Shipping Resources for Small Businesses With Kelli Martin From FedEx

“You're never too small to ship or get great rates. You're not.”Kelli Martin is the digital marketing advisor at FedEx, but she likes to refer to herself as a small business champion. This week, she joins us on Unboxing Logistics to share advice for small businesses and highlight some of the resources FedEx provides to help them succeed. Small business challenges and trendsThe current economic climate makes running a small business challenging. Kelli shares the struggles she’s heard about from clients she’s worked with: “[One thing] we're all hearing about and experiencing in some way is inflation and the rising cost of everything … and just finding good labor.”Two things small businesses need to knowShipping can be overwhelming for small business owners! Two things that people often don’t get right? DIM weight and packaging. Kelli recommends, “Know your DIM weight … understand it. A lot of people think it's just the weight of the package that makes the difference. Like, no, no, no. It's the combination of the weight, the size, and the distance.”She adds, “I cannot stress enough the importance of proper packaging. If [a product is] breakable—fragile in any way—proper packing is so important to avoid damage.”Resources FedEx providesFedEx isn’t just for big companies—they want to help businesses of every size thrive. Check out these helpful resources:FedEx Small Business Grant. Ten FedEx customers will win a significant grant to grow their business. The application will open around March 2024. Small Business Center. As Kelli puts it, you can find “loads of information on just about everything under the sun,” including articles on optimizing your shipping, packing, and fulfillment.Making It Work podcast. The podcast doesn’t just focus on shipping—it covers all the complexities of small business operations, including hiring and firing, finding investors, and more. Post-Peak and Trends Reports. Next Spring, read these reports for a deep dive into ecommerce trends and statistics. LinksFollow Kelli on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelli-d-martin/ Visit the FedEx Small Business Center: https://www.fedex.com/en-us/small-business.html Listen to the Making It Work podcast: https://www.fedex.com/en-us/small-business/making-it-work-podcast.html