If you're an executive or a membership director with an association or trade group and you're considering offering an affinity "shipping services" program to your members, here are six (6) questions you should ask your potential partners:

1. What is your company background and experience? Ask your prospective partner to tell you the history of their company, how many years of experience they have, how did they get into the business, and what makes them different than their competitors. In the case of PartnerShip, we were founded by an association to provide shipping services to members - something we've been doing for 25 years.
2. Describe your sales and customer service approach? Will your partner have a dedicated account manager for your program? Does your partner have a dedicated customer service department and what is their process for handling member inquiries and resolving issues? PartnerShip, as an example, provides a dedicated "program manager" to every one of our association programs. Additionally, we have a dedicated customer service team to support members.
3. What marketing communications strategies do you use? What marketing strategies will your partner adopt to maximize program participation? What has been their track record with other associations? What is the process for bringing members into the program? PartnerShip uses a turnkey outbound and inbound marketing approach that includes a variety of high-quality co-branded marketing materials, including a custom website.
4. How much program implementation support do you provide? How will your partner implement the program for your members? Will they share in the cost of the implementation? Will they provide communications and digital assets to your association for placement across your channels? Do they provide any live webinar support or will they support your trade show? PartnerShip does all of this and more.
5. Do you have detailed reporting and tracking tools? This is an important one and an area where many partners fall short. Will your partner be able to provide both aggregate and member-level participation information broken out in sufficient detail? Will members be notified of the savings they enjoyed through the program? PartnerShip association clients enjoy a high level of detailed reporting on both a quarterly and annual basis.
6. What does your compensation model look like? What methodology do you use to establish a mutually beneficial compensation model that will provide long-term success to the program? What process do you use to allow for full-disclosure and transparency of compensation reporting? PartnerShip non-dues compensation models are flexible and very transparent for each association client that we work with.

I hope this blog post helped give you some ideas about how you might approach the RFP process of implementing this type of an affinity program. If you're still interested in learning more about how best to implement a shipping services affinity program for your members, we invite you to download a FREE copy of "Shipping Services as a Valuable Member Benefit" electronic white paper.

By Scott Frederick

Yesterday PartnerShip released a new and improved freight quote form. The new form makes it easier for our customers to get a free, no-obligation rate quote for a variety of freight shipping needs, including:

• LTL Shipments ... for standard or guaranteed less-than-truckload freight shipments (typically between 150 and 4,999 pounds).
• Tradeshow Shipments ... for exhibit freight shipments going to or from a tradeshow, conference, or expo - or to the advanced warehouse.
• Expedited Shipments ... for shipments that require faster transit times, or time-definite delivery.
• Truckload Shipments ... for partial truckloads (sometimes called volume shipments) and full truckloads.

The new form reflects the growing demand that PartnerShip customers have for freight services that go beyond standard LTL shipments. Over the past few months, PartnerShip has expanded its carrier alliances to include dozens of new and reputable service providers that specialize in full truckloads, flatbeds, refrigerated trailers, time-definite delivery, and international shipments. Now our small business customers can quickly access these capabilities at very competitive rates using a single, quick and easy-to-use form.

If you're already a PartnerShip customer, then make sure you log in first before using the new quote forms to ensure a very personalized experience (and saving you some keystrokes along the way). If you're not sure what shipment type you have, you can always start with the —LTL Freight Quote' option. If your shipment is truly an LTL freight shipment, you will instantly get our lowest prices for standard and guaranteed delivery services with the industry's most reputable carriers. If your shipment qualifies for tradeshow, expedited or truckload pricing, then your information will be carried over to a new form to complete the request. Of course, if you know you have a tradeshow, expedited, or truckload shipment, you can now go directly to that form and immediately start the quote process.

Whether you're new to PartnerShip, or one of our many loyal customers, we encourage you to use the new PartnerShip rate quote forms for all of your freight shipping needs. Of course, you can still reach out to us over the phone, via email or through live chat if you prefer. In every case, you can always expect great rates, consolidated billing, easy-to-use tools, and friendly service from PartnerShip - your shipping connection.

