I started my career with a global provider of 3PL warehouse & order fulfillment services and noticed that with the minimum fee, and sometimes expensive start-up and recurring fees, it priced out small start-up companies and entrepreneurs.  What truly lacked was an understanding of the mindset and background of the entrepreneur.  Most, if not all 3PL warehouse companies, target Logistics or Supply Chain departments within organizations.  So, it’s easier to convey their value proposition and without much hand-holding, close the deal.  They all speak the same language!  However, we speak in layman’s terms in a way that speaks to the overall success of your company, not just your supply chain.  Yes, we’re going to give you a best in class solution but we’re also going to provide you with a network of like minded vendors to assist in the start-up of the other facets of your company.  We’ve founded our company on this principle and forged partnerships with like-minded entrepreneurs to close the gap between the have’s and the have not’s.

As a San Francisco Bay Area 3PL warehouse & order fulfillment services company, we are well positioned to target entrepreneurs and start-ups here in Silicon Valley.  It also helps that VC’s want their investments close to them!  However, we are having a tremendous amount of success with entrepreneurs throughout the U.S. and the world regardless of where they are based or whether or not they are VC backed.  That is because most contract manufacturing is done overseas and we are right here on the west coast ready to take in ocean containers, which costs much less and takes significantly less time to get product in stock and ready for fulfillment as opposed to other parts of the country.  And with small parcel shipping companies like fedEx & USPS moving to easier to understand, flat rate shipping cost models, it makes it easier and more cost effective than ever to distribute from the San Francisco Bay Area.

We also do not have any start up costs or minimum fees.  So, our pricing model is 100% variable meaning you only pay for what you use.  If you don’t have any orders for a given month, your fulfillment charge is $0.00 (nothing).  This is a great advantage for entrepreneurs.  Giving them the risk-free oportunity to shrink and grow based on the ebbs and flows or seasonality of their business.  Our contracts are also 30-day agreements so if it’s not a great fit, you have the option to leave – amicably.  Yes, we have testimonials on how great & helpful we were when transitioning clients out of our 3PL warehouse to another provider.  We can’t be everything to everyone – sometimes we’re not the best fit and we acknowledge that.

Another way we support our entrepreneurs is assisting with the selection of an accounting system, ERP, and/or shopping cart and then connecting those systems to our warehouse management system for fast, seamless order fulfillment.  The connections can also be replicated to work with other trading partners and the best part is we’re connecting our entrepreneurs to over 1,500 retailers, many of whom require systems integration like Walmart, Target, Costco etc..  So, we’ve got you covered, all for around 600 bucks when you let us provide the guidance!

For our entrepreneurs in the direct-to consumer business, we’ve partnered and are integrated with the United States Postal Service (USPS).  This means that if you were using or planning to use FedEx or UPS, we’ll be saving you another $2.50 per order on shipping since the USPS does not charge a residential delivery fee or fuel surcharge, and shipping boxes are free.  So, you get the same great service, including tracking information.

When it comes to technology, just because you’re small does not mean you don’t get the same great service as the big boys.  We boast RF handheld, barcode scan technology, retail compliance, ISO certifications, an online dashboard for inventory viewing and best of all, at the lowest cost.  That’s because we’ve done our homework on the best-in-class companies providing technologies and transportation methods to deliver fast & scalable solutions.  We intentionally work with other entrepreneurial companies who understand what it’s like to start from scratch and have developed ways around many of the financial roadblocks that prevent entrepreneurs from being competitive and highly successful.

One other word to the wise, our core competency is 4 walls 3PL warehousing & order fulfillment.  We did not start out as a trucker, freight forwarder, or mover.  We stick to what we know and do not morph into something else when it suits us.  However, we’ve got great partners in those industries who work with us to provide turn-key solutions for our customers.

We encourage you to visit our blog for more insight into the 3PL industry and also view our pricing and small parcel shipping solutions.  For 3 months of free storage “Like” us on FB and fill out our contact form