“Coming up with the idea for my product was actually the easy part,” says Sean. “The tricky bit was finding someone with the technological skills and resources to manufacture it.” The inventor found the biotechnology experts he needed in Boston, MA, far from his West Virginia home. But that was only the beginning of his challenge.
“So there’s the issue of getting the product made remotely. That part we finally got handled,” Sean said. “When there’s an issue, I can take the day and drive up there and deal with it, but overall, the ship is mostly sailing itself. But then we get into order fulfillment, and that’s been a headache.” Sean’s product involves delicate proprietary technology. “The unit itself weighs several hundred pounds, and it’s extremely fragile. If it’s dropped or knocked around, well, I’m sorry, but what you have is a very, very expensive paperweight.”
The manufacturing firm Sean contracted with was not prepared to take on the challenge of packing and shipping such high value electronics. “Totally understandable, that’s not what they do,” Sean said. “They were willing to pack up a tractor trailer full of product and have that shipped to me, but that didn’t make sense given my business model. Instead, I had to find a company that could handle the packing and shipping from Boston.”
Not every packing and shipping company is prepared to handle delicate electronic equipment or heavy freight; you’ll want to do your research when interviewing potential firms. Sean found that professionalism and experience were key drivers for him. “I didn’t want to deal with any headaches at all,” he said. “The Boston pack and ship company I found does everything for me, and we haven’t had a single complaint related to getting the product where it needs to be when it needs to be there. If you’re like me, I highly recommend finding a highly qualified Boston packing and shipping company to step in and handle your order fulfillment for you!”