In case you missed it, we recently uploaded a new video to the PartnerShip YouTube Channel. The video, which is narrated by John Finucane, president and COO of PartnerShip, contains a few comments regarding the PartnerShip 25th Anniversary, our history, and a thank you message from all of our employees. If you haven't seen the video yet, we invite you to watch it here below.

The video also appears a couple of special web pages we have created specifically for our customers. One web page is for our college store customers, since they helped us get our start in the freight management business 25 years ago. The second web page is for our non-college store customers that span pretty much every other industry imaginable. Both web pages contain a copy of the video message above, and each has an entry form for customers to enter for a chance to win a small "PartnerShip Prize Pack" over a 25-week period of time. You can view the web pages and enter the weekly raffle below.

• The PartnerShip 25th Anniversary Web Page for College Stores
• The PartnerShip 25th Anniversary Web Page for All Customers

The main theme with both of the web pages above is that all of the employees here at PartnerShip are thankful for our customers, their business and their continued loyalty. We have fun doing what we do, and we hope it shows by the extraordinary service our customers receive when working with PartnerShip.

PartnerShip® is a leading shipping solutions provider to small businesses across North America and - as the only endorsed NACS and CAMEX shipping provider - the college industry remains an important customer segment for us. That is why we annually have a large presence at CAMEX - the collegiate retailing industry's meeting place for the past 80 years.

CAMEX 2014 was especially important to PartnerShip as we celebrate our 25th Anniversary this year. Once again, we sponsored opening night on Friday, hosted a special customer appreciation party on Saturday night, and used a coffee bar style booth to serve up coffee and cookies on the trade show floor Sunday through Tuesday.

Here are a few video and picture highlights from this year's event.

CAMEX is a great way for PartnerShip to say THANK YOU to our many college industry customers for their business and loyalty over the past 25 years! The following video/slide show contains pictures submitted by numerous college stores that either attended our 25th Anniversary Customer Appreciation Party at CAMEX 2014, or those that visited our 25th Anniversary College Store Appreciation website at www.PartnerShip.com/25years

PartnerShip also has shipping programs and services for non-college industry small businesses, retailers and suppliers. With over 17,000 active customers across North America, our customer base has become very large and diverse. We ship everything from shoes to auto parts, and everything in between. So, if you're one of our many non-college industry customers, we want to say THANK YOU for your business as well. In fact, if you visit www.PartnerShip.com/25th, you can watch our short thank you video and sign-up for some fun prizes we'll be raffling off throughout the year.

By Scott Frederick

Valentine's Day is tomorrow, so we here at PartnerShip are feeling extra affectionate this week (in a business professional sort of way, of course). So as many of you convey a little love to your spouses, significant others or family members ... we'd like to convey a few things that we really love here at PartnerShip:

• Our Customers ... we really do love all of our customers, big and small, since we wouldn't be here without you! Thank you again for helping us reach our 25th Anniversary milestone this year!
• Small Businesses... although we cater to small businesses — in our minds, there is no such thing as a —small customer.' We strive to treat each customer as if they were our only customer by showing them respect, and helping them save time and money in all facets shipping.
• Freight Shipping ... from less-than-truckloads (LTL) to full truckloads - and everything in between. We have great freight carrier partners (such as UPS Freight, YRC Freight, Con-way Freight, and many others) and we enjoy working with them to provide great service and rates to our customers.
• Small Package Shipping ... when it comes to shipping small packages through express, parcel, and ground services - whether B2B or home delivery - we know how to help our customers save money. And we love the fact that we have a great alliance in place which helps our small business customers save on select FedEx® services. 
• Tradeshow Shipping ... having been founded by a non-profit association ourselves, we know how important tradeshows can be for associations, their members, and the suppliers that exhibit at them. With a quarter-century of tradeshow experience, we've learned a thing or two - including how to help exhibitors enjoy a successful, stress-free show by providing the industry's only Tradeshow Assurance Guarantee™ on every shipment.

There you have it. Five (5) things we love here at PartnerShip. Although we could name many more things that we love, we'll stop there so that you have some time to show a little love to that someone special yourself. Have a Happy Valentine's Day!

