Image by Calvert Cafe & Catering via Flickr
For any small business owner operating a business on a startup budget can be difficult, but for a gift business owner trying to get ahead on a tight budget can be nearly impossible. That’s because gift businesses have to present an image of luxury no matter what the budget is that the business owner is working with.
No one wants a gift that doesn’t look expensive or beautiful so gift businesses need to spend extra money on packaging and have to add gift cards, ribbons, and other items to add a touch of richness to the gift. Additionally, gifts can be awkward sizes that require a lot of extra packaging to ship safely which can add to the businesses cost for the item. Items like fruit baskets may require several layers of packaging in order to stay fresh and may also have to be shipped overnight to ensure freshness.
Gift fulfillment is the key to having a successful small gift business. Working with a fulfillment services company ensures that your gifts will be properly packaged for shipping no matter what size or shape they are. Drop shipping companies also can prepare your gifts to be shipped with custom wrapping , gift cards, or other items that will give your gifts a signature and polished look to help you build your brand and impress your customers.
Order fulfillment companies are specialists in logistics management and order processing. Once your gifts are delivered to the company’s warehouse the fulfillment services staff will take care of the entire ordering process for you, from taking the order to packing it and shipping it. The close relationships that these companies have with packaging suppliers and with shipping companies and freight companies means that you can get significant discounts on the cost of the packaging you need to ship your gifts securely and on the cost of the shipping for those items both to the warehouse and from the warehouse to customers.
If you have a gift business that has a very tight budget signing up with a fulfillment company is the best way to have your business run efficiently enough to be successful. Instead of having to build your own infrastructure to process and ship orders you can use an existing operation that has been set up by supply chain logistics experts for a low per item cost.
