Starting an Online Business All-in-One For Dummies®, 3rd Edition

Chapter 7: Fulfilling Expectations and Orders

In This Chapter

• Planning the logistics of your operation
• Setting up an in-house fulfillment system
• Outsourcing your shipping area to someone else
• Learning the rules of shipping and handling
• Maintaining your information as you pack up and ship out

Setting up your online business can be full of excitement and milestones. The true payoff, though, is best realized when that first payment rolls in for something you sold. Seeing a paper check or electronic deposit right in front of you helps cement the idea of what you're doing and provides validation of the business you created. Even though you may feel satisfied when you see the money, don't think you're done.

After the order is completed and the payment has cleared, you still need to handle one area of the sale: Fulfillment is simply the practice of delivering the product to the buyer after payment has been received, or filling the order. In a retail store, fulfillment is easy: You hand your customers a shopping bag with the purchase and the sales receipt, and they walk out the door. In an online business, you need to perform a few steps to make order fulfillment happen. Thankfully, with all the advances in Internet technology and shipping services, achieving this goal is easier than ever.

Of course, planning for order fulfillment doesn't start when the money comes through your door. In this chapter, we talk about the elements that can affect fulfillment, starting with how you set up ...