So you’ve just come back from the Kids inStyle Trade Fair and taken a squillion orders from retailers who loved your product. Its great to have product that is selling really well and growing in popularity! But are your facilities equipped to handle this growth? Will you have to start turning down retailers who want to stock you product because you simply can’t manage all the orders? Well, there’s a solution…

While it may seem obvious, it is actually unknown to many new businesses that there are companies that can handle your stock and dispatch your orders for you. They are called Third Party Logistics providers (3PLs) and they are designed to allow your business to grow and not be limited by the physical pressures of increased retail demand.

When you partner with a Third Party Logistics provider you are enlisting the service of organisation of professionals whose core activity is providing the best possible means to get your product to market. This gives you more time to focus on your key priority of developing, sourcing and selling your product.

One of the main concerns of outsourcing is that business feel they will lose control of their stock if they are not managing it themselves. In reality this is not the case. When you are managing your own stock any mistakes, late deliveries or other problems are ultimately your own responsibility. When your outsource, your 3PL has a contractual obligation to have the orders correctly picked and dispatched out the door on time. If your 3PL has an advanced order management system, you can see at any point in time the status of your order. In this way you have more control than you ever did before.
Another

Another thing that can distract you from your core business is issue of safety in your warehouse. Meeting OH&S legislative requirements can be a cumbersome process. A 3PL will always meet legislative requirements, from holding regular OH&S Committee meetings to conducting quarterly Site Safety & Hazard Inspections ensuring a hazard-free process.

It seems like a big step and one that you may be a little hesitant to make. And it is so important that you choose a company that is able to give your business the best service. But it is well worth it when you find a company that fits your needs and suddenly you discover how much time and energy you put into something a menial as getting your stock out the door. Put that time back into your own life.