Online Business, Online Store, Physical or Digital Products, Working From Home
Where To Find Products To Sell?
Apr
The next logical question is where to find those products and we will check what options we have for this.
When you want to sell products that you bulk purchased
If you want to sell existing products with or without your branding on it then the most common place to go to is https://www.alibaba.com/. Here you can find anything you wish to sell. You need clear communication using simple English to get them to manufacture the product with your own branding on it. In this place you can even find manufacturers that would make your own product if you have anything.
You should not accept the advertised prices. They are always over inflated. You need to negotiate the best price for your business.
Make sure you get a sample in your hand before you commit to the sipping of the bulk product. Sometimes what they say is not what they do so you need to check the product.
Individual product purchase, dropshipping
Individual product purchase, dropshiping is when a customer buys from your online store and pays for the purchase, then you go to the vendor and pay for the product and you supply the delivery address of purchaser so the vendor then can package and ship the product to your buyer in your behalf.
For dropshipping products the most common place to go to is https://www.aliexpress.com/. Again, you can find nearly anything to sell here. The prices are higher here since you are purchasing individual products and not ordering in bulk. If you start to sell some of the products in larger quantities then you could renegotiate the price because of the larger volume.
The order process can be done with a software application through your store which semi automates the process. When you sell higher quantities on a daily basis from a particular product then the order should be done once, at the end of the day, with a csv text file. Some vendors do not process such orders so need to ask them if they do when the need arises.
POD, Print On Demand
As we discussed in the previous article, Print On Demand can be any kind of product which is manufactured for order and based on your own or your customer’s design. It is a kind of dropsipping also because the manufacturer will take care of the shipping also.
Most good POD companies created software applications for main shopping platforms which means the whole order and fulfillment process can be fully automated. This means that the customer purchases from your online store and you do not need to do anything from that point onward, perhaps some customer support if needed.
Some of these POD companies even offer their own selling platform too but that will limit you to sell only their products. You can still keep that option in mind.
Another key point is to look at if they have a monthly charge for the use of their software on your shopping platform or any other service fees. Mary of them are free. I came across some that even charge some percentage after a certain sales volume. Apparently some taxation comes into play for them but personally I do not like this idea.
The other very important thing to check is where the manufacturing of the POD products takes place. Most POD companies base their operations in the USA so if you sell in the US then you have a much better shipping time which will be welcomed by your customers. The ‘Made in US’ is also a good selling point and incentive to your prospective buyers in the US. Some POD companies are owned by US businesses but the production happens in one of the Asian countries, most of the time in China.
Some POD companies allow customization by your customers too, most of the time custom text can be placed on the top of your custom design. This customization option feature can increase your sales dramatically.
So let us have a look at some of these companies and see if there are any fees and what products you can get them to manufacture for your customers.
|
POD Company Name |
Products |
Monthly Software App Cost |
Buyer Customization |
Made In USA |
|
Pillow Profits |
Bedding, high and low top canvas shoes, ladies casual shoes, backpacks, boots, flip-flops, car seat covers, pillow covers, canvas wall art, running shoes, leather tote bags, canvas tote bags. |
$29.99 |
No |
No |
|
ShineOn |
Bangles, bracelets, necklaces, charms (all surgical stainless steel) |
Nil |
Yes (Engraving) |
Yes |
|
Xlusion Clothing |
Leggings, capris |
Nil |
No |
No |
|
CustomCat |
Too many things to list but they have the printing and also embroidery custom designs. Short list: embroidered hats, sports bags, branded sweatpants and pullovers, windshirts, jackets, wheeled backpack, phone cases, T-Shirts, drink ware, towels, work apparels, hoodies and so on. |
$29.99 |
Yes (text) |
Yes |
|
teelaunch |
T-Shirt, hoodies, mugs, tmblers, phone cases, posters, tote bags |
Nil |
No |
Yes |
|
Printify |
T-Shirts
All Over Prints V-necks Tank Tops Long Sleeves Sweatshirts Hoodies Kids Apparel Phone Cases Mugs Tote Bags Backpacks Laptop Sleeves Shower Curtains Pillows and Pillow Cases Towels Blankets Bath Mats Wall Clocks Notebooks Canvases Posters Wall Decals Coasters Shoes |
Nil |
No |
Yes |
|
Printful |
T-shirts
Sweatshirts Leggings All-over shirts and tank tops Dresses Skirts Phone cases Sublimated socks Posters Framed Posters Canvas Mugs Embroidery Totes Throw Pillows Beach Blankets |
Nil |
No |
Yes |
|
Gooten |
T-shirts, Hoodies, Tank Tops, Youth Apparel and Infant Clothing
Throw Pillows, Fleece Blankets, Mugs, Towels, and much more in Home Decor Prints, Posters, Photobooks, Canvases, and other great Wall Art Decor 3D Fully-Sublimated Phone cases for Apple, Samsung, HTC, and Blackberry phone cases (YES WE HAVE THE NEW IPHONE CASES) Tote Bags Yoga Mats Shower Curtains Accessory Pouches Backpacks, Cinch Sacks, Cosmetic Bags and other great Fashion Accessories Pinback Buttons Woodprints Floor Mats Die-cut Stickers Sticker Sheets Cards and Stationeries Puzzles Dog Beds, Pet Bowls, and Pet Bandanas |
Nil |
No |
Most is made in USA, some made overseas |
As you can see there are many choices and this is not even half of the available companies for this type of online business. This is enough to get you started and do your research which one is best for you. It is a good idea to read some reviews about these companies to see if you want to work with them. After all their performance effects your business.