- Original Poster
- #1
I'm chewing over a situation and would appreciate some input.
I currently have a supplier in Holland who collects stock, boxes it up and I arrange for a driver to go over and pick it up once my supplier has between 6 - 10 units. It all works quite well but my supplier (who does this for me on the side i.e it's not his job) is struggling to keep up with the demand and I do not wish to put anymore work on him.
So I need to make his life easier which would mean not boxing up the product but of course this increases the chance of damage during transit. So I am contemplating driving over in my car to pick up about 7 units at a time which is pretty much what we are getting now per shipment. Of course this involves cost and time and I'm struggling on both counts. Financially it makes more sense for the driver to drop them off to me, so not entirely sure.
I could also find other suppliers willing to help me out in a similar way to the first hence spreading the workload and increasing frequency of collections.
Alternatively I was considering employing someone in Holland to drive around various places picking up stock for me (that I have selected). I am not in a position to pay a wage though so was thinking that perhaps I could supply the van, cover petrol or give a petrol allowance, offer a fixed fee per pick up i.e 25. I would rent a lock up or container where my driver would take my stock. He could in turn use the van for his own couriering jobs thus earning more money. When we need stock here we could either arrange for him to bring it over in the van or drive over ourselves to pick it up as described above.
Obviously there are many issues with employing someone abroad, but I am really struggling with how to increase the supply to our business.
Any suggestions!?
I currently have a supplier in Holland who collects stock, boxes it up and I arrange for a driver to go over and pick it up once my supplier has between 6 - 10 units. It all works quite well but my supplier (who does this for me on the side i.e it's not his job) is struggling to keep up with the demand and I do not wish to put anymore work on him.
So I need to make his life easier which would mean not boxing up the product but of course this increases the chance of damage during transit. So I am contemplating driving over in my car to pick up about 7 units at a time which is pretty much what we are getting now per shipment. Of course this involves cost and time and I'm struggling on both counts. Financially it makes more sense for the driver to drop them off to me, so not entirely sure.
I could also find other suppliers willing to help me out in a similar way to the first hence spreading the workload and increasing frequency of collections.
Alternatively I was considering employing someone in Holland to drive around various places picking up stock for me (that I have selected). I am not in a position to pay a wage though so was thinking that perhaps I could supply the van, cover petrol or give a petrol allowance, offer a fixed fee per pick up i.e 25. I would rent a lock up or container where my driver would take my stock. He could in turn use the van for his own couriering jobs thus earning more money. When we need stock here we could either arrange for him to bring it over in the van or drive over ourselves to pick it up as described above.
Obviously there are many issues with employing someone abroad, but I am really struggling with how to increase the supply to our business.
Any suggestions!?
