So you have found some wholesale suppliers, now what? Do check the website of the supplier if there is any mention on dropshipping. Some websites clearly indicate on their website that they do or do not offer dropshipping service. Anyway, if no such information is available why not send them an email directly to ask? Some b2b websites are not updated regularly so important information may be missing from their website. The only way to find out is by asking. So get busy now and send those emails!

A final note

Have you tried the tip above to find a dropship company? How successful were you? Why not share with us by dropping a comment below.

Smile

Be cheerful and smile. Do it right now :). If you are talking on the phone the other person can hear the “smile” on your voice. Isn’t that wonderful? Create a friendly aura in your business place, online store or physical store. Smile when you see a customer coming in to your store. Smile when you read your customers email inquiry. Smile when someone asks for help. I think you get the picture here…so smile!

Be helpful

Helpfulness is a good character trait and is sound advice to be given to your employees. You should practice the habit of being helpful to everyone around you and to your customers especially. What ticks off a customer more than a salesperson who insist that he doesn’t know where an item is because he is from another department even if he is working under the same roof?

If you are a retail owner training all your employees to be helpful is critical for your company’s success. Even if you have a big store it is equally important to teach your employees effective ways for communicating with customers. Help to help the customers themselves. You can bring them to another salesperson who is more equipped or suited to handle their inquiries. If your customer received the help that she need while browsing for items at your shop she will most likely come again.

Personalize to each customer

Writing a personalize email or letter will get you far better returns than just writing a general one. It only takes a few extra minutes to do it but the results are definitely satisfying. How would you like to receive a letter addressed to your name with great detail about your last purchase including the list of items that you had bought? Or do you prefer to receive a general letter addressed to no one in particular? I will let you decide.

Anyway, writing personalized letters and emails will bring your customers closer to you and this will increase customer loyalty. They will treat you as a friend or family. Even your prices are a little high or your products aren’t so great who cares anyway? Friends will always buy from friends. An example of this strategy at work is the famous brand Tupperware. They invite friends over to a tupperware party and at the end of the party the friends will buy a few tupperwares even if they don’t want to!

An example of a general email

Dear Sir,
We are writing to let you know that we have 30 new product arrivals in our store. We are welcoming you to visit our store as we are offering 25% discount on these new products. Visit our store now and don’t miss out on this limited time offer!

With warmest regards,
Megan
J & R Boutique

An example of a personalized email

Dear Linda,
How are you? This is Megan the salesgirl who attended you during your purchase at the exclusive J & R Boutique. I am sure you liked the blue blouse that you had bought plus the matching pants. I think you looked great in it.

Anyway, I am writing to let you know of the latest news here in J & R Boutique. We have 30 new styles coming soon and I would like you to be one of the first to know that we are offering a 25% discount on these new arrivals. This is a limited time offer only (24 December till 28 December) so I encourage you to visit our store store so you won’t miss out on it.

I hope to see you soon in J & R Boutique!

With warmest regards,
Megan
J & R Boutique

Reply emails promptly

Some sellers do take eons to reply to inquiries. Strive to reply to emails promptly preferably within 24 hours. What this shows is a seller who cares about his customers and is attentive to his problems. Don’t just reply to inquiries from existing customers. If you have a potential customer who is showing interest in your products or service and is just checking you out reply courteously. Once he has already bought from you don’t just leave him hanging. In order to encourage repeat purchase you must assist him in every possible way and that means going the extra mile. Do your best to solve the problems that he may be facing with his purchase or why not volunteer some advice if he asked for some? He will definitely appreciate it.

Ask questions

Gather feedback from your customers. What do they like most about your store? What do they dislike the most? Are there any areas (customer service, product inventory, store layout, etc) that you can improve on? Will this increase sales? Perhaps. What this does for a certainty is increase your customers loyalty to you especially if he knows that his opinions, thinking and feedback is appreciated and that you are taking improvements in your company seriously.

