Every entrepreneur's dream: double your revenue without doubling your costs. In traditional retail, growth almost automatically meant more staff. But in e-commerce, if you automate smartly, you can scale without an army of employees.
The Problem with Linear Growth
For many Bol.com sellers, the workload grows linearly with revenue. Twice as many orders = twice as much work. This means:
- Longer workdays
- More stress and errors
- Eventually: staff needed
- Higher costs, lower margins
Hiring staff sounds like a logical step, but brings challenges: salaries, vacation days, sick leave, training, management. Your profit margin takes a significant hit.
The Power of Automation
With automation, you break the linear relationship between revenue and workload. Whether you process 50 or 500 orders per day, the system handles them the same way.
What Can You Automate?
Order Management
Automatically import, process, and confirm orders. No more manual copying.
Inventory
Real-time synchronization across all channels. No spreadsheets to update.
Shipments
Automatic shipping confirmations with track & trace. Immediately after shipping, not at the end of the day.
Returns
Streamlined return processing with automatic inventory adjustments.
The Real Cost of Staff
- Salary: €2,500-3,500/month gross
- Employer costs: +25-30%
- Training and onboarding time
- Management overhead
- Vacation and sick leave coverage
Total: €40,000-60,000 per year per FTE
The Calculation
Let's make a realistic comparison:
Option A: Hire Staff
- 1 FTE for order management: €50,000/year
- Training and management: 10% of your time
- Risk with illness or departure
Option B: Automate
- Software costs: €500-1,500/year
- Setup time: a few hours
- Works 24/7, no sick leave, no vacation
The choice seems obvious, yet many entrepreneurs choose staff because they find automation "too technical" or "too impersonal." In reality, good automation is actually very accessible.
When Do You Need Staff?
Automation is not a replacement for all human tasks. You do need people for:
- Physical work: Packing, shipping, inventory management
- Customer service: Complex questions and complaints
- Strategy: Product development, marketing, growth plans
But administrative order work? A computer can do that faster, error-free, and cheaper than a human.
The Path to Scalable Growth
- Automate first: Eliminate manual work where possible
- Optimize processes: Make workflows more efficient
- Grow your revenue: Same effort, more results
- Invest profits wisely: In growth, not in overhead
"We grew from 50 to 300 orders per day. Without automation, I would have needed 4 people. Now I still do it alone, with help only for packing."
Ready to Scale?
Automate your order management and grow without additional staff.
