The unexpected threat of COVID 19 has put a lot of our plans to halt, months of planning and preparation go down the drain just like that. The virus not only threatened our life but also jeopardized our business as ⅓ of the businesses in the US have closed permanently due to the pandemic. Here are the three most common issues faced when outsourcing amidst the pandemic;
Changes in the law, policies, and regulations
To better control the spread of the virus, governments of all levels are continuously coming up with new regulations and policies. Protocol changes from one place to another and documentation requirements are becoming more stringent every day making it harder and more expensive for goods to transfer from border to border. This is not good news for Amazon sellers since expenses continue to pile up and profit margin becomes thinner by the second.
Constant Lock-down and Shut-down of Areas
The frequent lock-down and shut-down have left Sellers with no employee to handle their daily operations. People are suddenly not allowed to go out and with the strict monitoring from the government, people are forced to stay at home for weeks and in some places even longer than that. Moreover, several countries even closed their borders. This means that without warning your expected shipment was not able to leave the ports and with your inventories stuck in the middle of nowhere you are left with no product to sell and angry customers waiting for their orders.
Supply Chain Disruption
The pandemic tested how strong and reliable our supply chains are and the reality has proven that we have not put enough effort in this area. Nearly 70% of Amazon Sellers get their inventories from China and when the pandemic struck and China shut down Sellers were faced with delays in shipping and some even had to stop selling certain products as they have run out of supplies with no source on hand. This showed how important having multiple suppliers are as it will allow your business to function amidst the crisis. The more suppliers you have from different locations the more prepared you are in facing unexpected scenarios.
Work with the best Amazon-trained VA’s
Author BIO
Karla is currently an Analyst in EGrowth Partners. Handling several Amazon seller accounts and monitoring and resolving day-to-day issues with the account. She has a background in marketing and customer service and a love for sales. She considers herself a well-rounded individual that can deal with people from all walks of life confidently, an effective communicator, and a reliable colleague. She grew up in the Philippines playing with waves on the beautiful beaches of Iloilo. Karla’s philosophy in life is “Count your blessings, not your problem” as she wants to look forward to every day optimistically and focus on what she can do to improve herself.