Final say

Have you tried any of the ideas above? Or do you have any ideas of your own on how to increase customer loyalty? If yes, do share with us by leaving a comment below. Increasing customer loyalty is important for the survival of every business. How can a business strive and thrive without the sale of repeated purchases? Its an area that you cannot neglect. Strive not to just make a sale but to encourage repeated sales and customer loyalty.

Where can you find good wholesale suppliers?

1. B2B marketplace

Many wholesale distributors have registered their companies on the b2b  marketplace where they can reach more potential buyers just like you. Of course when searching for a supplier using this route you must be extra careful with scammers and frauds. They are many illegitimate sellers who portray themselves as genuine wholesalers but  they aren’t. Try to verify the company and ask from the seller the contacts of 4 of their most recent buyers (must be located outside the country they are doing business in). You can then ask their buyers directly of their company’s legitimacy. This is just to safeguard yourself and minimize your risk.

I have been scammed once while doing business on alibaba but my loss was pretty small (about USD$300) as it was money for samples. I have also had good experience doing business via this route by finding many genuine suppliers, two of which I am still doing business with. You can find many wholesalers with great products, excellent prices and wonderful customer service via b2b websites such as Alibaba, TTnet and Global Sources. Are you looking for a complete list of b2b websites? If yes, do check out the list of b2b websites which I have written on my blog.

2. Search engines

Do a search on popular search engines such as google, yahoo and MSN and you are bound to find millions of results for the term that you are looking for. Narrowing down your search term may help in bringing more specific results. Be creative when searching using search engines. Use google’s keyword tool. How many people have searched for the term that you are looking for? If the search term is highly popular just think of how many people have seen the wholesaler which you found on the first results page? Be smart. Increase the results number from the preference page so you will be seeing 100 listings at one go instead of 10. Or be creative and search using a different language.

3. Auction sites

Auction sites such as ebay are a great place to find wholesale distributors, wholesale supplies or just items that are way below their normal price. If you are lucky, you can find goods that are priced below wholesale! This is because sometimes the companies or individuals bought a bulk lot of goods from manufacturers but for whatever reason decided to no longer sell retail or be in business. So they auction their bulk lot on auction sites at a serious loss. Their loss is your gain!

Just do a search for anything wholesale (i.e wholesale handbags) and you will get hundreds of results. Use your creativity when searching. Sometimes you don’t have to join the bidding game. If you found someone selling a wholesale product that you are looking for at a wholesale price why not contact the seller directly and ask him for his website or product catalogue? You will be amazed at your results. The key here is building up your trade leads and potential wholesale suppliers. It never hurts to try.

4. Directory

You should be able to find hundreds of wholesale distributors just by investing a few days of your time. If you can invest more time a thousand leads is not as far-fetched. This wholesale directory for example has over 1000 wholesale suppliers and its only been six months since it has been created. There are hundreds of directories out there with listings of wholesale suppliers. I recommend hunt4wholesale, dmoz and yahoo. They have thousands and thousands of b2b companies listed in their business listings. Just digging in those three directories may take you over a month if you don’t have a specific product in mind. If you do know what product to sell then the neatly organized categories and link to the b2b websites should make your hunt for finding a wholesale supplier fast and easy.

5. Trade magazines

Searching in trade magazines is definitely a fantastic and smart way for finding wholesale suppliers. B2B magazines that have well established themselves normally only accept listings from manufacturers, wholesalers and suppliers that are reputable in nature. These b2b companies have proven themselves to be very credible whether in terms of service or in their length of existence.

6. Yellow pages

Search the business listings on the yellow pages whether your source is from a book or a website. Some companies will list their email address or website address if they have one. At the very least they will provide you with their contact no and business address. Send them a trade inquiry even if you have to invest a couple of dollars for stamps and envelopes. It will be well worth it.

