While virtually all small businesses and startup businesses can benefit from employing the services of a third-party fulfillment provider, several distinct types of small businesses in particular should give especial consideration to a fulfillment service company’s advantages. These businesses, for several factors including but not limited to their location and/or the nature of their products, stand to reap advantages from a fulfillment company’s services proportionately more profitable than other types of ecommerce or other business efforts.
Home Based Businesses in Rural Areas
Living some distance from industrial or commercial centers shouldn’t bar aspiring entrepreneurs from starting their own ecommerce or similar startup business. By contracting the services of a fulfillment provider, small businesses located far from major distribution centers make their own distance irrelevant, as warehousing, shipping, and processing demands are relocated to the fulfillment company’s own logistics facilities.
Businesses In A Niche Collector’s Market
Small business or ecommerce entrepreneurs looking to sell products to a relatively more select clientele – for example, collectible swords or science fiction artifacts – may not necessarily need considerable warehousing space until years into the business’ growth. By contracting a fulfillment service company and outsourcing their shipping and warehouse demands, such smaller market efforts need not devote resources to facilities and personnel to facilities which for the present they’ll underuse.
Businesses Looking To Expand Their Product Line Within Their Market
Many businesses choose to expand their product line into new areas that are already relevant to their branded identity. (Using the example above, science fiction collectible stores that expand into selling merchandise related to horror or animation. By outsourcing to a fulfillment service company, such small businesses can devote their attention to marketing and growing their expanded product selection without devoting time and resources to finding logistics and warehousing resources to accommodate the additional inventory.
Established Businesses Trying to Trim Their Expenses
Third party logistics providers aren’t explicitly for the new or startup businesses trying to grow quickly, either. Established businesses that have fallen on hard times, businesses whose growth has stagnated, and businesses trying to gain new momentum are all excellent candidates to reap the benefits of third party fulfillment provider companies.
Small Businesses Hoping To Increase Their Customer Service Presence
Expanding customer service capabilities can quickly turn into a nightmare of personnel, office space, and other expenditure concerns. But many fulfillment providers offer trained and knowledgeable customer service personnel as part of their service, eliminating the need for client companies to build such resources on their own.