Tips for delivering with ease around Melbourne’s CBD. Master it, and you could earn up to 3x that of the average Melbourne Sherpa driver.
Sherpa’s 5 million deliveries and counting…
We’re celebrating our 5 millionth delivery! In light of this huge milestone, we’re taking a look at our key achievements to date, and reflecting on the continual hard work that keeps the Sherpa wheels in motion.
Proof of Delivery (POD): the most important step in the delivery process?
Why is there so much power in a good, clear Proof of Delivery (POD)? How to retrieve a good one, and what to do if you have any issues.
Looking back and moving forward. The effects of the Coronavirus on online retail.
It’s all good, until it’s not. Foot to the floor. Like many businesses, that’s how we hit 2020 at Sherpa. Steaming through our sixth year in business with a full tank of petrol and the windows down. But just a little further down the road, we’d take a detour that would make history. COVID-19. It […]
The future is here, and it’s in your hands
Driver App Feature Release: Future Jobs We know that one of the best things about working for yourself as a Sherpa driver is the autonomy of delivering when, and how you want. But wouldn’t it be even better if you could plan your day ahead? Knowing that when you’re ready to get started there’ll be […]
Change: An obstacle, or an opportunity?
‘Denying change is denying reality. Fearing change is fearing reality and the inevitable impact it will have on a company or an individual’. Famous words said in November 2019 by the Ex-Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull at a technology innovations and investment seminar. Was it prophetic? Or is the appetite for change already genetically encoded […]
Staff Spotlight ft. BDM, James
We recently caught up with our newest Business Development Manager, James, to find out a little more about his story and how he landed with us here at Sherpa.
Staff Spotlight ft. BDM, Jake
We recently caught up with our newest business development manager, Jake Langham, to find out a little more about his story and how he landed with us here at Sherpa.
The convergence of Bricks and Mortar, e-comm & the 2-Hour home delivery was Blue Sky retail – it just happened!
So why, even amidst a global pandemic wreaking havoc on well-established retail businesses, haven’t retailers pulled out all stops to revisit the questions ‘What business are we really in?’, and ‘How can we adapt to the new paradigm of empty malls, closed stores and very vacant sidewalks?’.
For Convenience, it’s Evolution, not Revolution!
Responding to the new retail customer expectations on fulfilment. 10 years ago ordering a book online and receiving it in the mail a week later was revolutionary. At the time, this state of the art retail experience was seen as way ahead of the curve. Yet for traditional bookstores, no warning bells were sounded and […]
Staff Spotlight ft. Tech Team Lead, Daniel
We’ve been busy. With Covid-19 turning Australian retail on its head, we’ve had to learn, grow and adapt just like any other business. A large part of that has been the introduction of new team members. Today, we catch up with our new Technical Team Leader, Daniel Yazbek. Dan joined us at the start of […]
Another Mother’s Day has Come & Gone Away.
Though mums will have to sit tight for another year before getting the recognition they truly deserve, we’re still hanging on just a little bit in their honour. Some will say we’re living in the past. To them we say this; it was 5 days ago. Besides, Sunday was a special day. We saw a […]
Last Mile, First Responder. The Role of the Gig Economy in the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Foot to the floor. That’s how we hit 2020 here at Sherpa. Steaming through our sixth year in business with a full tank of petrol and the windows down. But just a little further down the road, we’d take a detour that would make history. COVID-19. It even sounds like an exit you’d take somewhere […]
Inside Inside Retail Live! A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Future of Retail.