7. Chamber of commerce

Are you looking for a product from a specific country lets say India? Have tried other ways in finding wholesale suppliers but results were less than satisfying? If you answered yes I think you should give the Chamber of Commerce a try. They will give you potential suppliers and manufacturers which you can get your wholesale supplies from. To find the email address or contact no of the chamber of commerce in India just do a google. Almost all chamber of commerce have a website setup so it should be easy for you to obtain their information. Once you have their email address you can shoot them a trade inquiry. Introduce your company and ask them for assistance in finding wholesale suppliers for the specific product that you are looking for.

8. Newspaper

Most listings in the newspaper are retail in nature but don’t strike off finding suppliers because of it. Always be on the lookout for potential suppliers at the business listings section. You may not find many b2b companies but the few available can certainly be a gem.

9. Trade shows

Attending a good trade show can bring you hundreds of leads and wholesale suppliers. Trade shows that are b2b in nature like the Canton Fair can be a good place for you to start finding genuine wholesale companies with great products and low prices. If you have money to invest in air fare and accommodation going to a trade show is the smart way to find wholesale supplies.

10. Looking at product label

Image credit: cbcastro

Some products will have a contact information at the back of the label. Just visit the grocery store and check the labels of a few of the items to see what I mean. Normally these companies are big and well established and they may require a big minimum order quantity in order for you to do business with them. Either way, I think there is no harm done if you contact them directly to ask for prices, catalogue and their terms for trade. You might find a good supplier with a reasonable MOQ, good prices and simply great people to have a long term business relationship with!

You can also try your luck by searching for a specific brand of item (that you would like to sell) online. They may have a website available where you can see their product pictures, information and prices. Even if the website is catered for the retail market you can send them an email and ask if they accept orders from resellers. And if yes, you can then ask them for wholesale prices.

Final thoughts

You should keep track of your potential wholesale suppliers by being organized. Create an excel spreadsheet of all the suppliers and the ones that you have sent a trade inquiry. Finding a wholesale supplier can be challenging at times but it should be hassle free. If you follow any of the ways above you should be able to get some new leads or at the very least some potential suppliers. So what are your normal ways for finding a wholesale supplier? Are any of them listed in this article? Share with us on your ways for finding a supplier by dropping a comment below.

Pros of Dropshipping

1. No need for stock inventory

Dropshipping allows you the freedom of not keeping stock at all. This can save up a lot of storage space as your wholesale dropshipper will be doing the warehousing for you. You don’t have to worry about cramping all your stock goods into your tiny one room apartment (if that’s where you are living). You can be selling over 10,000 different items in over 100 categories in your online auction or website and not have even one single item within your vicinity. This would be extremely beneficial if the items you are selling are big in nature (i.e. electrical products or furniture) or if you are planning to sell a large amount of goods.

2. Small investment = small risk

The biggest advantage of participating in a dropshipping program is the lack of investment required. There are some companies who require an initial investment on your part regardless of whether you buy from them or not. My advice to you: don’t buy from them! A genuine supplier would not ask any money from you unless its for buying their products. Most companies do charge a small amount of dropship fee when you place an order from them. Usually the amount is pretty minimal (i.e. less than $5) and is usually (but not always) on a per order charge and not a per item charge. So even if you were to order 5 items and if they are to be shipped to one address then you are charged that one fee.

Of course, you must always check the company’s dropshipping terms. Different companies obviously have different set of rules. Before deciding on a dropship supplier calculate all the extra charges especially the dropship fee. Some suppliers offer good stock inventory and lots of products but have killer fees. I would usually stay away from those companies .

3. Avoid handling returns

Avoid the hassle of handling returns from your customers. Good suppliers would normally have returns and exchange policy which you can use for your customers. If any of your customer would like to return an item because of a defect they can do so by sending them directly to your manufacturer. They will handle the returns and not you. Sounds great right?

