When is it right to outsource your prep? A work/life struggle

WHEN IS ENOUGH REALLY ENOUGH?

This is the most common question Amazon sellers ask in relation to taking that 'leap of faith' in outsourcing your Amazon Fulfilled Prep (FBA).

This is the first of a series of posts that presents the most common considerations about why outsourcing your fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) prepping and shipping service is the right thing to do. Our aim is to help you make the important decision about when it is right for you!

THE WORK/LIFE STRUGGLE

'We are going to put some space aside in the office/garage/back bedroom/kitchen/the Tardis in the garden/some other (what appears to be a) totally reasonable space in your house'. Or how about 'We'll do it ourselves; we will manage it. This won't impact on our life. It's all part of the fun experience!'.

Sound familiar?

Most Amazon sellers seem to start the journey in this way and it's all a pretty reasonable idea when you are first starting out - the idea of doing it all in your home space ('just while we are getting started'). It's all manageable, it IS fun. This is such a GOOD idea. Until before you know it - it isn't.

Fast forward......The slow dawning.....'OMG how much space does this actually take? I can't find anything. How on earth can I pack that in this space? Where can we put it next? I keep falling over boxes. Look at the mess. I can't switch off!'

You WILL get there. We did! Here is some evidence of what our home spaces began to look like!

The convenient back office was where it all started - this was also the Yoga room which soon lost space to boxes and more boxes!

The new living room - laying in wait for Mr UPS who ruined the carpet with all the stomping in and out!

So ENOUGH for us was at the point our first unexpected pallet turned up.

As most domestic properties don't have doors that allow you to wheel in a pallet (unless you live in an industrial warehouse) this then necessitates getting it somewhere near the door (pallet truck?). Somewhere safe ideally - there is always the worry that a light-fingered passerby will run off with a box while you are busy lugging all the boxes through the door - and in to the house (and let's not even begin to discuss stairs).

Also, what will the neighbours think (many domestic residences don't have the space to have this 'land' on the driveway)?

This just unexpectedly turned up one day. Went well with the flowers but a lot of work decanting and walking through the house!

We think you get it! You may even be living it right now (or you may still be in denial).

It's the one thing, with hindsight (who knew?), that most Amazon sellers say "I wish I'd done it sooner". Getting your prep out of the house. It's really only when you get your space back that you realise how invasive prepping at home can be. It literally takes over.

We considered that the most important element of managing your prep from a home front was in successfully managing your 'headspace'. Working from home and having the remnants of your prepping day around you means that you never really get a chance to switch off from it (okay, we know that as an 'onlinepreneur' you probably rarely switch off anyway BUT this is a whole different thing - this is unnecessary noise).

So, if you are feeling a sense of deja vu after reading this blog then maybe it's THAT TIME for you!

Reach out! Take that 'leap of faith'.

Our next blog in the series 'How much do I actually cost?' will tackle the most difficult perception that it's cheaper to do it yourself.

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