4 Killer Tips--Hot Tricks to Finding Your Own Wholesale and Drop Ship Sources

Written by Strand Davis Wednesday, 08 June 2011 10:25

People in the business know just how valuable finding the right drop ship eBay products suppliers can be. What you want and need is to be able to discover your own reliable home business product sourcing so that you can have the profits you deserve, but this can only work with legitimate drop shippers and knowing how to identify true wholesale businesses. You owe it to yourself to be on the vanguard of product supply.

People in the business know just how valuable finding the right drop ship eBay products suppliers can be. What you want and need is to be able to discover your own reliable home business product sourcing so that you can have the profits you deserve, but this can only work with legitimate drop shippers and knowing how to identify true wholesale businesses. You owe it to yourself to be on the vanguard of product supply.

If you are just starting out, prepare yourself for a trip that will hand you the key to self-sufficiency finding your own reliable product suppliers. This article is not a plug for an online directory or another so-called definitive list of drop ship wholesalers. Although many of these products are very good, in the end you are left with your own capacity for solving problems, and I hope this article will help free you up from the problem of product sourcing.

Tip #1: Analyze Your Selling Environment What is a selling environment? The selling environment is where you will be putting your products up for sale. Each environment has its own kind of personality and characteristics. If you fail to understand this, you may never manage to make a profit. For example, eBay is a wholesale selling environment. Almost all of the products are already at or below wholesale price. An ecommerce site is a retail selling venue. If you try to sell an item at retail pricing on eBay, you will probably lose out to the competition underselling you. Your retail item will probably sell better on your ecommerce site, though of course, you do have to gauge your ecommerce competition.

Tip #2: Know the Difference Between True Wholesale and Bogus Wholesale A true wholesale business is licensed as a wholesaler and is legally obligated to require proof of your sales tax permit. In some states this referred to as a resale certificate. A sales tax permit is provided by your state is usually very easy to apply for and receive and is usually free. Don't be intimidated by the notion of a business license or having to communicate with a state agency. Chances are, you can register for this online and have it in your hands in a few days. Any business that does not require a sales tax permit is not a true wholesale business.

Now, many businesses selling low-cost products are not wholesalers, but that does not mean they are not legitimate. Some businesses sell liquidated stock while others sell surplus items of one sort or another. There are so many kinds of businesses selling cheap goods that I can't list them all. My point is that a legitimate wholesaler is one specific type of product supplier and in order to purchase you would be required to show proof of a sales tax permit. Some businesses like to broadcast that they have wholesale prices, but wholesale prices are really just whatever prices a legitimate wholesaler happens to be charging.

Tip #3: Where We Cut to the Chase Let's talk about finding your own wholesale distributors. Many people want to know if they really need to join an online wholesale directory membership in order to find suppliers. While some of these memberships are very good (I'm a member of two), it isn't necessary. Yes, some of these directories can lead you to product sourcing "paradise," but in order to be self sufficient, you need to know how to do this for yourself. We will help you get started, and in a moment you'll be finding your own supplier for eBay, ecommerce, flea markets, and for just about any other kind of selling situation.

This is just a sampling, but I believe you will find more product suppliers than you will know what to do with: (1) The Google Directory. Google "wholesale trade" and that will open the doors to many wholesaler. (2) The DMOZ directory. Search "wholesale" + the name of the product you want to sell. (3) The Thomas Register. This is available at your library, but you can also search at thomasnet.com. (4) Thomas Publishing at thomasglobla.com. (5) Legitimate Wholesale at legitimatewholesale.com. Last, try Proproductsourcing.com. Not a directory but a product supply resource for much helpful information.

This is just a short article, and I am unable to cover all of the ground, but this really will give you contact information for well over 1000 product suppliers. It is easy to become addicted to hunting down product supply sources and always be seeking the next best list. The fact is the best list will always be the list you come up with on your own.

Tip #4: Trade Shows Some of your best wholesale drop ship leads will come from the contacts you develop by attending trade shows for those product lines of interest to you. How do you find trade shows? Locally, you will get this information from your Chamber of Commerce, local newspapers and possible even a local branch of the Small Business Administration. You can also do a search online by searching for, "trade show" or "trade shows" as your search terms. Also, be sure to add the name of your state of regional area to the search term. Here is resource to get you started: BAO Link at baolink.com.

Earlier in this article I mentioned online memberships. Many people starting out spend a great deal of time trying to figure out if they should sign up for one of these directories. Ultimately, this is a personal decision. I am a member of two such memberships that are very different but both quite good. One was free when I joined and the other had a one-time fee. Both were learning experiences. In hindsight, neither was necessary, but I have never regretted joining and have learned from both. If you decide to sign up with a membership, I suggest choosing one with an active member forum as the opportunity to network can be invaluable.

There is really no reason you can't position yourself on the leading edge of drop ship and wholesale product supply. You deserve it, your business deserves it.