International warehouses are a must for any business aiming at expanding internationally. By ensuring timely delivery of services and goods and fulfillment of orders, warehouses help brands make their presence felt in the international market and provide ultimate customer satisfaction.
Choosing the right warehouse
Setting up warehouses on foreign land, especially in business hubs, requires a lot of investment and logistics. While big companies can build their own warehouses, small and medium-sized enterprises can’t afford to make huge investments in such facilities. SMEs involved in ecommerce largely prefer public warehouses — wherein they pay fixed charges for utilization of storage facilities — or bonded or customs ones, where they pay local authorities for using the space to store their inventory. Some think ahead and take the services of distribution centers, which not only store goods, but also package and distribute orders. 
Thorough internal assessment
Choosing the right warehouse to require a thorough internal assessment of the company’s profile, readiness, future growth objectives, and other logistical requirements. A company must take into account the rent or lease amount, monthly maintenance expenditure, bills, taxes or any other expense resulting from machinery breakdowns, damage or late supplier shipments. At the end of the day, you don’t want your finances stretched and impacting the overall health of the company.
However, with a view to bringing down shipping costs and delivery time, big players choose a reliable partner and a perfect location to set up a warehouse in a foreign country. Post Covid-19 pandemic headwinds, companies have been scouting for locations that not only provide easy access to their products but also help consolidate their shipments and distribute goods to any part of the world.
Foreign rules and regulations
Besides, companies need to have clear information about shipping rules and regulations and import and export laws prevailing in the country of business. All countries have different norms in place and don’t allow the import of certain goods and services in their region. As a company the last thing you want is your goods and services entangled in foreign legal system, which can be time and money consuming. Government websites are a good source of information in this regard.
Taking all factors into account
In case of rented warehouses, it’s of utmost importance to know the maximum storage area. During the festive season, companies ramp up the sales by doubling up the inventory to a particular region and that is only possible if there’s scope for more storage, right equipment available to handle goods and store them in quick time, besides adequate security system in place to prevent thefts. All these factors put together, if rightly taken into account, can help companies to make warehouse work to their advantage to expand their cross-border presence and sales.
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