|
|
|
|
|
|
Fulfullment Sevices
This entry was posted on 12/15/2007 6:48 PM and is filed under Business Problems.
Question: I have a small business on Staten Island and have created a Web site to sell dolls and bears and have been fairly successful. I operate from home and conduct my business without any employees. As I am getting busier I find there are not enough hours in the day to do all the needed tasks. I have heard that I can engage a fulfillment company to handle my inventory shipping needs. Would this be a good choice for me to consider? Would they handle a small business such as my own?
Answer: For small businesses such as yours that sell products online, by phone, fax, e-mail or mail order, success often brings with it a new problem: an order fulfillment backlog. Packing, shipping and tracking orders can quickly become daunting. And if you are constantly lugging packages to the Post Office or UPS Store, you have less time to spend on building other facets of your business.
This may be a good time to consider using an outside order fulfillment service to take the burden off of your shoulders. Handling order fulfillment properly can be critical to your success. Poorly packaged items and slow service will annoy customers.
Outsourcing fulfillment can save you time. Your products, labels and other unique packaging can be stored in the fulfillment company’s facilities. When orders are placed, the fulfillment firm packs and ships the items and perhaps handles customer service and returns as well. Orders can come through you via your usual methods, or can go direct to the service.
There are many different ways to approach shipping and fulfillment solutions based on the type, weight, size and destination of the items you ship, along with your customers’ needs and expectations. Outside fulfillment involves a cost, but you should also consider the costs you are avoiding such as storage space, payroll and your own time. If you charge customers for shipping and handling, you may be able to recover all or a portion of it.
When selecting an order fulfillment firm, be sure to align your needs with the services they offer. Ask about minimum and maximum order quantities, error rates and restrictions on the types of products they will ship. Some, for example, only ship via UPS and the Postal Service and don’t handle oversize items. If you have special packaging, ask if they will use it.
For Web savvy business owners, fulfillment services can work especially well. Orders from your Web site can be routed directly to the center. Plus you can easily track and manage your orders, inventory and other details online. The Mailing and Fulfillment Service Association, a professional organization for mailing and fulfillment companies, offers a search feature on its Web site that can help you locate a fulfillment house that’s right for you. Visit www.mfsanet.org or call (800) 333-6272.
To learn more about shipping and fulfillment at your small business, contact SCORE "Counselors to America's Small Business." SCORE is a nonprofit organization of more than 10,500 volunteer business counselors who provide free, confidential business counseling and training workshops to small business owners. Call (718) 727-1221 for the Staten Island SCORE chapter nearest you, or find a counselor online at www.score476.org.
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