4. Time and money well spent

Spend time only doing the necessary. Ask manufactures if they offer a csv file contaning their product information datafeed which you can import directly to your shopping cart system and integrate it into your website. Spend time handling orders, payment and inquiries. Leave the shipping and returns to the supplier! Fork out cash only when there is an order.

Cons of Dropshipping

1. No control of inventory

No manufacturer, wholesale dropshipper and supplier can ever guarantee you a 100% stock availability. Its just not possible. If you are keeping the stock at your house you would know which items are available and which are not. I had a few instances where I list a particular item on ebay and that item turned out to be out of stock. Bear in mind, when I listed the item I was told that the item is in stock but an auction listing usually last 7 days and within that period of item the item just might be sold out. So when this happens, I not only lost a sale but a repeat customer. Who ever wants to buy from you again after this incident right?

In the past one year I have participated in a dropship program with two different companies. One company was a manufacturer while the other is a wholesaler. There was no start up cost and the dropship fee was only $5. Lucky me? The only problem is of course related to the stock availability. However, if you could handle your customer’s complaints well and reply to their emails courteously then this should be a minor problem for you.

2. Unreliable dropshipper

There are many illegitimate companies claiming to be genuine dropshippers. Check out their credibility and unless you are 100% sure of their legitimacy purchase a dropship product from them that cost only a few dollars and asked it to be shipped to your address. You can also check how they package their goods and if they have included any promotional material in your package.

Conclusion

Buying from a wholesale dropshipper is a good way to cut on many costs including inventory and returns. Look for reliable dropshippers and experiment with the whole dropshipping process if you are not familiar. If you have exprience with dropshipping what are your feedbacks? Do you think the good outweigh the bad? Drop a comment and let us all know…

1. Increase the number of search results displayed

All major search engines allow you to change the number of search results displayed. In google the default number is 10 but you can easily change it to 20, 30, 50 or 100 from the preference page.

2. Prepare an excel spreadsheet with 4 columns: website address, email, tel no and address (optional).

Keeping this file handy will definitely help you become more organized and ease you into finding a supplier.

3. Create and reuse an existing letter template to be send out for trade enquiry

We have created some useful templates that you can use for inquiries. Copy it, edit it and use it for free!

4. Send emails in bulk

This will save you loads of time. Simply copy and paste the emails from the excel spreadsheet into your email account.

First free template - general

Hi,

I am an apparel distributor located in the USA. I am interested to know more about your apparel products and collections. Please send me your catalogue (with pics) and price list to my address: hunt4wholesale [at] gmail.com.

What is your MOQ (minimum order quantity) and do you offer private labelling?

Regards,
Ryan King

Second free template - source from a website

Dear Sir,

I came across your website at: http://www.seminyak.net.au/ and I like your apparel styles especially your tops. Is your company a manufacturer? I am an apparel distributor distributor located in the USA and I am interested to know more about your apparel products.

Please send me your catalogue (including pics) and price list to my email address at hunt4wholesale [at] gmail.com. I would also like to know what is your minimum order quantity (MOQ) and if you offer private labelling?

Hope to hear from you soon.

Best Regards,
Ryan King

Third free template - source from a b2b website

Hi,

I came across your company from Alibaba. I would like to know more about your apparel products. I am an apparel distributor located in the USA mainly dealing in tops and women’s clothing. I hope to establish a business relationship with your company.

May I know what is your MOQ (minimum order quantity) and do you offer private labelling?

Please send me your catalogue with complete pictures of your collection and price list to my email address at hunt4wholesale [at] gmail.com. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Regards,
Ryan King

Fourth free template - directed to a specific country

Dear Sir,

I  an apparel distributor located in the USA. I am keenly interested in sourcing the products that I am selling which is women’s clothing (tops, bottoms, fashionable wear, etc) from Thailand. At the moment I am only buying from China and India. Can you please forward my inquiry to the relevant Thailand manufacturers? I would like to see a few samples first if available. My email address is as follows: hunt4wholesale [at] gmail.com

Regards,
Ryan King

Fifth free template - by contact

Dear Sir,

A business contact of mine informed me about your company and that you are a supplier of apparel products. I am an apparel distributor located in the USA and I am currently looking for new suppliers to serve my customers better.

