Whether you work for your own company or a large organization, there comes a time when it makes sense to hire a fulfillment company to handle shipping.
Let’s face it; in-house order fulfillment is a pain. Building a business is incredibly time-consuming, even without the added hassle of packaging, shipping, and monitoring orders. If order fulfillment is the bane of your existence, it’s time to consider investing in a fulfillment company.
Keep reading to learn more about how outsourcing fulfillment can help you save money and time, and take your business to the next level. Here are eight signs it’s time to hire a fulfillment company.
1. Your Customer Base Is Growing Faster Than You Can Handle
In the beginning, every order from your e-commerce site was cause for celebration. You gleefully packaged up orders late into the night, excited about what the future might hold.
Now that your business has grown, fulfilling orders by yourself has probably lost its novelty. While you’re still excited about each new order that comes in, every successful business reaches a point where they can no longer ship orders on their own. If you find that a busy week is putting stress on your current fulfillment process, it might be time to consider outsourcing your shipping duties.
Ecommerce operations can multiply in a flash. When you can no longer keep up with the demand, a fulfillment company can scale your needs. These providers offer a more effective and efficient choice than hiring an employee to meet your shipping demands. When you work with a fulfillment company, you will always have the right level of support to keep up with your ever-changing number of product orders.
2. You’re Spending Too Much Time on Fulfillment and Not Enough on Your Core Business
Is order fulfillment getting in the way of running your business? If you find yourself having to push aside marketing plans or other essential duties due to shipping, it’s probably time to outsource some help.
You might be the most disciplined and hardworking person in the world, but you still only have a finite number of productive hours in a day. If you don’t have adequate time to spend on the essential tasks that will keep your business moving forward, competitors might surpass you as you lose steam.
Instead, utilize a shipping company that will automatically take care of customer orders. Your orders will sync and ship without you ever printing a label or lifting a finger.
3. Your Tech Isn’t Keeping Up
In today’s digital world, technology is at the center of every modern sales operation. Warehouse technology can be costly to acquire and maintain, making it challenging to fulfill orders efficiently. Some essential equipment and software purchases include:
- Wi-Fi connectivity
- Handheld devices for scanning barcodes
- Terminals for printing labels
- Software to monitor and track orders
- Forklifts, carts, or other devices to move materials
For many small businesses, acquiring the latest innovation for order fulfillment isn’t feasible without outsourcing. Subcontracting fulfillment means you no longer have to run the technology and keep it up-to-date. Your third-party logistics provider will also ensure seamless integration with the platform you are already using.
4. Your Shipping Expenses Are Becoming Costly
Shipping expenses can quickly add up to a monstrous sum. Postage, labor, packaging supplies, and opportunity costs can rapidly become overwhelming on your business’ budget.
Fulfillment providers leverage the combined shipping volume of all their customers to negotiate optimal shipping costs with their carriers. In turn, they can offer low rates to their customers.
If you’re feeling the immense weight of shipping costs, it’s time to crunch the numbers to see how much you can save by letting someone else handle fulfillment.
5. You Can’t Support Seasonal Fluctuations
Many eCommerce operations have an order volume that fluctuates throughout the year. Seasonal fluctuations are normal but can wreak havoc on your fulfillment processes.
For companies with significant peaks and valleys in order volume, you know the logistical and financial strain this can have on your resources. Using an offsite fulfillment company can save you valuable time and sanity. These operations seamlessly flex to meet your shipping demands, no matter the time of year.
6. You’re Running Out of Storage Space
Do you have inventory stuffed in your closet, under your bed, or piled up in every corner of your office? Does your bathtub currently double as a home for boxes and packing materials? If so, it’s time to free up some space by utilizing a fulfillment company. When space is at a minimum, moving your inventory offsite can help you achieve better organization and faster shipping results.
Space issues will only continue to worsen as your business grows and the number of stakeholders increases. Save yourself the hassle of storing inventory, promotional items, media kits, packing materials, and other items by taking advantage of outsourced fulfillment.
7. You’re Losing Track of Inventory
Even if you have enough space to store your inventory, keeping track of quantities can pose another challenge. If managing your inventory is giving you a headache, a reputable fulfillment company can help. Using management and forecasting tools, a fulfillment provider can help you stay on top of your inventory so you always have what your customers need.
8. You Want To Improve the Customer Experience
According to a recent survey, 52 percent of consumers said cost-effective delivery was equally as important as a product’s price. The truth of the matter is delivery speed can make or break the customer experience.
Every online shopper is familiar with the frustration that comes with delayed shipping. To ensure your customers’ happiness and brand reputation, you need a failsafe system for packing and shipping orders. By investing in fulfillment services, you’ll be able to sit back and relax as you watch your sales increase from happy, repeat customers.
MintFulfill Can Take Your Business to New Heights
If you’re ready to take your business to the next level with an esteemed fulfillment company, MintFulfill is here for you! Our system automatically fulfills orders so you can focus on scaling your business.
We’re eager to become a vital part of your shipping team! Reach out today to get started.