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Help those about to be affected by Hurricane Gustav

August 31, 2008 · Posted in CEO’s Corner, General Merchandise · Comment 

George Bush made the right move by canceling his appearance at the Republican National Convention. In fact, I would not be surprised if the convention turned into a fund raiser to help all of the Americans and residents of the Gulf States who are about to have their lives, once again, turned upside down by Hurricane Gustav. It’s times like this when we need to see both parties unite and urge their supporters, friends, families and colleagues to help as much as they can by donating money, food, blood, blankets, beds and homes to the millions of people who are about to experience great hardship.

I hope to see the RNC make the right choice and shows their fellow American and supporters the reason why we put them all in office. I’m sure Senator McCain will do all he can to raise awareness as we all should be doing our part right now in reaching out to those in Gustav’s path. In the coming posts, our editors will be telling you all about trusted charities devoted to helping those in need. Please do your part and give right now. We all have the ability to help and taking that small bit of time out of your life right now to give to someone in need will make you feel so much better. Give it a try.

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FastTrack to Retail Failure – Shoplifting

August 30, 2008 · Posted in Avoiding Scams, Small Business Matters, Starting a new retail of wholesale business · 4 Comments 

Shoplifting, coupled with employee theft accounts for 30% of all business failures. How do you curb theft in your store?

An arresting development: 10 billion is the price tag to retailers each year for people intent on creating their own discounts by shoplifting! That’s according to National Crime Prevention Council, citing that 25% of those caught lifting the merchandise were between the ages of 13 and 17. It could be said that it’s a sign of the times, but be careful how you read that sign. Some said they stole because of extreme need or peer pressure, but most of the sticky fingered teenagers said they did it because they were bored! That should be a billboard for all of us. Another sad statistic is that 75% of all adults have helped themselves at one time or another.

Shoplifting can take many forms: switching price tags, removing security tags, switching sizes on one half of a two piece suit are all forms of stealing. And then of course, there’s the five fingered discount that comes with just leaving the store with the merchandise concealed.

How can retailers curtail shoplifting in their establishments…..Begin with simple strategies that let potential shoplifters know you’re serious.

If you are involved in retailing, you need to become proactive in loss prevention…

  • Less accessibility to small, pocket or bag sized merchandise
  • Acknowledge all that enter your store with a friendly greeting…it works for Walmart
  • Better clerk to shopper ratios
  • Surveillance systems can send the right message
  • Install ceiling mirrors which will offer visibility down side and back aisles
  • Not only customer shoplift, but employees have “Sticky Fingers” as well and can contribute to tremendous revenue loss!

The bottom line for most retailers is that their profits depend on being known for taking a tough stand on shoplifting. Individuals who steal aren’t going to bother with a store that makes it too hard. For the health of their operation, retailers need to adopt the health care adage, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

As a retailer you must educate yourself in handling a shoplifter as well as creating a “Loss Prevention” guideline for your employees to follow. Make sure to check local laws as they apply to a “Citizens Arrest” procedures.  Here are a couple of basics:

  • You must see the suspect take and conceal the item
  • You must never lose sight of the suspect after you see him take the item. The reason is
    simple, you need to be sure they still have the item on them when they leave the store
  • The suspect must leave the store before you can arrest them

The punishment for theft varies from state to state based on the charges filed, the value of the merchandise, prior convictions, and age of the person arrested. As a retailer make sure to prosecute all who attempt to shoplift in your store…Send a strong signal to the community that theft will not be tolerated!

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A big shout out to ASD/AMD, Off-Price Specialists Show and the ASAP Sourcing Show

August 24, 2008 · Posted in Avoiding Scams, CEO’s Corner, Finding Wholesalers and Manufacturers, General Merchandise, Outsourcing: China, India and the rest of the world, Starting a new retail of wholesale business, Wholesale Apparel, Wholesalers, Work from home: Dropshipping on the web · Comments Off 

August is winding down, as is BIG show season. This month started with the ASD Show then quickly took us to the Off-Price Trade Show and the ASAP Global Sourcing Show.

Let me first say: Who keeps telling us the economy sucks? People, please turn off the evening news, inhale and relax. There is plenty of fact in the saying, “When the economy is strong, you can find a BMW at WalMart; When it’s weak, you only see more of them.”

I personally witnessed over 100,000 buyers over the past three weeks at three MAJOR wholesale apparel and merchandise trade shows. With my own “ojos,” I saw purchasing and merchandise sourcing among more than 7000 wholesalers, manufacturers, importers and exporters. They transacted over $100,000,000 in purchases from small, mid-size and large resellers. And they jam-packed casinos that were hopping with smiling faces … but maybe the cocktail waitresses had something to do with that. :-)

ASD/AMD Attendees Got TLC With Their Promo Opportunities.