Having recently returned from Inside Retail Live 2020, we’ve been reflecting on what we learned, the people we met and the things we saw. As a service provider to retailers, we thought we would do what we do best and provide more service, specifically to all those of you who weren’t at the expo. So […]
Love Comes in Many Shapes & Sizes – Check Out the Most-Delivered Items on Valentine’s Day 2020
It’s no secret that love comes in many shapes and sizes. Here at Sherpa, we are reminded of this every Valentine’s Day. We’re no strangers to delivering special items to loved ones, but on the 14th of February every year we see all the different ways to say those three special words. Or more specifically, […]
Staff Spotlight ft. Head of Operations, Matthew
As tempting as it was to start our first blog post of the year with a 2020 vision gag, we thought in hindsight it might have been a mistake. So we’re ditching the sayings and moving forward, starting with an in-depth catch up with our new Head of Operations, Matthew Musumeci.Matthew joined the team in […]
How To Get the Wind In Your Sales
A 10-Step Guide to Navigating the SMB High Seas! With the dust well and truly settled on our ‘Best Carrier’ nod at this years NORA awards, the ship that is our 2019 is sailing sturdily towards the horizon. We’ve been reflecting on our first 5 years in the industry, and the voyage we took to get […]
Zip Zap! Introducing our New Plug-&-Play Shopify Integration
Sparks are well and truly flying here at Sherpa. We’re doubling down on the flexibility we offer to Australian merchants with the launch of our latest product integration, powered by Zapiet. With consumer demand leading to huge growth in the last-mile delivery market, the accessibility current is running strong, with MarketWatch projecting that globally the […]
Sherpa CEO participates in CEO Cookoff event
The CEO CookOff by the team at OzHarvest is an annual event where celebrity chefs and company CEOs come together to test their culinary skills and cook food for thousands of underprivileged people under one roof. This year I teamed up with Luke Powell from LP’s Quality Meats of Chippendale to cook some delicious Vege […]
What Last Mile Means for Your Business
Over the last couple of years, you could say the term “Last Mile” has become one of the biggest buzz words in the retail and logistics industries. What is last mile delivery? Why is it considered to be such a challenge? As you know, the volume of online purchases has grown significantly over the last […]
Valentines-Day – A florists most important day of the year
Valentine’s Day is an important day in pop culture; a day when people across the world express their love through giving flowers and gifts. Commercially V-Day (as it is affectionately known amongst the floral community) is great for business as romantics will spend about $1 Billion this year on gifts for their loved ones. This […]
From lean manufacturing to lean startups
While some of you may have already heard this term 2 years ago, others will still be trying to wrap their heads around how even normal startups actually work. The way we understand startups is currently undergoing a fundamental revolution, inspired by the advent of lean manufacturing which took place in the 1930’s. So I […]
Business Chat with GlamCorner CEO, Dean Jones
Tell us about your business GlamCorner is Australia’s leading online designer fashion rental business. Our mission is to be every Australian woman’s endless online wardrobe and remove the need for those “I have nothing to wear!” moments that happen for all those occasions throughout the year. GlamCorner‘s customers can rent designer dresses, playsuits, jumpsuits and […]
Top business tips for the holiday season
The holiday season is fast approaching, while this usually means a serious increase in business activity, it is absolutely crucial that you make sure you are set up for success. See our tips on how to make the most out of this holiday season: Assess demand and plan accordingly Take a look at what your […]
Merchant Independence – What retailers need to do to be competitive
Many of you may have seen the reports of late announcing that Amazon finally plans to launch in Australia by September 2017 (1). Since Australians already spend over $500M through Amazon I’m sure this is a welcome announcement for online buyers. However, retailers might not be quite as excited, especially those that are vulnerable through […]
How to pave the way for a great company culture
In case you didn’t know, company culture is important. And whether or not you are consciously trying to implement it, you already have one, whether you like it or not. Company culture is not something that can be paused, it’s always happening in the background and it always will. If you are managing a business, […]
How to NOT do business like Trump
Unless you’ve spent the last year stuck in a cave (in which case, welcome back), we are all knee-deep in the US Presidential campaign, which makes it quite impossible to avoid seeing Trump’s orange, bloated face 47 times a day. Week after week, from scandalous tweets to verbally abusive attacks on women or journalists, analysts […]
Sherpa Business Workshop – Chuck Norris the S*** out of Social Media
Thursday 18th August We couldn’t stay away from you for too long, so we’re organising our SECOND Business workshop focused on Social Media Marketing for your business. What is this Workshop about? Social Media marketing and how each social platform works – Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and Youtube. Customers are predictably irrational and working that to […]
14 Awesome Facts You Need To Know About Customer Experience
I came across this article on customer experience the other day so I pulled out my favourites, which just happened to 14 in total. Love this stuff cause its so True. Research shows that 55% of consumers are willing to pay more for a guaranteed good experience. The word ‘guaranteed’, noting customers are no […]
Delivery drones: are they for real?
Innovation is at the heart of the delivery industry. Every day it seems like we hear about a new form of technology designed to remove the current constraints under which the delivery industry operates. The industry naturally reacts to these constraints by coming up with innovative solutions to solve the challenges it faces, to name […]
Sherpa Driver App Tutorial – VIDEO
The Sherpa Driver app was developed in-house by our own little tech wizards. Check out our video to see how to best optimise your experience with Sherpa.
