Ask the Collective

Should early-stage brands finance duty upfront or use regular warehousing to save costs?

Members strongly advise against financing duty in advance when starting out. This ties up cash that early-stage brands need for operational priorities, and is effectively paying tax ahead of schedule—most accountants would discourage it. For bonded warehousing, members recommend: - **Law Distribution** — based in St Helms, praised for strong value and reliability. Multiple members have been with them for 5–6 years since starting up. Contact Stan Moyser via LinkedIn, described as "a great fountain of knowledge." - **Tortuga** — offers an all-in-one model handling storage under bond, order management, deliveries, and invoicing for a relatively low monthly cost, if you prefer integrated fulfillment. The consensus is that bonded storage is the right choice for new brands, but avoid the temptation to pay duty early.