How do I get retailers and wholesalers to buy my product?

Question

I want to manufacture candles, and I've got everything set up except I don't know how to get stores to buy them. I was considering a few of the small family owned stores along the highway, and a wholesaler in the county... I wanted to send like an e-mail with a picture of the product with my costs and stuff... any other suggestions and thoughts would be great, i know i'm forgetting a few things. =)
BTW: I just plan on making everything in my garage, i shouldn't need any special zoning, and if a store asks, do i tell them?

Answer 1

There's nothing wrong with starting an enterprise at home and many big business people know that , and they probably started from scratch the same way u did.

You can just tell u have your workshop at home, and leave the garage part.I think it is O.K to use your home address as the business adress to receive business letters.

Both an attractive packaging and product will get retailers interested, in the same way that it will attract customers to buy them off the shelf.
No#1 Have your prototypes (real samples) of your product ready
No#2 make sure you have an attractive packagaing to complement the product
No#4 Take pictures of your finished product and either choose to make a flyer to show the pictures on it or save photos to attach to your marketing pitch by email.
No#3 Figure how much profit $ you would like to make on each candle and add the figure to the production cost of each candle to set a wholesale price based on the quantity o candles you have ready for sale. The store might decide on their own consumer price, but if ur product is doing well they might be making a bigger cut than you since they are free to set the consumer price after you!
No#4 propose your business deal by contacting the stores you are interested, by mailing your flyers with a short pitch, including your contact details or email them with attached pix if u know their electronic address .

If u have a hard time negotiating retail price, I advise that you sell your candles on your own by setting up a sale booth at your church, or your front yard.

Good Luck!

Answer 2

I would leave out the garage part... What if the distributor calls you up and says "great I'll take 10,000 candles". Be careful of what you wish for... And they're not going to cut you a check a head of time to build your new candle factory.

Come up with a professional name. Get a PO box somewhere (not your home address, unprofessional for a "manufacturing environment"). Put together a catalog and professional looking displays. Remember, it's your job to provide merchandising. You are going to have a good looking product/packing if you expect any store to give up shelf space for you...

If it's mom and pop stores then just walk in and show them what you got. My guess is that someone is producing the same product for FAR less than you can in your "garage" (eg China). Wax is pretty cheap. Might not be worth the gas to drive and deliver the candles you make 10 cents on. In a retail setting, stores are looking for approximately a 1000% percent (yes 1000%) profit margin. That's pretty typical in retail. Walmart is the pro at buyings things dirt cheap wholesale.

Answer 3

Many such companies allow you to submit product ideas through a web portal.

Answer 4

You can find many local and international buying leads on www.alibaba.com

Wish you best of luck!

Waleed Mohamed
Professional Arabic Translator
High Quality Arabic Translation Services
http://www.arabictranslationexperts.com
http://www.english-arabic-translation-services.com
http://www.online-arabic-translation-services.com
http://www.lingoexperts.com

Answer 5

start by a web site. then hire you a marketing co. to market your candles. better be prepared to produce.