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| Wholesale Markets = Low Prices and Great Deals! |
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Sunday, December 30, 2007
Own a business? Buy for large groups (scouts, students, family)? Allergic to paying retail? Any of these reasons is good enough for you to explore the world of buying wholesale. Hard Core Buyer or Casual Shopper? If you always buy large quantities of merchandise, it would be a good idea to obtain a business license and reseller's license. Some wholesalers will not sell to you without these permits. In addition, the licenses are your ticket to trade shows that are not open to the public. Here, you can find a multitude of items priced below retail. You can also get on the mailing list for major trade shows. These events sell everything from furniture to the latest fashions at wholesale prices. When applying for a business or reseller's license, make sure you understand what fees, taxes, and bureaucratic red tape are required to keep you out of trouble. Depending on the state, you may be able to get a reseller's license for free. However, you are responsible for collecting sales tax on products sold within the state. Assess the cost verse expected savings from buying wholesale to determine if it's worth the trouble to obtain licenses. To get a business license, you must be in business or planning to start one. You can legitimize your business status by turning a hobby or talent into a business venture. For example, a weekend furniture maker sells a few pieces to friends and a business is born. Even the casual shopper may benefit from obtaining business and reseller's licenses. You get access to non-public wholesale events and wholesalers that don't sell to the general public. In addition, you can make a little money off the deals you find. Buying wholesale usually means purchasing large quantities. While you don't need three dozen cashmere sweaters, you can keep a few and sell the rest to friends, or, via online auctions and at flea markets. No License, No Problem Although business permits give you more access to buying wholesale, you don't have to have a license to get wholesale prices. Wholesale businesses often have special times they open to the public. Prices will be a little more, but you still pay less than retail. Check the Yellow Pages to find local wholesalers and ask if they have public sale hours. Consider buying wholesale from liquidators. Liquidators buy huge quantities of product from manufacturers and retailers. These items are usually discontinued, damaged, or from a previous season and prices are often below wholesale. You can find liquidators in the phone book or on the Internet. The Internet is also a good source for buying wholesale merchandise especially for those who don't want to bother with permits and buying in bulk. Many Internet wholesalers don't require a minimum purchase. Another option is to join an association that buys in bulk. The combined purchasing power of a large group lowers the cost of merchandise. Warehouse clubs such as Sam's Club and Costco are another good source for prices that are close to wholesale. Wholesale Grapevine Use your network of friends, associates, and family to find wholesale buying opportunities. Your interior decorator neighbor may grant you access to her wholesale contacts. The local florist may be willing to let you in on a sweet deal on dried flowers. Beware though - these folks may require you to engage their professional services in exchange for buying wholesale through them. Weigh the cost of doing business with them against potential savings from buying wholesale. Sources "How to Buy Wholesale," (ehow.com) "Five Secrets to Buying Wholesale," (majon.com) ----------------------------------------------------------------- To learn about Tom's home based business ideas and opportunities so you can work at home visit: http://growthbiz4u.payitforward4profits.com ----------------------------------------------------------------- Tom Childs holds an MBA from the University at Buffalo, and is involved with several highly successful internet businesses. Visit Tom's "Home Business Success Training Journal" Blog Site: Click Here The top 10 advantages of marketing on the Internet? 1) The best way to sell is to make it easy for people to buy from you. The internet makes it possible for anyone, anywhere, to find your information - 24 hours a day / 365 days a year - at precisely the time their check book is open and they're looking for a supplier. 2) There is no downtime between the time that information is requested and that it is received. Internet marketing cuts your costs by replacing the physical mass of catalogues, trade journals, direct mail and buying guides with the instant and weightless world of information. It is, after all, the information age :) 3) Marketing on the web is intelligent. Rather than trying to find the people who want and need your product or service at precisely the time they experience that need, you prepare for them to find you. The world may not beat a path to your door for a better mousetrap, but they will take a fast trip on the information highway. 4) Your web presence is a global presence, without requiring a global budget. Transaction costs are minimal, and the reach is maximal. The internet is a great place to get started in a business because the exposure is global. You don't need to spend time "expanding your business to a global market" because the internet its already there. 5) When you put your money into it, you won't have to put too much. Not only is online marketing fast and easy, it's relatively inexpensive. Compared to other forms of promotions, it is far more affordable and cost effective. Naturally, in certain venues can be expensive, especially if you want a banner ad or link on an extremely popular and well known website. More often than not, though, it can be highly affordable for just about any size business. 