4 Things to Consider When Outsourcing Your Warehousing

As your business continues to grow, it can become more and more difficult to keep up with your warehousing needs. While all you may have needed when you first started out was your living room and some packing tape, there comes a stage in your business’s life where in order to grow you have to start considering alternatives to doing everything yourself.

One way to do this is to outsource your warehousing. There are a wide variety of reasons to make the transition to a provider for this service. But before you make the final decision, here are 4 things you should consider first:

1. Cost

No matter what the business, cost is typically the first factor to be considered. If you’re outgrowing your previous space, but not at a place where you can run your own warehouse, outsourcing your warehousing is probably going to be the most cost effective solution.

When searching for a warehouse, ask for details about the warehousing costs. Ask about additional services, or what it will cost if you need additional space during busy times of year for your company. Calculating all these factors can really help narrow down your choices, and identify if you are in a financial place to outsource your warehousing.

2. Location

When evaluating warehouses, location can be an important factor, especially if you tend to run your business operations locally. Ideally, your warehouse would be in a location that makes sense for the types of deliveries that need to be made, as well as for any inventory that needs to be housed in the warehouse.

This will ultimately come down to creating a logistics plan to ensure that the warehouse location you are considering will actually benefit your business, not hinder your operations.

3. Additional Services

Most warehousing providers will also offer fulfillment services. This means that they can handle your entire fulfillment process from start to finish without you having to lift a finger. From assembly to kitting, to delivery, these services don’t just benefit you, but they also benefit your customers by fulfilling their orders quickly and efficiently.

Looking into these additional services may be a huge time saver for you as you continue to propel your business on to success, without having to fulfill all your company’s deliveries yourself.

4. Agility

If your business takes a hit, or sees an increase in orders over peak seasons like the holidays, it is much simpler for you to leave this to a third-party provider than to attempt to handle fluctuations in business in-house.

Outsourcing your warehousing gives your business the agility it needs to expand or reduce space and resources without creating a financial strain on your business. The flexibility and agility to change is a powerful incentive for outsourcing your warehousing. In fact, some provider’s even allow you to enjoy a short term warehouse lease, perfect for your one-off needs.

If it’s time to take that next step, considering these 4 factors can help you make the right decision for your business’s warehouse needs. Finding a third party to handle these needs can allow you the extra time and energy you need to focus on your actual business.

Ready to outsource your warehousing? ZIP Delivery provides all the benefits of a full service warehouse without the cost of operating your own facility. Learn more by calling 214-373-1999 or filling out our online form!