How Lalamove can help your business ride through the Covid-19 pandemic

Businesses are hit with uncertain demand and rapid shifts in consumer habits as border closures and mobility restrictions imposed to curb the spread of Covid-19 wreak havoc on economies worldwide.

Unsurprisingly, many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and micro-businesses have had to pivot online and offer delivery services to cope with the fast-evolving business landscape, particularly for the retail and food and beverage (F&B) sectors.

With intensified competition in the online marketplace, businesses need to offer the best experience to retain existing customers and attract new ones. The ideal customer experience would be to receive their goods at their convenience and in roughly the same time it takes them to commute to a brick and mortar store to pick up the purchase themselves.

In this rapidly evolving business environment, SMEs and micro-businesses require a flexible, multi-pronged and highly customisable solution that can help them seize opportunities and navigate the challenges ahead.

Part of the solution lies in finding the right logistics solutions provider - Lalamove.

With its fleet of 30,000 vehicles, accompanying driver partners and user-focused features on the mobile and web app, Lalamove is a strategic partner that helps businesses of all sizes to economise and refine their first- and last-mile delivery processes.

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Here are four key ways that Lalamove can help meet your business needs:

1. Improving cash flow with lower overheads

One way to address cash flow problems is by reducing fixed costs. For businesses with vehicles reaching their statutory lifespan, replacing old vehicles and hiring new drivers can be a risky business decision at a time when demand is unpredictable.

With manpower shortages due to Covid-19 measures, it can be difficult and costly to find or train the right worker from other sources. And to hire foreign workers for the services sector, there are specific requirements to follow and criteria to meet.

With Lalamove's fleet of vehicles, wide range of vehicle types and pool of experienced drivers, you do not have to worry about payroll costs and inventory sitting idle when sales are slow.

Its on-demand business model allows you to pay for only what you need, saving costs during non-peak seasons. When demand picks up, you have the ability to scale up accordingly.

2. Allowing more flexibility with pay-as-you-grow model

Committing to a long-term plan during this period - such as hiring a new full-time staff or purchasing a new vehicle - can be daunting. Lalamove's pay-as-you-grow logistics model can provide business owners with the flexibility they need at any stage of the business. It offers flexible capacity pricing that gives new businesses access to its combined fleet of 30,000 motorcycles, cars, vans and lorries.

Business owners can pick the vehicle type that best suits their delivery needs and budget.

Instead of having to hire a full-time staff or buy a new vehicle, Lalamove allows businesses to explore an on-demand logistic solution for their errands, projects, events and day-to-day operations. This solution also allows existing and new businesses to scale up or cut back on their operations quickly to meet market demand.

3. Keeping up with evolving consumer expectations

Tapping into Lalamove's expertise in logistics can bring benefits beyond reducing fixed costs. With the pandemic accelerating the shift to online, competition is getting more intense. Consumers, too, are expecting higher service standards from online stores and platforms.

With a reliable and trustworthy delivery partner, you can grow your e-commerce business by keeping your loyal customers and capturing a bigger piece of the pie.

Among other things, customers expect to be able to pick delivery options ranging from same-day delivery to on-demand delivery that allows them to receive their purchases at their convenience. Lalamove's service includes 24/7 deliveries with on-demand, same-day or advance order options that businesses can use to extend their reach and boost customer satisfaction.

There is another piece of good news for business owners. On-demand delivery with Lalamove does not necessarily mean incurring exorbitant rates: With the exception of special location, late night and festive surcharges, there are no additional price surges compared to traditional courier companies and the final costs will be calculated based on the vehicle type and the distance travelled.

4. Enabling greater control over service and delivery experience

By using Lalamove's dedicated mobile and web apps, SME and micro-business owners can leverage its offerings for greater assurance and control in delivering the best customer experience - whether it is scheduling orders or tracking deliveries round-the-clock and in real time.

They can also tap on other features such as multi-stop delivery and route optimisation to save costs and refine delivery processes. These are some features to explore on the app:

Building a sustainable business

During a crisis, it is all the more crucial that businesses are able to meet rising consumer expectations while keeping costs affordable. Having a dependable and agile logistics service provider like Lalamove can make a difference in ensuring that your business rides through these challenging times - and emerges stronger.