Tag Archives: shipping

What is Under Your Umbrella?

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“What is  your name?” and “What do you do for a living?” I am routinely asked being an unknown face in a new community. When I answer question #2 with “I own an order fulfillment company specializing in e-Commerce for independent publishers,” I am looked at like I am a space alien. To redeem myself, I usually go on to mention some of the services our company provides for independent publishers:

  • Order Processing
  • Order Fulfillment (pick and pack)
  • World wide shipping
  • Warehousing
  • Providing sales and inventory reports
  • Social Media Marketing for our clients (the alien look sets in again)!

Our company is definitely a niche market kind of business. But, anyone seeking our services knows what they are looking for.  They know to google “order fulfillment for independent publishers” to find us on the internet.

Sometimes when asked question #2 “What do you do for a living? ” I just put everything under one big umbrella and answer -“We assist independent publishers with the business and shipping aspect so they can focus what they do best – writing and publishing!”

Does that clear things up? I will keep my umbrella handy incase things get cloudy again.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com

                            

Partners

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If you plan on hiring an outside company to handle order fulfillment of your independently published books and DVDs, it is always a good idea to begin your search for a fulfillment company well in advance.

Advanced research (and obtaining quotations) will help you in setting your price points for your products. You will want to make sure the shipping and handling fees you charge your customers will pay for a good part of having your publication shipped from the warehouse to your customer’s door.

A qualified fulfillment company knows and can discuss the mail order industry standards for shipping and handling fees. Make this a part of your discussion when searching for fulfillment companies. Sometimes, two heads are better than one when it comes to establishing appropriate shipping and handling fees.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Up, Up and Away! Worth Rising For!

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There was  a sight to behold in Steamboat Springs, CO this morning. This weekend is the 29th Annual Hot Air Balloon Rodeo!

Folks came from everywhere to watch this beautiful event at 6 am in the morning.  Some balloonists came from as far away as Florida, Iowa and California to participate. There were 32 balloons in all. Can’t wait till tomorrow to see more of the action!

Also, happening on site was one of the Dallas Cowboys’  cheerleaders participating in a photo shoot for their annual calendar.

There is so much to do in Steamboat Springs, CO in summertime. I am not sure what to do this afternoon. Perhaps a visit to the Arts in the Parks event. This evening I think we will take a picnic dinner and see what the American Laughingstock Theatre has to offer.  I don’t know though, there are quite a number of other events that sound pretty darn enticing.

 I would like to try that hot air ballooning stuff someday. I wouldn’t be afraid! And while I am at it, maybe we will take some of our client’s independent book and DVD orders and deliver them personally. After all, we do ship with all major carriers. Perhaps shipping via hot air balloon would be more economical. Maybe our postmaster would like to come along for a ride.

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This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com

Climbing Mountains

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Many days, there is too much to do and not enough hours in the day to get it done. Everyone experiences that feeling! No one more so than independent publishers.  Writing is a business, publishing is a business and then there is the business side of both, too. Keeping track of your sales and inventory reports, maintaining a database of your customers purchasing your company’s publications, handling pro-forma invoices for trade and wholesale accounts, shipping orders. It all takes away from your task at hand of publishing. If you are a growing publishing company, you know exactly what I mean. 

Affordable order fulfillment companies for independent publishers are available to help with the business and shipping side of your publishing company. What would it mean if you could really focus just on the tasks of  publishing?

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com

 

A Friend, Indeed!

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“Happy is the house that shelters a friend”  ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson  When searching for an order fulfillment company for your independently published films or books, look for many of the same qualities you would in a friend.

  • A company that is dependable – will ship in a timely manner.
  • A company that is trustworthy – will get the job done!
  • A company that understands your needs.
  • A company that is fair – is affordable.
  • A company that goes the distance – is adaptable.

If you find a fulfillment company with these attributes, you will have found a friend worth it’s weight in gold. 

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com

Turn Around Time

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When searching for an order fulfillment company, an important question to ask is “what is the turn around time on orders?” From the time the order is received, how long until it will ship? Don’t forget to ask about domestic shipments and also foreign shipments. After all, you don’t want to keep your customers waiting!

You will also want to check on the types of packaging materials used to ship the orders. Is the package sturdy enough withstand the shipping process?  You want your customers to receive your product in good condition. They deserve the best!

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com