English
中文 (中国)
Last updated on June 5th, 2023
Written by Himanshi Raj
Starting a wholesale business can be very profitable.
You decide to jump in. After all, you have the capital and the will to make it work. You're also eyeing to join Amazon because everyone has taken their business there. Naturally, you think that's where you can succeed in times of crisis.
But you have too many things to consider, and the scale of what you're trying to start overwhelms you. Add to that the complexity of the known and the uncertainty of the unknown in the Amazon marketplace.
Worry no more. We're here to help you uncomplicate things and give you simple steps on matters related to starting your Amazon wholesale business.
Becoming a wholesale supplier can be easy despite the difficulty of launching a product in this time of crisis. By following these simplified steps, you can get into wholesale selling smoothly.
A niche is a segment in the market where you can comfortably sell your goods for mutual benefit. That means getting a huge chunk of profit selling to a specific consumer group that wants what you offer. More importantly, only you (and perhaps a few others) cater to this group.
You can know your niche in two ways. You must have a rough idea of the products you want to sell and who's willing to buy them. From there, go deeper into the consumer subcategories to analyze where the demand is high and the supply is low.
Once you have connected the dots between the product and the buyer, it's time to invest in market presence. Getting a domain name or a website name is the easiest way to do it. It's also the most important one.
Buying a domain name is, in a sense, a form of business registration. You think of a unique business name, and you check whether someone else already owns the name. If not, you can claim ownership of the name by purchasing it.
You will hit several online business milestones when you get a domain name.
There are websites where you can purchase a domain name. The hard part here is in coming up with a creative one.
If you're starting from scratch, create a shortlist of possible domain names for your business. If you already have an existing business, create acceptable variations of your business name in case someone has claimed your business name and uses it as their domain name.
Marketplaces like Amazon give buyers and sellers a platform to find each other and do business instantly. Joining Amazon Seller Central is ideal if your business website is still in progress.
If you already have the products on hand and want to start moving them immediately, you can create an Amazon seller account.
Amazon Seller Central has many benefits for online wholesalers. Once your account is live, you have an opportunity to reach thousands of retail sellers looking to buy in bulk for a lower price. Amazon Seller Central also lets you have full control of your products and promotion. It also gives you all the data you need so that you can strategize for maximum profit.
In the wholesale business, sourcing your suppliers and finding buyers aren't as straightforward as being in direct retail. It involves big money, and due diligence is a must.
Here are a few things that will help.
Sourcing suppliers
To get a leg up on profitability, wholesalers must buy directly from the manufacturer. While some manufacturers have an online presence, you should only use it to know pertinent information. These include who the head honcho is, what departments are involved, and, most importantly, who can help you get your foot in the door.
After doing your research, it's time to do some legwork. Visit the manufacturer, check out the factory, and do business directly with the person in charge. That's how you get yourself in a good position to negotiate with your supplier and get competitive rates.
Finding potential buyers
The truth is retailers won't be queuing up to place a bulk order anytime soon. No one has heard of you yet, so you need to drum up business by finding potential buyers. Ideally, you must find a high-converting retailer with the potential to buy in bulk but can't afford the volume requirements of a manufacturer.
Pricing affects all facets of your business. Your ability to expand inventory, discount and promote your product, or pay your business debts relies on good pricing.
Here are the things you need to consider when setting a price point.
Knowing your fixed and variable costs
Determine what costs increase when you make one sale and what costs remain the same. Doing this will help you determine what to account for the cost of goods sold (COGS).
Knowing the price ranges of your competitors
Once you have determined your COGS, it's time to scout the marketplace for your competitors' prices.
Normally, the prices would vary, so you'll need to gather pricing info from many of your competitors until you see enough of a pattern to create a price range. That should be your reference on the acceptable prices in the market. Doing this prevents you from overpricing or underpricing your product and makes sure you're maximizing profit.
Deciding on an initial pricing
The amount you decide to charge for your product is to be your initial pricing. That's because your pricing isn't a one-off decision; it will change over time.
The initial pricing is a way for you to get data on how willing your customers are to pay the price you set. From there, you can start playing around with the amount until you hit the price point where you get the most sales.
If you’re a startup wholesaler, it's a good business decision to keep your costs down and your profits up. Outsourcing covers that spread.
Doing your own storage and shipping can be taxing, and the quality of service may not be that great since you're still learning the ropes. So it's best to delegate these tasks to experts by putting your wholesale business on Amazon FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon). Doing this saves you time and brings your service quality to a competitive level.
Wholesaling can be a rewarding business if done right.
Doing it right early is crucial for your wholesale business to thrive. However, you can't do it alone. You'll need a partner invested in the progress of your business and with the same passion for profits and growth as you do.
We at Seller Interactive can be the partner that helps you navigate the ropes of the Amazon wholesale business.
Contact us at [email protected] if you want hands-on help in diving into Amazon as a wholesaler.
Last updated on March 17th, 2023 Written by Ken Zhou When looking for the best item on the Amazon marketplace, those at the top of search results are always our first options. It's an open secret: sponsored items are the first to appear, so we immediately think they're bestsellers or have good reviews. But what […]
Last updated on March 17th, 2023 Written by Ken Zhou Most answers online will say it takes 7 to 10 business days. It's correct, though applicable only in some circumstances. The answer is much more specific, depending on someone’s role in the marketplace. For starters, buyers and sellers go through different processes to get their […]
Last updated on March 17th, 2023 Written by Ken Zhou It’s no secret that Walmart is one of the most meticulously crafted marketplaces in the world. On top of that, they’re also meticulous when it comes to maintaining the performance of their sellers, which must be on par with their standards. While it has only […]
