The odds are good that you didn’t go into business for the fun and pleasure of running a shipping department; at best, it is something that you do well because it is so important. If you are an ecommerce retailer, the packages your customers receive – their orders – are the only physical link they have to you and your business; their appearance must be impeccable.

Trusting an order fulfillment company, whose only responsibility and purpose is to prepare and ship packages, makes perfect sense. You know your orders are in good hand, you are saving money (over the cost of shipping them yourself), and more importantly, you are free to concentrate on the money-making aspects of your business: finding new prospects, and expanding your markets.

The fact is that there are order fulfillment companies, or 3PLs, ready to deal with your products, whatever they are. Here are some of the categories commonly covered:

• Apparel and fashion accessories
• Books, DVDs and Blu-ray media
• Video games, toys and games
• Novelty items
• Sporting goods
• Electronic equipment and devices

In fact, there is probably a Canadian order fulfillment center that not only can package and ship your products as well or better than you could yourself, but specializes at it, too.

We understand that switching to an outsourced order fulfillment service is a big change, and a serious decision to make. That’s why we believe that having as much information as possible about prices and common practices, is not only important but crucial.