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What The On-Demand Economy Is and Why You Need On-Demand Delivery To Keep Up

June 22, 2020 last mile logisticssame day logisticsTrucking

You’ve heard the refrain, “consumer behavior is changing”. Many say that it has already changed. In 2016, the Harvard Business Review said that the on-demand economy was alive and well and growing.

The National Technology Readiness Survey confirmed the trend in December 2019. Since 2016, participation in the on-demand economy has almost tripled.

In 2019, 64.8 million consumers purchased on-demand goods or services (24.9 million in 2016) and spent around $110.0 billion (18% up from $92.8 billion in 2018).

Read on to discover what and how to raise your game in this brave new digital world.

What Is the On-Demand Business Model?

Advancing technology has transformed the traditional way of doing business. Customers are demanding a better experience. These are the two main drivers of what has become known as the on-demand economy.

An on-demand business normally shares three things in common. They include

  • a freelancer, or independent worker offering a specific service or product.
  • a consumer who requires a particular service or product immediately, and
  • an online platform that connects the two 

The main sectors affected so far by the on-demand economy are transport, hospitality, finance, temporary or contract employment and media streaming.  Think of businesses such as Uber, Airbnb, and Deliveroo. All three are characteristic of the on-demand business model.

On-demand companies are disruptive. The shift the paradigm that’s been in place for years.  And, as is the case with Uber in many countries in Europe, it is unclear which statutory regulations should be covering their activities 

Online Shopping – Delivery Now

Retail shopping is increasingly becoming involved in the on-demand craze. Established supermarket chains are adding certain on-demand elements to what they offer customers. 

For example, retail giant Walmart has recently created its own network of on-demand delivery drivers from the pool of its own employees. How it works is that some employees deliver orders to customers on their way home from their shift.

Is the On-demand Economy Going to Become the Norm?

If the popularity, speed, and convenience of on-demand products or services are anything to go by, then the on-demand economy is here to stay.

Cutting out the intermediary—formerly known as the middle man—and replacing them with a digital platform, or app that connects the customer with a wide range of service providers is proving popular. 

The cost-savings are one reason. The other reason is that customers and providers alike prefer the autonomy of it all. They like the feeling of control it gives them, and they like the lack of bureaucratic red tape and pink ribbon.

Private lenders, events caterers, plumbers, carpenters, and any other service provider or provider of products you can think of enjoying this vibrant, competitive marketplace.  Customers, for their part. enjoy the attractiveness of being able to purchase something at a competitive price.

Freelancers For Hire

Freelance translators, copywriters, writers, transcribers, computer coders, speechmakers, temporary secretaries, personal trainers, teachers and a host of other professionals all enjoy the type of flexibility that the new on-demand style allows.

Some enjoy this life so much that they have joined the hordes of digital nomads roaming the planet in search of the coffee shop or hostel with the best WiFi.

As providers, they are making a good living, and enjoy being able to care out for themselves the lifestyle they want.

Last-Mile Delivery

The explosion in the number of online shops in recent years has seen a corresponding rise in the number of order fulfillment centers dotted across the landscape.

But what if you’re not an online shop, but need to send something post haste. What is speedy delivery is the deal maker or deal breaker?.  Then courier services will step in to bridge the gap.  Once again, there’s an app for that. ASAP Couriers is a professional courier company that is totally in touch with the on-demand economy.

We realize that as the customer, you need it now. We know that as the provider of the service, you need it delivered now. We also waste no time in getting the job done.

All Sorts of Demands

Getting goods delivered fast is part of keeping the customer satisfied, and keeping the customer loyal.  We know that sometimes, you will have special requirements, such as the need for a refrigerated transport service. We do that too.

Small Businesses Need Flexibility

Small and medium-sized business is the largest growth sector in the economy.  That’s because hardworking people with bright ideas are going out on their own, and getting things done in a dynamic way. As a small business, you cannot always afford to have a set contract with a transport company.

That’s why the on-demand economy is your friend. Because on-demand courier services exist too. ASAP Courier Services is just the kind of company you should call when you need that one-off shipment ultra-fast.

Please contact us on your preferred device, and per your preferred method. We’ll be happy to move forward with you.

