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The accessibility of the internet means smaller businesses have exploded in the last decade. More of us than ever before are able to quit our day job and pursue our real interests by setting up a company of our own. Businesses are wide and varied, some sell services, others sell digital items and others sell products or physical items. While each of them have their challenges, if you’re going to be shipping items to customers there are some particular things to bear in mind- especially if you’re just starting out. Here are just a few of them.
Will You Be Manufacturing Products?
Manufacturing your own products gives you full control over your items and business. However, it does mean that in most cases you will need to hire a workshop or factory to do things on a large scale. If your business is a home business specializing in something smaller (i.e., making homemade jewelry) you will need to make sure you have the space to create your products as well as all of the equipment you need.
Where Will You Store Stock?
Whether you’re manufacturing your own products or buying from a wholesaler and re-selling, you need space to store stock. It needs to be large enough so that you’re not always running out of items, and space that it can be efficiently organized, so it’s easy to grab what you need to ship.You also need an area to process returns too so they can be repackaged and re-sold. It also needs to be somewhere that’s easy to load if you’re receiving huge deliveries of stock each week, it’s going to be challenging and time-consuming to drag it through various rooms in an office. Ideally, it’s a room that will have its own entrance where deliveries can be taken and put away easily.
How Will You Send Items
Postage and packing costs can be pricey, so ensure your prices reflect the money, time and effort taken (without overcharging which will instantly put people off). You also need to make sure that items are securely packed, your profits will take a huge hit if you’re constantly sending replacements due to broken items. Some businesses might find investing in a shrink wrapper machine is worthwhile, it saves time and money by securing things carefully on palettes and prevents things from being broken in transit.
If you’re a smaller business selling small products, you may be able to get away with working from home providing you have enough space for storage and working, However for larger businesses and items, do some research into the best premises, this will make your life much easier and save you both time and money overall.
Does your business sell products? How do you get around the issues mentioned?
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