An online sourcing directory is the 21st century entrepreneurs best friend. It is a resource that eliminates the need for a middleman from your supply chain. Businesses can connect with manufacturers through sourcing directories. My favorite directory is Alibaba, an English language sourcing directory. It specializes in business-to-business trades, especially for international buyers trying to make contact with Chinese sellers.
Alibaba offers a search able database of manufacturers of almost any product you can imagine. It is a free resource for buyers from over 200 countries and territories. They claim to be the number one destination for businesses to find volume buyers and suppliers from around the world. Think of Alibaba as the great connector of manufacturers and corporate buyers.
Steps To Use Alibaba
1. Create a free account for your business.
2. Search for your product of interest. Expect to find many companies as Alibaba has a huge database.
3. Contact the factory. Full contact information including phone number, address, website, and e-mail address is available.
You should be familiar with some of the most common sourcing...