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| How to Find Wholesale Sources
for your Product |
Any seller serious about creating a long-lasting profitable
business will realize the importance of finding a good
wholesale source.
Unfortunately, it isn't the super-quick task most
people would like it to be. Wholesalers aren't exactly
squabbling over sellers; indeed, most don't make any
effort at all to attract small to medium size businesses.
Why? Because they are doing just fine selling to large
retail stores with multi-million dollar orders.
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So how does anyone find a good wholesaler then? The
key is to do a lot of research. Begin with keyword searches
in search engines using 'wholesale' in front of or after
the name of the product you are looking for. Remember
that there is usually more than one way of referring
to a product. While you may be searching for 'throws',
the wholesaler may be listing them as 'blankets', 'covers',
and 'home décor blankets'. Or they may even refer
to them by the name of the fabric they are made out
of.
Ebay can provide some fabulous wholesale buys also.
In fact, there is an entire category dedicated solely
to wholesale lots! Just search for the product you
are looking for with the keyword 'wholesale' or 'lot'
in the search string.
If you still can't find what you are looking for,
then try an online wholesale directory. Directories
take a lot of the leg work out of finding suppliers.
Good directories will thoroughly research all the
contacts they recommend, removing the risk that you'll
end up dealing with a fraudster. While directories
don't automatically point you to the best supplier
with the lowest prices for your item, it will give
you a starting point.
Another way of finding wholesale suppliers is by
contacting the manufacturer directly for the product
you are interested in selling and asking them who
their wholesale distributors are. This is a slightly
scary option (particularly if the manufacturer is
in a non-English speaking country!), but it can be
extremely beneficial in the long term.
If you live in a big city, tradeshows are possibly
one of the best ways to make wholesale contacts. A
trade show is where related industries gather to showcase
their products to potential buyers. Trade shows are
not open to the general public, only to other businesses.
Not only can you sample the quality of the product
at a trade show, you can also talk directly to the
manufacturer or product creator! Just make sure you
come prepared and don't waste their time with questions
you could have found out by reading the brochure!
Finally, it's important to realize that most wholesalers
adjust the price per unit according to the order of
the quantity. For example, throws might be $10/unit
for an order of 15-30, $9/unit for 30-50, and so on.
This means that as a small business, you might not
be able to get the prices you were hoping for at first.
It also explains why eBay powersellers are sometimes
able to retail items for prices below your wholesale
price. Once again, this emphasizes the importance
of establishing a niche where there is less competition.
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