Help with starting an online business and dealing with wholesalers

djmsemcgrath

I am looking into the possibility of starting a website (and maybe an Amazon page as well) selling women's accessories (handbags, purses, etc). I am investigating into buying some plain style bags and then customizing them myself - I have a few styles in mind and have already tried it out with 1 or 2 bags I had myself and got a fair bit of interest in them.

As part of me looking into it, I wanted to try and find a handbag wholesale website that I could buy in bulk from. However, all of them I've found seem to want me to prove I'm a sole trader before allowing me to order, and I'm not a sole trader yet. I don't want to go down the road of opening a company or becoming a trader if my idea doesn't have the market. All I want to do is buy 5-10 bags, try it out, sell them on Amazon or maybe my own website, gauge the interest, and if they sell quickly, then I can be confident about the potential market, and then go down the road of becoming a proper trader.

Does anyone have any advice for me - maybe someone who does similar things? Can anyone point me into the direction of reliable wholesalers, including those that allow non-traders to purchase low amounts (5-10) to basically test the waters being placing larger orders?

Thanks in advance!

DomRavioli

Wholesalers usually won't sell 10 units on such a low cost item. You might be better finding a local supplier, or an online supplier where you pay a little more for the smaller quantity.

earthstorm

wholesalers sell to traders, so if you want to use a wholesaler then you will need to say you are a sole trader as they dont sell to consumers.

PlutoinCapricorn

I got some shoes from a charity shop recently that looked like new.

Could you get a few bags that way for your test? Some charity shops even sell new stuff at low prices.

martindow

Wholesalers usually ask for evidence that you are a trader, however the evidence required is often farcical such as sending them a letter heading. I would ring them up to see what they would accept.