In the challenging waters of 2021 and beyond the key to success is diversity, technology, access to a suite of services plus marketing and sales techniques to help you grow. Here’s diamond’s top tips to grow your business.
Although running a courier company isn’t rocket science, it is a SCIENCE. There is a methodology, technology and procedures, which make it simple.
Here’s how you can make your courier business thrive
1. The online product and business market is huge. And is only set to expand further. You NEED to provide a service that meets this. Offer a Fulfilment Service and provide the complete solution for this booming industry.
2. Keep your fixed costs low. In logistics you want to make sure your business can withstand ebbs and flows of market demand. So, lots of staff, vehicles and costs are bad. You want minimal fixed costs so that when demand goes down so do your costs – not your profits.
3. Don’t be restricted by the hub. Offer more weights, sizes, vehicles, Overnight and International services. Don’t let your offering and revenue be constricted by others.
4. There are only 24 hours in every day – so you want to make sure you are spending at least 10 of those making money for yourself. DON’T spend your time providing a delivery infrastructure for a network simply to buy yourself good input rates because you’ll end up spending 50% of your time working for free.
5. Communicate with your clients. Don’t underestimate the power of personalised relationships.
6. Have a really good team behind you. Happy staff = great work.
7. Don’t let the competitors outperform you in speed and convenience. Have access to nationwide vehicles via trusted colleagues.
8. Have great, up-to-date technology that allows your services to be seamless.
9. Provide local community service. Clients like it, they are more loyal and a personalised service equals quality.
10. Be part of a network across the country to allow you to get those national accounts that you deserve. You need to join forces to have strength. A little courier company against the Goliaths in logistics has a battle on its hands. Strength in unity means better bargaining power, better buying rates, better services – and a louder voice with which to promote yourself. Find out why Second Generation Logistics joined the diamond network earlier this year, here.
Five reasons a diamond Network Partnership can help you achieve all of this.
But wait…I hear you say…I can do this myself. But you can’t. Here’s why.
Number One
Unless you have a spare £2.5m (actual investment to date) you probably can’t afford the cost to create the modern logistics platform on which our business functions. It’s taken us five years, a team of 10 people and 1,000’s of hours of work to launch Despatchlab, and it’s unique. There is nothing like it on the market that does the same – combining same day, overnight and international multi-carriers plus storage and fulfilment. That integrates with all the major online marketplaces – Ebay, Amazon, Shopify and more.
Number Two
You won’t get the carrier rates and corporate customer services unless you are spending the millions per annum we are spending with our main carriers. We have negotiated group rates which allow you to add a reasonable margin to incorporate your profit. Many of the major carriers simply won’t let you buy from them direct.
Number Three
You can’t provide the diversity of services – packets, parcels, long lengths, domestic and international, business and home delivery – overnight, same day plus local fulfilment too. And diversity is important – it makes sales so much easier when you are able to carry a diverse range of products.
Number Four
You can’t provide our administrative support – paying the carriers, financing the working capital, creating the invoices, doing the first 90% of the credit control for less than 10% (which is our ongoing fees). And why would you want to? You want to be doing the bits that make you money – getting and keeping great customers.
Number Five
You won’t be part of our network. Let’s talk BIG PICTURE here. Yes, we have just started out, and yes we are still building our network but this is where opportunity is still available. The BIG PICTURE is to build the largest UK network of local fulfilment centres – and then it starts getting exciting. Team diamond will be positioned to deliver goods same day. And you simply won’t be part of this unless you are part of the network.
There’s more, of course, like branding, support, feeling part of a supportive community – and the biggy – building a capital asset for long term return or saleable value.
But those Top Five are pretty compelling alone, aren’t they?
And here’s the final BIGGIE. Opportunity.
So many people missed out when networks like Interlink, Citylink and APC started up – because when the best geographies were gone, they were gone…forever. And they went pretty quick. I remember when GU was snapped up by the mighty Wey Group. An opportunity I missed because I was too slow.
Same goes for diamond
We are releasing geographically exclusive territories so you can maximise your revenues – which is great for early adopters as there is plenty of opportunity.
The bad news is they can only be sold once.
And you’d hate to miss out, right?
If you’re a courier business which would like access to the latest technology, the best carrier rates and administrative AND sales support, get in touch today. Say hi to Eve.Terry@diamondlogistics.co.uk or call 0333 567 5888
