Probably no one can build a successful ecommerce business in mind by only thinking of short term profits. Like their real-world counterparts, ecommerce and home-based businesses take time to grow and thrive. Though many experience sometimes startling immediate success, for the business’ market share and position to truly take root and grow a definite amount of long range planning is absolutely essential.
By planning for long-range goals for your ecommerce business, you give yourself the ability to space out projects and goals over a definite amount of time. Resources can be allocated and budgets can be set into motion. Additional resources and supplies can be located and brought to bear. Best of all, the pressure that exerts itself on the stress levels and energies both of the business owner and staff can be avoided. To paraphrase the TV show, it’s hard not to love it when a plan comes together.
Outsourcing Fulfillment Makes Sense
By outsourcing your fulfillment needs to a third party fulfillment service company, you are able to dispense with many of the most pressing needs that other growing and thriving ecommerce businesses must face and resolve as a consequence of their own success. Many of the most essential order fulfillment needs, in fact, are ably met on your behalf by the fulfillment service company.
These include:
Warehousing: the warehouse where you include and protect your inventory is normally a giant physical expense, necessitating the hiring of staff, payment of rent and utilities, property taxes, equipment and training, and several other miscellaneous expenses. These can drain a budget and, perhaps equally importantly, distract you and your staff from meeting and preparing to meet your long range goals. Because a third party fulfillment service company manages their own warehouse facilities, you don’t have to deal with the loss of so much time and money.
Processing and Shipment: The fulfillment service company handles all aspects of your order fulfillment, from inventory management to packaging and shipping. Some are even able to provide customer service staffing and support, so your customers have access to question and conflict resolution resources that don’t cost you any additional money.
Mail Order Fulfillment: Many fulfillment service companies also offer mail order fulfillment, in which your printed marketing material such as newsletters, brochures, and advertisements are sent directly through the postal service to your customer mailing list. The fulfillment service company oversees the postage and mailing of these items.