How to Find the Right Warehousing for Your Import/Export Business
If you run an import/export business, odds are you are an expert at getting things from point A to point B.
What do you do with it in the meantime?
You could store it in a spare room for a little while. Eventually, you are going to want to look into warehousing.
Picking a warehouse to store your merchandise may seem like a simple task. Remember though that not all warehouses are equal.
What exactly makes a warehouse worthy of your business?
Here are a few vital things to consider while you are trying to find the perfect warehouse for your business.
Volume and Space
Determining if there is enough room may seem like a given, but it is easy to overestimate the size of an empty room.
You want to make sure the warehouse you pick can hold all your merchandise. Additionally, you also want to ensure it can do so in an organized and efficient way. You want your merchandise to be well taken care of before shipping it off.
That starts with making sure you have plenty of room to store it all appropriately.
Security
How easy would it be to break into your warehouse?
You are going to want to consider how secure the facility is before storing your merchandise there, especially if your business handles expensive items.
Before making a decision, check to see what type of security the facility offers. Is there a secure perimeter fence? What about cameras and alarm systems?
Cleanliness
One sure fire way to tell whether a facility will take care of your product is by looking to how well they take care of their warehouses.
Is the warehouse you are looking at dirty inside or is it noticeably in need of repairs? Then it is a safe bet that they are not going to take very good care of your products.
Location
Before deciding what warehousing is going to be right for you, determine how close it is to the rest of your business.
No matter how often you think you will go and visit your warehouse, emergencies happen. If you must get to your new facility at a moment’s notice, then you can’t spend two hours commuting.
You also want to make sure your warehouse is close to your shipping facility. Keeping them nearby will save you lots of time, money, and headaches.
Potential for Expansion
Whether you have been running your importing/exporting business for a few months or a few years, you will always have the potential to grow.
Make sure your new warehouse has the potential to grow right along with you. This way you won’t have to worry about packing everything up and moving every few years.
Whether it be in the form of having extra space right from the get-go or with the option to eventually take over more warehouses, you need to make sure the facility can handle your expansion.
Fulfillment Options
Depending on the warehouse, they may offer additional services, such as fulfillment. This option can help you to save time because you do not have truck your goods to your distribution location to prepare them for shipping.
Atlanta Customs Brokers and International Freight Forwarders offers you the ability to customize a program of storage and fulfillment based on the needs of your business. It can also be adjusted as your business grows.
Finding the Right Warehousing
Now that you know how to find the best warehouse to store your merchandise in, it might be time to turn your attention back to shipping.
Whether you are looking to streamline your shipping or just getting ready to open your business to the rest of the world, we can help.
Have questions? Contact us. We are here to get you and your products where they need to go.
Atlanta Customs Brokers is one of the oldest and most trusted customs brokerage and shipping firms in Atlanta. Established in 1985, our company has been a fixture in and around the Atlanta airport and Savannah port for more than 31 years. We enjoy working with our international partners and enjoy what we do. If you are a first-time importer or exporter or a large corporation, we can handle your needs.