I've learned that if you keep your eyes open, you'll find lots of good [tag]sources[/tag] of products to sell online. Successful [tag]eBay sellers[/tag] watch for trends, so they can plan for the year ahead. The December 2006 Entrepreneur magazine had some great ideas for sellers.
If you find a product that you'd like to sell, there are several ways to become a legitimate retailer for it. One way is to track down the manufacturer, and ask for the contact info for one of their [tag]wholesalers[/tag] (the manufacturer and wholesaler are almost never the same person). Then work with the wholesaler to buy product for resale. This is a simplified description of the process - and I'd suggest doing some research in the free e-books at Worldwide Brands to get a better explanation.
My point here is to share with you some of the things I picked out of the article. If you're just starting out, and wonder what to sell, these areas are a great start to developing a product line.
Green Products
It's obvious when you look around. "[tag]Environmentally friendly[/tag]", "green" and "organic" is everywhere. The article quoted Dr. Karel J. Samsom author of Spirit of
Entrepreneurship said, "It's a highly underrated opportunity for [tag]small business[/tag]." The magazine went on to discuss another expert, "Jonelle Raffino, of South West Trading Co. Inc., a Tempe, Arizona, business that specializes in earth-friendly, alternative fibers and textiles such as yarns made from bamboo, corn and even recycled crab shells. "This country is seeing that we need to challenge the idea of products that use fossil fuels," says Raffino. Business is booming so much, they’ve expanded into ready-to-wear items, and they can barely keep up with demand for their line of plush Soy-Silk Pals toys.
You Can Predict the Future
A couple other areas that are only going to grow are related to the baby-boomer market. The size of that market is one of historical proportions. In the U.S. we have an aging 'bubble' of people needing and wanting special products. One that has received a bit of mention lately is the [tag]plus-size[/tag] crowd.
If you consider the fact that people are getting bigger (read: fatter) and they are not trimming down before they pass away, you have the makings of a market that will be big in more ways that one. Like it or not, big people need bigger stuff to be comfortable. They are sick of being left out when it comes to designer clothes, household accessories, travel accommodations, even - toilet seats. I recently read of a gentleman who has developed a great product line for large sized people. His site is called SuperSizeWorld.com and it's an amazing example of a [tag]product line[/tag] which has a great variety within a targeted market. The guy started all of this because he had a hard time getting a seatbelt extender on an airplane. He decided to look up the manufacturer and made a deal to sell them on a retail basis. Since then he's added lots of products to help large folks such as scales that go over 300 lbs., large toilet seats (don't laugh - they sell on eBay), oversized furniture, and more.
These areas are great for planning what to sell. You can do some simple research to find products in your target area. The hard part for many is finding the source of the products. As beginners, we may need help. Even if you don't sign up with these folks, you can take advantage of their free resources. I suggest looking at the following sites to help you get started:
- [tag]Doba[/tag] ([tag]Drop shipping[/tag] experts)
- Worldwide Brands (TONS of free information)
- What Do I Sell.com ([tag]Product sourcing[/tag] and product line development)
I've used the companies I discuss here. (I even sold the Big John Toilet seat on eBay.) The three I listed above are staffed by honest people that I personally know, each company has its strong points. Check out what they have to offer to get started selling.
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