The U.S. Postal Service competes with United Parcel Service Inc. and FedEx Corp. for small-business customers, and all three are improving services to capture more of the growing market.

For the past three years, UPS has been encouraging small businesses to use UPS consultants and technology — for a fee — to track shipments, handle returns, deal with customs regulations and other shipping issues that can help small firms compete against larger enterprises.

This year, UPS district managers also have been directed to step out in the community to attract more medium-sized businesses — those with annual sales of $5 million to $250 million.

UPS drivers, who are members of the Teamsters union, will spend half an hour of their work weeks talking to customers about their shipping needs, said UPS spokeswoman Diana Hatcher.

"As soon as your front-line workers are part of creating change and being empowered to talk to customers, it's helpful to the customer and there's a lot more job satisfaction," she said.

FedEx is upgrading its online services, many of which are free, said spokesman Jim McCluskey. By going to FedEx's Web site — www.fedex.com — businesses can calculate customs charges and other international fees.

For Postal Service customers, businesses can have boxes shipped — for free — to their homes or businesses, then buy stamps online at usps.com and have postal carriers pick up their packages to be mailed.

Or they can get free "flat rate" envelopes and boxes — also delivered to their business for free — that can be stuffed and sent priority mail no matter what the weight. Prices range from $3.85 to $7.70.