PartnerShip LLC is a leading shipping solutions provider to small- and medium-size businesses across North America, and we're celebrating our 25th anniversary this year! Founded in 1989, today PartnerShip develops and manages full-service shipping programs for over a hundred industry groups, representing thousands of customers across the U.S. and Canada.

PartnerShip was originally founded by the non-profit National Association of College Stores to help college retailers across the country save on their textbook shipping. The program expanded to include additional shipping services, such as general merchandise shipping, inbound shipping management, routing coordination, and consolidated invoicing. Due to the success of the program within the college industry, the concept was eventually expanded to other associations groups, the first of which included the American Booksellers Association and the National Association of Sporting Goods, but then followed by numerous others.

Building on the hallmarks of simple, worry-free shipping, outstanding savings, and exemplary customer service, the company enjoyed rapid growth from 2007 to 2012 in which it tripled in size and expanded operations to two new locations: One in northeast Ohio and the other in southern California. Leveraging its trade association expertise, and forging alliances with national, reputable carriers, such as FedEx, UPS Freight, YRC Freight, and Con-way Freight, the company was able to expand into dozens of new industries to help thousands of more businesses with their shipping.

Today, PartnerShip offers a wide range of shipping services including:

• Less-than-truckload (LTL) freight shipping
• Truckload, expedited and international freight shipping
• Small package (express and ground) shipping
• Exhibit shipping for trade shows and events
• Inbound/vendor shipping management
• Easy-to-use online freight management tools
• Storage, moving, packing, and crating services
• Discounted shipping supplies, and more

John Finucane, president and chief operating officer for PartnerShip, has been with the company for virtually its entire existence. John says the company has been fortunate to attract and retain high-caliber, dedicated people over the years. —Today, we have a staff of nearly 50 professionals that work hard to help our customers with all facets of shipping and logistics, each and every day,' said John. —Although we cater to small businesses, in our minds, there is no such thing as a small customer." John went on to add, —We're very proud of reaching this quarter-century milestone ... and in a very competitive and rapidly changing industry, we're looking forward to what the next 25 years will bring.'

The company officially kicks off its 25^th anniversary celebration with a special, grass-roots exhibition and customer-appreciation event at CAMEX 2014, the college industry's largest trade show and educational event.  If you're a PartnerShip customer, carrier, or employee - or simply a fan - be on the lookout for additional news, promotions, videos, and other fun stuff throughout 2014 as we celebrate this milestone event in our company's history. But most importantly, thank you for your support of our great company!

PartnerShip LLC senior account representative Mike McLaughlin is looking forward to watching ice hockey games at the Olympics in Russia. But he won't be watching from his office in Westlake, OH; he will be in Sochi in person. Watch the FOX 8 Cleveland news segment for more details - or click here to read the article online.

For the typical independent retailer that's selling physical products and has an e-commerce presence, shipping is often an afterthought. While shipping is not as flashy or as sexy as creating marketing promotions and campaigns, it does directly affect your bottom line. Retailers that don't adhere to best practices run the risk of lost sales due to higher prices, or lost profits due to higher shipping costs. To ensure you're not leaving money on the table, here are five tips to consider:

1. Manage your shipping supplies expense. Most of the small package carriers provide free, basic shipping supplies to encourage usage of their services. For example, FedEx provides free shipping materials and labels that can be ordered online. For specialized boxes and mailers, shop around a little to make sure you are getting the right quantities at the best prices. PartnerShip is another good source for low-volume, discounted shipping supplies.

2. Consolidate orders to reduce shipping expenses. As a general rule of thumb, one big order ships for less than three smaller orders. That means retailers should consider consolidating multiple orders into a single shipment whenever possible, and always striving to minimize the number of packages it sends. All too often, shipments are arranged as they come in from sales or order processing. However, a little planning and visibility goes along ways towards shipping savings.

3. Look at for multiple carrier options. Different transportation carriers specialize in different types of services, package sizes, and geographies. Selling mainly low-value, smaller products? A service like FedEx Ground or FedEx Express Saver might be the way to go. Selling larger or heavier products? Your best bet is probably to use a reputable freight carrier. Working with a third-party freight management company often allows you to look at multiple carrier and service options through one website. For example, PartnerShip.com allows retailers to compare rates and services across multiple freight carriers and options.

