How to Start a Pack and Ship Store

The post office might be feeling the effects of email and the Internet, but for those interested in learning how to start a pack and ship store, things are looking just fine. Packages can’t be sent through email – yet – and this business can be very lucrative indeed.

When thinking about how to start a pack and ship store, you can decide to go with a franchise or start your store from scratch. Each of these options has its advantages and disadvantages, so look at your options and choose the course that’s right for you.

What You’ll Need

One of the biggest factors in your success when you start a pack and ship store is location. You want you store to be visible from the road, easy to find, and in an area that offers a lot of foot traffic. Even though you might be a destination point for many customers, easy access, plenty of parking, and visibility are all key. Inside your store, you’ll want plenty of counter space and work areas, and an oversize door for large deliveries is also a good idea.

Some of the items you will need to stock up on before opening a pack and ship store are: an assortment of boxes in various sizes, packing tape, packing material – like bubble wrap, labels, printers, shelving, a fax machine, and a cash register.

In addition to the above supplies and equipment, many who open a pack and ship store also decide to provide self service copy machines for customers. This is a convenience for your customers and another revenue stream for you.

A business license and, depending on your state, a resellers permit will be required before you open your pack and ship store for business.

How to be Successful

People will come to your pack and ship store expecting you to provide fast, efficient service and an ability to ship their packages safely to wherever they need to go. Customer service will be key to your success and will generate return customers and referral business. The more you are able to streamline your customer service process, the better you will do, as you’ll be more efficient, and your customers will appreciate it too.

Learning how to start a pack and ship store is not different from any other business in that you must learn how to attract customers to your store. Marketing to individual consumers as well as businesses is a great idea. If you can get accounts with local businesses that ship daily or weekly, you can do very well with commercial accounts.

The bottom line is: when your customers (business or consumer) feel they are getting their money’s worth by taking their packages to your store rather than the post office or another option, you have done your job. And the more people feel that way, the more successful your business will be.

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