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5 Reasons Why Outsourcing Your Last-Mile Delivery Is a Great Idea

May 18, 2020 last mile logisticssame day logisticswarehousing

E-commerce is booming. According to Emarketer, the global retail market will exceed $25 trillion in 2019. 

We live in an age where you can run a business successfully from the comfort of your home office. You can serve customers across the country and even across the globe with just a few strokes of a keyboard. 

Our resources to reach the world also limit our ability to store and deliver our products though. If your business is just you and your computer, you need help moving the product from you to your customers. 

Keep reading to learn about how outsourcing your last-mile delivery will make your business even better. 

What Is Last-Mile Delivery? 

“Last-mile delivery” came from telecommunications companies and not Amazon. Telecommunications engineers referred to the distance from the ISP to the customer’s location, be it a home or office, as the last mile, even if it spanned a few miles or less than a mile.

Nearly all businesses now use the term to refer to the distance between the delivery hub and the customer. So when you order a package, the last mile is not the distance from the warehouse in Portland to your home in Norfolk. It’s the distance from the distribution hub down the road to your front door. 

Last-mile delivery services have one objective: deliver that package to the customer as quickly as possible. That’s their business. They serve both the customer and the business by filling a gap. 

Outsourcing Makes Your Business Better

You can take your business from better to best by outsourcing your door-to-door services. This works especially well if you’re in the in-between stage of being small enough to not hire another individual to do your deliveries but big enough that you can no longer do them yourself.

Here are the ways outsourcing last-mile delivery can benefit you.

You Take Advantage of Technology

You know your business. You understand how to make what you make or do what you do. But you do not always understand the technology that can help streamline your business.

When you outsource the last-mile delivery, you can take advantage of all of the technology that helps your product make its way to your customers’ doorsteps quickly. You do not have to understand how the company moves it quickly or tracks it. You just take advantage of it. 

If you’re looking to outsource any part of your business, then last-mile service makes the most sense. Your customers will notice immediately that you have fast and reliable service.

You can take advantage of all of the apps that last-mile delivery services use as well. Last-mile delivery services can customize an app specifically for your company that mainstreams delivery.  

You Save Money and Time

If you deliver your own products, you understand the cost and time involved with delivery. You have to pay for fuel and car maintenance.

As your business grows, you’ll have to make big decisions. You’ll need to either hire extra workers to produce your product or hire a driver to deliver your products. If you hire a driver, you still carry the liability of a driver using your vehicle, and you still must pay for fuel.

If you outsource your last-mile delivery service, you’ll ultimately save money and time. You can focus on making your product amazing and not think about traffic patterns.

You also don’t have to worry about payroll and delivery deadlines. You don’t have to wonder if a driver is taking care of your car. You can just focus on your product while the delivery service focuses on their specialty.  

You Can Track Your Orders

If you take care of your customers, they’ll stay loyal to your brand. An effective last-mile delivery service will have tracking services for your package. Your customers will be able to see exactly where their package is.

You won’t have to incur the cost for a tracking service since the last-mile delivery service will care for this. You’ll pay for the delivery service, and you’ll make your customers happier. 

Customers care about real-time tracking. Recent studies indicate that 31% of customers care about real-time tracking.  

You’re Insured

A good courier service will have insurance for your packages. They’ll cover it if a package is lost.

This removes your liability once the package leaves your possession. Insurance indicates you can trust the last-mile delivery service.  

You Improve Customer Service

We live in an on-demand world. We can order a pizza and say when we want it done. Because of the commonality of on-demand services, customers are more demanding than ever.

The younger the customer, the more the demand. Studies are showing that approximately 56% of online consumers ages 18-34 years expect same-day delivery. As a result, the majority of consumers are willing to pay extra for same-day service. 

As your business grows, you cannot offer same-day service consistently. You need a last-mile delivery service to ensure that your package arrives when you say it will. 

Improving customer service means increasing the chances of brand loyalty. In short, when you serve your customers well by providing tracking, same-day delivery, and modern delivery technology, your customers will keep coming back and will recommend you. 

Use Outsource as a Resource

Outsourcing is a good thing. It means your business is growing and you’re making wise decisions for your business.

When you outsource, you’ll ultimately save money and time. You’ll also show your customers you care because you’re allowing someone else to make your business even better. 

For all of your last-mile delivery services, contact us. 

