Finding a Product

No matter what the business is, there is always a product. In some cases the product is a person or a service. In other cases it's both (insert Elliot Spitzer joke here). But let's not confuse what my business plans are, I'm selling a product.

It's simple really. I don't have that many criteria for the product I want to sell. Except it has to be all natural, not tested on animals and not too expensive. After all, I want to be able to sell to the average Jane and Joe.

Everyone I have spoken to about this business have had some wonderful ideas on what I should sell and offer. But in the beginning I think it's important to keep things limited. Don't spread yourself too thin or you may wind up buying more then you are selling. Since I had already chosen bath and body products it was only a matter of picking which products I want to put in my store. Lucky me...I have a few connections. Two of my friends have made it an important part of their lives making natural bath products. This was a no brainer. I trust these people, I trust their integrity and I trust their product.

But even though these are friends, it's important to remember this is still a business deal. I want them to make money and be happy, but I need to do the same. And in any business transaction, it's imperative to lay it all on the line up front. Communication is the key. Don't be afraid to be candid about your needs...after all it's just business. And if you find that maintaining a friendship and a business deal is to complicated, then take your business elsewhere and save the friendship. I'm hoping this won't be the case with my friends!

So how do you find product to sell if you don't have the connections? Product that perhaps, you have never tried before. This is simple too: the Internet. Isn't the world wide web great? There are so many sites to find handmade and natural products. Etsy.com is one such place. Not to mention Ebay. Actually, there are so many sites out there I had to ask my mother to stop emailing them to me. It was too much!

Just remember to do your research. Check out the person. Don't be afraid to email them, talk to them and get a sense of who and what they are. Because in the end, that product is representing you. And you are representing them. It's a balanced relationship.

Try the product. If you aren't happy with it, you won't be able to sell it. And sometimes you just have to risk it. Every business goes through a little trial and error. It's a learning process. Just like life, we learn and we move on.