6) Automate all your tasks. The proper use of technology allows internet businesses to put many tasks on "auto pilot", meaning the business works, while they are not there "working". Plus, you can outsource the boring work. E-mail, newsgroups, rss feeds and Newsletters hosted by you are fantastic ways to communicate with your clients and prospects and can be automated easily. Check out the MyOT Publishing Newsletter here 7) Focus on what you love. In order to succeed, most small businesses must adopt a narrow market focus. In doing so, they can develop a premium reputation for serving that narrow market. This means that you can become a guru at what you love, with little or no competition. 8) Partnerships are easy to establish. Smart internet businesses create networks of strategic partners and address the needs of their clients with the best and brightest every time. There are thousands of people out there starting their own online businesses. Often this is seen as competition but its actually a fantastic resource for those looking for partnerships. Two heads are better than one. Combine your resources and you've only gained. You can't loose. 9) Flexibility. Internet businesses can obtain new data from their market to dramatically change their business model to align with a new opportunity. This is flexibility! The internet is a fantastic place full of opportunity with many niche markets for individuals like you to fill. New areas are being discovered and created every day. Almost ANYTHING can be marketed online. 10) Educate your market online, and create your own niche. Lacking big ad budget, internet businesses can educate their prospects as an incentive toward the sale. This trust building process makes selling unnecessary and delivers the ideal client relationships. Providing a "free service" or resource for your potential clients is a steady way to establish rapport and develop a client base. 11) BONUS TIP! It's Fun! - Why does someone start a business? To get more out of their life, to develop a passion, to create freedom? It doesn't really matter why, but all these things are motivators for most of us. Passion and purpose are essential and the fun of doing it yourself is contagious. Many online businesses have started out as simply hobbies and ended up as fantastic money earners. How would you like to quit your day job? Spend more time with your family? Have extra cash so you don't have to worry so much? Get great start up advice and more informative articles at http://www.myowntrade.com This article was brought to you by Chris West, a successful marketer and entrepreneur with more than ten years experience in the field. He offers a Free Newsletter where you can learn the Harsh Facts about online marketing from someone who's learned from experience. http://www.myowntrade.com Protecting Your Home With A Home Security System No matter where you live, it is important for you to make sure your home is secure. If you have your own home, it is likely that you are paying a lot of money to maintain it. The last thing you need is someone robbing you or destroying the property that you've worked hard for years to acquire and maintain. By using a home security system, you will be comfortable in knowing your property is protected. In a sense, even though most people living in apartments do not own them, they are more at risk of being robbed than people who live in their own homes. This should give them an even bigger reason to purchase home security systems. Keeping the home secure should be important to anyone who values their freedom and the things they've worked hard to acquire. It isn't enough to simply depend on your local law enforcement agencies. More often than not, by the time the police arrive, it is already too late. It is much easier to take the necessary stepts to protect your home instead of trying to rely on law enforcement officials once your home has been robbed. Thieves have become more skilled than ever before. While adding a simple lock to your home may have worked 50 years ago, it is now easy to go online and find books which will tell you how to bypass a wide variety of locks. When you talk to most people about home security systems, the first thing that comes to their mind is expensive equipment. While some of the home security systems available on the market can be expensive, there are cheaper options available, and you can get a great deal if you know where to look. Depending on where you live, you may already have high levels of security. This is especially true for people who live in gated communities. If you are about to move to a new location, you should spend a bit of time researching crime and statistics for the area in which you plan to move. Living in a high risk area can increase your chances of being robbed. Another thing that you should watch is your personal habits. Many people have their homes broken into because they send signals to criminals that they have things that are worth stealing. While there is nothing wrong with wearing expensive jewelry and clothes, many people give off the signals that criminals need. In most cases, a thief won't break into your home unless they feel you have valuables. Driving around in an expensive car or wearing costly jewelry can make you a potential target. A number of communities have started a "neighborhood watch program," and this is a low cost way that neighbors can work together to keep crime out of their neighborhood. In addition to installing cameras or alarms in your home, you may want to purchase a guard dog. Most intruders will turn the other way when they encounter a Rottweiler, Bull Mastiff, German Shepherd, or Doberman. It is also important for you to look at your living situation. Is there always somone at home? Or are you and your family constantly gone on trips? The answers you give to these questions should help you determine your security needs. Michael Colucci is a writer on Home Security Systems which is part of the Knowledge Search network |
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