Product Sourcing Made Easy!
(5 Ways to Find Reliable Suppliers for Your Business)

From: Andrew Minalto  eBay PowerSeller  Registered TWF Seller  CEO of SpicyAuctionTemplates.com  Contact Me | FAQ

Hello & Welcome to the Easy Auction Business video newsletter!

I've been out for a little while, but now I'm back, and I'm stronger than ever. And as many of you already know, I became a Father just four weeks ago. My wife and I are now the proud parents of a baby daughter who we've named Charlotte :-)

Thank you to all of you who've sent greetings and cards, and special thanks to Clark for his very thoughtful gift. It really meant a lot to both of us.

But now it's time to get right back down to business!

It's time to have a serious talk about product sourcing. As I've gathered from your feedback, this is a topic that almost all of you are increasingly concerned about. This is a huge topic and most of you probably have already taken in more information about product sourcing than you can handle. But that's okay, because even so, I think that there are a few very important points that many of you are missing. A lot of you are probably spending too much time trying to find the perfect product, but you've become so particular about it that you can't even get started!

So it's time to get right back to the basics, my friends. Here are five foolproof ways that you can find a supplier for just about any kind of product you could want:

- Google
- Global Sources and Catalogues
- Alibaba
- Trade Directories
- Trade Shows

Now let's look at each one of these in a little more detail.

Google

This may seem obvious, but even if you are using Google, there's a good chance that you aren't using it to its full potential.

Assuming that you know what type of product you would like to sell, Google is generally the best place to start. Search for a targeted supplier that only deals in a few products. You aren't going to find some all in one supplier that has the best prices on everything from socks to flat screen TVs. This simply isn't going to happen.

Perform a targeted Google search depending on the type of products you want to sell. If you are working in fish aquariums search specifically for fish aquariums. If you are working in fencing guards, perform a targeted search on wholesale fencing guards. Here are a few tips that you can use to make sure that you are performing an efficient and targeted search:

	Search Phrases – Be as specific as you can possibly be with your search phrases. A good search phrase should include the product name, the product, group, the niche that you are working in, and the brand name. Always combine your search phrase with words like wholesaler, supplier, distributor, and wholesale. Otherwise you may just get retail results.
	Don't Stop Your Search on the First Page! - Sometimes the best suppliers aren't located on the first page in Google search results. Google isn't perfect and some suppliers' websites simply aren't optimized for search engines. You very well may find a great supplier on the third, fourth, or even fifth page of results!
	Local Google Sites – Yes, Google has special sites for even small geographic areas. If you know that a product you are looking for is made in a specific area, go to the regional Google site for this area. You will receive more targeted results.
	Google Images – Google images will allow you to find the products that you are looking for much faster. Simply type in the brand and model of the product you are looking for into Google images and click on the picture that you are looking for. On many occasions, this will take you to a supplier's web page. Bingo, you're in!
	Other Search Engines – Yes other search engines still exist, and they sometimes will actually come up with better results (although not always). Yahoo and Bing are the two most important alternate search engines to check out. Yahoo is actually really great for finding B2B sites located in the United States.

The moral of the story is that you should never underestimate the power of a simple Google search in finding you great products. You're probably not going to find the most amazing Asian suppliers on Google, but you will find most of the best suppliers in the US, UK and Europe!

Global Sources

Global Sources is perhaps the best kept secret in the world of product sourcing. This is probably the safest way to find suppliers of unbranded goods from Asia. Especially when you're looking for unbranded electronics, Global Sources is the place to go, although they also have some great non-electronic suppliers as well.

Here are some tips you should think about when using the Global Sources Website

1. Suppliers on Global Sources Are Almost Always Legit – Unlike almost any other sourcing website, Global Sources requires all of its suppliers to go through a rigorous screening process. Each supplier is given a different number of stars depending on the level of their verification. This means that you have an objective measure of each supplier's overall trustworthiness. In fact, I've NEVER heard of ANYONE getting scammed on GS. This doesn't mean that it's impossible, but I think that it is at the least very unlikely. This makes it a perfect place to start for finding unbranded goods from Asia.

