How to find the right supplier of products

J

johnnyg

Registered User
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I'm plan to branch into the consumable side of the pharma industry, I know what products i want to sell and my customers have asked me to source but where to find the right supplier is baffling me, i have tried the following websites:
  • www.tootoo.com
  • www.indiatrade.com
  • www.india-crafts.com
  • www.kompass.com
  • www.alibaba.com
which have bought up thousands of suppliers, is there anyway of finding out reputable suppliers or is it hit and miss, didn't plan to go into this area as part of the business but customers have asked me to source consumables as they are being ripped off by major suppliers and don't have time them selves to find them, so have decided to see if this is possible as i would have good contracts from it, not sure if lucrative or not as don't know anything about importing/customs etc.
When you place an inquiry to a supplier, is there certain things i should ask or are there better websites out there to find reputable suppliers.
Any info greatly appreciated
 
johnnyg said:

didn't plan to go into this area as part of the business
Click to expand...

If you do not have a background in sourcing, I would not advise you to move in to it just because your customers say they want you to do it. Stick to what you know best. Effective sourcing involves a lot more than finding a good directory or web site of suppliers.

I presume from your post you are interested in sales. If part of your sales solution involves sourcing, then perhaps you can collaborate with a sourcing specialist individual or other company? Let them do the sourcing for you!

However, if you don't have a background in it, focus instead on what you you do best.
 
thanks Bob_tg, where do you find these people/companies...what my client is trying to do is make this part of the deal, so if don't go ahead might not get deal..so hands tied.
 
johnnyg said:
thanks Bob_tg, where do you find these people/companies...what my client is trying to do is make this part of the deal, so if don't go ahead might not get deal..so hands tied.
Click to expand...

You have a few choices here, I guess. What scale of contract are you talking about? This could affect your choice.

You could look for sourcing support from procurement/sourcing agent companies. Here are some firms who provide sourcing services who are based in Ireland:

http://www.purchasingsolutions.ie/
[broken link removed]
[broken link removed] (interim executives)

(I am not affiliated with any of these)

Alternatively, once you get the contract and get up and running after a few months, you may look to directly recruit the services of procurement/sourcing specialist.

I think by joining up by someone expert as a partner in this will mean that you're not bluffing when it comes to your final pitch. I would also recommend if you do retain the services of a sourcing company/ agent or individual that you get them in at the start to jointly present with you. I'm sure in this difficult economic environment that they will pitch for no fee.
 
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