SEPTEMBER 10, 2021
Every small business owner has big dreams — the ambition to grow, scale and take the brand to the global arena. Every small business owner also knows that creating stellar products is one thing but taking it to the hands of the customer is quite another. The path to world domination is riddled with struggles and challenges that you have little control over.
To scale a small business efficiently and seamlessly, you need robust shipping and logistics that limits your struggles and helps overcome challenges. In this blog post, we offer you a checklist of things to look for while choosing a logistics partner at every step of your journey to scale.
Most small businesses begin by hand-delivering packages locally. When online business comes from other cities, they typically use a regular courier company to send packages. However, this can’t scale. As the number of orders grow, you need a fulfilment partner who can do end-to-end shipping, taking care of all processes from your doorstep to your customer’s.
While choosing a fulfilment partner, here are the qualities you must look for:
Do they offer pickup services, or do you need to go to their location to drop your products off? You can save a lot of time and money by finding a partner who can pick up products.
Do they cover the entire country? You need a single partner who can handle all your orders instead of having a dozen courier partners for each region. So, country-wide reach is important.
Can they handle packaging too? As you scale, you need the option to outsource your packaging for efficiency.
Do they have a wide network of fulfilment centres? A service that ensures last-mile delivery can help you have better control over your customer experience.
Do they have a solid warehouse management system A digital and real-time management solution can make it easy to monitor and track your products in transit.
Do they offer no-contact delivery? Customers are looking for services they can trust. So, you need a delivery partner who cares for your safety as well as your customers.
Do they support cash on delivery? This is critical if you wish you acquire more customers for your brand.
Do they have a hassle-free returns management system in place? Returns play an important role in building trust in e-commerce. The easier you make it, the more reliable customers will see you as.
Once you have built a solid fulfilment partnership, the next challenge is to meet the growing demands and provide exceptional service. You also need to offer value-added services like same-day delivery, next-day delivery etc., to meet the urgency of the customer. In logistics, this is called express shipping.
Choose a partner who can:
Small businesses find various kinds of growth paths. The direct-to-consumer approach through digital channels is just one of the many ways. Most small businesses also use local stores, distribution partners etc., to take their products to a larger customer base. To take your inventory to distributors or resellers across the country, you need a cost-effective and reliable freight solutions partner.
Ensure that they offer:
No small business must restrict its market to any small geography. With the advent of digital channels, markets across the globe are open to anyone with a good product and a strong logistics partner. But remember that international shipping can be complex — with packaging, shipping, labelling, customs, and other regulations that govern cross-border trade. Be especially careful while choosing a global logistics partner.
Check whether they have:
