31. eStore Logistics

Founders: Leigh Williams

Revenue: $640,897

Started: 2009

Employees: 9

Industry: Transport and logistics

Website: https://www.estorelogistics.com.au

Based in Victoria, eStore Logistics provides end-to-end third party logistics services to both online and offline businesses including freight forwarding, warehousing, order fulfillment, distribution and inventory management services.

The business was founded in 2009 by IT graduate Leigh Williams, who saw an opportunity to fill a gap in the logisitics industry based on his own exposure to it.

“When I was working in my graduate job at IBM, I was selling imported goods on eBay. It got to the point whereby I was working in my job for 10 hours per day and having to get up at 4.30am every morning before work to pick up and pack eBay orders and send them out to my customers,” Williams says.

“I searched around for a company that was specialised in logistics for online-based consumer orders. However, all of the big logistics companies’ systems and processes were geared toward fulfilling large orders to retail stores.”

Williams uncovered articles describing the issues plaguing online retailers with regard to their logisitics functions.

“Logistics is an IT-driven industry, which relies heavily on IT systems and processes. I was able to use the knowledge and experience that I had gained from studying IT and business at uni, and from working in IT and business at both Accenture and IBM,” he says.

In the start-up phase of his own logistics company, Williams says he had to convince online retailers that his method and formula would reduce costs while still carrying out quality services.

“In my clients’ minds, outsourcing or moving their business to the start-up known as eStore Logistics was a massive risk,” he says.

“I quickly learnt that instead of bidding for 100% of the business, I should bid for smaller parts of the business in order to prove the eStore Logistics model and build trust in the business.”

Williams’ plan appears to have worked, with nine staff now on board and $640,897 in revenue in the last financial year.

“I have taken on an industry which is yet to innovate and adapt to the changing retail environment where online retail is growing very fast. It’s amazing that this gap in the market has been left wide open for me to come along and exploit,” he says.

eStore Logistics is growing very fast and expanding into larger facilities in order to keep up with demand for services. As a result the company is on track for $1,300,00 revenue in FY2010/2011 and project revenues to be over $3,400,000 in FY2011/2012 with the growth in online retail and the unique services eStore Logistics provides.