Friday, July 6, 2007

The 7 Ways to find the Best Wholesale Sources.

Wholesale sources are a lot easier to find then everyone makes it seem. Just because people sell lists and offer advice, does not mean you cannot find the sources yourself. Not only will finding the sources yourself save you money, it could give you the most quality, unique, and lesser known sources that will provide you with a better product and selling opportunity.

  1. Newspaper Classifieds Newspapers have many great sources as well. Be sure to not only look in the classifieds, but also look at the ads all over that you usually just ignore. Also, be sure to search several newspapers and not just one.
  2. Retail Stores

    Many retail stores such as Macys and Sears have closeout sales where you can find great deals. They only have a limited space to work with, and when a new shipment or new model of products arrives, they must get rid of these closeout products as soon as possible. You can expect to save 50-80% on various items. Staying current with the sales and arriving when they first start as early as possible is the key to success.

  3. Auction sites Auction site such as eBay and Liquidation.com have many great auctions for bulk supplies of a wide range of products. The great thing about getting your wholesale supplies from auction sites virtually gaurantees you a unique lot of supplies which will drastically reduce the number of competitors you have. As with all auction sites, be sure you deal with reputable people and carefully read the product terms and details.
  4. The Phonebook The phonebook is another great place to find unique sources. Remember, the more unique your source is, the less competitors you will have. Also, since your phonebook only deals with local suppliers, you will save a lot on shipping, or might even be able to pick up the supplies on your own, which will save you money and will give you the chance to personally inspect the products prior to purchase. Don't have a yellowbook? You can conveniently find basically the same information at www.yellowpages.com
  5. Government Auctions Everyone knows that government auctions are a great source for wholesale supplies, yet many people are confused on how to go about finding them. First, I would suggest using Google to search "(Your County) Surplus Auction". This will usually direct you to your County's government auction sale. If not, go to your township or county website and take five minutes to search for information. Five minutes is all it will take, but many people just refuse to look. Then, make sure you look in local papers for government sales too. Remember, they usually only post in one paper, so you must search through several until you find the right paper with the government auction posting. If you put in about 30 minutes, you can get all the information you need about your local government auctions. Be sure to get the information from your local government's actual website, not some third party website.
  6. Wholesale Directories There are a few wholesale directories online. Sources such as Wholesale Checklist are of quality because they do not take money for placement, hand picking out quality resources to be listed. Many other directories are great places to start searching for wholesale sources too.
  7. Search Engines Search engines are probably the worst place to look for wholesale sources, yet you cannot neglect them. First of all, if you find a source on a search engine, chances are thousands upon thousands of other people have found that source as well. This means many competitors are against you. Also, there are many scams on the internet, and search engines cannot weed them out for you. If you have a very, very specific need for a source, then a search engine might be okay, but do not rely only on search engines.

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Monday, July 2, 2007

10 Business Oriented Service Businesses To Start Today

Business-Plan Consulting
Not only is a business plan crucial in obtaining bank financing, but also it's an invaluable tool for anticipating and tackling a business's inevitable ups and downs. With your writing skills, spreadsheet know-how, and general business savvy, show clients how to present their best-laid plans

Packing and Unpacking Service
Packing up to move to a new home or office not to mention unpacking on the other end is enough to leave one feeling upended. Thank goodness for packing and unpacking entrepreneurs who, with their hassle - and timesaving services, make moving seem so easy.

Specialized Staffing
Helping clients meet their workforce needs is a matter of finding a niche and filling it--and keeping up with human resources trends. Work your way up in the industry by developing a roster of specially skilled workers, then use your "people skills" to build your business.

Bookkeeping
Though today's software makes keeping your own books easier, it doesn't make it much less time-consuming. That's why, for business owners with little time to spare; a bookkeeping service is not only a time-saver, but also an asset.

Referral Service
For referral-service entrepreneurs who act as a "welcome wagon" to newcomers getting to know new as well as existing businesses pays off in more ways than one. Local companies pay to get their services introduced to newcomers, while these new customers pay for a little friendly advice.

Executive Search
Take your business to a "hire" level: As an executive-search specialist, help busy clients find the right man / woman for the job. Your job involves placing ads and conducting interviews to screen potential employees for clients. Put on your best interviewing suit, and get down to business.

Long-Distance Reselling
By buying time in bulk from wholesalers, long-distance resellers ring up sales by servicing long-distance consumers--often at significant savings. You make the call: Either purchases the telecommunications equipment you'll need now, or rent it and simply focus on the marketing of your service.

Professional Office Consultant
It's one thing to spend a day at the office, and another altogether to run the office. As a professional office consultant, you'll oversee such responsibilities as marketing, insurance and daily operations for professional lawyers, doctors or other specialists--while leaving the rest to the "pros."

Office-Support Service
Typing, filing, sorting mail, entering data, and answering phones are just a few tasks an office-support service can perform to help out harried business owners. Hand out business cards to every businessperson you know--and get ready to spend a productive day at the office!

Seminar Promotion
If there's one thing consumers can never seem to get enough of, it's information. Give them an earful by planning and promoting informational seminars. You don't need to be an expert yourself; just schedule the speakers, reserve a location, promote the event, and get ready to collect the profits at the door.

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