Running Letaba’s Wooded Valley has been an exciting, often challenging, and always educational experience. And if you’ve been following my weekly updates, you’ll know I love sharing the behind-the-scenes of how I’m building and improving the brand. One of the most important (but often overlooked) parts of any e-commerce business is the supply chain. It’s what makes sure your products get from A to B smoothly, keeps customers happy, and ultimately helps you scale your business.

Today, I want to walk you through how I’ve been transforming supply chain management at Letaba’s Wooded Valley. So let’s start with the early days – back when I realised I didn’t actually have enough space in my house for my candle making hobby. Initially I would give these candles out to friends and family but then realised that I could sell them and then apply the lessons learnt to my actual real job…

When Inventory Management Almost Drove Me Crazy

After I had setup my online store, I thought the more inventory, the better. After all, who wants to run out of stock, right? But that strategy quickly backfired. I ended up with too much cash tied up in products that weren’t selling fast enough, did I mention the space it was taking up?

This was one of those “aha” moments where I leaned on my experience in supply chain and procurement. I implemented a more data-driven approach to track which products were moving and how quickly. I also set up automated stock alerts so I’d know exactly when to reorder the raw materials needed and although there is minimal stock in my spare room, I’ve moved a lot of the production to a make-to-order model. This way, I wasn’t overstocking but was still able to meet demand when things picked up.

Lesson here: Don’t overstock. Let your data tell you when to restock and how much to keep on hand. It’ll save you money and headaches in the long run.

Relationships Are Everything (Especially with Suppliers)

One of the best things I learned from my time working in procurement at Nando’s was that building great relationships with your suppliers is non-negotiable. Early on with my project, I made it a priority to partner with suppliers who understood what i was doing and why I was doing it – especially when it came to sustainability.

I reached out to suppliers of candle jars, essential oils, and packaging materials, making sure we were on the same page about quality, timelines, and even pricing. And, because we built such a solid relationship, they’ve been willing to supply me with raw materials at quantities below their MOQs.

Lesson learnt: Take the time to get to know your suppliers. Be transparent about your business goals, and don’t be afraid to negotiate. A good relationship with your suppliers can lead to better deals, more consistent product quality, and fewer supply chain issues down the line.

Why Technology Is Your Best Friend

Here’s something I didn’t fully appreciate at first: Technology can make or break your supply chain. I’m a big fan of excel so when I first started, I didn’t have the right tools in place to track every step of the process – from supplier shipments to customer deliveries. Let’s just say it led to a few stressful moments, especially because I often don’t have time to manually update my excel spreadsheets and customers where asking, “Where’s my order?”

This is also part of the reason why I decided to move from Woocommerce to Shopify, as well as signed on with a dedicated courier service. Now I can track everything in real time – from when a product leaves my supplier to when it’s on its way to a customer’s doorstep. The best part? Customers can track their orders too, which builds trust and keeps everyone in the loop.

Sustainability: Because It’s the Right Thing to Do

Letaba’s Wooded Valley was always going to be built on sustainable practices. That was a no-brainer for me. From day one, I’ve been focused on making sure everything from our packaging to our ingredients is eco-friendly. And that hasn’t always been easy – especially when balancing cost and availability.

But working with suppliers who share these values has made a world of difference. We’re constantly tweaking the process to be as green as possible, from reducing waste in packaging to cutting down on transportation emissions.

Getting Products to Customers – Fast

One of the easiest ways to keep customers happy is by getting their orders to them quickly and accurately. I’ve partnered with a reliable logistics providers and automated most of the fulfilment process, which has made a huge difference. Customers know when their orders are coming, and I can sleep better at night knowing that things are running smoothly.

I didn’t set out to build a supply chain department, this is still a project where I’m learning and applying the lessons learnt to my career but there has been a shift in mentality as I wanted to make sure Letaba’s Wooded Valley is running as smoothly and efficiently as possible. By staying on top of inventory, building great relationships with suppliers, leveraging technology, and focusing on sustainability, I’ve been able to create a supply chain that works for this project, not against it.

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about what I’m doing or if you want to chat about your own business. I’m here to help!