Needing warehousing fulfillment services is a great problem to have for a growing small business, but knowing when to take the plunge and what you really need can be confusing.
There are many great reasons to jump into a partnership with a 3rd party fulfillment company that works with businesses like yours, but the biggest one is so your company can continue to expand even while you’re getting more of your time back to do what you did to grow your business in the first place.
Warehousing and Distribution are Huge Time Sinks
If you’ve ever been lost on YouTube, watching video after video of talking parrots or frolicking puppies, you know what a time sink is.
It’s a diversion that wastes your most precious resource without offering you much in the way of gain. That’s exactly what your warehousing and distribution efforts can become if your company lacks the manpower or space to do them right. Instead of marketing your products, interacting with your customers or closing sales, you’re up all night packing boxes and standing in long lines at the post office waiting to mail them.
This is not a productive or positive use of your time, that’s why so many SMBs are partnering with 3PLs. Shifting your focus to those activities that make you the most money is vital, let someone else take care of the hum-drum warehousing, packing and shipping.
Here are just a few reasons to give warehouse fulfillment services a try:
- Access to Flexible Space. You know that there are certain times of the year when you sell a lot more product, so you stock accordingly. But when your spare bedroom is bursting, your cupboards are overflowing and every surface in your home and office are covered, you need a better solution.Instead of living in a sea of boxes, your 3PL can offer you additional space in the short-term, giving you the space you need without a commitment for the seasons when your inventory is slim.
- Streamlined Shipping. Doing your own fulfillment allows you to add a personal touch, but at what cost? It already takes days for you to finish writing notes, stuffing products into boxes and getting them off to their destinations. On top of that, your shipping options are limited because of costs, so your shipments are often late.A 3PL has processes in place that will make your pick, pack and ship move at the speed of your customers and agreements in place with major shippers to ensure your products get to their destinations faster and for less money.
- Up-to-the-Minute Data Streams. Do you know exactly how many pieces you have in the inventory scattered around your home or office? If you do, you’re in the minority. The problem with keeping inventory on that scale is that you don’t really have the tools it takes to check items into and out of storage and frequent manual counts are required to keep your tally straight.Today’s 3PLs offer high tech software and tools with built-in bar code scanning that ensure that your inventory is always perfect and your re-orders happen exactly when they should without wasting space or spending unnecessary time on the shelves.
When a small business needs warehouse fulfillment services, it’s no time to bury your head in the sand and continue working with inefficient processes. Instead, partner up with a 3PL to ensure your company’s long life and the happiest customers on the web.