Can you please forward your product catalogue including pics and prices to my email address at hunt4wholesale [at] gmail.com? I would also like to know your trade terms including MOQ (minimum order quantity). Hope to hear from you soon.

Regards,
Ryan King

A final say

What do you think of the templates? Have you used any for your email inquiry? Do drop a comment and share with me…

Aggressive marketing might seem like the best answer but if you are too pushy in your selling, your customers will more often than not run away from you and your company. Not only that, they will tell the people around them about their bad experience with your company and those people too will avoid having anything to do with you. Bad news? You bet.

My personal experience - the pushy beautician

I’m sure some of you might have your own fair share of experience with marketers or companies who are just too pushy with their selling tactics. Let me share with you with mine. Last week, I accompanied my 23 year old daughter to a nearby salon for her facial. She went under the first trial promotion in which the cost for treatment was cut by more than half so she was paying much less than original. So she was happy with the deal and went inside to get her facial. While I went ahead to get my much needed hair cut in another salon (Instead of just waiting at the front desk of the reception). My daughter informed me later that before the treatment was started she was pressed (by the beautician) to buy a pair of sponges at $10. A ridiculous amount indeed as you can get the same sponges for only a few cents. She was okay with that of course as she had no other choice.

Later, the beautician whizzed out an equipment which she says can even out her skin color. Price of treatment using the special equipment was over $100. This is when the beautician became “pushy” and started to market the treatment more aggressively. Even after my daughter said “no” to this treatment, the beautician still insisted that she go for the treatment and called out her colleague (who spoke better English) to further explain the benefits. They cornered my daughter until she said to call me to ask for my permission since I was the one paying. Of course I said no. Needless to say, my daughter was very uncomfortable with the pushy sales tactics and resolved never to go there again to get her facial. Was my daughter happy with her facial? Yes. She praised them with their advance equipment, good skill and use of products. In fact, if it wasn’t for the sales tactics she told me she will definitely go there monthly to get her facial. They have inadvertently lost a good loyal and long term customer because of their short term goal of making extra money (with the additional treatments). What a waste!

How to not be a pushy sales marketer?

If you have developed the bad habit of pushy selling or have trained your employees to be one it is time for you to revamp your whole selling method. There is no doubt that people want products and services. Forget about making the sale first (or money). Just think of your customer’s needs, wants and desires.  If you want to have a successful marketing don’t just pretend interest in your customer genuinely be interested. Develop a good marketing strategy that will build good loyal customers and benefit your company in the long run. The following are some marketing tips to get you started in becoming more effective in marketing:

1. Ask questions and listen

Always put yourself in the shoes of the customers! Ask questions and probe your customers for answers. The product or service that you are offering might not be the ones that they are looking for. Listen intently and don’t be too quick on selling your products without getting all the facts from your customers first. If you keep rambling on about a product that your customer doesn’t even want or need your customer would not be seeing you in a good light. On the other hand, the product may be right for the customer but he just doesn’t know it (yet…). Your role is then to ask key questions so that he will think of the product or service in a new light and come to the realization that “yes this is the product that I want”.

Some key probing questions that you can ask your customer for successful marketing:

• What do you hope this product can do for you?
• What do you want or desire?
• Do you have a problem that you think this product can address or solve?

If your customer is already using a product or service by another company that addresses his or her problem then the following questions would be appropriate:

• What do you like about your existing product?
• What is lacking in the product that you are using now?
• What do you hope to achieve by using an alternative product?

