5 Useful Tips to Help Local Couriers Find Extra Courier Work
As a courier, an empty or half filled van means you are losing money. Therefore, finding extra work to fill your van’s spare space is vital to a successful courier business. The following tips should help you find the extra work that you need.
1. Have your own business cards
This seems to be a very obvious practice but in reality there are a surprisingly low number of couriers who have business cards. If you do not yet have your own business cards, please visit a local printing shop and ask them to help you with this. If you do have your own business cards, always carry a small business card box in your vehicle and a few cards in your wallet.
Customers are often forgetful and rarely save your number so a business card serves well as a reminder. Besides, it also leverages the professionalism of your business. Always give each customer a few business cards so they can pass to their family and friends.
2. Establish contacts with other local couriers
In any type of business, relationships form a crucial part of success and this is true also in the courier industry. Creating a network of fellow couriers means you can get passed jobs which they cannot do or share jobs which they cannot handle on their own.
Exchange business cards, email addresses and contact numbers with local couriers you know, as many as possible since any of them can potentially give you some extra work. Once business cards and contact information are exchanged, do not forget to save their email addresses in your email address book and their phone number in your mobile phone contacts. That way you can tell who they are when they send you an email or give you a call without having to look up your collection of business cards again.
3. Post classified ads in local newspapers
Many people look at the classifieds section in newspapers when they search for couriers or removal services. Having a listing there means you will have the chance to advertise yourself to many potential customers. However, make sure the listing fee is acceptable and check its effectiveness by asking all of your customers where/how they heard about you.
4. Advertise on online classified and directory websites
With the increasing popularity of the Internet, many businesses including courier services have been brought online. Having presence on the Internet will definitely help you get more customers.
5. Join online transport marketplace and courier exchange websites
These are currently the two most rapidly growing trends in the haulage industry. Online transport marketplace’s has not been around for long but have been widely accepted as a very useful tool for couriers to find back loads and return loads. Basically, a customer posts a job on the website; you and other couriers then bid against each other and the customer will choose their favorite. Since a transport marketplace works similarly to eBay, you can build up your reputation through feedback given by your customers. Better feedback rating means you will have more chances to win jobs!
Courier exchanges are very much similar to the way you and your local fellow couriers exchange jobs with each other. However, you are now exchanging jobs with a larger audience, including other courier companies, freight brokers and freight forwarders. Courier exchanges are also very useful for helping you to find back loads and return loads.
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