George Stewart, Show Director of ASD, worked incredibly hard to introduce new promotional opportunities, sponsorships, overseas sourcing opportunities, and media partnerships to get plenty of potential buyers in front of ASD exhibitors while being strategic in making ASD a very pleasurable show. We handed out over 15,000 bags and still couldn’t keep up.

All I know is: (1) The lobby of the Sands was packed. (2) Wallets were ready to empty on merchandise. And (3) Those buyer wallets did open and spend! ASD does offer quite a bit of TLC to its attendees, adding value and choices. I counted VIP lounges for relaxing, networking and schmoozing … to seminars packed with valuable wholesale marketing information from speakers like: ME :-)

Great job ASD and Mrs. George Stewart. Keep it up and we’ll see ya again in March 2009.

Apparel Wholesalers Packed the Leading Off-Price Show, And Still They Had Fun.

All off-price apparel wholesalers should be tipping their hats and bowing to the Off-Price Specialists. What an incredible show staff! Kudos to Julie Ichiba, Don Browne and the rest of the Off-Price staff as incredible people and hard-working show managers.

The show was shoulder to shoulder. I’ll bet over 7000 buyers rummaged through the booths … setting all time records for off-price apparel buying activity. It was energizing to see thousands of buyers and sellers, attendees and exhibitors, participating in the industry’s leading off-price event. Off-Price is also an amazing trade partner; it’s always exciting to hear the feedback from attendees and exhibitors about the way JP Communications and Off Price continue to build together and increase the show’s value to all.

By the way: the staff of the Off-Price show is the friendliest bunch of people. They know how to make a trade show fun! Thanks, guys and gals. Everyone out there In the Trade should keep an eye out for much more to come in this collaboration between JPC and Off Price.

ASAP Guides Sourcing, Import/Export Newbies and Clearing the Overseas Channels.

Last, but certainly not least, was the major ASAP Global Sourcing Show, held twice a year in Las Vegas. Boy, those exhibitors were hungry and buyers were shopping! (Makes me want to sing Summertime … Fish are JUMPING, and the cotton is HIGH.)

A very unique show, ASAP brings a small select group of apparel and textile manufacturers from overseas and introduces them to new importers in the USA. This matchmaking is a manufacturer’s dream-come-true. Every exhibitor I spoke with was very pleased to see so many buyers to go around for the select group of 40 or so manufacturers who participated in this year’s ASAP Global Sourcing show.

ASAP Global is run by Jerome and Frank Juan, two fellas who love what they do and have an incredible knack for customer relations. In fact, ASAP is famous for flying VIP buyers over to China and helping them through the muddy international waters … ensuring a great buying experience while educating import newbies on proper overseas sourcing strategies.

I very much look forward to expanding JP Communications’ and Top Ten Wholesale’s partner relationship with these unique and accessible global sourcing experts. And I can’t wait to see how we grow these international trade opportunities in the coming years.

News of Economic Death Is Bad Press

Obituaries on the economy are premature; it lives! Yeah, the housing market stinks; gas prices are rising; and getting a good steak at Morton’s ain’t cheap anymore. But, face it — There’s nothing wrong with a little pullback, a little course correction and realignment. We can’t expect home values to double every six months till the end of time, now can we?

However, thanks to ASD, Off-Price Specialist and ASAP Global world-class trade shows, we can expect one of the most vital engines in the economy to continue, flourish and grow. These trade show experts work very hard at market adaptations, media partnerships, great management and forward-thinking visions. Thanks again, guys. Now, let’s all get back to work and guarantee that our customers have a profitable and successful 4th Quarter.

Like they said in that teenaged fantasy film, Weird Science, after conjuring up lovely Kelly LeBrock: (of the wholesale buy-sell economy) IT’S ALIVE. IT’S ALIVE!

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Tags: no tags   |   Categories: Avoiding Scams, CEO’s Corner, Finding Wholesalers and Manufacturers, General Merchandise, Outsourcing: China, India and the rest of the world, Starting a new retail of wholesale business, Wholesale Apparel, Wholesalers, Work from home: Dropshipping on the web

What If I Don’t Like It?

August 20, 2008 · Posted in Selling Products Online, Wholesale Handbags, Wholesale Jewelry · Comment 

One barrier to online shopping – not so much for accessories, hats or handbags; but more so with footwear or clothing that requires try-on and fitting – is the Returns Policy. “It looks perfect in the web site photo. But what if I open my online purchased clothing and it’s just not right? Or defective? Or must have been sized for munchkins who live in the Land of Oz?”

