Business
5 Warehousing and Distribution Options Every Company Should Know
Have you made it past the dreaded 5-year mark yet?
About 50% of small businesses fail within the first 5 years. Not having enough capital, or failing to make a solid warehousing and distribution plan, can easily cause a business to falter.
Luckily for you, we’ve created this short but complete guide to warehousing, so you can avoid making costly mistakes. We’ll also review some of the best distribution options, depending on the type of product you have.
So take a look! By the time you’re done reading this article, you’ll know about 5 of the best warehousing and fulfillment options out there.
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Mini Warehouse Solutions
First, when it comes to warehousing and fulfillment, bigger isn’t always better. For instance, if you own a small startup company, you could benefit from choosing a mini-warehouse to store your products.
Instead of renting out a large amount of space and not using it, a mini-warehouse allows you to only rent the space you need. Mini warehouses are also useful if you’re transitioning into a decentralized warehouse business plan.
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Outsourced Warehousing
Next, as your business grows, you’ll have the chance to decide if you want to keep the warehousing and distribution in-house or outsource to a third party.
If you decide to outsource, we suggest you look for businesses that have standard product training policies. Quality companies will also be able to help you make tough decisions such as what type of cardboard pallets your products should use.
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Private Warehouses
If you want to keep your warehousing needs in-house, a private warehouse could be the perfect solution. One advantage a private warehouse offers is that you’ll have full control over how you want to run the facilities. From pallets to heavy operating equipment, you’ll be the boss of every warehousing choice.
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Public Warehouses
Next, public warehouses are a great choice if you want to spend less money. Public warehouses don’t require property taxes or any type of capital investment. Finally, if you need to relocate, it’ll be much easier to do so with a public warehouse set up then it would be with a private one.
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Distribution Service Options
Once you decide what warehousing option works best for your company, the next step is to determine your distribution method. When it comes to warehousing and distribution, if have a perishable product, you’ll want a distribution plan that uses air transport. Whereas railway transport is a great choice if you have large, nonperishable products.
Lastly, do you need to house more than 1 supply chain operations at the same time? If yes, then consider renting out a distribution facility.
Choosing the Best Warehousing and Distribution Options
What warehousing and distribution options will work the best for you? Are you leaning towards having full control by going with a private warehouse? Or do you like the flexibility a public warehouse offers?
Take your time as you evaluate the pros and cons of each option so you can make a choice that will guide your business towards success. For more ways to succeed, check out the rest of this site.
