Frequently Asked Questions

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Frequently Asked Questions2019-03-20T03:05:00+00:00

Frequently Asked Questions
about the Safe Ship® Franchise Opportunity
from discerning prospective potential franchisees like you.

Note: Your store, to become successful, requires a lot of time and work. You will commit a lot of time and effort into learning the packnship industry and promoting your business. Your Safe Ship® Franchise  Operation Team will be here to back you up and advise you on everything that you do.  Our philosophy is that the only dumb question is the question you failed to ask.  That is how we hold your hand and walk you through starting and running your business. We are here to help you  make your Safe Ship® Store successful.

Q: How does the overall Safe Ship® Store Start Up costs compare with the competition?

A: Your overall startup costs are significantly less. One of our Competitor’s Stores can cost you over $365,000. Your Safe Ship® Franchise Store can be as little as $64,900 for an RFD store or as much as $89,800 for our Turn-Key Store.

Q: What about Franchise Fees?
A: Safe Ship® Store franchise fees are the lowest in the industry. Just $24,900. And only $19,900 if you are a veteran. Our competitors start at $29,900 and go as high as $75,000.00 for a UPS Store.
Q: Do you pay a royalty with  Safe Ship® Franchise Stores?
A: With a Safe Ship® Franchise Store , there are NO ROYALTIES. Every other franchise charges royalties that averages from 6% to 12% of your gross sales or as much as $4,500 a month. That is over $1000 a week of your overall profit going into their pocket every month, not yours.
Q: What other services beside packing and shipping does a Safe Ship® Store franchisee offer?
A: Your Safe Ship® Store offers shipping that’s cheaper than any competitor — not to mention public notary, color copies, fax services, small business and home business support services, office supplies, envelopes, mail boxes, and more. Plus your Safe Ship® store can do freight, importing & exporting, fulfillment, all freight related services. Add to that custom box manufacturing and other CO-BRAND businesses that you want to do. Check out our website for an updated listing.
Q: How does  Safe Ship® Franchise Stores record of accomplishment and return-on-investment stack up?
A: Our experience base is actually better. When you talk with a franchise company, ask them how many of their franchisees have gone out of business. The Safe Ship® model store is one of the largest packing & shipping stores in the entire U.S.  We’ve learned the secrets of dominating a sales area — we teach this to our franchisees.
Q: Does the  Safe Ship® Franchise Store have any unique business strategies?
A: One of the most important business strategies is that Safe Ship® Stores are also Certified U.S. Postal Service Retail Centers. Unlike other pack & ship stores that view the Post Office as a competitor, Safe Ship® Stores function as an authorized U.S. Postal Service Approved Shipper. In short, we work with the U.S. Postal Service—not against them and profit significantly by offering virtually all of their products and services to our customers. Our pricing on stamps is the same as the Post Office™. because of our relationship with USPS, we receive special discounts from USPS that allows our franchisees to make money on all post office services.
Q: What is the most Unique advantage about Safe Ship?
A: Safe Ship® Franchisees receive a BoxMakerPRO® Box Making Machine, that allows each franchisee to make any size box needed for shipping. This includes the ability to make extra heavy duty crates, extra heavy duty boxes for freight and paletized shipments. We do shipping for a living. We have to be the best.
Q: Does the Safe Ship® Franchise Concept have any other notable competitive advantages?
A: Definitely. For example, our Safe Ship® Store Franchisees have the ability to offer shipping via FedEx, Greyhound GPX and DHL at very special discounts. Your  Safe Ship® Franchise Store  is also aligned with regional carriers like Speedee Delivery, LoneStar, Eastern Connection, OnTrac, Estafeta, Polenz, UMAC and others regional carriers to get special discounts.  We also have excellent discount arrangements with reliable trucking companies for freight and large-item shipping, plus discounts with moving companies to even handle a full-house or office move. These excellent discounts apply to both domestic and international package and freight shipping.
Q: What about Furniture,  Cars, Trucks, or Motorcycles?
