Monthly Archives: April 2018

Shipping fragile items

As with any business, the product offered to your customers is really what keeps your business functioning. When it comes to eCommerce it’s extremely important to get your products to the customer the way both you and your client expects. With so many packages being shipped daily, your shipped products is just one of the many parcel packages handled by package and mail carriers. As a business owner it is in you and your client’s best interest to take any and steps available to get your fragile products to your clients without any damage.

Box size
When mailing fragile items the most important variable you can control is the size of the shipping boxes you plan to use. What you don’t want to do is buy boxes that aren’t big enough. The boxes ordered should be big enough to comfortably fit your fragile products, but also enough room to include protective materials. You will want to use boxes that give you at least an additional 1 to 2 inches of space on all sides of the product to add bubble wrap or shipping peanuts.

Protective packing materials
When it comes to protective materials, it is very important to ensure you have enough of it to effectively protect your fragile items. Its good practice to use bubble wrap to physically wrap the items, and use packing peanuts to act as a “bed” for a double layer of protection.
Element protection solutions

Not only is it in you and your clients best interest to protect your fragile items from damage from dropping or mishandling by the carrier, you want to take into account the possibility of damage from rain or other weather related damage. It is good practice to wrap your fragile products in water resistant materials, like plastic bags or shrink wrapping. Having a liquid prof layer in addition to the bubble wrap, and shipping peanuts will give you and your clients peace of mind that the product will make it to its destination undamaged.

Proper wrapping
When wrapping your fragile items, it is important to make sure your products are securely wrapped and prepared for the shipment. It makes no sense to wrap your fragile items with protective materials, for them to slide out during shipment, and nor protect the item as intended. Its good practice to wrap your items using some packing tape to securely attach the protective materials to your product.

Avoid wrapping too tight
Depending on the items being shipped, it’s important not to wrap your fragile items too tight. Wrapping things like glasses, or dishes too tightly can potential add additional pressure that may cause the items to break from the added pressure.

Sealing the box
Once we have securely wrapped our fragile item(s) you want to make sure the shipping boxes used are sealed properly. Be sure to use a liberal amount of packing tape to ensure the box does not open during the shipping process.

Consider the distance shipped
Statistically the further your package has to travel, the higher the odds of it suffering damage on its way. Always consider the distance and add more protective materials to account for the increased probability of damage occurring during longer travel distances.

Package Labeling
Up to this point we have wrapped our fragile items assuming damage due to poor handling or liquid damage. It is a very good idea to label your package fragile, to let the carriers know to handle with care.

Insurance consideration
Now that we have securely wrapped our fragile items, and labeled them accordingly, insurance can act as additional layer of protection. It is in your, as a business owner, best interest to get insurance on our items just in case something goes wrong.

So You’re Moving – Ideas to Remember and Consider

Moving can be a tiring experience. It’s easy to get stressed out about all the obligations it requires. Some movers prefer to hire a professional moving service, and some tough through it. One of the most basic necessities to always have on hand are cheap moving boxes. There’s a variety of sizes you’ll need to get started packing and get a move on. You’ll also need to keep a few items on hand during your moving process.

Important First Aid Equipment and Medicine

Everyone knows that emergencies like to happen when we least expect them. Keeping a first aid kit on hand is essential. Accidents often happen during the process of packing, loading, and unpacking. Medications are also important to remember. Pack a small bag with any prescription medicine you or your family needs. This includes over the counter meds for things like headaches and stomach problems.

Security Codes or Keys

It’s necessary to talk to your realtor, landlord, or homeowner to make sure you have access to your new home before you move. The last thing you want is to arrive and have no way to get in. You may also consider speaking to them about any security codes your home requires.

Tools

Remember your toolkit! New or used furniture can require assembly. Keep your tools handy just in case. Last minute repairs or breaks are possible as well. Bring your wrenches, screwdrivers, and anything else you can think of. Always be prepared.

Keep Fueled and Hydrated

As mentioned earlier, moving is a physical and draining experience. Hydration is important. It’s easy to become dehydrated when you’re focused on getting the job done. That can be a dangerous situation. Drink only water and sports beverages to keep your electrolytes maintained. Pack healthy snacks to keep your body fueled and full of energy. This will help with any muscle soreness you may experience in the days after moving.

Chargers

Chargers are easy to forget. Communication is important. You need access to your mobile devices, especially during a move. Make sure to take phone, laptop, and tablet chargers with you. Mobile chargers are even better to have if you have a long trip ahead of you.

Getting Rid of Trash and Unneeded Items

Moving is a great way to clear out some trash and old junk you don’t need anymore. Remember to keep garbage bags on hand as you go. These are also great for getting rid of the trash you accumulate during the unpacking process, or while you’re cleaning your old residence. It’s only right to leave a nice and clean home behind for the next occupant. Used items you no longer need can be donated. Take advantage of the situation and deliver them to your local charity or hold a yard sale.

Leave it to the Professionals

The hassle and anxiety of moving can be extremely daunting for some. Let the professionals at Firemen Movers lend a hand! Their experienced movers will guide you through the moving process smoothly and effortlessly. Firemen Movers has a contingency plan for any situation. They provide any type of cheap boxes you need! They’re always there to support their clients during their move.

