Posted On September 24, 2018
Amazon has changed the game for entrepreneurs, allowing new business owners to get their product to market faster than ever before. As a result, thousands of small and even very small companies now have supply chains that stretch across the globe. For the first time, many mom-and-pop businesses are having to navigate the complex world of freight forwarding, customs, and other issues that arise when moving product from distant suppliers and manufacturers to Amazon warehouses.
If that describes your business, here are a few things you need to know before selecting a freight forwarder:
- Find a freight forwarder who treats your business like their own.
Ram International and the entire Flat World Holdings family of companies were started by entrepreneurs who know what it means to take a chance on your dream. There are obviously significant risks involved in starting your own business, regardless of how complex or simple your supply chain is. Some of those risks are financial. Some of those risks are the emotional and psychological impact that can occur if your business doesn’t succeed.
Select a freight forwarder who understands the range of risks associated with entrepreneurship and will treat your company as though it were their own business. How do you measure something like that?
Get on the phone and talk to the folks who will work directly with your company.
Which brings us to our second point…
- Find a freight forwarder who uses an actual human being to address your concerns and answer your questions.
The world of international shipping and freight forwarding requires the ability to address a problem immediately. It also requires creativity and experience necessary to solve problems that may be wholly unique to your supply chain.
It’s hard for call centers and chatbots to be unique, creative, and responsive, to say nothing of the fact that chatbots, by definition, have no real experience—because, you know, they aren’t human beings. You need a freight forwarder who uses real human beings to solve complex problems. While technology plays an important role in every supply chain, when it comes to freight forwarding, there are limits to the problems even the best technology can solve.
Choose a freight forwarder who uses real human beings to answer your questions and help you solve problems.
You won’t regret it.
- Find a freight forwarder who has been in the business for a while.
Amazon has disrupted the retail sector, and the entire economy, in an incredibly short period of time. As the platform has grown, thousands of businesses have sprung up to help entrepreneurs navigate the world of e-retailing and global supply chains. Some of those businesses provide exceptional services. However, it’s worth noting that while the retail sector has undergone incredible change, the world of freight forwarding remains as complex as ever—as thousands of aspiring Amazon entrepreneurs learn every year.
Working with a freight forwarder with decades of experience will help ensure your business succeeds. Moving product across the globe and into Amazon’s warehouses is challenging and requires freight forwarding experience developed years before Amazon was even a twinkle in Jeff Bezos’ eye.
Ram International is that freight forwarder. For years our team has worked with new and established companies to help get their product in the hands of customers. Today we work with businesses of all sizes, including entrepreneurs who are just learning the power and potential of Amazon—as well as the complexity of global supply chains.
Ram International and the entire family of Flat World Holding team would be proud to put our entrepreneurial spirit to work for your business, so please give us a call.
We promise that a real human being will answer the phone.
