Front Office Football Central - View Single Post - From beginning to end : Starting my own business

Mustang · 07-23-2009, 11:05 AM

Supply / Inventory :

Another one of those things I was researching for 2 weeks prior. If you are doing a business, good chance you are selling something. And if you are getting something to sell, chances are you are getting it wholesale. Quite honestly, beyond this, when I started doing the research into this, I had some slight ideas of how to get this information, but nothing concrete. People that are in the business are a little hesitant to give out this information with reason. 'Hey, I want to get into this business, where do you get your stuff?' That doesn't work too well. You might as well go up to them and go, "Hey, I want to be your competition and put you out of business, could you tell me how to stock up so I can achieve this goal?"

My searches basically began with going to the actual producers of the item and inquiring who did the distribution. I've found that some do their own distribution and others had a list that they dealt with. It will definitely not be a one stop ordering place and more than likely, I will be dealing with multiple sources to place orders. (Not unexpected). I have also found out that each place has it's own order levels, discount, product availability, manufacturers and rules. Some even setup you up with a generic line of their items, but I'm not sure I want to go that route. Seems most of this lines are flooded with donkey material. (unsellable stuff... not porn donkeys)

So, I have the basic parameters about what I need to do for most of what I want to carry. I've tabled it for the time being because I really can't do any setups or ordering until I have a lease in hand. The vast majority of wholesalers I've found won't even touch you if you do online only and if they will work with you, I've found that the supply and ordering points are prohibitive. For example, one place required a $5K upfront order and $1K every month after that for an online only store. If you did online and had a store, it was $1K order with no minimums after that. $17K/year vs $1K/year, that is HUGE. And that is one product line. Granted, that is an extreme example of one. Most require no initial order or at most $2K.

07-23-2009, 11:05 AM	#16
Mustang Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Wisconsin	Supply / Inventory : Another one of those things I was researching for 2 weeks prior. If you are doing a business, good chance you are selling something. And if you are getting something to sell, chances are you are getting it wholesale. Quite honestly, beyond this, when I started doing the research into this, I had some slight ideas of how to get this information, but nothing concrete. People that are in the business are a little hesitant to give out this information with reason. 'Hey, I want to get into this business, where do you get your stuff?' That doesn't work too well. You might as well go up to them and go, "Hey, I want to be your competition and put you out of business, could you tell me how to stock up so I can achieve this goal?" My searches basically began with going to the actual producers of the item and inquiring who did the distribution. I've found that some do their own distribution and others had a list that they dealt with. It will definitely not be a one stop ordering place and more than likely, I will be dealing with multiple sources to place orders. (Not unexpected). I have also found out that each place has it's own order levels, discount, product availability, manufacturers and rules. Some even setup you up with a generic line of their items, but I'm not sure I want to go that route. Seems most of this lines are flooded with donkey material. (unsellable stuff... not porn donkeys) So, I have the basic parameters about what I need to do for most of what I want to carry. I've tabled it for the time being because I really can't do any setups or ordering until I have a lease in hand. The vast majority of wholesalers I've found won't even touch you if you do online only and if they will work with you, I've found that the supply and ordering points are prohibitive. For example, one place required a $5K upfront order and $1K every month after that for an online only store. If you did online and had a store, it was $1K order with no minimums after that. $17K/year vs $1K/year, that is HUGE. And that is one product line. Granted, that is an extreme example of one. Most require no initial order or at most $2K. __________________ You, you will regret what you have done this day. I will make you regret ever being born. Your going to wish you never left your mothers womb, where it was warm and safe... and wet. i am going to show you pain you never knew existed, you are going to see a whole new spectrum of pain, like a Rainboooow. But! This rainbow is not just like any other rainbow, its...