E-commerce – How Man & Van and Storage Can Improve Your Start-up in Bath

Posted on March 30, 2022 by Thomas Firbank Removals

Starting a new business venture is an exciting challenge that awaits anyone brave enough to become their own boss. There is a lot of planning and saving before you can begin. However, the difference is that the research and work isn’t a chore because it’s yours. Every step forward you make feels like you’re achieving something, and that’s something most jobs can’t match. It does require some sacrifice, but the result can be truly inspirational.

Thomas Firbank has been working with business customers for over twenty years, and we’ve seen some excellent businesses grow from humble beginnings. Nowadays, the modern business environment is more accommodating than ever before for people who want to go their own way. A big part of any new venture’s success is working with the right companies and finding people who champion your enterprise. And that’s precisely what we do at Thomas Firbank.

How Man & Van and Storage Are Ideal for Start-Ups –

You’ll see this written in a lot of business start-up articles. The first year in any new company is about survival. That’s what can make or break a new company or venture. And it’s crucial that you keep any losses to a minimum, or better yet, break even. This should include any repayment of loans of your investments.

For people entering the e-commerce sector, you need to do lots of homework on the products you aim to buy and sell. Additionally, you should map out the process of how your company will function. Rather than investing in a delivery vehicle in your first year, you can outsource this to Thomas Firbank. Our Man & Van service is convenient, efficient, and it presents an affordable way to start your e-commerce venture without a vehicle.

Instead of renting a commercial space as a depot, you can use a storage unit in our brand-new facility. By renting a storage unit through Thomas Firbank, you can streamline our Man & Van service to complete a primary collection and delivery system. Storage is the best way to safeguard your products and equipment from theft or damage.

Alternative Workspace for Your E-commerce Enterprise –

Storage can be much more than just a space to store your goods. It’s possible to rent a storage unit from Thomas Firbank and use it as your head office. A self storage unit can double up as a stock room and a basic office space. It’s a growing trend in the start-up and SME circles to use storage units as alternative offices, studios, and other workspaces.

It’s simple – all you need is a desk, a chair, a laptop or PC and a router. You have a filing cabinet or two and a picture of a loved one, and you have an office. You can then split the storage unit in half to have your office on one side and your stock and equipment on the other.

At Thomas Firbank, we have the largest storage facility of its kind in Bath, and we’re looking into adding more units soon. You don’t have to worry about a twelve- or twenty-four-month lease. You only need to keep your storage unit for as long as you want. And we’re flexible for people who need to upgrade or downsize their storage unit.

Using Man & Van for Affordable Local Distribution –

E-commerce has two specific needs to achieve success. The first is a straightforward way of getting stock out to customers, and the other is having somewhere to store everything. For most newcomers, it all starts at home or in the garage. It soon becomes an issue, especially if you live with other people and they’re unhappy with the lack of space.

Then you might be working with an expensive courier that’s becoming increasingly unreliable. Their rates constantly shift when they decide to assign the customer’s destination as an outlying area without consulting you. And don’t even get us started about the overnight (and costly!) delivery that doesn’t arrive, leaving a furious customer for you to deal with.

There’s a better way for people to deal with their e-commerce collections and deliveries. If you discuss your needs with us, we can formulate a strategy to handle your local distribution. And if you also send goods out over longer distances, we’ll be able to evaluate if we can include this. Thomas Firbank utilises our Man & Van service to perform this task, and we work with several clients for this purpose.

We will factor in your stock control arrangements to see if you have a suitable workspace. It’s often worth using one of our self-storage units, and we can link both services. Without overextending your budget, you have set up an efficient distribution system. This comes with the quality and customer service protocols you’d expect from us.

The Benefits of Using Self Storage for Stock –

We touched on this in the last section, but it’s worth looking at the reasons behind using self storage for your stock. There’s no getting away from the fact that storing things at home leave them vulnerable. If you’re storing items in the garage, they’re even more susceptible to damage from damp conditions. Plus, break-ins happen more often from garages because there’s less risk.

We already know that e-commerce stock takes up lots of room at home. And the constant deliveries in and out can frustrate people in your street as well. The best solution to this is self storage – you can solve many issues with one decision. You can enjoy a dedicated place to retain your goods and then link to a man with a van service for collections and deliveries by using storage.

Most importantly – you’ll have somewhere safe and secure for your products. You can then follow our previous advice and split the unit into sections for different business functions. It’s then possible to take a stock count and type it up at your desk. Granted, this is very no-frills, but it’s something to consider while you build your company profile and become profitable.

Useful Resources for New Businesses in Bath –

No man is an island, and business owners can say the same. You might be a solopreneur, but that doesn’t mean doing everything yourself. Therefore, it’s vital to think of yourself as part of a wider community, whether by attending networking events or online groups. You’ll always have someone you can contact by knowing where to find relevant information.

Bath is the place to start, as this is where you’ll be trading. Here are some vital places you should do further research on and start contacting:

Your local council will have plenty of resources you can link into, such as networking events and workshops. Additionally, they can point you in the right direction for start-up and SME funding applications. You should also email the Bath COC to see what initiatives and programs they’re currently hosting.

As you can see from the bullet points, there are many networking events and groups operating in Bath and Somerset. You’ll be able to strike up relationships that will eventually turn into partnerships – more on how this is relevant to each previous point in the next section.

Partner with a Reputable Removals Provider –

The last point segues nicely into how you should partner with reliable businesses that provide you with value. At Thomas Firbank, we consider our business clients as partners. We offer affordable services that help them increase their productivity by reducing downtime and loading times. You’ll also have us to support and advise you.

When delegating your distribution to our team, we’ll send you regular updates for each collection and delivery. Because we have a select few clients we perform this for, there won’t be backlog issues or warehouses full of boxes that courier companies struggle with. Moreover, we won’t lose your packages and make excuses for being late.

Thomas Firbank creates tailormade solutions that add value for every business we work with. E-commerce is a thriving sector, but it does come with the headache of unsuitable places to store goods and work from. Those days are behind you because you now have an affordable workspace and a partner company to undertake various tasks on your behalf.

Thomas Firbank – Championing Start-Ups and Small Businesses in Bath –

Thomas Firbank works with hundreds of businesses in Bath every year, and we understand the importance of maintaining a budget. Reducing costs makes it possible to invest in key areas to promote growth. That’s why we keep our prices low, which is ideal for any start-up enterprise. It all goes a long way to surviving your first year and thriving in your second.

At Thomas Firbank, we emphasise providing the best removals and storage service in Bath. It’s our number one priority to deliver complete customer satisfaction on every job we undertake. We want to help our business clients achieve their goals by being there for them at each stage of their development.

The e-commerce sector is a thriving industry that is exciting because of its variation. You can buy and sell anything from retro football strips to Northern Soul vinyl. And with companies like Thomas Firbank in your corner, it’s never been easier to enter the market.

If you’re considering an e-commerce start-up business in Bath, contact us today. We guarantee that we can help you with the necessary elements of your new enterprise.