Congratulations! You've hit your crowdfunding target. All that planning, plotting, strategising, collaborating, networking and marketing did its job – and now you're ready for the big launch.

It's at this point that you need to consider fulfilment. Those rewards you promised to excited backers won't ship themselves, so it's time to turn your attention to packing and dispatching.

Order fulfilment is a key part of the crowdfunding journey that can sometimes be neglected. It certainly lacks the glamour and fanfare of those announcements and milestones you've been sharing with your supporters.

But professional order fulfilment is key to maintaining their trust. It shows them that you mean business – and once they know that, they're more likely to join you on the next stage of your journey.

If your crowdfunder has involved different tiers – each offering different rewards – packing and dispatching can give you quite the headache. Of course, it's possible to do it yourself – but it can be a hassle.

As well as keeping track of your inventory, creating attractive, suitable packaging and managing deliveries, you have to turn part of your house or flat into a makeshift warehouse. It's at this point that you might feel like an octopus running out of tentacles.

Does this sound like you? Then it might be time to partner with a 3PL.

What's a 3PL and how can it help me?

3PL may sound like one of the lesser-known droids from Star Wars, but it's rather more down-to-earth than that.

In fact, it stands for "third-party logistics". You, the innovator, outsource the storing, picking, packing and dispatching to a third-party company. They take care of the logistics so you don't have to.

This has obvious advantages. It frees up time that you can dedicate to shouting your crowdfunder's success from the rooftops – and moving on to your next big thing.

Cards on the table: we're a 3PL and we have a proven track record of managing stock and fulfilling orders for a range of industries. We can take care of your order fulfilment, ensuring each of your backers gets their reward.

Let us do the donkey work

Look, we know you've put blood, sweat and tears into this campaign – the last thing you want is to celebrate its success by taking endless trips to the post office.

And the last thing you want is for your garage or spare room to be a DIY warehouse overflowing with bubble wrap and sticky labels.

Avoid all this bother by outsourcing fulfilment to a 3PL. Make this final stage of your crowdfunding journey as seamless and professional as possible so your backers stay on your side.

Once you've partnered with a 3PL, your stock will be carefully organised in a spacious, clean, secure warehouse. They take care of picking, packing and dispatching rewards for your faithful supporters.

This has the indispensable advantage of decreasing the margin of human error. No mixups, headaches or apologies – you can rest assured that your fulfilment is being handled by experienced professionals.

And by raising the bar for your crowdfunder's fulfilment, you're meeting customer expectations. After all, your friends and relatives might forgive a delayed delivery or the wrong reward – but your other backers might be less forgiving.

Outsourcing fulfilment shows your supporters that you mean business.

An extra pair of hands

One challenge that crowdfunding fulfilment presents is the need to manage different tiers of rewards. A logistics partner can considerably smooth out this process.

At Stowsafe, we have a proven track record of working with brands of all shapes and sizes from a variety of sectors – and we know how to apply this expertise to crowdfunding projects.

We pride ourselves on providing tailored solutions. This means that no two fulfilment plans are identical.

Where does a 3PL fit into the customer journey?

Your backers and funders have invested in you and your dream. It's crucial that you deliver on your promises promptly and professionally. No half measures.

What can you expect from a reputable 3PL? First off, cutting-edge tech that will keep clear lines of communication open between you and your backers.

Secondly, reassurance that your rewards are stored in a clean, safe, environmentally controlled warehouse.

Thirdly, inventory management. This can be a real headache for small or DIY operations. Keeping track of stock levels is essential to delivering on your crowdfunding rewards.

A 3PL like Stowsafe utilises a WMS (warehouse management system) that updates automatically in real-time, meaning you'll never be tripped up by missing stock.

Do you need to send out combinations of rewards? This is something we can do for you – as we say, flexibility is our watchword. 

Perhaps you have a courier that you've used before and really trust. Great – you don't need to change a thing. But if you'd prefer, our software can automatically select the most cost-effective option among our partners for each order.

As we suggested above, crowdfunding fulfilment is an opportunity to show your backers just how seamless and professional you are. Working with a 3PL makes this a very real possibility.

Finally, a 3PL can help you create packaging, labels and flyers that present your crowdfunder in the best possible light. This isn't only about optics – it's also about ensuring that your goods arrive in excellent condition.

Are you looking for a 3PL partner for crowdfunding fulfilment?

Here at Stowsafe, our mission is simple – to save you time and money so that you can focus on other things.

Don't get tied up in fulfilment. Let us do it for you while you build on your crowdfunder's success.

We offer flexibility, dependability and fast service. Each 3PL fulfilment plan is fully bespoke – no "one-size-fits-all" solutions.

So if you're looking for support at the end of your crowdfunder journey, please get in touch and we'll arrange a meeting to discuss your needs in detail.