Here's a quiz. Who drives brown trucks and is one of the top 20 SBA lenders in the country? If you answered Dale Jarrett, you would be close. He drives the brown (and white) car. The correct answer is UPS. Last year in Florida alone, UPS Capital issued $21.8 million in SBA backed 7(1) loans. According to their web site, "UPS Capital Credit, a UPS Capital subsidiary (formerly First International Bank), is a Preferred Lender of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) as well as a leading lender in the government-guaranteed loan programs of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Export-Import Bank of the U.S"
UPS, along with competitors Federal Express and DHL, is providing new, non-shipping services to attract small businesses. According to Jim Wyss, reporting for the McClatchy Newspapers, "FedEx is now the nations second-largest producer of banners and signs, and it's about to unveil a service aimed at helping entrepreneurs get into the direct-mail-marketing-industry", shipping via FedEx, of course. Not to be outdone by USP, FedEX also sponsors a NASCAR team.
DHL now publishes a magazine for small businesses and is funding start-ups.
Why the diversification? In a word--small business. OK, that's two words. Anyway, they want your business. With some minor differences, they all provide the same service. You give them a package. They deliver it. While FedEx pioneered next-day delivery, they all do it now and they all do it for about the same cost. If they want you to choose them for your shipping needs, they all realize that they have to offer something extra to earn your business.
That's a good business model for all of us.
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