That online shopping hesitation is not only a concern of retail shoppers, either. Wholesale buyers and distributors who are just dipping a toe into buying off-price, salvage and surplus lots or pallets of merchandise hit this cyber-shopping wall, too. If you don’t have a trade relationship with a merchandise supplier, you certainly want to know what the product supplier’s Returns Policy is all about. Is it a hassle? Are you presumed guilty until proven otherwise? Does the “As Is” sales clause pre-empt those freak cases when everything in the shipment is defective? Do returns require setting aside an hour a day to sit on Customer Service call center hold?

Since returns are a fact of life in the Big Trading Tent, I was impressed to see a No Quibble Return Policy recently. It was for a Native American Jewelry web site – Ugly Otter Trading Post – that promises a 20-day “No Quibble” return policy on its turquoise and sterling jewelry.

Sure, they could have said “fair” or “generous” or “no hassle” returns. Instead, they promised no quibbles or guilt trips or BS:

Our “NO QUIBBLE GUARANTEE” protects you. No hassles, guilt trips, silly questionnaires, and absolutely no BS! If you do not like any merchandise purchased from us, for any reason, return it, undamaged, within 20 days, for a full refund (this is a refund, not a “Store Credit”) of your purchase price NO QUESTIONS ASKED – YOU ARE THE FINAL JUDGE.

(Note: Ugly Otter’s site also explains the reasons it does not do Wholesale, either. No undue influence here.)

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Tags: no tags   |   Categories: Selling Products Online, Wholesale Handbags, Wholesale Jewelry

Where are your eBay Profits?

August 17, 2008 · Posted in Closeouts, Customer Returns, Salvage, Ebay: Tips and Tricks, Finding Wholesalers and Manufacturers, Selling Products Online · 2 Comments 

EBay is a great example of how supply-and-demand works because sales are based almost exclusively on price. The brick-and-mortar retailer can use advertising, customer loyalty promotions, and other inducements to buy – inducements not available to the online seller. The store-based retailer has expenses the eBay seller doesn’t face: advertising, rent, store maintenance, staff’s salaries, etc. The eBay retailer can sell merchandise at a lower price than the store retailer can – and should.

Nonetheless, it’s been shown that 30% of potential buyers who find what they want on eBay end up buying from a store. Why? This trend has been attributed to slow delivery and inflated shipping costs.

Currently, we are going through a period in which the inflated price of fuel is driving up shipping costs even higher, making the situation yet more difficult for sellers. What can a seller do to deal with this situation? The best approach is to adopt aggressive strategies:

  • Find, purchase, and sell merchandise that the other guys have yet to find. Americans love gadgets, especially new electronic technology. What will be the next iPhone, Xbox 300, Grand Theft Auto? Explore markets to find out, especially foreign markets that are beating out American manufacturers in pricing and creativity.
  • Jump on the newest wave, then stock up on merchandise. As they say, “pile ‘em high and sell ‘em cheap”
  • Pay close attention to your feedback rating. Keep customers happy. When a potential buyer sees a high approval rating, he may be more willing to overlook high shipping charges.
  • Absorb the cost of posting a lower shipping charge or no charge at all. Do this only if you can make up the difference through what the customer pays for the item. This would pretty much dictate that this strategy be used only with high ticket goods.
  • Don’t offer warranties beyond the manufacturer’s warranties. Avoid the hassle of handling returns and taking on more shipping charges.

When times are tough and sales are slow you really need to focus on creativity. What separates you from the other ebay sellers? Are you offering incentives to buyers such as:

  • Discounts on futures purchases…..Include a coupon in every box you ship offering 10-15% off future orders
  • Free Items with purchase….Take every opportunity to purchase deeply discounted closeouts that you can offer as a premium with every purchase. Make sure the free gift compliments your merchandise.
  • Discounted shipping for multiple purchases…Advise your prospective bidders that you will combine winning auctions to save money on shipping
  • Publish a newsletter and promote it in your auctions and About Me page. For example, if you are selling apparel you could write a monthly newsletter about fashion, clothing care and apparel trends. Of course, you would always link your newsletter to your current ebay auctions for repeat sales and traffic!

