Almost every person who has their own business is faced with the problem of how to find a supplier. After all, today there are a fairly large number of different companies that produce products in almost every field, and among all you need to choose the one that can provide not only high-quality goods, but also will do it on the most favorable terms.
Categories
All suppliers are divided into two main categories - these are distributors and manufacturers. Understanding how to find a supplier, you should immediately remember that in this case, manufacturers are engaged in the direct manufacture of products, and distributors, in fact, are standard resellers selling the manufacturer’s goods on their own.
What's better?
It is natural that it is best to work directly with the manufacturer himself, as this is much more profitable and reliable. Do not forget that even among domestic companies you can find a lot of manufacturers of really high-quality products in almost every area, ranging from representatives of medium and small businesses to fairly large enterprises.
Every person who once knew how to find a supplier knows that manufacturers provide much more reliable cooperation, as well as a better price compared to various distributors. It would seem that everything is simple - it is enough to contact the manufacturer directly and work with him, but in fact, if everything was so, the distribution business would not exist. The thing is that in the overwhelming majority of cases, manufacturers do not work with small stores, which, from the point of view of industrial volumes, will make too small orders. That is why the problem arises in how to find a supplier.
The conditions that a store must meet if it wants to work with a distributor are an order of magnitude smaller compared to what conditions the manufacturer of the products makes himself.
Features of working with distributors
Often, working with distributors is distinguished by its flexibility and simplicity of conditions, but at the same time, the cost of their products is much higher. Distributors do not much sort out the volume of orders and work with almost any company. At the same time, they have cooperation with several manufacturers at the same time. Thanks to which they can offer their customers a good assortment. In some cases, certain delays in deliveries are possible, as well as the possibility of obtaining up-to-date information on the availability of a particular product, as well as the release of various new products, because initially the manufacturer should provide this information to the distributor.
Possible schemes of work
Trying to figure out where to find suppliers, you need to understand which scheme you are going to work on. In particular, there are only three main ones:
- work with your own warehouse;
- Dropshipping, which provides for the sale of goods without a warehouse;
- combined option, which provides for the sale of goods with its own warehouse.
You should choose the most suitable system for you, depending on what kind of products you are going to trade, as well as how the goods will be delivered to customers.
With own warehouse
If we are talking about a starting store, then in this case you can use this scheme if you are going to sell small-sized products that will not take up a large amount of space. In the process of growth of your store, it will be possible to further expand the area and subsequently already place large deliveries of goods there. You just need to figure out how to find a supplier from China or another country you need, and then sell its products from your own warehouse.
If you will have your own warehouse, then in this case you can always get the most complete information regarding the availability of goods, as well as their quantity in stock. If your warehouse is additionally equipped with a specialized showroom, then in this case you will have the opportunity to show your product in advance to a potential buyer even before it is purchased. The delivery speed will be extremely high, because you can immediately send your order to your buyer directly from your warehouse, and you won’t have to wait until it is delivered from some other warehouse.
disadvantages
Of course, there are certain shortcomings in the process of working under this scheme. In particular, this concerns the fact that you will have to deal independently with all issues of maintenance, security, and supply of the warehouse. At the same time, any products that will remain unsold for a long time will be a direct freeze of your financial assets. Also, you will not have the opportunity to start with small batches of goods, as a result of which you will need to have a solid initial capital.
Without own warehouse
In this case, the costs are an order of magnitude smaller, that is, you can start your own store much faster, without investing a lot of money in it. You just need to find a reliable supplier who agrees to work on such a system, and then start selling. In the vast majority of cases, companies even work with those stores that are not originally going to buy large quantities of goods, although not all adhere to this vision.
At the same time, you should understand that in this case there is an order of magnitude longer delivery time, and you will have to constantly update whether there is a certain product in the supplier’s warehouse, because there is always a chance that the goods you have they will order, the company will not be available, as a result of which the waiting time will be significantly delayed. Among other things, do not forget about such a thing as the human factor, because the more links there are in the supply chain, the greater the chance that this or that error will pop up somewhere.
In the predominant majority of cases, this scheme is used only at the first time of operation. In this case, you are working out in detail all kinds of mechanisms of your own business, and after everything acquires a certain clarity, you already begin to gradually switch to operating your own warehouse.
Combined Option
Combining both schemes, for example, you can keep the most popular goods in your own warehouse in order to deliver them to the buyer in the shortest possible time, and deliver those that are sold less efficiently through the supplier’s warehouse.
Domestic suppliers
In fact, there is nothing difficult in finding a domestic supplier, while there is no difference in what you are looking for, since you can find suppliers of clothes or any other product using search engines or all kinds of catalogs.You always have the opportunity to maximally clarify your search criteria in order to ultimately find exactly those companies that will work with your region, as well as to eliminate in advance those conditions which are unacceptable to you.
It is also possible to use the services of specialized companies that are engaged in professional search for suppliers. Due to the fact that the number of offers has increased significantly in almost every field lately, this service is quite relevant if you do not want to spend several weeks or even months searching.
Among other things, you can attend all kinds of exhibitions or meetings of entrepreneurs on certain products, since finding suppliers for the store there is also quite simple. This option is the most profitable among all for the reason that you can personally find out your supplier, because it has already been proven many times that personal contact allows you to quickly build trusting relationships between partners.
What are the benefits?
Working with a domestic supplier, you significantly accelerate the possible workflow, as well as reduce transportation costs. At the same time, it is worth noting the fact that in the predominant majority of cases, the certification is undertaken directly by the supplier, and you will only need to verify all relevant documents. Delivery is many times faster, but there are much more options for mutual settlements. If necessary, you have the opportunity to visit the supplier yourself in order to solve certain issues or directly check the quality of the products supplied to you. This is especially true for those who want to find a supplier of products.
What are the disadvantages?
If we talk about what are the shortcomings of domestic products, as well as margins on imported goods, then due to the wide variety of choices, you can always find a supplier who will fully meet your needs regarding the conditions of cooperation, as well as the parameters of the products you need. .
Foreign suppliers
If we talk about foreign suppliers, then it’s more difficult to find them, since finding a supplier for an online store that has just recently started working is not as easy as it might seem at first glance. At exhibitions, people mostly prefer to cooperate with large stores, while through search engines or all kinds of sites you can find a supplier only if you speak the corresponding language.
