How to Find a Manufacturer or Supplier for Your Product Idea

For the purpose of this post, when we refer to suppliers, we’re referring to anyone who has the capability to provide you with products and inventory. This encompasses manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors.
 

There are a ton of helpful resources online which you can find on Google. But before you begin, there are a few things you should know and decide.

First, you should determine what type of supplier you're looking for. This will help determine the terminology you need to use in your research. There are several options, the most common being:

• A manufacturer to produce your own product idea.
• A supplier (who may also be a manufacturer), wholesaler or distributor to purchase already-existing brands and products.
• A dropshipper to supply products and fulfill orders of already-existing brands and products

 

Domestic vs. overseas suppliers

When looking for suppliers if you plan to manufacture or wholesale, you’ll need to decide whether you want to source domestically or from overseas. Overseas can refer to any location abroad.
 

Typically, and for the purpose of this post, overseas suppliers are located in Asian countries like China, India and Taiwan. That’s because it’s often cheaper to source your products overseas, especially in these countries. But there's a lot more to the decision than just the upfront investment and cost per unit.

Both domestic and overseas sourcing have their advantages and disadvantages: click here.