Every founder starts out packing their own orders. It's the right call at first — it's cheap, and you learn how your product ships. But there's a point where doing it yourself quietly starts costing you more than a 3PL would. Here's how to know you've reached it.

The signs you've outgrown DIY fulfilment

A few signs show up again and again. Your home or office has been taken over by stock and shipping supplies. You're spending 10 to 20 hours a week picking, packing and queuing at the post office. You're turning down growth — sales, campaigns, wholesale — because you can't physically pack more. Customer complaints about slow dispatch are creeping in. And you've started calculating everything in packing hours. If that sounds familiar, you've outgrown doing it yourself.

Why around 200 orders a month is the tipping point

At roughly 200 orders a month, fulfilment stops being a side task and becomes a part-time job. It's the point where the time you spend packing is worth more invested back in the business — and where a 3PL's per-order cost is usually lower than the true cost of doing it yourself. It's also the volume at which a good 3PL can take you on. Sendi works with brands from 200 orders a month, so you can make the switch at exactly the right time.

The switch is easier than you think

The fear is downtime. In practice, a good 3PL handles the transition for you — you ship your stock in, they connect to your store, and fulfilment carries on. Most brands don't miss an order. If you're around that 200-order mark and drowning in packing, get a free quote from Sendi.