Moving and What to Do With All Those Boxes

The big day has come. You and your family are moving! It is a welcome change after spending the last year living in a house where the roof leaked and the neighbors kept you up half the night with their incessant parties. Now comes the biggest and probably most dreaded task of moving: packing. We’ll start with the very basic task of packing items by the room they belong to. When you get to your new house, you won’t want to be shuffling through shipping boxes, having to open them, and trying to see which item belongs in each room.

That will take an unnecessary amount of time and energy and moving is tiring enough. To prevent this problem, pack items into a box specified specifically for the room it belong to. For example, pack the kitchen items with only the kitchen items, the bathroom items with the bathroom items, and so on and so forth. When you get to your new house, this will make unpacking much more simple.

The next step you will want to take when packing is remembering to label your boxes! It sounds simple enough, but you’d be surprised how many people forget to do this or just plain blow it off because they think it is unnecessary in general. It is a very important part of the moving process. Remember, there doesn’t have to be a whole paragraph written on the side of your moving box for you to be able to know what it contains. Label your boxes with simple one word descriptions such as “Bedroom” or “Kitchen”. Add a number to it if there are multiple numbers of boxes for one room. You can even color-code your labels if you feel like it. However, any amount of labeling your moving boxes will greatly alleviate any stress that comes when unpacking your things.

There are people that don’t put too much thought into packing their things when it comes time to move. There are also the hugely compulsive people that need to have an organization process or they will feel like they’re not doing their job of moving properly. For those people, there are inventory lists. These lists track each and every item back to a specific moving box. While not necessary for everybody, some people just like the feeling of knowing each one of their personal belongings is accounted for. Also they know if they need to find something, they can get to it rather quickly.

When you are moving, it is essential that you put aside and label your most valuable items. These are the items you want to have with you the first day you move in such as any medication or your television set to hook up in your living room. You can label these boxes as “Day 1 Box” or “Need As Soon As Possible”. If you have movers moving your boxes, they’ll be able to set these aside for you. Hygiene products and cable boxes are another example of items to be used immediately.Perishable items that need to be moved to the refrigerator should be packed at the top of a box so they are moved first.

If you have fragile items, you should definetly label them as such. Whether you are moving your own things or having professional movers move them for you, you’ll want to know what boxes you need to be careful with so as not to damage important items. Lastly,
try not to label your boxes as valuable names such as “Rare Porcelain” or “Computers”. This is asking for someone to steal your things. Be extra cautious if you have movers helping you. Keep track of the number of boxes you have and where they are at all times. If all of this sounds too difficult, have a professional moving company help you. For a small cost, they will help you pack and label all your moving boxes accordingly.

Wedding present ideas that quickly catch the eye

We have all heard it, if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.” Still, we cannot help it when someone presents us with an offer that seems like the deal of the century. It is like hitting the lottery without having to purchase a ticket. The problem is that someone else won the lottery by preying on our naïve or greed intentions.

There are too many dishonest movers in the industry that preys on people who do not know any better. These unethical companies often lure their customers with websites that look legitimate. Potential customers contact them and receive quotes that beat out the competition. Thinking that they have gotten a bargain, they schedule an appointment. When the representative from the moving company shows up at the customer’s home, they load up their furniture and leave. Unfortunately, that is often the last time the customer will ever see their property.

You can protect yourself from this type of unscrupulous activity. Before committing to conducting business with any company, do some research to find out everything you can about the company and their reputation. To help you determine whether a moving company is legitimate here is some information to be aware of about dishonest moving companies.

1: They do not have a business license.

The government has no information on unlicensed companies. Therefore, the government does not monitor them, nor do these companies follow any governmental regulations. Since there is no regulatory oversight, there is little recourse for the customer who hires them.

2: Extremely low prices.

Operating a moving company is expensive. Moving companies must pay for skilled drivers, trucking and fuel expenses, warehouse and storage fees, and taxes. These companies charge the rates that they charge because of the cost of operating a business. If they set their prices too low, it will be impossible for them to remain in business. Therefore, if this one company beat the competition by hundreds of dollars, it should be cause for concern. Companies that outbid their closest competitors by unrealistic margins are not more business savvy. They are most likely thieves.

3: They are uninsured.

Inquire about the company’s insurance options. An unscrupulous moving company may present a flimsy certificate of insurance. Check with the supposed insurance provider to get more information on the coverage. If your property becomes damaged during transit, you will need to be able to file a claim.

4: There is no physical address.

A moving company without a verifiable physical address is not a legitimate moving company. Illegitimate moving companies that don’t maintain a physical address can quickly close their website, disconnect the phone, and leave town. Think about all the equipment, trucks, and shipping supplies that it takes to operate a moving company. If you locate the company in cyberspace, but can’t find a physical location, they probably don’t exist.

Another thing to consider is whether the moving company belongs to any industry organizations, such as the American Moving & Storage Association, it is probably not legitimate. The American Moving & Storage Association requires moving companies to be licensed, have a good reputation, and maintain high standards.