What It Takes To Scale a 3PL With Krushna Patel From Awesome Solutions - Unboxing Logistics Ep. 90

From dabbling in ecommerce as a teen to running a 3PL today, Krushna Patel, CEO at Awesome Solutions, has spent years building businesses—and he’s learned a lot about what sets the successful ones apart.In this Unboxing Logistics episode, he sits down with Lori Boyer to discuss how he discovered the world of fulfillment, his advice for those hoping to follow the same path, and what a thriving 3PL looks like behind the scenes.The secret to successful entrepreneurshipKrushna’s advice to prospective founders comes in two parts: start small, and think long-term.He explains, “There are ways to do everything at a smaller scale to test it out, get proof of concept. I think people spend too much time trying to get their version one to become the best final product ever. It's not going to be that way.”When making business goals, Krushna recommends looking to the future. “I'm setting a five-year horizon of what I want the company to look like, and then I'll shrink it down into a three-year, into a one-year, and then … monthly.”Why communication is criticalWhen asked what every 3PL should be doing from day one, Krushna answers without hesitation: “I would focus very much on communication.”He goes on to say that with so many 3PLs competing for clients, great communication is a huge differentiator. “The ones that show [they’re] reliable, [they’re] with you when you scale, that makes a huge difference. Because nobody wants to have an issue and then talk to an AI agent.”While Krushna acknowledges that simple requests can be automated with AI, he strongly believes that shippers should always have access to a human to discuss more complex issues.Clients want shipping flexibilityWhen it comes to shipping, Krushna emphasizes that flexibility is a must. 3PLs work with a wide range of clients—and each of them wants specific services. To cater to each shipper’s needs, 3PLs should offer a carrier portfolio with plenty of options.In Krushna’s words, “You want to have your net cast wide enough [to] have those different service levels for each client's requirements.”LinksConnect with Krushna on LinkedInVisit Awesome Solutions’ website