One area where people can save more money than they realise is on their International Courier costs. Global businesses rely on International Courier to ship their goods and products all over the world.

There are many ways that you can help to reduce your International Courier costs. Here are the top 5.

1.Don't send individual shipments. If you are sending multiple packages that can utilise the same route then send them together. You may get a discount on volume shipments.

2.Talk to your courier to see if you can negotiate a better rate. If you have a good relationship with your International courier company you might be able to save more than you realise.

3.Talk to other courier companies (even play them against each other) to see if you can get a better quote.

4.Hire the services of a courier consultant. They already have data on hundreds of courier companies and they do the work finding you the best deal.

5.If you are a small company, why not join forces with other small companies when it comes to your distribution. After all, a larger force has a better chance of negotiating a better rate!

Of course, the thing to remember when negotiating a better rate is that the Courier companies are in the same recession that you are so make sure you remain realistic with your negotiations at all times.

Also, remember that some couriers may reduce the cost of their service by reducing the quality or terms of their delivery. Make sure you don't miss out on the service you are used to by reducing the cost.

In most cases, hiring a courier consultant is the better option. They often have good relationships with the better courier companies and once they know what you are looking for in a courier service they can do all the negotiating on your behalf.