Selling to shops or other outlets...

[Karenssunnycreations]

I make so many different things but what I would like to do ideally is just sell them on so that others can sell them and earn a profit too. The reason is I really want to be at home more making rather than trying other avenues. I wondered if anyone here has any ideas or advice? Or indeed if anyone has a shop or website and would be interested in anything I do. I have the website at the moment but I would like to change its direction possibly to my photography only or something.

[swirlyarts]

If you are serious about this then first you have to get together a wholesale price list - make sure you work this out very carefully as you must make enough on your wholesale prices to cover costs and make yourself a little profit but it has to be low enough so that whoever buys it can make a decent profit themselves. I don't use one set 'rule' for my wholesale items and the difference between the wholesale price and the retail price differ for each item. I've seen some people suggest 50% lower for your wholesale price but you do need to ensure that if you go down that route then you make enough to cover costs etc. I also make sure that I have a minimum spend on items so that Joe Bloggs can't come along and buy just one chicken from me, for example.
Getting your name out there is tricky - I use wholesale as one of my tags on Etsy and that's how one person found me and I actually have no idea how the other person found me. She is a repeat buyer though so I will have to ask her!
Anyway I hope that helps a bit - yell if you want any more help!

[Karenssunnycreations]

thankyou:)

[sharon]

Hi,

when I bought my soft furnishing supplies from either the manufacturer or the wholesaler the general rule of thumb was retail price before any VAT was added less 40% discount plus VAT. If this sounds complicated there's an example below

RRP £23.50 including VAT
RRP £20 excluding VAT less 40% trade discount = £12 plus VAT = £14.10
This assumes, of course, that you are a fantastic business woman & will shortly be in the list of UK millionaires hence VAT.

However, if you are like the other 99.9999999% of us & don't qualify for VAT returns the following example will be more relevant

What you would sell at = £20 less 40% trade discount = £12

Definately have a minimum order value - £30 I think is reasonable, with maybe free p&p on orders over £75.

Another idea to consider might be to offer 1 item free for every 10 ordered, or what about a loyalty points system - 1 point for every £10 spent & a free gift when 20 points have been collected (£200 spent)

There's lots of things you can do to attract customers the hard part is getting them to come back again! :)

Best of luck

Sharon

[Wightcat]

Karen,

To find buyers for your goods you either need to draw up a list of local shops, flatter them by hinting that you picked them not their reval because you admire how they only stock better quality. (Flattery does work)
The other route is via a trade show, the Autumn Show at the NEC is a good place to start. Dont expect alot of orders at the show, as it is large and buyers will be looking but not neccessarly making decisions until after the show. So you need to have plenty of Business cards, Price list, etc.
Remember to collect as many Business cards as possible, then follow up the one's that impressed you after the show.
One of the benifits from going to a show is that you can see what others are doing and what they are charging. Also think about joining Acid the Anti-copying organisation to protect your designs.

When it comes to selling to the trade, buyers expect to be able to pay for the goods afterwards usually 30 days. But it is acceptable to ask for the first 1 or 2 orders to be by Pro-forma (money upfront), also ask them to supply a Bank/Trade referrence. Then there is the question of carraige most shops dont want to pay it as it eats in to there profit, just the same way you dont want to pay for it either. Usual practice is to have two minimum order values, say £25 minimum order plus carraige or £100 minimum order carraige free.

Alot depends on the image you project, as a shop owner I want to feel confident that my suppliers can deliver on time.

Steve

[louisejhampshire]

wow what great advice!

Im kind of trying to do the same myself at the moment - with cards, and a sewing business, and i want to buy a loom to make handmade rugs/table runners etc. I shall have a look at that acid thing, along with some of the other tips....cheers!