Carbon neutral postage startup Sendle is continuing to take on Australia Post with the launch of a new parcel delivery option that aims at to save small businesses both time and money.
From today, small businesses can take advantage of the Sendle Satchels service, which allows for A4 500g satchels can be individually picked up and delivered nationally for $6.95.
The parcel delivery startup claims this is cheaper than lining up at a Post Office to ship packages of the same size, unless 500g satchels are pre-purchased in bulk.
A pack of 10 small 500g satchels from Australia Post costs $78.40, according to the Australia Post website. This equates to $7.84 per satchel.
To send a small parcel of up to 500g without packaging costs $7.45.
Read more: Sendle says the Australia Post monopoly is hurting small business
James Chin Moody, co-founder and chief executive of Sendle, told SmartCompany small businesses now have a choice when it comes to sending small parcels.
“They don’t have to buy 100 satchels at a time [to save money],” Chin Moody says.
“A small business doesn’t want to do that. This completes the range of products we can offer them.”
While Sendle has been enjoying 20% month-on-month growth this year, Chin Moody says it’s not good enough for a business like his to just be cheaper than larger providers.
“True disruption occurs when you can be cheaper and easier,” he says.
“This satchel offering is about saving people time, they don’t have to line up at the post office, so they also save money. For many small businesses, that’s an important piece of the puzzle.”
Hailey McGinty is the owner of H+G Designs, an online retailer that sprung up around 18 months ago.
McGinty participated in the trial of the Sendle Satchels service and she told SmartCompany every dollar counts when you’re a small business that is just getting off the ground.
“But it’s also the convenience,” McGinty says.
“Time is money for small business owners, especially when you’re doing multiple roles in the business. You have to pass that cost onto your buyers, so the lower that can be, the more happy your customers are.”
As for what businesses can expect from Sendle in the next six months, Chin Moody says a number of new products are on the way.
“We are focused this year on the Australian market, but starting soon we’ll be looking beyond that too,” he says.
“Watch this space.”
Broede Carmody is a former senior SmartCompany reporter. Before this, he was a co-editor of RMIT University’s student magazine Catalyst.
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