As a manufacturer, you might think the most important part of your business is to produce a high-quality product for a low cost.
You may constantly strive to increase productivity, reduce waste and even improve the quality of the product you’re producing. Even if you nail all of these qualities, you won’t be able to make any money unless you nail another important process – getting your product into the shop.
You will only make a return on your product when it ends up on the shelves of a store. You’ll only receive more orders once that previous batch has been picked up and taken home by happy customers.
If that process breaks down, your cash inflow could suddenly ground to a halt. Here are some ways that you can make sure your products leave your factory as soon as possible.
Take them there yourself
They say if you want a job done properly, then you should do it yourself. If you’re a small business that only needs to make infrequent deliveries, you could save money by being your own delivery driver. Owning a van big enough to hold all of your products can be a huge expense for any business. Not only is there the initial cost of purchasing the vehicle, but also the cost of maintaining it, taxing it and insuring it. The problem with bigger vehicles is that they often come with greater running costs, especially when it comes to fuel.
If you don’t have the funds to pay for a vehicle outright, then don’t dismay. You could consider the benefits of leasing a vehicle instead. Not only will leasing a van from a nationwide car leasing company provide you with a van in as little as ten days, but the flexibility of their tailored leases means it is more affordable too. You also get your road tax included, which means you won’t have to worry about another vehicle expense. Don’t think you will be restricted by choice either. If you deal with very large orders, chat with experts to discuss leasing a much larger vehicle. No matter what state your company’s finances are in, there are providers out there who will lend you a car even if you have a poor credit history.
Hire a distributor
If your products are leaving the factory more frequently and in higher quantities, you might find that you need to hire an external company to help with the deliveries. The main advantage to employing a distributor is that you only have to deal with one company when it comes to deliveries. They will take all of your products and then work out the most efficient way to get them to all of the stores you need to. They could also help get your products into stores on the other side of the country or even the world.
Try going direct via the internet
The main problem with using a distributor or even an external store to sell your products is that they all take a cut of your profits. The more people involved in the product, the more your finances will take a hit. Why not try and reduce these costs by selling your products on your own website. That way, the only cost you have to pay out is to the delivery company who picks up the product from your warehouse and takes it to your customer’s door.
