Where to find vendors

But before you begin, there are a few things you need to know and decide. This will help determine the terminology you need to use in your research.

Check out our post on ecommerce business models to help you get started. There are several supplier options, the most common being:.

How to Get Started with Dropshipping in Overseas can refer to any location abroad. Your local manufacturer can be used as a backup. So, if orders from overseas are late or incorrect, you can fall back on your local supplier.

These contractors are locals who live near your manufacturers and handle negotiations, orders, and managing your partners. They can also be the in between for your business and freight companies. Think of them as the central hub for your overseas supply chain.

Managers also speak the local language, which helps improve communication and make production smooth for your business. Excited about starting a business, but not sure where to start? This free, comprehensive guide will teach you how to find great, newly trending products with high sales potential.

We'll also send you updates on new educational guides and success stories from the Shopify newsletter. We hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe. Get started. Follow these six steps to find the best manufacturers and suppliers for your business. Finding the right manufacturer for your product is crucial to your success.

Alibaba connects you with manufacturers from China. The marketplace lets you vet manufacturers upfront to get the best products at a fair price.

When researching manufacturers on Alibaba, make sure they have the following qualifications:. You can continue to search by applying filters. You can sort by certifications such as SA, which ensures humane working conditions to find a manufacturer that aligns with your business values. Another thing to consider when sourcing from Alibaba: make sure your manufacturer is not a trading company. Another place to research manufacturers is free online supplier directories.

These directories contain profiles for hundreds or thousands of manufacturers, wholesalers, and suppliers. Their websites are usually old, sparse on information, and not search-engine optimized. So how do you find suppliers on Google? Some of the best leads can come from referrals. Social networks have made it much easier to get the word out, so make sure to use these channels.

Join Facebook groups and other online communities of ecommerce business owners and see if anyone there has a glowing review. Another possible way to look for product suppliers is by searching for your products by their NAICS code. Aim to get a minimum of three quotes to compare options. MOQs make it difficult when you have limited funds or want to start small and test the market before making larger purchases.

The good thing is that MOQs are almost always negotiable. Your products are the heartbeat of your store so get out there so get out there and get to buying! Going to Market , The Essentials of Retail. Skip to content Menu. April 3 Manufacturers — Manufacturers make the products your are looking to buy and are the most direct source for obtaining your products.

Manufacturers can work with you to create custom products based on your ideas. However, manufacturers can be harder to work with, find and typically have a higher amount of spending required to have an account. Distributors — Distributors go by many names, supplier, wholesaler and the list goes on. Distributors are great for purchasing already created brands and products. Ideally, the references should be from customers that the supplier has worked with within the past year so that you can gain accurate insights into the current state of their operations.

Here are eight online wholesale supplier directories you can use to find new suppliers for your ecommerce business. With millions of products spanning over 40 major categories, it offers the most varied assortment of wholesale products out of all wholesale directories. With so many different products and suppliers available on the platform, buyers must do their due diligence before placing an order.

Alibaba makes this easy by giving users a quick way to gauge the trustworthiness of a particular bulk supplier through their transaction history, on-time delivery rate, response time, ratings, and reviews. When searching for products to buy on Alibaba, make sure you filter your search with these options:.

Alibaba offers buyers a few different ways to pay, and most suppliers provide one or more of them:. For instance, since most suppliers on the platform are Chinese companies, you may experience a noticeable language barrier. This can be overcome by focusing on using simple English and restating your needs and intentions in more than one way every time you communicate with a supplier. There are also many middlemen on Alibaba who try to pose as wholesale manufacturers, reselling goods from legitimate manufacturers while marking up prices.

Over 1. Many suppliers on DHgate have lower minimum order quantity MOQ requirements than those on Alibaba, which suits buyers with more moderate budgets. DHgate also displays reviews for each supplier to help make it easier to choose one that is reputable. The platform has put in place a feedback system, and you should focus on the following metrics for each wholesale vendor:. This will help you distinguish the type of suppliers with a very low number of disputes, offer fast shipping, have high annual sales volumes, and consistently receive positive reviews.

The biggest issue with DHgate is the considerable number of counterfeit products on the platform. Most branded goods you see on the platform will be replicas, so do your due diligence. Customer service: Can be contacted via email, but it may take some time to get a response—they also have a chatbot. Worldwide Brands WWB is one of the oldest and most popular wholesale supplier directories on the Internet.

It contains more than 8, suppliers and 16 million products. All the suppliers in the directory undergo a strict verification process before they can be listed:. You can search the directory by product keyword, supplier location, or brand name, which allows you to find exactly the types of products you need.

WWB also has an iPhone and Android app, enabling you to look for suppliers on the go. After purchasing a membership, you get access to all the suppliers in the directory, the community forum, customer support, and comprehensive ecommerce educational materials.

The lifetime access fee can be paid in one lump sum or three monthly installments. All suppliers have their profile on WWB, which shows their contact information, shipping policy, product catalog, and payment terms. Many suppliers listed in Worldwide Brands have very low MOQs, making WWB an excellent choice for merchants looking to purchase wholesale for a small business. Customer service : The support team responds quickly, and current customers have left good reviews.

They can be contacted via email and always respond within 48 hours. Recommended for : Small to medium-sized retailers, home businesses, and online merchants. New Zealand-based SaleHoo is a wholesale supplier directory launched in While certainly smaller than Alibaba and DHgate, it still lists more than 8, suppliers and provides access to more than 2. The platform vets and verifies every supplier and their products to ensure authenticity and legitimacy—making the yearly or lifetime fee well worth it.

SaleHoo offers support via live chat, telephone, and email to help you with any questions, issues, or concerns that might arise while using the platform. Additionally, SaleHoo provides training and educational materials for its users, focused on ecommerce, wholesale and dropshipping. All in all, SaleHoo is a good choice for merchants who lack the experience or the time to vet suppliers on their own, are OK with having a smaller assortment of products to choose from.

Customer service : Known to have great customer support. They can be contacted via email or chatbot. Relatively smaller than others on the list, Inventory Source provides access to over suppliers. The products span 29 categories, including wholesale clothing , electronics, books, sporting goods, and pet supplies. They also offer scheduled calls to help answer any questions.

Founded in November , Global Sources has been connecting buyers with verified suppliers for over 50 years. They first started with publishing magazines with one goal in mind: to help bring manufacturers and overseas importers together. The magazines are now published digitally and can be found on their website.