When you start a small business, there are many things you are doing for the first time. It’s hard to know what to do and how to do it. One way to make things easier is with logistics tips for small businesses. In this article, we’re going to cover three logistics tips that can help your business grow.

Here are 3 steps to make the process easier and faster!

1) Use a freight broker.

2) Keep inventory of the products that you sell from suppliers.

3) Use a warehouse management system (WMS).

Use a freight broker

When your business starts to grow, you will need to find a freight broker. A freight broker can help you save money on transportation expenses and make it easier for you to transport heavy or bulky items.

Freight brokers work with trucking companies to transport goods for a low cost and for a variety of industries. You can use a freight broker when transporting large machinery, buying bulk stocks from overseas, or moving products in an omnichannel environment.

An effective way to think about hiring a freight broker is as if they were your personal assistant at the shipping company. They will be negotiating prices and finding the best deals on shipping rates, so you do not have to worry about it.

Keep inventory of the products that you sell from suppliers

Working with suppliers can be tricky for small businesses. You need to make sure you have the products that your customers are asking for. Without a good inventory system, it’s easy to get out of the product if you do not keep enough on hand.

A freight broker will help you find and negotiate great rates with different carriers to get your products from your suppliers to your store shelves. That way, when a customer asks for a product, you will always have it in stock. Freight brokers can also help you with other logistics needs like packaging and freight forwarding.

Use a warehouse management system (WMS)

A WMS is a computer system that tracks inventory and orders in your warehouse. This will help you keep up with your inventory and know when to reorder items. This can be important for businesses that sell products or need to ship things out on a regular basis. You can also use this for tracking repairs, equipment, and other assets for your business.

Conclusion

Logistics is an essential element in any business and often one of the most overlooked areas. But with a little planning and research, small businesses can reduce their risk in this area.

First, the use of a freight broker is a wonderful way to save on freight charges, and if you know what you are doing, you can even negotiate a better rate than what the carrier is offering.

Second, it is important to keep your inventory of stock up to date and within limits. Otherwise, you may have to deal with expensive rush fees, or worse, not have enough products for your customers.

Finally, the use of a warehouse management system is one of the best investments you can make for your company. WMSs are designed to automate many of the repetitive tasks that are part of managing a warehouse and can help you save time, money, and headaches.

ProConnect Integrated Logistics:

If you think freight forwarding, warehousing, or local distribution could be helpful and prove to be efficient for your business, talk to us. We help companies across several industries with their logistics needs, including Cross-Docking, Warehousing and Freight Forwarding. We possess the experience and the expertise required that can help you reduce costs, achieve faster turnaround time, implement more efficiency, and offer strong partnership.

Know more about shipping/ logistics industry by checking out our previous article on 5 Logical Steps You Can Take to Transport Your Goods Safely

Still have questions? Looking for a quote? Contact us today.