For example, “We con gure the inVia system to address different businesses’ needs, but we try not to customize it too much,” Elazary says. “We provide the same solution to a lot of companies, and that’s how we can leverage and lower the cost,” he notes. “But at the same time, small companies also are bene ting from all of the latest tech that’s available. That makes a big difference. “Looking for a partner that does that for you is extremely important to mid- and lower-end companies, because they don’t have the resources to create a solution from scratch,” Elazary says.
Some service providers are designed specifically to help small businesses compete. Sendle, for instance, oers small shippers door-to-door, two-day package delivery, with low rates across the United States.
CHOOSE CAREFULLY SMBs should take a clear look
at their operations, their needs, and their capabilities before pursuing tech solutions so that they are deliberate in determining what they need and why they need it—and can make the best possible decision. “In general, smaller businesses should be careful about overspending on technologies that don’t provide enough value,” Mahdi says. “There are a lot of options out there these days and more pop up every minute. Small companies need to be crystal clear on their goals and pain points, and then evaluate all the options before committing to a technology solution.” n
with a simple, usable format. “It’s about having a system designed for small businesses that allows them to get some of the features that many larger retailers have,” Oates says. EASY IMPLEMENTATION Some technology solutions for the warehouse come with prohibitive implementation costs for SMBs. For smaller businesses, tech solutions need to be readily implemented into existing facilities with existing staff members, allowing them to maintain business operations while they pursue improvements. “The idea is to implement technology in the existing infrastructure
built for shipping packages for small businesses. Oates says smaller businesses often struggle to compete with larger competitors on shipping prices because they lack the same scale to help bring those costs down. Sendle brings small businesses together to “change the power dynamic and help them get better rates together than they would on their own, while tapping into big business delivery networks,” Oates says. POWER IN NUMBERS Sendle integrates with existing large providers—such as eBay, Shopify, and other large e-commerce platforms— but aims to make the experience easier for small businesses than if they did it on their own. The company is designed to help SMBs nd freight rates better than they could independently while providing a simple technology platform that allows them “to achieve the shipping that’s necessary to support their business,” Oates says. “Small businesses value their time,” he notes. “They don’t want to invest a signi cant amount of time on shipping. They want to invest that time in product development.” Technology platforms for SMBs in the e-commerce shipping space need to bring visibility to their supply chain
while the warehouse is fully operational,” Elazary says. The two most important
characteristics that SMBs need in a technology solution are simplicity and affordability. “Those are the two keys,” Polakoff says. “If they try it and get frustrated, they will leave it and never come back. And if it’s unaffordable, they won’t want to pass the costs on to their customers, and will just keep operating the way they always have,” he says. When solutions providers can keep costs low, it lowers the barrier to entry for smaller businesses.
For an SMB such as Jan-Al Cases, a custom road, equipment, and shipping case manufacturer, finding the right technology solutions can prove a challenge.
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