Finding a Direct Manufacturer
Buying supplies from a direct manufacturer will be greatly beneficial to your business. With a direct manufacturer, you know who exactly who is responsible for the quality of your wholesale products. It’s also a given that you’ll get the best price when you buy from the factory.
Direct Supplier
There are thousands of online distributors and wholesalers that are claiming to be source manufacturers. Most so-called manufacturers are actually middle men who import or buy from the source manufacturers. These are still legitimate businesses; they only use the manufacturer label to make it seem like they are the best source for their kind of products. This is a technique they use to expand their consumer base.
These distributors can give you favorable prices without requiring you to invest a lot in your inventory. These distributors are therefore a viable option if you don’t have a lot of starting capital.
However, if you do have capital, then it would be much better for your balance sheet if you were to buy directly from the manufacturers. For instance, if you are selling sarongs, jewelry, kaftans, and other fashion accessories online, it would be much better if you can find a factory-price supplier. This would reduce your overhead to more manageable levels. You can thus knock your retail prices down and thereby gain a competitive advantage in your industry.
Considering the Product
Aside from price and volume requirements, you need to consider the quality and craftsmanship of the items you’re thinking of buying. For instance, if you are buying necklaces and other jewelry items, you have to check if you’re getting genuine items. It wouldn’t be good for your business reputation to be caught selling substandard or fake jewelry. Your customers are bound to complain and tell their friends about the low-quality jewelry that you’re selling.
It would also be much better for your business if you are able to offer not only quality but also variety. This is especially true in garments and jewelry retail. People’s tastes in clothing, jewelry and fashion accessories are greatly eclectic and you want to be able to cater to all your customers’ varying preferences. Furthermore, if you have variety in your catalog, you’d become the favorite merchant of online jewelry, clothing and fashion accessory shoppers.
In a nutshell, if you’re considering selling anything online, you have to find a direct manufacturer or a direct exporter of your products so you can be assured of low prices. Furthermore, you have to find a direct manufacturer that can give you quality products that would build your own credibility in the wholesale or retail business.