Advice please!

[jaan]

Hello Folks,

I have a question regarding an enquiry we have received.

This company have seen our products online and are looking for a alternative which is much heavier duty and industrial.

They ask if 'your company manufacture the concept or would it be possible to provide me the details of the manufacturer? I am initially interested in a very small quantity for a patented prototype, but the demand ratio is expected to grow substantially once released.'

I purely import and retail/wholesale our current line and have contacted the suppliers, one of whom has pointed me in the right direction. I dont like to give out details of our suppliers for obvious reasons but what alternatives would you suggest, including those that that might keep us in the loop financially?


Any advice gratefully received!

Thanks,


Jaan

[KateCB]

You could do a joint venture with your supplier? You offer what the customer wants, your supplier supplies you, you supply the customer or your supplier ships direct (plain labels of course so that it appears to have come from you) - your customer is then happy, your supplier is making more from you and you are realising a fair profit from the arrangement......your supplier of course has to know how it will work and under what terms (i.e. he doesn't go direct to your customer) - a legal contract would be advisable between you and your supplier to protect you both - i.e. he can't go direct to your customer and you can't go to another supplier for the same product.

Hope it helps and works out for you! :)

[CJSteele]

You could do a joint venture with your supplier? You offer what the customer wants, your supplier supplies you, you supply the customer or your supplier ships direct (plain labels of course so that it appears to have come from you) - your customer is then happy, your supplier is making more from you and you are realising a fair profit from the arrangement......your supplier of course has to know how it will work and under what terms (i.e. he doesn't go direct to your customer) - a legal contract would be advisable between you and your supplier to protect you both - i.e. he can't go direct to your customer and you can't go to another supplier for the same product.

Hope it helps and works out for you! :)

Excellent advice!

If your supplier is not up tp the development task, then you can always try to find a design/engineering firm to do that for you.