2. Catalogues – Global Sources publishes an excellent monthly catalogue packed with verified suppliers and pictures of quality products available for wholesale. These catalogues are free, and they are basically an online retailer's paradise! You can receive their magazines either as PDFs or mailed directly to your door. Very professional.

3. Reports – Global Sources also offers comprehensive “Reports” that give you even more detailed information on particular industries, suppliers, and more. This is one of the best places to get exclusive detailed information including price comparison tables, inside reviews, and industry news. These reports are NOT FREE but essentially priceless.

Alibaba

Alibaba is the very biggest directory for unbranded Asian products. Unfortunately however, it also happens to be a scammer's paradise.

BUT, if you'll follow a few simple rules, you can find great suppliers on Alibaba and never get scammed.

First of all, never, ever, buy any branded products from suppliers located in China. This is simply impossible. If any supplier located in China says that they can sell you a branded product, they are lying. They will ship you fakes or low quality products, or maybe even nothing at all. Just don't do it. DVDs are also definitely off limits. If they are coming from China, they are pirated.

Secondly, verify your supplier by all possible means. Alibaba is just a directory, they do not actually verify the suppliers they list in any way. Build a relationship with a supplier slowly and don't get yourself into any situation where they can just run with your money!

Trade Directories

Sure, trade directories have their problems, but these problems have been more or less talked into the ground. If you're careful and know what you're doing, you can make good money working with suppliers that you find in trade directories. Let's take a look at a few of the most reliable trade directories:

	ESources – This is a subscription based service, but you can still see the first page of results without paying, and a lot of these suppliers can't be found on Google, especially if you're working in the UK market!
	Zentrada – This is another UK/EU directory that I've found very useful. The great thing about Zentrada is that they list seller's offers directly with the prices and terms laid out perfectly clearly on their website.
	TheTrader – Yes, this website is run by the same people as the famous UK trade magazine of the same name. It's free and has great pound shop type items for wholesale.
	Yahoo Directory – If you're looking for a US supplier, this is the place to go. It's free and it contains information about thousands of great suppliers.
	Yellow Pages (regional sites) – There are actually a lot of great suppliers that don't even have their own websites but nevertheless have listings in the regional yellow pages. If you are looking for a regional wholesaler this is THE PLACE to start. You'll find results that won't even show up in an intense Google search.

At the end of the day, you have plenty of options that you can look into, and you really should try them all if you want to make the most of your online retail businesses.

Trade Shows

This is becoming an increasingly under-tapped resource, mainly because people have become too lazy to step outdoors and move beyond their computer screens to look for suppliers. Luckily however, this also makes trade shows an excellent resource for finding products that are difficult to find anywhere else.

Trade shows are almost always open to the general public, so you can easily find new products in the UK by attending.

The following website has a lot of great information about trade shows in the UK: exhibitions.co.uk
You can find similar trade show directories online for almost any other country.

Conclusions

I could easily go on for days and days about this topic, but what I've given you today is the most important information for you to know to begin your search for suppliers. My best advice at this point is NOT TO OVERCOMPLICATE things. The sourcing process is actually much simpler than you'd think. You don't have to invent anything new here. Just follow the advice that I've given you, and you'll do fine.

All right, that's all for now. But in two weeks I'll show you how to get a great looking professional online store front for less than fifty quid a pop! Don’t believe me? You got to see it!

As always – feel free to send in any comments or suggestions!

Until Next Time,

Have a Question? Click Here!

About the Author Andrew Minalto is founder and CEO of the Web's largest auction templates company SpicyAuctionTemplates.com. Andrew runs successful information publishing business as well as an eBay store and an online retail store. At the age of just 23 he has achieved a phenomenal success in selling both physical and information products online. Hard work and belief in his dreams enabled him to leave a dusty Dublin warehouse in winter 2006 to go full-time online. The recently launched EasyAuctionBusiness.com website is dedicated for all people trying to achieve financial freedom or just to make some extra money by selling on eBay.co.uk

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