2. Build credibility

Sometimes you don’t have to push your products or services at all. By slowly building trust and credibility, your customers would look to you for expert advise. How do you build credibility? If you have been around for a few years or a long time proudly announce the year of your company’s conception in your office, website or newsletter. Writing “we have been around since 1988 and know how to serve you (our customers) the best” is pretty convincing to the customers. The longer you have been around the more credible you become in the eyes of the customers.

What if you are a new company how do you establish credibility then? Some tips that you can follow:

• Provide free service in the area of your expertise. Examples include: free consultation, free public speaking or even a product to try for free
• Write useful articles for your industry either in the form of newsletters, newspaper articles or other publishing materials
• Build a website with the intention to build more credibility to your company. Let your customers know what your company’s vision is and how you can contribute to your customers
• Apply for awards and proudly display them where your walk-in customers can see them

3. Follow up

Be careful to follow up on a sale and gather feedback. Don’t push for another sale or badger your customer with enticing offers especially after only a few days of buying from you. Your customer won’t appreciate it. Instead, gather useful feedback that you could use to further improve on your service or better still invite them to write a testimonial for your company which you can publish on your newsletter or website. It is direly important as well to ask them if they need help with anything even after you have made the sale. Always offer advice within your capacity.

Conclusion

Don’t fall into the trap of pushy selling as it will not benefit you or your company in the long run. Follow the above marketing ideas and strategies and you will be well on your way of becoming a more effective sales marketer (and that means more sales!).

Use a language translation tool for the keyword(s) that you are looking for

Begin by writing down a list of keywords that you will be using to search for a supplier on search engines. For example if you are looking for a jewelry supplier the following keywords may come to mind:

• jewelry supplier
• wholesale jewelry
• jewelry manufacturer
• jewelry supplies

Once you are done with the list of keywords use any language translation tool to translate the keyword to another language. If you are looking for suppliers from China, translate the word to Chinese or if you are looking for German suppliers then by all means translate the keyword to German. The following are some websites that you could use to translate your keywords:

• Google Translate
• Babel Fish Yahoo
• E-Free Translation

I use Google’s translation tool which allows translation in 34 different languages including Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, French and German. For example, the word jewelry supplier when translated to the 5 different languages becomes as follows:

• proveedor de joyas (Spanish)
• 批发珠宝首饰 (Chinese)
• المجوهرات بالجملة (Arabic)
• fournisseur de bijoux (French)
• Schmuck Lieferanten (German)

Search using the keyword

Now that you have the keyword it is time for you to search for suppliers in Google. For convenience I have changed the result page to display 100 results. You can easily change the number of results from your google preference page.

For the sake of comparison lets go to google english to search for the term jewelry supplier and “jewelry supplier”. Note adding the inverted comers can be helpful sometimes to bring more accurate (and varied) results. Now head over to the local google website with the respective language and key in the translated keyword:

• proveedor de joyas on Google Spanish
• 批发珠宝首饰 on Google Chinese
• المجوهرات بالجملة on Google Arabic
• fournisseur de bijoux on Google French
• Schmuck Lieferanten on Google German

For example search for the term proveedor de joyas in Google Spanish and it will bring you over 248,000 results. Further refine your search by “searching for pages from Spain”. You can also search in a language other then english from Google’s main website and you will still get the results that you want. However, if you wish to refine your search to only websites from a specific country i.e. German then searching in the specific website (i.e. Google German for German and Google French for French) would be best.

Translate the whole page to a language you do understand

Okay so now you have gotten the results from google then what? Well, once you have reached the page copy and paste the URL into google’s translation tool and translate the whole page back into English. Voila you can now understand what it is you’re reading. In my case I have translated the page back into english and can easily browse and read the contents of the b2b websites easily. Whenever you arrive at a page in which you don’t understand use the google web translation tool to translate the page into english or to any other available language that you do understand.

