Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Hello, I'm in the process of building my website. The website will sell shoes. I need feedback on how to go about getting vendors to supply the materials needed. Should I create a website with two pages exampling my website and include what would be needed from the vendors? And or should I make cold calls to vendors?

iyana,

Cold calls don't work very efficient and you would have to make them lot to convinence a vendor. Also you will be spending too much time. Putting together a sample website and showing your model would really help visualize and convinence them you are serious about it.

Also many vendors just need assurance from you financially to supply you. Most of them don't care how you sell them whether thru brick and mortor or websites. Do you already have few vendors lined up or just going to start from scratch?

Thanks for the feedback! No, I am starting from scratch. 

OK! If you are starting from scratch, I would recommend to line up few vendors and try to specialize on certain brand or certain things to make and show yourself different. Because you can always show example of similar stie to the vendor and they can understand it. But what are you going to different and sell their product might make them do business with you. Since its a drop ship type deal, they might need your financial stability. I am not sure how that works. In regard to th website, you don't have to build a site to attract vendors untill you want to prove something or differnt business model.

Thats my 2cents.