for insurance policies and other programs. Benefits administration can also help employers create voluntary benefits packages. This is extremely beneficial if you don’t have an in-house HR department or if your current staff is busy managing other projects. It also removes the manual work of having to research and negotiate with individual carriers.

Shields liability

When you outsource your benefits administration, you shift the liability from yourself to the outsourced company. Outsourced companies have experience in benefits administration and keep up-to-date on the laws surrounding it. Using an outsourced benefits administration service can help protect your company during a lawsuit by putting up a wall between the employee benefits administrator and the people who make decisions about employees that are terminated.

Employee privacy

Talking about employee benefits in the workplace makes many people uncomfortable. On top of that, there are privacy concerns when it comes to discussing personal health benefits in the workplace. When you outsource your employee benefits administration, you remove the discomfort that an employee may feel when speaking to someone within his or her organization. Employees are able to speak freely about their benefits policies with someone outside of the organization who has experience handling questions similar to their own.

Easy integration with other services

When you use your payroll company for benefits administration you can ensure that all of your services will be integrated with each other. You can greatly increase efficiency in the workplace when you integrate all of your services with one provider. Integrating payroll management, HR services and benefits administration means that each program will be able to speak to each other, providing a more streamlined human resources experience.

5 Types of Specialized LTL Shipping

Shipping locally, or even nationally, can be time consuming and stressful – especially if you’re shipping something that’s a little out of the ordinary. Items like chemical waste, food and trade show exhibits need special attention and services to ensure that they arrive safely to their destination. Luckily, many LTL shipping companies offer services specifically for these situations, helping make shipping a breeze. If your company routinely ships items to trade shows or need to keep food cold, you may greatly benefit from specialized LTL shipping. Here are five types of specialized LTL shipping:

Exhibit/Trade Show

When you’re getting ready for an upcoming trade show and you’re responsible for shipping everything for your exhibit, it can be a challenge to figure out how to get everything to its final destination. Many LTL shipping companies offer services that will ship your trade show exhibits to your destination. They also guarantee delivery for the day you need it, and a team of people will monitor your shipment, making sure it arrives on time and damage free. LTL shipping companies also have on-site support to help you with set-up and breakdown.

Retail

For retailers, it’s important that the shipping company not only understand shipping but that they also understand your business and how your supply chain works. This may seem like a hefty task for a shipping company, but there are LTL shipping companies that are committed to understanding the retail process to help make your job easier. If your LTL carrier specializes in retail shipping, they’ll be able to meet delivery dates and time deadlines, especially for high-traffic days, such as during the holidays.

White Glove

White glove refers to shipments that contain sensitive or fragile items. Sensitive shipments with fragile items must be handled with special care. Sometimes, shipping carriers don’t take into consideration the “Fragile-Handle with Care” warnings on our boxes, and we’ve all received shipments only to find that fragile items have been damaged or broken. Luckily, many LTL shipping companies offer white glove shipping services to keep this from happening. By using this specialized service, you can ensure that your company’s shipments will make it to your customers’ doors on time and in tact.

Hazardous Materials

Most companies don’t have to ship hazardous materials, but if your company is the exception, it’s important to find a company that specializes in the transport of hazardous materials. Unsafe transport of chemical and hazardous materials can get your business in trouble, and it can be dangerous to everyone involved. With an LTL shipping company, you can have peace of mind knowing your hazardous materials will be transported in compliance with regulations put in place by the Department of Transportation and Homeland Security.

Freeze Protection

If your company ships cold-sensitive items, such as food or medicine, using an LTL shipping company can help ensure that your products arrive at their final destination free from damage. LTL shipping companies that offer freeze protection will keep your products that freeze at or below 32 ̊ F/0 ̊ C and will monitor weather forecasts, ensuring that your products stay frozen. Freeze protection services are used in a variety of industries including chemical products, food and beverage, candy, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and agricultural.