Got a fleet? Sherpa’s new Fleet management system is in Beta Testing
If you are a business and you employ a fleet of drivers, you will know how complicated it can be to manage it properly. Do you wish you could keep them busy and reduce your costs? Sherpa can help. Enter: SherpaFleet, Sherpa’s new fleet management system designed to help you manage your fleet. keep your […]
Business Inspiration with Bianca Kristallis from Pamper Hamper Gifts
Tell us about your business Pamper Hamper Gifts is an Online Luxury Gift Hamper Company delivering Australia wide. Our e-commerce site enables consumers to purchase gift hampers for any occasion such as birthdays, thank you’s, weddings, Mothers’ Day, Fathers’ Day, Valentine’s Day, Christmas and many more. The company began in 2004 and has taken the gift […]
Tech update: Change your notification settings
Thanks to a new tech update, you now have the possibility of choosing what notifications you wish to receive to keep you up-to-date on the status of your delivery. You can access the Notification Centre by logging onto your account, then click on ‘My account’ on the top right-hand side and “Notifications”.
Instagram Comp: Snap a pic and win $100
We want you to share your Sherpa experience with us! All you have to do to enter the comp is to snap a pic of your Sherpa experience, share it on Instagram and use the hashtag #getasherpa. It could be anything: a selfie while doing a job a picture of a happy recipient (ask for […]
Refresher: What to do when the recipient is absent
It’s very common for the recipient to be absent when you are doing a delivery, when that happens there is a strict process you should always follow to ensure the item eventually makes it safely to the recipient. Scenario A No one is home and the delivery instructions mention you can leave the item unattended. […]
Sydney Delivery Hotspots
We’ve compiled a list of our top pickup suburbs and the busiest times so you can organise your day accordingly. These are the busiest pickup times for each suburb organised in time brackets (6AM to 9AM, 9AM to 12PM, 12PM to 3PM, 3PM to 6PM, 6PM to 9PM)
The dying art of communication
Communication has never been so prevalent, over the past decades, humans have invented more and more advanced ways for people to exchange and communicate with each other all around the world. From telephones, to email, text messaging, video conferencing, social media, FaceTime, ChatRoulette… Who knows what will come next? Holograms? Maybe we’re just a couple […]
Bindle, a great eco-friendly gift to spoil your loved ones
Tell us about your business: Bindle is a boutique gift business that blends sustainability with style. Bindle engages local artisans to produce Australian, hand-made, tailored gift packages that incorporate food, wine and design. There are Bindles for every occasion and every part of the creation is Australian – the products within the Bindles; the boxes […]
Staff Picks: Top Driving Tunes
Solenne’s Pick Happiest Man on Earth – Broken Back “I have just discovered them while being in Australia and it gives you full energy and makes you SMILE too!” Ben’s Pick Holiday Road – Lyndsay Buckingham “A classic. Just enjoy the trailer.” Kate’s Pick Naive – The Kooks “I heard it for the first time […]
What you need to be a Sherpa – VIDEO
A quick video outlining the few things you need to be a Sherpa driver – Check it out!
Sherpa – Who are we and what do we do?
Sherpa has finally released our first instalment for Sherpa TV. Take a view into Sherpa world in this short Video.
A day in the life of a Sherpa Courier – by Solenne Colcombet
On a Delivery Tour with a Sherpa Driver! Friday morning, a rainy day and already hundreds of deliveries logged in the system – it is time to go on a Tour with a Sherpa driver and get a feeling of what it is like to be on the road! I wanted to know who our […]
Sherpa in Focus: Laura Vielzeuf – Head of Operations
Where did you grow up? In a wonderful city located in the middle of nowhere in France called Clermont-Ferrand, it’s home to the Michelin company. Awesome. I consider myself to be more so a product of the Cevennes region which is where my family comes from (a beautiful mountainous area in the south of France) […]
Brewquets & Sherpa: the perfect pair to bring happiness
Meet Brewquet, the Sydney beer gift delivery service that has changed our lives. For just $35 including Sherpa as the delivery service, this company will ship three craft beers wrapped in tissue paper and a hessian bag and adorned with a handwritten note. Do you want to know more about them and how we work together? Have a look […]
Breaking: Important Updates to the Sherpa Driver App
You complained, we listened! Check out the new updates we’ve made to the Sherpa Driver app to make your delivery experience easier: NEW NOTIFICATION SYSTEM We have now increased the number of radiuses the delivery notifications get sent to in order to favour Sherpas who are in closest proximity to the delivery. The notifications […]
How to be a great flower delivery expert
By Adelaide Villemain Flowers are always very delicate to carry. If you accept a flower delivery, here are some helpful tips on how to get it right every time. What do you need? You essentially need a box or a crate, some pillows and just follow the next steps! Step 1 Place the bouquets in […]
Sherpas Silicon Valley Road Show: What I learnt and what other startups need to know.
