Sunday, June 28, 2015

So Many Suppliers Available for Export As a Small Business

On Jun 26, 2015, at 9:12 AM, LA wrote:

Hi John,

Here is yet another Export question:

My response from the (product) suppliers was strong.  I am having difficulty figuring out which supplier would be the best.   I have 5 now who all seem great and refuse to export (ed.note: meaning buyers overseas will not be able to go around LA acting as an agent).

Do I only want to make a MOQ FOB for only one (product) supplier to start with?  I assume unless there is a clear difference having more than one (product) offer would confuse buyers?

I have also started mailing to importers in Japan.

Thanks for all your continued help -- I greatly appreciate it.

--Luke

Hey LA,

As part of your LCL MOQ FOB, you will need links to references, people with whom buyers can check that say you are AOK.  You have no such references starting out.  So the next best thing is links to references to the producer that is your source (one that refuses to export).  This is another reason your humility pays off, you are not doing this business saying "look at me!" You are developing export markets for (the product).  You are almost invisible in the process, except for communicating between principals.

So pick one of the suppliers, the one most loved in USA that also already has references, the one easiest to also cite examples of USA retail prices, and push that one supplier.  Now as soon as you need more (product), you know where to get it, the other four.

Does this make sense?

John


Feel free to forward this by email to three of your friends.


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