A: YES, you can ship that, too. You can ship everything. WORLDWIDE. Only a Safe Ship® Franchise Store does this type of shipping.  We can teach you to do this.
Q: What about Art Work or High Value items?
A: Not a problem. Your extensive packing training enables you to pack and safely ship any item.
Q: What about Importing or Exporting?
A: Yes you can do both. As a Safe Ship® Franchise Store you are able to work directly with freight airlines and cargo ship lines to bypass the brokers and get the best pricing for our customers. we will teach you how to do this.
Q: Do Safe Ship® Store Franchisees have size and weight restrictions regarding what they can pack and ship?
A: No. Safe Ship® Stores can ship anything, anywhere in the world. Equally important, they’re equipped to expertly pack everything from small, fragile items to large, odd-shaped items and high value items. Safe Ship® Stores also offer shipping that’s cheaper than any competitor.
Q: How many people does it take to run my Safe Ship® Store?
A: Our stores can be initially run by one person. So, your startup overhead is much lower. If you are a husband and wife team one of you can keep your job to finance your ongoing daily home expenses. You will still have the initial start-up expenses of your store to cover from your initial investment. As your store grows, your profits grow and, over time, you can add employees when needed. But your overhead is always lower as all your services are simple and fast.
Q: What if I want to open more than 1 store?
A: We have special lower pricing and other special programs for a Safe Ship® Store multi store franchisee.
Q: Can Safe Ship® Store Franchisees add new services?
A: YES. Safe Ship® Store Franchisees are encouraged to think about how they can expand their store’s offerings to reflect their own personalities. All additions must be approved in advance, but we have yet to turn down an idea. We have one franchisee that offers balloons. One that refills ink and toner cartridges. One that sells grandfather clocks. Another does Western Union and is a bill payment center for local utilities. We have many Co Brand Partners to provide additional streams of income as your customers may request. It is your store and we do accept changes.
Q: Do Safe Ship® Store Franchisees receive training and on-going support?
A: Safe Ship® Store Franchisees benefit from 2 weeks of in-store training and on-going support. We are your mentor and coach to help our franchisees become financially successful. Franchisee initial training is one full week in one of our corporate stores and one full week in your store the week you open. Then we supply ongoing help on our toll free hot line and periodic visits to your store. We are always available to help.
Q: Are there any Advertising, Merchandising or Internet Service Fees for Safe Ship® Store Franchisees?
A: No. NOT, With your Safe Ship® Franchise StoreYou keep the money you earn. Our competitors charge as much as 3% of your profits, or about $4500 a year, for advertising. And up to 1.5% for Internet Service and as much as 3% more for merchandising. With us that is money you get to keep instead of paying to someone else.
Q: What do Safe Ship® Store Franchisees say about Safe Ship?
A: As a part of your due diligence process, we encourages you to contact any of our stores to find out more about Safe Ship. Since 2012 the Safe Ship® Franchise Store concept has been rated “One of the Top 50 Franchises” by our franchisees.
Q: Have you ever had a Safe Ship® Store fail?
A: Yes, we have.  We had one franchisee, that after six weeks of running the store decided that they did not want to be in the store. So they decided to hire an employee. She trained the employee manager herself.  She did a very poor job of preparing the manager to run the store. The employee cost the franchisee more money than the store could support. After six months the store was bankrupt.  We have also had two store owners pass away due to disease.
Your Safe Ship® Store is designed to be owner operated. We do not allow third-party ownership unless approved in advance. We also require for any third-party store that we do the training of the new store manager at our corporate offices in  Florida.
Q: Are there any services that a Safe Ship® Store cannot do?
AYes. UPS no longer gives out ASO accounts to pack & ship stores because of pending litigation due to 6 class-action lawsuits by their current UPS Stores franchisees. Your Safe Ship® Store will not be able to become a UPS Authorized Shipping Outlet.
Q:What if I have more questions?
A: Contact- Mike Lacey 888-256-8990 –MikeLacey @SafeShip.com

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