Company: Storage Plus Ltd
Website: www.storageplus.ie
Founders: Barry Rabbitt
Age: 29
Based: Ashbourne, Co Meath
Staff Number: 3
Date started: March 2009
Tell us what your business does?
We offer a range of logistical services. Our most popular is the fulfillment service for online sellers. We store our clients products in our fully racked and shelved 7000sq foot warehouse. When orders are placed on their sites we pick and pack each individual order and dispatch it the same day for delivery anywhere in the world. In most cases we can do all this for less than the customer was previously paying for carraige only, so its a no brainer really! By us handling all the fulfillment it leaves our customers to concentrate on other aspects of their business. We also improve delivery time in most cases, which helps to attract repeat business for our clients.
Our other services include general packaging requirements, for example a recent client asked us to pack 5000 units of a laptop accessory along with installation CDs and plugs into new packaging ready for sale.
We also offer a cross docking service for businesses who may not hold a quantity of stock but simply order from their suppliers ‘just in time’. The goods are delivered to us in bulk, we then break this bulk order down and send out the individual orders.
Where did the idea for your business come from?
Due to my background in the logistics industry and access to warehousing space and good courier rates I started thinking that I should open an online store as I had the delivery aspect of the business sorted. Then one day I thought to myself that I should let someone else worry about the selling, and I would simply create a service that took all the logistical headaches away from these sellers, who in a lot of cases run their ecommerce sites as a sideline. After talking to a friend who described the packaging and shipping end of his ecommerce business as the most hassle, I knew I was onto a good idea.
Have you always wanted to run your own business?
Yes, other than packing shelves of the local supermarket while in school I have pretty much always worked for myself in a sense. Being involved in the family transport business www.deliverance.ie meant that I was to a greater or lesser extent my own boss.
What planning did you do before you started up?
I did some tests to evaluate how long it would take to pick, pick and prepare for shipping an average order. I divided that time into a fair hourly rate and that determined the labour charge I should apply along with courier and packaging charges per box. This figure came up as €8.50 which I felt was a great value price for the complete service I was providing. I ran the idea past some non biased people who mostly thought it was both a good idea and a fair price. So, apart from that basic research I didn’t go into too much detail, I feel that too many people think about things far too long – go with your gut feeling, there is nothing wrong with failing once you try and try again!
Which Irish Entrepreneurs do you admire?
I have a lot of time for Michael O Leary, though I wouldn’t like to come up against him in negotiations – which is probably a compliment in itself!
What challenges have you faced how have you overcome them?
Probably generating sufficient finance! I approached a number of banks for very modest business loans and they just aren’t available so I have used my own limited savings….and made sure they went as far as possible. My next biggest challenge was juggling setting up Storage Plus alongside running the family business.
How have you promoted your business?
I have done limited promotion so far, in fact most of my customers have come to me despite not having a very well indexed website. In the last few weeks I have set up a google adwords campaign which is generating some leads. Promotion is at the top of my list for the new year! We have everything running smoothly now so we’re in a good position to sell our service.
What has your growth been like?
Steady but controlled. We are currently shipping approx 40-50 orders per day, but already we have had to move to a new warehouse as we have filled our old unit to bursting point. Come the new year I would hope to grow the business at a consistent steady rate.
What’s the impact on your home life been like?
I suppose thats a question that would be better pointed towards my partner, Andrea! From my point of view it has had limited impact other than being there less. I think its important to try keep both aspects of your life seperate.
