Inventory

Finding Inventory Suppliers

Written by Samuel Muriithi for Gaebler Ventures

It is of essence that entrepreneurs find inventory suppliers with whom transactions that foster the success of the business can be made. What qualities should these inventory suppliers possess and where can they be found?

For entrepreneurs, the quest to find inventory suppliers should begin after a proper purchase plan has been established.

The best inventory suppliers are those who are confident about the quality of their merchandise, are dependable, and have the concerns of their customers at heart. Those who are only after making a quick buck should be avoided at all costs.

Depending on the industry of the entrepreneur's business the following are some of the sources from which inventory suppliers may be found:

Trade shows

These are basically the frequent gatherings that are arranged and held by industry representatives at designated locations where potential buyers are invited to visit their exhibitions. Trade shows can be small or large, a factor which will determine the exhibition location, and may feature representatives from a single industry or indeed many representatives from multiple industries. Apart from being a good opportunity to find inventory suppliers, entrepreneurs can do lots of networking.

They can also use such functions to display what they offer. Trade shows offer entrepreneurs the opportunity to identify what the newest and most profitable trends in the market are. Here they can compare different goods and their prices as well as monitoring what their competition is or is not offering.

Catalog ordering

This is another way for entrepreneurs to find inventory suppliers. Product manufacturers and vendors invest lots of money on making catalogs that display the products/services that they have to offer. These are then dispatched to potential buyers who are then gifted the chance to make orders for inventory as per their convenience.

Sales calls

Sales representatives are normally dispatched into the marketplace on behalf of inventory suppliers. They visit potential buyers at their business locations and describe and demonstrate the goods/services they offer seeking to get orders for the same. Sales representatives are often the same persons that represent inventory suppliers at the aforementioned trade shows.

Telemarketing

Though this is identified as means by which to find inventory suppliers, it has to be said that it has some fundamental shortcomings. A simple phone call from a telemarketer can neither be used to ascertain the acquisition of inventory nor to visually and physically describe inventory products in the first place.

Samuel Muriithi is a business owner in Nairobi, Kenya. He has extensive international business experience in the United States and India.