Sending a parcel is now easier than ever, and lots of businesses do so on a regular basis. If you are such a business – if you spend a lot of time and effort shipping goods and items to your customers or ship documents from your business to another company, then you need to be as efficient as possible. Your ultimate goal is to make sure that your parcel arrives safely and securely at its final destination, and it’s not just about wrapping it and putting it in a box or envelope. There are some particular guidelines you must follow as well in order to make sure that your item is shipped correctly. Here, then is your general guide to wrapping and shipping parcels for your business.
Addressing your parcel in the right way
One of your priorities is to ensure that the address of the recipient is clear and easy to understand. This way, you can be quite sure that your parcel doesn’t get lost or sent to the wrong address. There are some special guidelines for addressing your parcel as well. For instance, it is standard practice to write the recipient’s name and postal address on the front of your box or envelope and at the bottom left portion. You need to write legibly, so do it in box or capital letters rather than script. If the address is printed, choose a clear and easy to read font. Align the text to the left and don’t centre the lines, and it’s better not to use any full stops or commas. Leave a good-sized margin of blank space around the recipient’s address. Don’t forget to include your business’ return address as well so that if the courier can’t deliver the parcel, they can return it to you.
Other important guidelines:
- If you have items which are oddly-shaped or which have sharp edges, it would be good to use a padded envelope. Better yet, go for a sturdy box with double-lined sides, such as the white postal boxes from UK Packaging which come in all sizes as well.
- If you are planning to use an outer container for your parcel, make sure that it is strong and durable enough for whatever is inside.
- If you are shipping items which are fragile or delicate, the items should not touch each other within the box or envelope, and you should also make sure that they don’t touch the container’s sides. The best way to make sure of this would be to use bubble wrap and other packaging materials such as packing peanuts which you can place around the item.
- It would also be good to write down the name, postal address, and phone number of the recipient inside the box or envelope; be sure to include your return address as well.
- Make sure to seal and secure the parcel with the use of strong vinyl tape or nylon, especially around the parcel’s openings and all the edges.
- If you are using metal fastenings or staples, flatten the edges of these with the use of tape.
- If the item or object you are sending is fragile or delicate, make use of a ‘Fragile’ sign or sticker on the outside of the parcel.
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