Control in an eCommerce business can very easily slip, especially if you are expanding from doing it all yourself to having employees. However, it is not just the addition of having extra people working within your business where your level of control will slip. If, for instance, you are relying on dropshipping services for your business, you already have a low level of control regards your shipments and the quality thereof.
This is also true of selling other brands’ items or, for that matter, unbranded items. Here, you are solely at the mercy of other businesses’ quality levels without having a say in how the items are made or packaged. However, there is a way around this to put you back in the driving seat and in total control of your business. This article takes you through this way.
Article Breakdown
Create your own brand
There are a few different areas where having your own brand will create a level of control within your eCommerce business.
- You become the sole source for these products: Your customers will not be able to purchase your brand from any other source unless the items are being sold second-hand or you have signed contracts with other suppliers.
- Manufacturer choice: You will have made the choice of manufacturer and should have already sampled their quality and precision to detail before placing your order with them.
- Choose how you stock up: It is up to you whether you choose to stock up on your merchandise or just order to supply demand.
- In control of where you sell your merchandise: To get those sales and, therefore, create the right impression to your potential customers, for instance, specialized, will this be high-end magazines or websites?
Take control of your warehouse facilities
You can also take more control of your warehouse facilities – even if they are currently just a few racks around your desk. Using specialist WMS (warehouse management system) software will give you more control over your logistics and your warehouse capabilities. It can aid you and your warehouse workers in locating and picking orders, as well as stock level control.
This can be extremely helpful, especially in a growing business where stock and levels can change drastically every week or where there is a continuous demand due to customer orders.
Organize your couriers
Organizing your couriers to fit around your business’s shipping demands is also something that can be done rather than shipping around your courier deadlines. For instance, having just one shipment for collection a day can put unnecessary stress on your packing staff and provide an unwelcome order deadline for your customers.
Whereas having two or more courier collections spaced evenly throughout the working day will reduce stress and decrease the number of packages waiting for collection at any one point in the day. This can free up valuable space and provide your customers with a quicker delivery time.
Final thoughts
No doubt, you started your eCommerce business to have a level of control and reap the benefits of the products and services you can provide to your customers. Creating your own brand and choosing your suppliers while taking control of your warehouse facilities by using specialized software and stacking your courier collections can be the perfect start to achieving that ambitious goal.