Search for a more specific term

Although I highly recommend you to use google translation tool to translate your keywords, getting feedback from your bilingual friends for a specific term or a better translation would be best. Real people would know best which word is more commonly used or which accurately describes the product or description. So if there is an English word that you would like to translate to Spanish, first check for the translation in Google then ask your Spanish speaking friends for feedback.

Conclusion

Searching on Google using a different language is an ingenious way and an alternative approach to find new suppliers. Follow the suggestions above and increase your business trade contacts.

Hunt 4 Wholesale’s list of B2B directory websites (to find suppliers)

Here is a list of b2b directory websites which I have experienced using in the past to find a supplier. As there are many b2b directory sites I have only picked those which have established themselves online and have a big number of wholesale suppliers (as well as customer base). I have also included the predominant country for each of the b2b websites and other information I think would be useful to you. If you think there are other b2b directory websites which should be included in this list do drop me a comment.

1. Alibaba

One of the largest and most popular online b2b marketplace. Alibaba has been around since 1999 and has well established themselves in the b2b industry. Searching for a product and a list of suppliers is easy. You can not only view the company’s background, website and address but alibaba allows upload of products so you may see the pictures of the company’s products neatly categorized.

Many of the wholesale manufacturers in Alibaba come from China and other Asian countries. There are non-asia b2b companies on Alibaba but in my opinion there are few compared to manufacturers from countries like China, Hong Kong and India. A typical search using the term “apparel” will give you over 66,000 results but over 53K of the products are from China and only over a thousand is from US/UK/Australia combined. So, if you have no problems sourcing products from an Asian country, Alibaba would be a great place to start.

Predominant country: China
Registration required:

• (Buyer) To find a supplier and browse for products: No
• (Buyer) To keep track of suppliers and contact information: Yes - free
• (Seller) To list company and products: Yes - free and paid

2. Export Bereau

Founded in 1998, ExportBereau is a b2b directory renowned for its comprehensive list of manufacturing companies for trade. The listed wholesale manufacturers are from various countries and I can’t conclude if there is a predominant country (due to the lack of statistic). This b2b website is neatly organized and categorized so searching for the right product is easy. When searching for a specific term, they will provide you with further sub-categories and the results will list the company’s website, email address as well as company’s report.

One downside of ExportBereau is many of the manufacturer’s websites have either expired or no longer exist. Some of the websites that I browsed looked like they were created in the 1990s and have not been updated since. This raises another question: is this manufacturing company still in business? I think in the absence of a live website the only way for you to request for catalogue or product information is to email the supplier personally. ExportBereau does not have a product section so you will not be able to view product pictures of the wholesale supplier that you are interested in.

Predominant country: Unknown
Registration required:

• (Buyer) To find a supplier and browse for products: No
• (Buyer) To keep track of suppliers and contact information: Yes - free
• (Seller) To list company and products: Yes

3. TTNet

TTnet is one of the most complete online b2b marketplace with company profile and contact no as well as product pictures. On top of that, they also have a special section for trade shows and trade publications. The TTnet team attends many of the trade shows organized in China and abroad. If you need help sourcing for a product simply browse the TTnet website or just ask the TTnet team when participating in a trade show that they attend. They are definitely more than willing to help you.

Predominant country: China
Registration required:

• (Buyer) To find a supplier and browse for products: No
• (Buyer) To keep track of suppliers and contact information: Yes - free
• (Seller) To list company and products: Yes

4. Made In China

Like its name, Made In China is a b2b directory which focuses on connecting buyers from all around the world to wholesale suppliers from China. Its b2b marketplace is similar to Alibaba in its core features. There is a product pictures section so potential buyers may see the full pictures of the products offered by the wholesale manufacturer. The company’s contact no and address is clearly visible. Searching is easy and the categories are neatly organized.

Predominant country: China
Registration required:

• (Buyer) To find a supplier and browse for products: No
• (Buyer) To keep track of suppliers and contact information: Yes - free
• (Seller) To list company and products: Yes - free

5. Fuzing

Another b2b trade portal that connects potential buyers with seller, Fuzing has quite a large pool of suppliers divided and organized in many categories. Unlike Alibaba, you can’t see the full product pictures of the wholesale supplier.

