The B2B Marketplace: How to Find, Buy and Sell Products for Your Business

Who doesn’t like to save money?  

B2B Marketplace for many small, independent businesses — who are often forced to purchase goods at retail prices. the answer is “almost everybody.” But I have good news. Buying products wholesale can improve your bottom line and free up your working capital.

How do you find opportunities to buy directly from suppliers? I’ve done some of the groundwork for you in this post with ten smart ways to locate wholesale suppliers for your business.

Follow these guidelines and you’ll be on track to bring big savings into your company’s coffers.

1. Locate Suppliers Online

The first step towards locating direct-purchase suppliers is simple: Visit eWorldTrade. Look no further than this article if you want an overview of the best online wholesale directories, marketplaces and search engines.

2. Create Your Own Lists

If you want to locate suppliers for your business, create your own list!   It’s no secret that a little extra homework often goes a long way. It helps you find more suppliers who meet your criteria and also saves you time on the back end by helping narrow each supplier list down to a manageable size.   

I recommend creating at least three lists: a “do not call” list of companies you don’t want to do business with, a shortlist of prospects from those companies that respond to your inquiries and an ongoing master list of all potential suppliers.

3. Start With Your Customers

After successfully closing several sales transactions with commercial accounts or retail buyers. You may have the opportunity to approach some of these customers as wholesale or drop-shipping partners. Ask your buyers if they know of any other businesses that might be interested in what you’re selling.

4. Trade Shows and Other Events

Another great way to network with suppliers is by attending trade shows and other events related to your industry. You can also visit the websites of organizations like the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors or the United States Association of Importers and Exporters for leads on upcoming events.

5. Search Online Forums

Online forums are another goldmine for supplier information. By searching for key words and phrases related to your product type, you’ll often find postings from individuals who are looking for suppliers (or from suppliers who are looking for customers). Here’s an example from a forum I found on LinkedIn.

6. Your Location Matters

If your business sells products that do not have national appeal, the location of your company can be a major asset in identifying potential suppliers. For instance, if you’re selling hand-knit baby slippers made in North Carolina, chances are good that you’ll eventually find a supplier or drop shipper locally since most product distribution centers would not support such a small market. B2B Marketplace so don’t underestimate the value of being located in the right place!

7. Check the Yellow Pages

Believe it or not, many suppliers can still be found in the Yellow Pages. You don’t even have to look up the supplier’s number — many businesses list their website addresses in their Yellow Page ads these days.

8. Check Out Trade Associations

Many trade associations (like the ones I mentioned earlier) maintain directories of their members on their coconut shell charcoal buyers websites. This is a great way to find qualified suppliers who meet your specific criteria.

9. Do a Google Search

A quick Google search can often lead you to supplier information that you wouldn’t find anywhere else. Try using keywords and phrases related to your product type, then sorting the results by “Date Added” (to see the most recent entries).

10. Ask Friends and Family

If you’re still having trouble locating potential suppliers, ask your friends and family for help. Oftentimes, people who are close to you will know of businesses that might be interested in what you’re selling.

Conclusion

This article has provided a number of ways you can find, buy and sell products for your business. These include starting with your customers, attending trade shows or other events related to your industry as well as asking friends and family about potential suppliers that meet the criteria of what you’re selling.

Whichever option you choose will depend on how much time and effort you want to put into finding those perfect suppliers for your B2B marketplace!  If all this sounds overwhelming, let us know. Our team is ready to help take care of all these steps so that we can focus more on marketing strategies like SEO or paid advertising campaigns that drive sales by tapping into our customer’s thoughts through cognitive neuroscience principles! What are some examples where cognitive neuroscience principles helped improve sales?  The answer, of course, is right here . Check out this case study to see how putting the customer first can have a huge