biophase
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When I first started out in ecommerce an worked out of my home, I dropped all my packages off at a mailbox plus place. I got to know the owner well enough. First I would drop off a few boxes a week, then in was 2-3 boxes a day and pretty soon it was 20 boxes a day. I knew that he made $1 a box paid by the Fedex, UPS. He mainly made money on the monthly PO boxes.I hate this business as it lacks scale, unless you plan on competing in franchises. To me, it just seems like a bad job.
That said, my perspective is US-based... every time I find myself in one of these stores, I ask myself, "How the Fck does this place make money?"
One day after running my business for 2-3 years, I told him that I got my own warehouse so I wouldn't be seeing him anymore. A year later I pulled up in my Ferrari to drop off a few random boxes and I could see in his face a look of not quite jealousy, but one of I've been running this business for 10 years and this kid gets a Ferrari after 3 years? That's the power of scale.
He did open a second location about 20 miles away. A few years later I stopped by and he told me the landlord wanted a 5 year lease extension and he didn't want to commit to it. He said it wasn't worth it so he closed up shop. His location is now a vape store. If I had to guess I would say that he never pulled in over $50k a year.