Predominant country: China
Registration required:

• (Buyer) To find a supplier and browse for products: No
• (Buyer) To keep track of suppliers and contact information: Yes - free
• (Seller) To list company and products: Yes - free

6. Global Sources

Looking for a comprehensive list of manufacturers and verified sellers? Global Sources offers just that. Like TTnet, Global Sources also attends trade shows and offers sourcing services to potential buyers. They have a trade publication which they give freely to their registered members.

Predominant country: China
Registration required:

• (Buyer) To find a supplier and browse for products: No
• (Buyer) To keep track of suppliers and contact information: Yes - free
• (Seller) To list company and products: Yes

7. Global Textiles

Global Textiles is a B2B directory which main focus is in the textile industry. If you are looking for textile products such as apparel, bags and fabric then Global Textiles would be the best choice.

Predominant country: China
Registration required:

• (Buyer) To find a supplier and browse for products: No
• (Buyer) To keep track of suppliers and contact information: Yes - free
• (Seller) To list company and products: Yes

8. Euro Pages

Euro Pages is a b2b directory which consist of mainly European companies. It has over 900,000 suppliers, wholesale manufacturers and products from both European and international companies. Searching for the term “shoe” will bring over 3000 results with more than 95% coming from European countries.  You can further refine your search by country or category heading in the left navigation of the search listing. If you are looking for a wholesale supplier from an European Company do a search at Euro Pages and you won’t be disappointed.

Predominant country: Europe Countries
Registration required:

• (Buyer) To find a supplier and browse for products: No
• (Buyer) To keep track of suppliers and contact information: No
• (Seller) To list company and products: Yes

9. eSources

Containing over 700,000 listings, ESources is a UK B2B trade directory which will definitely help you to source for suppliers from the UK or Europe countries. The website is well organized with over 25 categories with many suppliers under the apparel and gifts categories.

Predominant country: UK
Registration required:

• (Buyer) To find a supplier and browse for products: No
• (Buyer) To keep track of suppliers and contact information: Yes - free and paid
• (Seller) To list company and products: Yes - paid

10. Gulf Business

A B2B business directory powered by Trade Holding, Gulf Business is a middle east b2b directory. They encourage sellers who wish to promote their products to the middle east to list their items in their business directory. They have many sellers coming from a wide variety of countries including China. You can search for a product by country or further refine your search term by their category heading. The company’s listings are quite organized with detailed information on the company and company’s products. The website looks a bit confusing at first (with the many navigations) but once you get used to it shouldn’t be a problem.

Predominant country: Unknown
Registration required:

• (Buyer) To find a supplier and browse for products: No
• (Buyer) To keep track of suppliers and contact information: Yes - free
• (Seller) To list company and products: Yes - free

11. Toy Source

Searching for wholesale toys and toy manufacturers? Toy Source is a b2b toy directory which contains a comprehensive list of toy suppliers and manufacturers.

Predominant country: USA/Canada
Registration required:

• (Buyer) To find a supplier and browse for products: Yes - free
• (Buyer) To keep track of suppliers and contact information: Yes - free
• (Seller) To list company and products: Yes

12. TBC World

TBC World is a b2b marketplace website where users can search for trade companies such as manufacturers and wholesale suppliers. This website is well organized and categorized. All information is freely displayed including company’s background, address, website and export information. You do not have to become a member in order to see all those details.

Predominant country: China
Registration required:

• (Buyer) To find a supplier and browse for products: Yes - free
• (Buyer) To keep track of suppliers and contact information: Yes - free
• (Seller) To list company and products: Yes - free

Conclusion

Visit these b2b websites if you want to find wholesale suppliers, manufacturers or simply increase your business trade contacts.