4. Effectively handle customs documentation. International shipments require customs forms that can seem daunting to complete for retailers that only occassionally ship out of the country. Third-party logistics companies, like PartnerShip, can work with retailers that ship international shipments infrequently to ensure all of the needed paperwork is completed so that their cross-border shipments move efficiently and cost-effectively.

5. Use technology to be more efficient. To remain competitive with large retail chains and other e-commerce retailers, online tools and services are available to help independent retailers manage their inventories, consolidate orders, track shipments, and even complete in new marketplaces.  Make sure you are talking to your peers or suppliers through an industry association or local business chamber to find tools and services others are using to gain efficiencies in their business. By leveraging technology, retailers can meet the fulfillment and shipping requirements of every market in which they compete.

Shipping will never be as exciting as product launches, cool promotions, or a new website, but it is a part of the core foundation of a successful independent retail business. Retailers that proactively take advantage of services, tools and technology can significantly lower their shipping costs, become more competitive, and enjoy higher margins.

To take advantage of industry-leading shipping services and discounts, take a look at The Independent Retailers Shipping Program managed by PartnerShip. With 25 years of experience helping retailers with shipping, we are confident we can help you too.

Continuing our annual tradition, the employees of PartnerShip have once again created a short and fun holiday video in appreciation for our customers and our carrier partners. This year's video pays homage to the holiday classic, A Christmas Story, which was originally filmed in our hometown of Cleveland, OH (in fact, the house in our video is the same house from the movie).

You can watch the video below or you can view it directly on the PartnerShip YouTube Channel. Either way, we hope you enjoy it!

The PartnerShip team wishes you all the very best during this holiday season, as well as a prosperous and successful new year!

PartnerShip continues its annual tradition of "giving back" by sharing our good fortune during the holidays with area organizations that can use our support. In lieu of expensive customer gifts (other than our complimentary 2014 wall calendars), and as we have done in years past, we will be traveling to five local charities this week to make generous donations on behalf of PartnerShip. Our employees feel very passionate about the amazing things that all these charities do for the people in our community and many of us have been touched personally by some of them.

The organizations receiving these contributions are as follows (click on each name to learn more):

• DebRA of America: The mission of Debra (The Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa Research Association) of America is to improve the quality of life for all people living with EB, their families, and the caregivers through programs and services while funding research to find a cure and treatments for Epidermolysis Bullosa.

• Purple Lotus Project: Based in Lorain County, the Purple Lotus Project is a non-profit organization that provides education, transition and safety resources to women, teens, children, men and animals that are affected by domestic violence and abuse. Using a wide range of resources to assist those who need help to escape or help someone escape an abusive/domestic violence situation.

• Oaks Family Care Center:  A non-profit, non-political social service agency; Oaks Family Care Center provides support and encouragement to fathers, mothers, teens and all those in crisis. They help families understand their options so they can make educated decisions regarding life issues. Offering support groups and classes, material goods, outreach programs and a help line to anyone who needs support in their life.

• Elisabeth's House: The Prentiss Wellness Nursery (Providence House): The Prentiss Wellness Nursery is a collaborative, innovative solution addressing children's medical needs and family stability to support safe discharge of children from a hospital to an appropriate setting combined with intensive family support services to increase caregiver capacity and stabilize family crises. The vision of the nursery is that children everywhere are raised in safe, loving families free from abuse and neglect.

• Beds for Cleveland Kids: With over 3,000 families coming into the Cleveland Furniture Bank every year looking for basic home furnishing, and many with children who need beds to sleep in, the demand was too high for them to keep up with. Thus Beds for Cleveland Kids was formed in order to obtain donations from the public with the objective being to provide a gently used bed to every child in Cleveland that needs one, so that no child has to sleep on the floor.

PartnerShip continues its long history of generously giving back to the community, through individual fund-raising events and yearly participation in our local United Way drive. Each of the selected charities has touched our employees' hearts in a personal way and holds special meaning to our company. We hope that you agree that these donations will have a great and beneficial impact - after all, these donations would not be possible without the business and support of our many customers.

Thank you and happy holidays!