If your company has done well with its marketing, you’ll likely see the requisite increase in sales. This is particularly true if you are promoting a new, revamped or unique product that no one else has. Once that marketing has been deployed, it’s important for you and your company to make sure that your orders can be delivered.
The challenge is to ensure that once your customer pushes the “Buy Now” button, and places an order, that they receive their work in a reasonable amount of time, as well as in good condition. This is where your third-party logistics company can either make or break your company’s reputation—particularly if your company gets a sudden burst of publicity and your orders increase exponentially overnight.
Mike Brown, the founder of Death Wish Coffee, had that experience—they weren’t prepared for the influx of orders after his appearance on Good Morning America in 2014. Within 30 days, both Amazon and eBay closed their accounts, with a lifetime ban from eBay. (The company’s accounts have since been reinstated on both platforms.)
A 3PL, or third-party logistics company, can be the answer to a number of your order fulfillment issues. With a 3PL, you can continue to run your business without the added burden of shipping, storing and delivery of merchandise your company sells. Whether B2B or B2C, a 3PL can handle most functions quickly and easily.
Outsourcing to a 3PL company gives you a big-company advantage with:
- Managing orders
- Shipping/freight
- Logistics
- Shared Warehousing
- Customer service and call center functions
- Returns
- Support Services
- Reporting
Letting a 3PL handle the workforce part of your shipping and handling allows your company to concentrate on what you do best. You won’t have to deal with hiring and firing, health insurance and other issues that come with having a warehouse.
Shared warehousing is a way to cut your company’s storage costs. Instead of running out of space and staff during high volume periods, (or pay for excess during slow periods), you’ll scale your costs accordingly without changes to your infrastructure. A 3PL can handle freight for a number of clients in one place, where they can consolidate multiple parcels and shipments and negotiate for better rates on “less than truckload” shipments.
Since a large number of goods come in through 10 public ports (with Los Angeles, Long Beach and Oakland as the biggest, Southern California retailers can also receive their product earlier and can get it out on their shelves (or out to their customers) before the rest of the US.
Southern California retailers also have the home-field advantage with 3PL Worldwide. With headquarters and facilities in Rancho Cucamonga, Los Angeles is an hour away, and Palm Springs 90 minutes. Your shipments are hand-scanned into our state-of-the-art facility. From well-known vendors like Walmart and Amazon to companies like StitchLabs and New Egg, 3PL Worldwide has California companies covered with the home field advantage.
Interested in talking to us? Contact us at (888) 456-1920 or use our online contact form.