Question
How do I find retail stores that merchandise hand-crafted silk floral arrangements in the metropolitan Phoenix, AZ area so that I may contact them to purchase my silk floral arrangements wholesale. How do I know what the retailers want to buy, what terms, submissions requirements, and who to contact. I am a new home=based business specializing in distinctive silk floral designs. Do you think wholesaling is the right way to go to market this product. Any other suggestions of how to market this product. Is there a way to break into the market of realestate professionals who need complimentary thank you gifts for their home buyers. We have lots of new housing developments in my area and would also like to know how to service this real estate agent market. Others have marketed gift baskets to realtors but I thought that market would be saturated so I came up with a new concept of a topiary tree but lack the knowledge of how to market it. Hope I haven't rambled on too long but you probably know by now that I need help in marketing my floral arrangements. I want to make these items in my home-based business but need to see some return on my investment. Fun is fine but profit is better. My husband is financing me so he would like it if I showed some sign of being able to sell this stuff.ha. Thanks so much for your help. I look forward to hearing from you.


Answer
Dear Norma Sue,

I'll really try to give you as many pointers as I can but I am based in the U.K, so it may be a little different.  This is how I would approach it here. Firstly I would visit my local stores, like department/home stores and look to see if they already sell silk flowers, check the quality, the price etc. If they do not, I would then ask for the address of their head office or their manager and I would then take some really good photographs of my designs and send them to the contact and follow it up a week later offering to call on them with a sample.  To make it a more professional approach, try to name your designs, e.g. Autumn Trug or Summer Field, so that when they place an order with you, both you and the buyer knows whats what. Make sure that you have costed it right, so that both you and the retailer have profit to gain and your time must be priced in too. Don't start too low on price as it is then very hard to put an increase on.  Maybe suggest to the retailer what they might sell it for.  Little tie on tags with your company name on also add to the professional look. Have you any gift shops/ antique furniture stores/ garden centres who may be interested in working on a percentage with you, ie they have 25% of the sale. (but make sure you give them a concise list of what you are leaving them, get them to sign it, so when you go back you know what has sold). Theatres and hotel foyers are always in need of flowers, put a really good display in, free of charge, providing they give out your business cards. Don't give up on your real estate agents, once again find the manager/head office and let them know what you've got to offer. If it's a new concept, something a little different, then I'm sure they'd be pleased for a change from boring gift baskets.

If you are really proud of your product and you believe in it, get out there and show it off. You've got nothing to lose and everything to gain and just think, when you've turned a nice profit, maybe you'll be able to go for a shop of your own and keep all the profit for yourself(and your rent).

But remember, it's easy to be a busy fool, I've done it myself. There's no point in slogging away for nothing, make sure you do your sums right.

I wish you all the luck and the world.

Sue.


p.s.  as for the terms, no more than 28 days, these big companies are notoriously bad for paying up on time, so even see if you can do cash on delivery until you know them a little better.