Many webshop owners ask us the same question: at what point does outsourcing become worthwhile? The short answer is that it is never purely a matter of volume. It is about what doing it yourself actually costs you — in time and in opportunity.
Three signs that the moment has come
You are your own bottleneck. If a day goes by in which you have not worked on marketing or products because you were packing orders, that is a warning sign. In the first few months, that comes with the territory. After that, it costs you growth.
Peaks are breaking your service. Black Friday, an influencer mentioning your product, a shipment arriving from Asia slightly ahead of schedule: if a single unexpected event delays your despatch by a week, you are at the limit of what you can manage alone.
The warehouse is working against you. If you are driving to two locations to gather stock, or climbing into the loft several times a week to retrieve items, you are paying for space in time. A fulfilment partner has the scale to eliminate that disruption.
The figures that actually matter
A straightforward calculation. Add up your own hours spent on despatch — yours and any part-timers — and multiply by the hourly rate you would want to earn. Add to that what you currently spend on boxes, tape, labels, and warehouse space. Then compare that figure with a quote from a fulfilment partner.
In our experience, most clients make the switch at around 500 to 1,000 orders per month. Not because it cannot work below that threshold, but because the hours you reclaim below it often do not yet outweigh the margin you give up.
What you lose, and what you gain
You lose direct control over the precise delivery experience. A mistake on our part is a mistake in your name, and you need to be able to trust that we will not make them.
You gain time. Time to work on your brand, to improve your products, to explore new markets. For most webshops, that is the real reason to outsource.
Would you like to work out whether it suits your situation? Feel free to call us to arrange a tour.