How your Small Business can Prepare for a Big Order

So, you’ve worked overtime on the marketing and got the website humming with some good engagement on your socials. What happens if you suddenly land a big fish and get a massive order? The moment the order happens, it can be a euphoric feeling … that may quickly turn to fear after you realize you’re not equipped to handle an order of that size. This is a perennial issue for every small business, but if you are a micro business, this situation can break your business very quickly.

Here are a couple of tips to help you get ready for a big order:

Know Your Turnaround Time

It will likely take you a longer time to fulfil a bulk order. Most (rational) buyers will understand this, so strike an agreement that gives you ample time. No need to stress yourself out before you’ve even started fulfilling the order by setting an impossible turnaround time. If you are a services business, then be realistic about how long a task will take to complete.

Determine Bulk Discount Prices Ahead of Time

Having these numbers before a potential wholesale buyer actually comes knocking can be very helpful. This can vary depending on the type of product or service being sold; general market value for the products; cost of materials, labour and overhead; shipping and other factors. You won’t be caught short trying to negotiate on the fly and giving away your profit unnecessarily. 

Develop Relationships With Support Agencies and Local Help

Success in business is often more because of who you know. Consider developing relationships with key people before you need them, which can be especially helpful when the unexpected happens. Do you have friends or family who could possibly help when a huge order lands in your lap? Talk to them ahead of time. You should also develop a relationship with a similar business or agency to help with labour if needed.  When a massive order rolls in, you’ll likely need more help than you think. Having these relationships and contacts in place can be a huge timesaver.

Develop Strong Relationships With Your Suppliers

Your supplier is another relationship that can make or break your first big order. This will be one of the first calls you should make when the Big One happens. Make sure you’re responsive when they contact you. Become very familiar with their policies and mode of operation, and get to know your point of contact. If you can visit them in person at some point, that may help, too. A face with a name can go a long way.

Make Sure Your Payment System Is Rock Solid

Stress test your online purchasing funnel many times, and have others test it, too. Test every payment provider and every purchasing scenario. There’s a lot that can go wrong during the payment process, and you don’t want to leave customers with their wallets out. It’s like quitting a marathon during the last mile. For a services business, be really, really clear about your terms of payment. Make sure that it is clearly on the invoice and clearly in the engagement letter.  

Make Sure Your Website Can Handle the Traffic

If your company has a major media feature, odds are, people may follow links to your website. Talk to your web host and ask how they handle spikes in traffic. (You’d be surprised at how many cheap web hosts will just throttle your website when the traffic becomes too high.) Ask for anything you should do on your end in the event of that happening. Make sure that you can get someone to resolve any technical issues for you quickly. 

Business is about being able to capitalise on opportunity and having good robust systems in place is just as important as having a great marketing campaign.  At the Highfields Chamber of Commerce, we can help support you at any stage of your growth and you get a chance to talk to businesses who are probably dealing with the same issues that you have.  Our monthly breakfast meetings and regular workshops give you access to experts to help navigate the complexities of small business.

Come and Join Highfields Chamber Today! 

Author: Admin1