With its purchase of Kinko’s in 2003 and greater emphasis on serving small business – including a special Small Business Center and visibility through over 1,200 Kinko’s locations – FedEx has become the repository of a long list of vital resources for small businesses of all kinds.
Using FedEx more effectively can:
- Save time
- Save money
- Take the guesswork out of shipping
- Reduce shipping errors
- Facilitate printing jobs
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Visit the FedEx Small Business Center
Discover the many services designed specifically for small business. The FedEx Small Business Center offers tips on saving money and time plus articles on automation, productivity and shipping.I recommend: Offerings at the FedEx Small Business Center include FedEx Online Express Savings, FedEx Billing Online and FedEx Insight, which allows you to receive email notifications when packages are delivered or when there's a delivery problem.
Set up an online account
With an online account, you can create shipping labels, track shipments, find rates, order supplies and more.I recommend: Check out the offerings at the FedEx Small Business Center. You'll need to provide your company name, billing address and credit card information to register for an online account.
Manage your account
The Manage My Account feature lets you control your account from your desktop computer. Access invoices, make payments, change account info and file claims for billing disputes.I recommend: Discover how you can Manage My Account online. FedEx Flat File Reporting Tool allows you to generate a variety of reports so you can organize your shipments in ways that are most helpful to you. To manage your invoices and payments online or to integrate your FedEx payments into your accounts payable software, try FedEx DirectLink Software.
Get rates online
To make the best shipping decisions, find rates for your packages before sending them. Rates vary depending on how far your package will travel and how fast it needs to be delivered. Keep from going over budget by verifying costs online.I recommend: Check general rates and transit times before you ship. Once you sign up for an online account, you can log in to see the exact rates for your company.
Create labels and ship online
Create shipping labels and print them on your in-house printer. The Ship Manager feature offers a number of time-savers, including an address book so you can select saved information with one click — the label automatically fills in your contact's information. If you send the same type of package to the same contacts, you can create a Fast Ship profile — one click of the mouse will fill in the address, package weight, delivery options and more.I recommend: Follow the tutorial on how to ship packages online. Take the Ship Manager tour to learn how to make online shipping even easier.
Know your delivery options
FedEx offers much more than overnight delivery. Whether your deliveries are time-sensitive or not, there's a delivery option for you. Choose from same-day delivery, three options for overnight delivery, two-day delivery or three-day delivery. There's also one- to five-day delivery with FedEx Ground as well as freight options and international delivery solutions.I recommend: Find the best delivery options for your needs.
Use freight options
If you're shipping large volumes of inventory, take advantage of FedEx's worldwide freight delivery options, which include less-than-truckload, ocean freight and air freight.I recommend: Check out your freight delivery options to determine what's available. If you need help navigating the intricacies of shipping globally, take a look at FedEx Trade Networks. When large shipments need to arrive the same day or overnight, use FedEx Custom Critical Services.
Ship internationally
Shipping packages internationally can be confusing. FedEx has tools to make international shipping easier.I recommend: Follow the step-by-step tutorial to see how international shipping works. When you create international shipping labels online, it automatically creates the documents you need. You can also get an estimate of duties and fees and look up harmonized codes.
Choose pick-ups or drop-offs
With FedEx, you have the choice of either scheduling a pick-up or dropping off packages at the nearest FedEx shipping center. Pick-ups save you time but add to shipping costs; drop-offs lower your costs but can cut into your busy workday.I recommend: Schedule pick-ups online or find a location where you can drop off your packages.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- If you're sending a package locally, FedEx Ground service can often deliver it overnight although it won't guarantee overnight delivery. If it isn't imperative that your package arrive overnight, choose this option to save money.
- It sounds counterintuitive, but International Priority is often less expensive than International Economy and it arrives quicker. Always check the rates before sending.
- If you print out a shipping label then realize you made a mistake, don't worry. You can delete shipments online as long as you haven't actually shipped the package and it's the same day you printed out the label.
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