The a to b of easier order fulfillment: MYWarehouse

Aaah, distribution. The pain between here and there. As a startup or small business, the cost, time and sheer difficulties getting to grips with how you get your product from point of manufacture to your customer can make or break your business. What many small businesses don't realise is that distribution or 'place' is very much a traditional part of marketing. If you get it right it can be a wonderful competitive advantage. MYWarehouse is a business born out of addressing the needs of startups and smaller businesses (and in fact bigger businesses too) who simply need a simpler solution than traditional order fulfillment businesses can provide. And even better - it is pay as you go. What a wonderful idea for a growing new business!

MYWarehouse is all about pay as you go order fulfillment.

Andy Reedman’s business is targeted at small, medium businesses and startups that are not geared to handle order fulfillment, and could be spending their valuable time doing something else like business development or marketing. The lack of set up charges, monthly fees or system charges makes their offering particularly appealing. They provide storage, pick and pack and delivery. This business idea represents the kind of thinking that is suited to the current times - a useful solution that allows small businesses to keep costs under control, test their markets and abilities to create viable businesses. Often we find that little thought is given to just how product will be distributed when entrepreneurs are considering their businesses.

This overlooked part of marketing is often the part that breaks the business.

In fact, it makes sense to work with businesses like MYWarehouse, purely to escape the woes and difficulties that you may encounter when relying on organisations that have strike woes, lack customer service, or are struggling to step into the current technological age. Using this service would be a fantastic move up for online retailers fulfilling from home - maybe free up the garage and living room? - they aim to send your product as if you had sent it yourself. For purely online businesses, their link to PayPal presents the opportunity to capitalise on their 'buy now' concept, giving customers the experience you would usually associate with businesses with significant fulfillment capabilities - a few clicks and your product will be on its way.

This business is giving customers what they want, and therefore is innovative.

In business since May 2009, MYWarehouse is going from strength to strength, outgrowing their original premises earlier than expected (needing to increase capacity to service clients) opening an additional state of the art depot in Milton Keyes that will allow them to implement their ideas to further enhance the speed and style of the service they provide. They have adapted to what the world around them was offering - partnering with other distribution centres, but have maintained a strong vision of what they want to achieve, which will be realised in the control they will be able to exercise from this new depot. One of their first client wins was Fifteen London, who wanted an affordable way to do order fulfillment for their online shop, on a pay as you go kind of basis. Says Fifteen: “We were looking for a fulfillment partner that would allow us to start with just a few orders and yet were capable of handling higher volumes as our business grew".

Apply it your business:

• Sometimes the best business idea is to give your customers what they want
• You don’t have to do things they way that they have traditionally been done. Especially as a small business, don’t just think outside the box, make a whole new shape, or none at all.
• Be a wizard when it comes to getting your distribution right - not many manage it, which makes it a competitive advantage ripe for the taking.

Visit MYWarehouse at www.mywarehouse.me Our contact is Andy Reedman, Chairman Call MYWarehouse on 0845 475 7354 Bronwyn Durand founded JupiterJasper, the Marketing Mentor for small businesses. Bronwyn consults on commercial identity as The Brand Whisperer. Do you get my free weekly email? Sign up to '1 Thing to Improve Your Marketing this week' here.