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How to Choose a Courier Service for Your Financial Institution

February 5, 2020 Couriersame day logistics

Financial institutions, unlike other businesses, deal with highly sensitive documents and information. This means there’s a lot to consider when choosing a courier service.

When looking for the best way to send your documents, you have to ensure that you have a good delivery system that upholds the nature of your business, while at the same time contributing to your institution’s success and growth.

You and your clients stand a lot to gain from a reliable courier service. The question is, what should you look for when choosing the best bank courier service?

What You Should Consider

Here are some things you should keep in mind when choosing a courier service for your bank or any other financial institution.

1. Reliability

A good banking courier service should be able to be there when needed. You need to make sure you can count on them, and that they can deliver prompt services each time. They should be able to offer you same-day services and special delivery services.

You can also evaluate how they answer their phones, and how long they take to give feedback or any necessary correspondence.

2. Trust

As hard as it is to quantify trust, it’s important that you only work with a courier company that has a good reputation. To know if you can trust them, you can ask about:

  • Their emergency procedures
  • Proof of license and certification
  • Any security policies concerning your institution’s information that they have
  • Their tracking services (if available)

Your courier company of choice should also be able to remain private in your dealing with them. They should maintain a good professional working relationship with your bank at all times.

3. Proof of Delivery (POD)

When hiring a courier service, you need to know if they can confirm and prove the deliveries they make. It’s pointless to ship or send your documents and not know if they got delivered to the right destination.

The company needs to provide written — not verbal — proof. This can also come in handy in case any dispute arises concerning whether or not the delivery was made. They should be able to send you the POD vial e-mail, fax, phone, or website.

4. Security

Bank courier services need to have some form of security because of the nature of their clients. In as much as you do need to transport loan application forms, cheques, and other financial records in an armored vehicle with security guards, you need to be sure that your parcel is safe.

Parcel tracking is one such way of ensuring security. Tracking will help you know the location of the documents during transits. This is especially necessary when sending documents to far-away locations that might take several days to be delivered.

5. Insurance

If you plan to send valuable and sensitive packages via the courier, it will give you peace of mind to know that the delivery company has an insurance cover. This will come in handy if the package is not delivered as it should.

6. Customer Service

The courier service you are working with will be a representation of your company to your clients or partners. Therefore, they need to uphold high customer service standards. If your customers are not happy with their services, the same might reflect on you.

Choose a company that speaks your language when it comes to handling customers.

7. Referrals and Recommendations

You can seek recommendations from another bank that has worked with the courier services you want to hire or have them refer you to one that they have successfully used in the past. Good courier service companies should be able to have a good working relationship with their customers.

You are most likely to get honest answers from other financial institutions directly as compared to looking for the same information online.

8. Consider the Courier Service Cost to Value

Evaluate the company’s cost and fees against the value. While doing this, you need to consider that cheap services may not equate value and vice versa. When deciding on cost, verify that the courier service can be able to meet your needs.

Do not shy away from paying just a little bit more for the best service that will add value to your business.

The aforementioned checklist will help you find a courier company that can deliver what you need from them, as well as help support the growth of your business and maintain your standards as an institution.

Choosing the best courier service might seem challenging but is most certainly worthwhile. The time you take to pick the best is an investment in your company.

Why Financial Institutions Still Use Courier Services

Although the world has adopted different technologies and most companies are going paperless, financial institutions are still faced with quite a challenge; not everyone wants a digital bank. The services of a courier company come in handy in:

  • Delivering mail from post offices
  • Depositing payments
  • Picking up payrolls
  • Transporting items, like a document from one branch to another, from the bank to the client, and to other central facilities
  • Delivering deposits to other branches for transactions
  • Financial transactions
  • Check deposits and more

While it may seem unnecessary, physically moving documents like title deed, vehicle log books, files, and other paperwork is quite important in every financial institution. Such documents are quite sensitive and can only be trusted with a good courier service company.

The Right Courier Service Will Make Your Business Run Smoother

When you work with a good courier service, not only will your business grow, but you will also be able to run it smoothly. You will have no setbacks when it comes to the flow of your documentation and paperwork.

We offer professional courier services both locally and nationwide. Our professional staff is not only well-trained but is also dedicated to on-time delivery always. If you are looking or courier service for your bank, look no further.

Visit our website and check out what we offer. For more information, contact us. We keep our word.