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Tags: no tags   |   Categories: Closeouts, Customer Returns, Salvage, Ebay: Tips and Tricks, Finding Wholesalers and Manufacturers, Selling Products Online

View From the Trade Show Convention Floor

August 13, 2008 · Posted in Finding Wholesalers and Manufacturers, Outsourcing: China, India and the rest of the world, Selling Products Online, Wholesale Jewelry · 2 Comments 

We launched a SpyCam drone to pick up views from the convention floor (and ceiling and exhibits) at the ASD/AMD trade show just wrapping up in Las Vegas. Here are notes from a bot’s-eye-view.

· Thinner But Still Huger. The ASD/AMD Trade Show hosts over 3,000 companies in segments that range from variety and gift merchandise to jewelry, outdoor/military and “China Brand” manufacturers of electronics, textiles and clothing.

· Despite other negative news about the current state of our economy, it still appears that the general merchandise industry is still strong.

· Battle of the Bags. Our SpyCam kept bleeping, It’s in the bag. But we think that was a flashcard hiccup. Seems the Publisher’s Pavilion, where ASD’s Media Partners exhibit, was the site of Dueling Carry-All Bags: Show attendees carried bags sporting the logos of Top Ten Wholesale or Alibaba. We’re not sure who won; bag carriers refused to stay inside the lines.

· Doing Search Marketing With – and In — Class. On Monday, August 11, Jason Prescott, CEO of JP Communications/ Top Ten Wholesale, and Eugene Byun, Search Engine Marketing Specialist, gave a well-received seminar offering insider tips on how to use industry and trade verticals in successful search marketing campaigns. The group of about 50 show-goers showed genuine interest in the Vertical Search Marketing topic and jumped in with lots of audience participation … especially during the Free SEO Tune-Up conducted on their business web sites. Anyone chewing gum during the presentation did so quietly, and remains at-large.

Not long after ASD/AMD packed up on Wednesday August 13, our SpyCam drone collapsed from extreme heat outside the air-conditioned convention center. That’s Vegas in August.

But we have 10 days to overhaul SpyCam and put it back into service in Las Vegas. From August 23 to 27, we’ll be working double-time at Off-Price Specialists Show (this year co-locating with the Army-Navy Military Expo) and then ASAP Global, the authority on global apparel sourcing (returning this year with the “green” ECO Apparel Trade and Fashion Show). Stay tuned. And stay cool.

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Tags: no tags   |   Categories: Finding Wholesalers and Manufacturers, Outsourcing: China, India and the rest of the world, Selling Products Online, Wholesale Jewelry

Credibility for your Home Business

August 10, 2008 · Posted in Small Business Matters · Comment 

There are a lot of benefits to running a small business out of your home. However, if you’re operating as a retailer, there are a few reasons you’ll want to abstract your company from your home. There are obvious safety reasons for which you should limit the number of times you use your home address and and personal phone number on-line. Separating you and your personal information limits the amount of exposure you have to identity thieves, or anyone else out there collecting private information.

First, you should rent a private mailing address so that you don’t have to use your home address as your business address. Mail boxes are usually available from box and postal shops, and take the form of the stores street address plus a suite number. It will cost you likely less than $100 per year and is as simple as having a post office box. This way, you have the safety of abstracting your publicly-known business address from your residence. In addition, should a curious customer look you up by your address, they will likely find a commercial area, not your residential street.

Second, have a dedicated 2nd phone line installed in your home for the sole purpose of business use only. Make sure that everyone in your household understands that when the business phone rings..it is answered in a professional manner clearly identifying your business name. Personal calls come in on the house phone and your five year old child should never be allowed to touch your business line. In addition, purchase a digital answering machine to catch the business calls after hours.

Lets not forget about all thing legal. Treat your home based business just like a traditional brick and mortar location. Check local ordinances and make sure you apply for a business license if required by your city offices. Depending on where you live, there is usually a nominal fee ($5 where this author lives), and they will provide you with your business license certificate upon application submission.

Register your company name with your county and city by filling a DBA, or Doing Business As (also called a Fictitious Business Name in some places). This is simply a legal connection between you and your company name. You’ll fill out a few forms, post a declaration in a local newspaper (the county will have more info on where and how) and you’re good to go. A fictitious name statement is required if you want to open a business checking account, which is another must for budding entrepreneurs.

As you can see there are several steps necessary in starting a profitable home based business. I will back up at this point to advise anyone to put some serious time into creating a business plan. You ideas and organization will pay off through years of consistent growth and business success.

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Blogging for Traffic –

August 10, 2008 · Posted in Ebay: Tips and Tricks, Finding Wholesalers and Manufacturers, How to Price Products, Importing and Exporting, New Product Trends, Small Business Matters · Comment 


There are three major reasons to consider adding a blog to your site.
Obviously, if you have an employee that would make a fantastic and
enthusiastic advocate, their articles could drive new conversions.
But even if you have to write the articles yourself, you can see some
significant improvements in your organic search placement by simply
writing a short article every week or so.

