12:01 AM      No comments
By Scott Wagner


Many people design products that they want to sell in order to become their own boss and make money. Some open brick and mortar stores where they interact with customers and try to get them to buy. But in an increasingly competitive marketplace, it is better to reach much further than locally to find clients. To really succeed, you need to have an online storefront, which means you will also need a contract fulfillment warehouse to get those orders to your customers.

These warehouses, also called fulfillment centers, help you buy keep your products on hand and packaging and boxing them once an order is placed. They do this for your regular items, special orders, and even for fulfillment of sweepstakes or contest giveaways. It is basically a one-stop center for keeping your customer orders flowing uninterrupted.

To start the fulfillment process, the workers in the centers must first have your product in stock. There are many ways to do this. If you live locally, you can drive them yourself to the center. Mailing them via a carrier is another option. Some companies, though, take care of this step for you by sending out one of their own couriers to pick them up from your home or business and transporting them to the center.

Upon an order being placed, the designated items are wrapped professionally in a way that will protect them throughout the shipment process. Bubble wrap, Styrofoam peanuts or other padding and protection are used. Special thank-you notes or cards that you designate are also added, along with a receipt or packing slip. They are then placed in a box or envelope and shipped using the customer's carrier of choice.

When a customer checks out and buys from your website, you may give them options such as different carriers for rush shipping. If so, then the workers ship via this method only. However, if you do not give them options, then they will use whatever carrier you tell them to for each and every order to keep things simple.

As each product is packaged and leaves the center, it is carefully tracked using inventory software. As the client of the warehouse, you can access this software anytime of the day or night. This helps you keep track of your inventory so you know when you are running low.

In addition to fulfilling individual orders, these centers can send out large ones to retailers as well. This is important if you get a retailer to sell your products in their store, as you will need to ship the items to them directly. If you decide to sell overseas, they can package items in crates or freight boxes so they can be put on a cargo plane or ship as well.

If using the company's workers does not work for you, you can use your own employees instead. Some fulfillment centers are happy to rent you out a space in their building where you can use their software and methods, but with your own employees. In fact, many are willing to go out of their way to create a shipping solution that work for you and your needs.




About the Author:



0 commentaires:

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Recent Posts


Unordered List

Text Widget

Blog Archive