The $500 choice between a walk-in cooler and a second delivery van

My shop hit a point last spring where we had to pick: invest in a bigger walk-in cooler for more stock, or get a second van for faster deliveries. The cooler was about $500 more upfront. I went with the cooler, thinking better product would beat faster trips. For the first three months, it was a pain because we were turning down rush orders we couldn't reach in time. But by summer, having those extra peonies and specialty greens on hand let us book five big wedding contracts we would have missed. The cash from those jobs paid for the van six months later anyway. Anyone else face a storage versus logistics crunch and how did you solve it?

3 comments

3 Comments

bell.jessica9d ago

Wait, you got a whole walk-in cooler for just $500 more than a van? How is that even possible? Those things are usually way more expensive. Tbh that price difference alone makes your choice seem like a no brainer. Honestly shocked it was that close, good call waiting it out for the bigger jobs.

thomas.eva9d ago

But those lost rush orders could have sunk you.

-1

parker_hall59d ago

Yeah the "could have sunk you" part is real. Chasing those small rush jobs burns you out and ties up cash. Waiting for the right big jobs is how you actually build something.