You have seen advertisements for air freight forwarding companies and wondered if shipping by air would help your business. You want to get your product out to as many vendors as possible, but you also want to be economical. You may be able to get the best of both worlds by using air freight forwarding services. However, there are a few questions you should ask yourself when trying to determine if air freight is right for you.
Do You Sell Medical Products?
If you sell medical products or any other product that people need immediately, then air freight forwarding is definitely for you. Even if the medical facilities or doctors you work with do not generally have an urgent need for supplies, they want to know you can get products to them in case of an emergency. When you have a relationship with an air freight shipper who can get products to you in a hurry, you will have peace of mind, and your clients will know they can trust you.
If you sell medication, you want to get your product where it is going as soon as possible. Medicine loses potency over time. If the medication you produce is not effective, you can get sued. Air freight is a good idea in this case.
Do You Sell Perishable Products?
Are your cookies the next big thing? Do you own a farm that produces oranges worthy of international acclaim? If you do, you don’t want them sitting on a ship for two weeks. The public should taste the very best products you have to offer. An air freight shipper will not only get your product where it’s going in a hurry, but they will also control the temperature for you. A truck can control the temperature as well, but a truck could take days to deliver. The longer a trip takes, the more opportunity there is for something to go wrong.
Do You Sell Popular Products?
Do you sell a lip stain that teenage girls cannot live without? Are you certain that your fan girl tees are going to be the next big thing? Your customers deserve to have your product in their hands in a hurry. If people love what you make, you want to make sure they are happy with your customer service. When you use an air shipper, they will have your product quickly. Remember, fans of your product are your advertising department. The faster they get your product, the faster they can start showing it off.
Do You Have a Contract?
In some cases, a company that manufactures products will have a contract with a distributor or another manufacturer. That contract may specify that the producer will supply a certain amount of their product each month. This often happens with manufacturing products. For example, if you produce screws that hold a special kind of kitchen appliance together, the maker of that kitchen appliance may need a certain number of screws a month. You don’t want to breach your contract.
If you put your screws on a slow boat to England, you may have some upset customers when bad weather or a strike prevents you from getting your products to them on time.
How Heavy Are Your Products?
If you manufacture something heavy or large such as blankets or tools, you do not want to use an air freight company. You would never be able to get enough of your product on an airplane to make this expensive method of shipping worthwhile. If you have non-perishable products other than medicine, you can get away with ocean freight most of the time.
Lightweight and small products are best for air freight shipping. When you use ocean shipping, you will have to rent an entire container or find space in an existing one. Any shipping expert can tell you that this may take a few days to arrange. Airlines charge by weight, so if you are selling something lightweight, air shipping may not be expensive.
Let’s be honest, you would rather fly to Europe than take a boat. A flight gets you there on time, in one piece, and fresh for whatever lies ahead of you. The same is true of products, so you may want to consider giving air freight a try.
