If your interested in setting up your own retail business, be it online or offline, you will need to find a good wholesaler or dropshipper. Finding the right wholesaler will make all the difference to your business as being able to have a constant source of good quality stock at low prices could be the difference between success and failure. Have you ever looked at wholesale lists and found that the price is no different to what you would pay in a normal shop? Do you wonder how people on eBay make money when they sell products so cheaply? Well read on and I will tell you the best way to go about sourcing stock from a wholesaler.
The best place to start is to go directly to the manufacturer of the product that you want to sell. When you first start out in business it is unlikely that you will be able to buy direct from the manufacturer, but the important thing is that they will be able to advise you who are their official distributors, wholesalers and dropshippers. By doing this you can go direct to the official distributor rather than buy from a middle man who claims to be a wholesaler but is only purchasing from the distributor.
When dealing with wholesalers and dropshippers you will get the best results if you visit their premises in person. Do not expect to be able to view a catalogue online and order without any human contact. Most genuine wholesale businesses do not even have a website. It is important to build up a good relationship with your wholesaler. This will ensure that you get the best deals. If you can't meat them in person then at least correspond over the phone rather than email.
If your looking for discount products that are maybe 'end of line' or out of season then their are a few tactics you can try. Approach the head office of a big department store and find out what they do with these kind of products. Many will sell to specific wholesalers but if you can be persistent and find a contact at the store it is possible to start purchasing from them. Also visiting liquidation auctions can be a usefull way of making contacts. Buying some stock like this from a company whose products you want to stock will allow you to gain a contact with that company. In the future they will be likely to contact you to buy the stock before it goes to auction.
With these handy hints you will be well on your way to finding the right wholesaler or dropshipper and thus making your new business a success.
Tina Banks writes for http://www.wholesaleadvice.com