With freight forwarding, a brokerage firm will manage all the storage and shipment needs of your international exports and imports. Although these companies don't ship the loads on their own, they do almost everything else.
For a small business owner like yourself, this level of management will cover everything from transporting shipments from your facility to the departure area to negotiating freight costs for the delivery; freight forwarding is an all-inclusive service.
Small business owners should look at air freight forwarding as an extension of their business that works as an intermediary to satisfy their shipping needs in the most efficient way.
Air freight forwarding doesn't just take tasks off your to-do list, but it will also offer additional benefits that manifest in both the short and long term.
Cost Efficiency
Material suppliers generally have two cost structures: retail and wholesale. As a business owner, you understand this because you're often able to take advantage of lower pricing given the size of your orders. International shipments work much the same way. Air freight forwarding companies handle the shipping needs of multiple organizations at one time.
Because all the deliveries are transported under the umbrella of the freight forwarding firm, the size of the shipment gives the company significant leverage when it comes to negotiating the terms of the shipment process.
Whereas you might only be able to negotiate a retail price for your single shipment, the freight forwarding company can leverage a wholesale deal that will save you a sizeable amount of money.
Manageability
As a small business owner, you probably have more tasks to manage than you care to count. When you rely on air freight forwarding, you can lighten your workload.
When you handle your international shipments on your own, not only do you have to plan and prepare for each facet of the journey, but you also have to remain in contact with the representatives that oversee these processes. With air freight forwarding, you only have one point of contact.
Because the freight forwarding firm acts on your behalf, they take on the task of communicating with these different representatives so you can focus your efforts on other areas of your business.
Shipping Efficiency
One of the nuisances of international shipments is the unknown. Sometimes errors delay a shipment, and sometimes unforeseen circumstances take shape, such as a weather event, that send a shipment on an unintended route. The average small business owner doesn't know what to do when faced with these types of challenges. Further, most people don’t have the time to resolve these problems when they come up while also managing other business duties.
Air freight forwarding firms understand that you and your customers have deadlines. Freight forwarders use their industry experience to quickly resolve any shipping errors and reroute shipments as necessary to ensure they arrive as close to your schedule as possible. Increased efficiency will keep your customers happier.
When it comes to air freight forwarding, no business is too small to reap its benefits. If you are a business that participates in the international marketplace, freight forwarding will bring a level of efficiency to your shipping processes.
At Dolphin Brokerage International, we are happy to sit down and discuss your needs, and more importantly, how we can help you satisfy them.
