Instructions for Finding Wholesale Suppliers

Opening retail or service business? Looking to shape relationships with wholesale suppliers? There are currently 300,000 companies in the U.S. wholesale distribution business, so as you can imagine, finding and forming trusted relationships with wholesaler’s takes time and research.

Here are some instructions for finding wholesale computers, and best practices for entering into agreements with them.

The Wholesale Business

The extensive industry is big and highly disjointed, with 50 of the largest distributors generating 25 percent of manufacturing income. Wholesalers supply retailers and other service businesses through a diversity of distribution channels and provide chains. At the top of the chain are manufacturers (including importers or limited distributors – who also sell to wholesalers). Next are wholesalers or local distributors (who distribute the goods nearby) and brokers/jobbers (who carry goods to local small businesses such as sovereign produce stores).

It’s All about Volume

The wholesale business is quantity-centric. The more you can buy, the lower wholesale prices become, and the greater your profits are as a result. So as a new small business, it’s doubtful that you’ll be able to talk relationships from a high-volume wholesaler, simply since your sales volume won’t yet hold buying in any kind of volume. Smaller wholesalers will sell and ship to small businesses, and as you move on and your sales augment, you’ll be capable to graduate up the supply chain to talk higher volumes and lower rates.

Researching and Finding Wholesalers

Finding wholesalers takes time, but there are figures of best practices you can use to help your research efforts:

Search the Internet –investigate for wholesalers by product to help you locate local suppliers (this will bring up countrywide suppliers), then add your zip code to the search so that your results are confined to a small area. You can also search Yellow Pages and online associations, deal directories, or wholesale directories such as Wholesale Central or Wholesale Network.

Trade Shows – Trade shows are huge venues for finding wholesalers if you’ve got the finances and the time. Trade show directories such as TSNN and 10 times can help you locate events by industry and location. 

Trade Magazines – Check out the ads and classifieds for wholesalers in your manufacturing.

Ask Around – It might not be suitable to ask your competitors where they basis their inventory from, but ask around if you are out of town presents a local business networking event (Chamber of Commerce, Small Business Development Center, etc.).

Talk to Brand Manufacturers - Brand manufacturers sometimes sell extensive, but usually only in high volume. However, they might be able to pass on you to wholesalers or distributors that will sell to small businesses.

The Wholesale Concurrence

Now that you’ve originate your supplier, do your owing industry. Ask about quantity discounts, return policies, and order processing time. Before you sign any accord, be prepared to talk pricing terms, bare minimum order quantities, escape schedules, etc. Add this harmony to the terms, and think having a lawyer review it before signing.