Ah, the internet, what an amazing tool you are for helping businesses grow. Or even exist. You allow so much more to happen for so many more people than in the past. And yet, there’s only so much you can do online, if you deal in physical products. They need to be stored somewhere. Packed. Shipped. Returned. All necessary, and yet for most entrepreneurs, something they’d rather not deal with. You’ve come up with a product line that more and more people love, and it’s making you more and more hate what fulfilling on that demand has begun to entail.
You find yourself needing a warehouse, or needing a bigger one then you have. Maybe you don’t need a warehouse, but managing all the nittie gritties is extra hassle you’d rather not have. Or perhaps your customers aren’t just local anymore, and your carbon footprint is getting larger because of the shipping. What to do?
You could green your warehouse operations, the building itself, and offset your shipping emissions. But really, it’s, as they say, lipstick on a pig. What you’d really rather do is have multiple warehouses closer to your customers, or someone else take care of your product, now. But getting a warehouse has typically been a difficult proposition if you’re newer, with long term contracts, hefty up front fees, and a credit check. And more staff to manage, more distractions from why you started this business in the first place. Being locked into a warehouse that you may not need in 6 months is not looking like an attractive option.
Shipwire is an option I recommend you have a look at.
Shipwire removes the roadblocks to the simple, greener expansion of a business. They have multiple warehouses both in and out of the US, help you clear international hurdles with ease, don’t put you through a credit check, don’t ask for a large sum up front, and don’t require a long term commitment. It’s warehousing on demand.
It’s simple, really: Send your product to the warehouses you choose, sell them online the same way you always have, Shipwire processes the order, and you have happy customers. You have happy you, knowing you’re reducing your carbon footprint, responsibilities, and increasing space for you, mentally and literally.
Looking at their pricing, I have to say it’s quite impressive how accessible they make it. Whether you’re a micro or macro business, they seem to have you all covered. Their entry option at $29.95 covers shipping/returning 8 items, stocking 5 different products, and gives you 16 cubic feet of warehouse space.
Don’t quite fit the options shown? They give you the option to customize the plans. Go over by a few items? $3.50 an item, nothing heavy. Mid month modification of your plan is fine. Included in all their plans are a generous range of services to make it all run smoothly, and for you to be clear on what you’re paying, and saving, using this service.
So go ahead, buck the trend of today’s gloomy economy and be a success, expanding your reach while maintaining control, costs, and options.
Readers: What are other innovative tools/services you’ve found for facilitating the expansion of your business in a simplifying, greener way? Chime in, below.
Additional reading:
FGX: A Powerful Ally in the Fight to Ship Greener – Ecopreneurist
High Transportation and Shipping Costs Got You Down? – Ecopreneurist
Operating a Small, Sustainable Business: Resources for Ecopreneurs – Ecopreneurist