As Sherpa nears the end of its first year in business we have completed near 50k in deliveries expanded to six cities, learnt what we are good at delivering and what we are not good at delivering. We understand the market better and what opportunities exist so we have a much clearer vision on our […]
Sherpa’s first workshop: How to grow your business
By Solenne Colcombet Excitement was taking over the team on Wednesday late afternoon as we were all cleaning up, packing gifts bags and displaying drinks & nibbles! What was happening @Sherpa’s office? A visit from llamas from Nepal? New candidates to join our team? Even better! We were hosting our 1st workshop in our […]
Sherpa releases new Same Day & 4 hour delivery services
Sherpa launched in 2015 with a disruptive 2 hour guaranteed service. Since then we have grown to service 6 cities and thousands of customers all the while completing over 40 thousand deliveries. Today we released the first of a series of additional services and products that Sherpa has planned over 2016. Same day delivery – […]
The future of on-demand: Where are we going, and are we getting a Lyft?
Re-post from Techcrunch. Posted the 2nd of March of 2016 by Ash Rust: http://techcrunch.com/2016/03/01/the-future-of-on-demand-where-are-we-going-and-are-we-getting-a-lyft/ If the on-demand economy was a young pup in the late 2000s, then it has since evolved into a much more sophisticated animal: strong, resilient and capable of adapting to its environment. This movement was bred from the human desire for immediacy. Agile startups evolved […]
Our Silver Sherpa
Who said retirees could not work anymore? ….Meet Noel, not just a courier! As people are staying healthier and living longer, how do you help retirees to continue to work and keep an active without having to become a volunteer or become a babysitter for his/her grandchildren? @Sherpa, we interviewed our “Silver SHERPA”, Noel Reynolds, […]
#careerpivot
By Naveen Kariyawasam After years living frugally as a student – carefully rationing my fortnightly youth allowance payment on rent, mi goreng and Passion Pop. I hoped my graduate job on a six figure income at Rio Tinto as a Mining Engineer was the answer to upgrading from trashy instant mi goreng to delectable ramen… […]
On-demand economy: Power to the workers?
Uber opened the way to the on-demand habits: ‘You wanted to get somewhere quickly, but had not planned it ahead nor have cash in the pocket? »No worries » (Aussie habit since I am in Sydney now!) Uber is here to fix it and even better, will provide great service thanks to its drivers! Now, in Australia, […]
Valentine’s Day: Run out of ideas?
Valentine’s day is just around the corner and you only have a few days left to prepare and make this day special! Sometimes it can be hard to pick the right gift for your other half but what really matters is if it comes from the heart. Seriously, there is definitely a way to do […]
The On-Demand economy in Australia – Infographic
In the last 12 months, Australia has developed its own noteworthy on-demand industry. When we kicked off earlier this year, we honestly had no idea how much the on-demand space would explode overnight. We were aware of comparable businesses in the US but it seemed as though everyone woke up one morning and decided […]
Why Australian businesses need On-Demand delivery
Australian businesses have done a good job at shifting their habits towards the digital sphere however a lot of businesses still haven’t fully grasped the new opportunities that on-demand delivery provides. Delivery feels like it has always been a necessary evil for businesses; it is rarely seen as an opportunity to improve customer experience or […]
Situations where Sherpa could save your life
Have you ever been hungover or heartbroken and couldn’t bear to see the light of day? Fear not Sherpa is here to save the day. #1 – Hangovers Basically, everything hurts and you’d rather kill yourself than see the light of day. What to Sherpa: Advil, Powerade, bacon & egg roll… #2 – Anniversaries […]
How much money you could make working as a Sherpa
Here at Sherpa, our primary mission is to deliver almost any item under 2 hours (45 min for food and 1 hour for alcohol), however we’re also committed to our Sherpas and we like to think we can make it worth their while and allow them to make good money. We’ve all got different needs, […]
How to acquire new customers & market your small business
As one of the Sherpa co-founders, I speak to SMEs everyday but also as a sales & marketing professional who has worked with SMEs for over 12 years, I’ve realised they all face the same challenges: to acquire new customers and market their business. The journey appears to unfold in a similar way for most; […]
Reasons why it’s better to deliver parcels rather than people
So you’re looking to make a bit extra cash and you’re wondering whether you should move parcels or people? We can help you make that call. #1 – Because you don’t want everyone to know you’re trying to make extra cash. Imagine having to give your boss a lift… Awkward, right? You won’t have […]
What profile picture to upload as a Sherpa
So you just registered as a Sherpa and you’re wondering which profile picture to upload. Here are a few tips so you don’t scare scare the bejesus out of customers. Did you know that your profile picture is displayed to customers when you accept a delivery? As a Sherpa, you’re more than a delivery […]