That’s because blogs contain exactly what the search engine spiders
are looking for. Blogs and blog comments are relevant to the site, are
regularly updated, and can be an interactive community building tool
for your company.

Here’s a breakdown of the three basic reasons to finally sit down and
start that blog:

Relevant Content: It is important that your site is full of keywords
important to your business. It’s also important that they appear in
header tags, content, and aren’t unnaturally repetitive.  What better
way to fulfill all three than to write articles about your products or
manufacturers?

New and Updated Content:  Search engines have started to mark down
sites that haven’t changed anything about their site for a long time.
If your site is exactly as it was three years ago, odds are that the
spiders will assume that the site isn’t actively maintained, and
you’ll start to slip.  Blog articles are the perfect antidote to this
perceived lack of interest by the site’s owner.

User-Generated Content:  While you might think of a lot of good things
to write about, if your blog has the capacity for users to comment on
your articles, you’ll find that they provide great ideas for future
articles as well.  In addition, if someone searches for something
related to your article, and happens to use the same words as someone
in your comment thread did, your site will be one of the results
returned.  This kind of natural search placement is the reason so many
forums are returned when you search for an answer to a technical
question.  You too can get the type of SEO those technical forums
enjoy, all thanks to your visitors.

You can have a fully stocked retail website or a ton of auctions
listed on ebay, but if you have no traffic – you will have no sales!

Blogging must be included in your internet marketing strategy.
Blogging creates a huge amount of “organic traffic”.


Traffic = Sales Conversions

Large retailers like Overstock.com, Walmart.com, Reebok, Xerox
understand the marketing power a blog community can create.
Now it is time for you to….. “Get your Blog on”!

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Tags: no tags   |   Categories: Ebay: Tips and Tricks, Finding Wholesalers and Manufacturers, How to Price Products, Importing and Exporting, New Product Trends, Small Business Matters

Art of the Wholesale Deal: Machines Can’t Close the Deal But Talking to the Tribe Can

August 1, 2008 · Posted in Selling Products Online, Small Business Matters, Wholesale Advertising Tips · Comment 

If there is one thing successful merchandise wholesalers and resellers know about making connections, finding the right goods and moving it at the right price it’s this: Nobody ever shook hands with an algorithm to close the deal.

Our industry – from sourcing products to finding buyers – has always trusted insider networks: Trade Shows and Industry Publications; Verticalized Product Directories; and, in the global world of online marketing, ad networks and search engines that pinpoint focus on specialized industry needs.

Get inside-track tips on putting Tribal Knowledge, our collective industry expertise, to work. Here is a free source of Online Marketing Best Practices. And on Wednesday August 6, Jason Prescott (CEO of JP Communications and this Top Ten Wholesale blog) will offer some industry insider vertical search tips at wsRadio-dot-com.

(Book)Mark Your Calendar:
On live Internet radio on August 6, the host of RSS Ray will interview Jason on the topic:

What Marketers Should Know About Vertical Search Engines

But that’s only a starting point: The interview between online marketing pros will cover wholesale-specific search advertising networks. Using inside track Tribal Knowledge. Getting higher marketing returns – plus better customer prospects – by going off wide screen search engines and, instead, drilling down the product chain with refined vertical search. It’s industry consulting for free.

1. Listen to the Live Internet Radio Show
Wednesday August 6 from 3:00 to 4:00 PM PDT (6:00 to 7:00 PM EDT) at wsRadio’s Online Marketing with RSS Ray .

You can also reach the wsRadio show by clicking from www.rssray.com .

If you miss it August 6, catch archived audio after Jason’s on-air interview at Online Marketing with RSS Ray Archives .

2. Have This Vertical Search Engine Podcast Delivered
· To iTunes at RSSRAY.com/podcasts-online-marketing.php#itunes
· To RSS Feed Reader at RSSRAY.com/podcasts-online-marketing.php#feed

3. For more how-to tips on using Tribal Knowledge and Closing the Deal thru Vertical Search Marketing, read Jason Prescott’s Blog post after his RSS Ray interview – Insider Tips for Search Marketing Success: Increase Revenue, Cut Costs of Finding (and Keeping) the Right Customers, with Vertical Search and Tribal Knowledge Tools – at www.rssray.com/blog .

Tune in Wednesday, catch the podcast, or scan Jason’s practical vertical search marketing article after his interview to learn why we wholesalers don’t just feed the dog. :-) There’s a test.

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