How can I locate wholesale suppliers for my new retail business?
Answer:
There are several ways you can locate wholesale suppliers. One of the best ways is to attend trade shows for your industry. Virtually every industry hosts trade shows throughout the year. Visit the tradeshow network at http://www.tsnn.com for a good directory of events.
Along the line of trade shows, you can also check out trade associations for your industry. For example, if you want to sell specialty coffee, you can join a coffee trade association. These associations typically publish newsletters that list vendors and other resources for people in the industry, not to mention great networking opportunities. To locate associations, try an internet search with the following combinations:
trade
association (industry)
association (industry)
resources (industry)
An internet
search is also a great way to find
wholesale suppliers. For example, you
can search for:
wholesale (industry)
supplies (industry)
resources (industry)
distributor (industry)
Finally, you can also contact vendors directly. For example, I own a bookstore and we sell unique gifts and greeting cards. I always have my eye out for interesting products whenever I’m out shopping in a new city. When I come across something interesting in a gift shop, such as a neat line of bookmarks, I buy one and then get in touch with the company listed on the label. Sometimes the company sells at wholesale directly, or they may refer you to their distributor.
Once you make contact with a few vendors, you might be surprised by the number of catalogs you start to receive! You should end up on a variety of mailing lists and soon you’ll have your choice of all kinds of products.
