Forty-Two?! Really?!

I’ve mentioned before that being a small business owner can be overwhelming because of all the hats you’re forced to wear.  When you don’t have a workforce that reports to you, it’s difficult (nay, impossible) to delegate responsibilities.  If it needs to be done, you’re going to be the one doing it.  Unfortunately – and I’m sure there are many people who will agree with me here – I don’t know everything about everything.

Case in point, shipping.

Today, I mailed out a 40 shirt order to our friends at Bent Wookee Comix in Johnstown, PA.  The box was 22” by 17” by 9” and weighed just under 20 pounds.

 

A majority of our orders are smaller – one or two shirts at a time – and shipping is only slightly more costly than mailing a letter.  Additionally, our larger orders tend to come from local customers, and are either picked up or delivered in person.  Consequently, I don’t have a lot of experience with shipping through UPS or Fedex.

After the package was packed up, taped, and labeled, I took it to the local Pony Express – a strip mall place that handles UPS and Fedex shipping, as well as other services.  The absolute cheapest shipping method available was Fedex Ground at $41.92.

 

$41.92!!

 

Forty-one dollars and 92/100————-

 

What.

 

The.

 

Hell?!

 

Is it just me, or is that ridiculous?

 

I think I now understand the feeling that I’ve heard women mention when they talk about going to a mechanic.  I feel like I’m getting ripped off, and I don’t know what other options I have.

As soon as I’m finished complaining here, I’m going to research how to get better shipping prices but, I’m wondering…does anyone have any suggestions?

 

$41.92, indeed!