Using Tradeshows for Product Sourcing and More
If you're looking to sell products online as your home-based business (and what a great home-based business that is!), then one of your best resources for product sourcing is the trade show. Actually I should say 'shows' because there are lots of them every year covering everything from Apparel to Youth Products (sorry, I couldn't find a "Z" industry).
You can really accomplish 3 things by attending trade shows.
Get Creative Ideas - One common question that people often have when they are considering starting a home-based business is "What should I sell?". Or perhaps you already sell products as your home-based business, but are wanting to investigate additional product lines. Attending trade shows will expose you to so many product lines that the biggest problem you'll have is then making choices among all the ideas you get.
Connect with Suppliers - At real tradeshows, only true wholesale suppliers (or supplier representatives) are allowed to exhibit their lines. A trade show is a great place to meet supplier reps face to face and glean valuable information about their line of products. You can ask them any question you want such as "Do you drop ship?", "What is your minimum order?", "What is your lead time?", etc. You can also usually get the setup process started there.
Network with Other Home-Based Businesses - One of the problems with a home-based business is that we often work isolated from the rest of the business community. Trade shows are a great way to meet other home-based entrepreneurs and connect with them.
Where do you find trade shows? Here are four resources.
So if you're living within a reasonable proximity of a large town or city, chances are one or more trade shows will be held near you each year. Give them a try! Oh, and if you're living in or near Seattle, the Seattle Gift Show will be held later this month and I plan to be there!
