Chapter 11: Fulfillment Operation - How It Works & How To Scale It

Chapter 11 - FREE Page 1 Preview:

FULFILLMENT.

There are a couple ways you can create or find a fulfillment solution, both can work fine, it just depends on how you want to build your company, and what you want to spend your time doing as the owner. In this chapter we’ll discuss the following points, and a few key things you should be asking yourself before you take the leap into growing your fulfillment operation:

1. What parts of my business do I enjoy doing, which parts would I rather hire for, or outsource?
2. Would I rather work on the creative side, or the analytical side?
3. Do I want to develop and lead a team, or do I want to keep my overhead and employee pool small?
4. How much am I willing to risk on long term commitments like a commercial lease & increased payroll?

When you’re first starting out, your inventory will likely be stored in a spare room or a garage, and you’ll handle the storing, packaging, processing, and shipping of orders yourself. 

This is totally normal and a great place to start, you’ll learn a lot about your customers, how to handle customer service, and gain an appreciation for the craft of logistics.

As the brand gains traction and grows, it will require more product, which means more space, and also more time to package and ship.

It’s a delicate balancing act of making sure you’re growing your infrastructure at a rate that supports your current level, but also has the flexibility to support the requirements of the brand as you grow. 

It can get complicated quickly, that’s why most apparel brands stall out at around the $600-$700k range. That’s about the point where you can operate out of a large garage with just yourself and maybe a partner or a friend helping out occasionally.

Total guide is 8 pages long and includes a Checklist Worksheet on Page 8.