The People Who Supply You

Who this book is for

Người bán lẻ và bán online ở Việt Nam, bán trên sàn, bán qua mạng xã hội, có cửa hàng nhỏ hoặc bán thương hiệu riêng; quy mô từ một người tự đóng gói tới đội mười người và một kho thuê.

Sound familiar?

• Buys through one middleman with no idea of the source price.
• The first batch is good and the third slips, with no way to check before paying.
• The supplier ships late in peak season and there's no second source.
• Minimum order quantities force cash to sit in stock for months.

Each chapter answers one question

1. Chapter 1: Am I buying at the source, or paying middlemen?

   How many layers does my stock pass through before reaching the warehouse?

   If you do not know how many layers you buy through, you do not know how much further the price can fall.

2. Chapter 2: Is skipping samples really saving money?

   How do I check quality before placing a large order?

   A sample batch costs far less than a batch that will not sell.

3. Chapter 3: Does hard haggling actually get a better price?

   What do I bring to the negotiating table besides asking for a discount?

   Suppliers give discounts to buyers who order steadily and pay on time, not to those who haggle loudest.

4. Chapter 4: What if peak-season stock arrives three weeks late?

   If the peak-season shipment arrives three weeks late, what do I do?

   A delay in peak season costs many times more than a delay in an ordinary month.

5. Chapter 5: Does my own product escape competition, or add risk?

   Should I make my own design, and where do I start?

   Anyone can sell off-the-shelf goods; making your own trades inventory risk for something nobody can copy straight away.