Importing door mats - finding distributors

[MattG]

Hello!

I've got this great contact in eastern europe to import door mats to the UK. I've negotiated prices with them and am really happy with what I've achieved. As I'm a newbie to this, I've got these questions to you.

How do you think distributors would look at me if I would not hold the stock myself but be more of the middle man?

How do I approach distributors? Should I phone them up and arrange a meeting/ just send them my offer/ just go and see them?

What is the best way of finding them? Online directories? Yellow-pages? Anything else?

Is there a lot of scam out there that I should watch for?

If you think there's anything else I should know but haven't asked please say!

Cheers!

 

[Tej]

Hello!

I've got this great contact in eastern europe to import door mats to the UK. I've negotiated prices with them and am really happy with what I've achieved. As I'm a newbie to this, I've got these questions to you.

How do you think distributors would look at me if I would not hold the stock myself but be more of the middle man?

How do I approach distributors? Should I phone them up and arrange a meeting/ just send them my offer/ just go and see them?

What is the best way of finding them? Online directories? Yellow-pages? Anything else?

Is there a lot of scam out there that I should watch for?

If you think there's anything else I should know but haven't asked please say!

Cheers!

LOL..

So.. really happy with what you have achieved!!.. what exactly have you achieved?

How do you know whether the prices you have negotiated are any good?

Have you sold any? and to whom?

You don't have any distributors?

hmmmm..you want someone to tell you how to be an entrepreneur.. hopefully

 

[MattG]

LOL..

So.. really happy with what you have achieved!!.. what exactly have you achieved?

How do you know whether the prices you have negotiated are any good?

Have you sold any? and to whom?

You don't have any distributors?

hmmmm..you want someone to tell you how to be an entrepreneur.. hopefully

I just knew someone will look at it this way

Well, I know the guy/company is trustworthy because he's got long working relationship with my brother and he comes highly recommended.

Plus, I trust my brother that these prices are very good (I negotiated them, thus I've achieved at least this) as he's in charge of buying products for the supermarket chain he works for and so knows what prices are good...

Well, I also used my common sense.. if the import price is 6-7 times less than the average price of door mat of the same quality it must indicate something.. Besides that's why I want to find it out and thus looking for distributors

Besides, I will get there eventually but would be easier if someone would've point me now and saved me time, don't you think?

Are you still not convinced?

 

[Tej]

I just knew someone will look at it this way

Well, I know the guy/company is trustworthy because he's got long working relationship with my brother and he comes highly recommended.

Plus, I trust my brother that these prices are very good (I negotiated them, thus I've achieved at least this) as he's in charge of buying products for the supermarket chain he works for and so knows what prices are good...

Well, I also used my common sense.. if the import price is 6-7 times less than the average price of door mat of the same quality it must indicate something.. Besides that's why I want to find it out and thus looking for distributors

Besides, I will get there eventually but would be easier if someone would've point me now and saved me time, don't you think?

Are you still not convinced?

Well.. you have a ready made customer for your goods... your brother could give you a lot of the business, as you have negotiated cheaper than what he can buy for.

As he knows the market for doormats.. he could point you in the right direction.. as.. being a buyer for a supermarket chain.. he should know most of the importers/distributors that should be knocking at his door.

That would save you a lot of time.. and give you a ready made market due to your items being so cheap and well negotiated

Good Luck

 

[MattG]

Well.. you have a ready made customer for your goods... your brother could give you a lot of the business, as you have negotiated cheaper than what he can buy for.

As he knows the market for doormats.. he could point you in the right direction.. as.. being a buyer for a supermarket chain.. he should know most of the importers/distributors that should be knocking at his door.

That would save you a lot of time.. and give you a ready made market due to your items being so cheap and well negotiated

Good Luck

Tej.. you still don't get this.. from the above it seems that my IQ level is well below 90.. believe me it's not..
what you've written would be true if my brother would've actually work in the UK but he doesn't.. he visits trade fairs all over the Europe and that's why he knows these prices are good.. but he's got none contacts in the UK...

You're really getting nowhere with your comments so you may well just ignore this thread as I will your comments from now on....

 

[Tej]

Good Luck in the door mat business

 

[Jay-UK]

Hello!

I've got this great contact in eastern europe to import door mats to the UK. I've negotiated prices with them and am really happy with what I've achieved. As I'm a newbie to this, I've got these questions to you.

How do you think distributors would look at me if I would not hold the stock myself but be more of the middle man?

NOT AN ISSUE TBH, IT ALL DEPENDS ON PRICE, DELIVERY TIME, AND RANGE OF PRODUCTS.

How do I approach distributors? Should I phone them up and arrange a meeting/ just send them my offer/ just go and see them?

SEND THEM AN EMAIL OR CALL THEM, THEN FOLLOW UP. NOTHING BEATS FACE TO FACE WITH THE PRODUCT TBH

What is the best way of finding them? Online directories? Yellow-pages? Anything else?

ALL OF THEM AND THEN SOME - USE GOOGLE, USE LOCAL CONTACTS, WHOLESALERS, YOU NAME IT. IN THE START LOOK ALSO AT LOCAL WHOLESALERS / RESELLERS BUT JUST DONT SIGN ANY EXCLUSIVITY DEALS

Is there a lot of scam out there that I should watch for?

HMM DEPENDS - HENCE WHY ITS BEST TO RESEARCH THE COMPANIES YOU GO FOR

If you think there's anything else I should know but haven't asked please say!

JUST KEEP OPTIONS OVER - 10% OF 0 IS NOTHING - SO ALSO LOOK AT OTHER MARKETS AS GETTING INTO A DIST TAKES TIME

Cheers!

IN CAPS ABOVE

 

[Hot Line]

I used to worked for an organisation. When they started to export their new product to US they did hire an experienced import export consultant in US. He was fab. He knew all ins and outs of the trade and also had strong relationship with relevant industry leads. If I remember he was very expensive but he helped to create a sizeable market of the product in US.
I just wonder if you could also hire such a consultant here in UK. At the end of the day, every thing including knowledge and experience is availbe for money.

 

[awaisnoori]

I manfacture sports socks, and am looking for some buyer across UK...

 

[Lee Jones Jnr]

Spend a few days driving around the wholesalers in Manchester and Birmingham with a boot full of samples and an order book - job done.

 

[Annabelle]

Hmm, if you are looking a for a reliable seller you might be interested in contacting with TurtleMat Company (http://www.turtlemat.co.uk/), maybe it will help you a bit.