Archive for August, 2007
Increase Your Cashflow for the Holidays
Monday, August 27th, 2007Now that the Christmas season is approaching, many small retailers are concerned with cash flow. While there are a lot of things you can do to improve your cash flow, financial factoring is often overlooked.
If you’re not sure about whether financial factoring would work for you, check out this guide. It will give you a general idea about whether it would help your business, and you can contact FactoringQuotes.com for assistance in implementing a factoring plan.
Taste of Purple Dimpled Wine Glasses
Monday, August 27th, 2007If you sell wine or wine related products, consider carrying this nifty wine glasses from Taste of Purple. They look kind of funny, but it’s because they’re dimpled. The dimples help to aerate the wine, resulting in an all-around better taste. If you’re still curious, check out the video on their page It explains everything.
Taste of Purple
P.O Box 336
Westwood, NJ 07675
Quick Links - 5 Great Jewelry Lines for Your Gift Shop
Monday, August 27th, 2007If you run a gift shop, either online or brick and mortar, you’re probably always looking for things that fit your style perfectly. To help you out, here’s a list of 5 cool jewelry lines that might just do the trick. Each line is described in 5 words that came to mind when I browsed their lines.
Alexa’s Angels - Simple. Heartwarming. Comforting. Family. Happy.
Blessing Rings - Positive. Cute. Quirky. Unique. Life-affirming.
Smart Glass Jewelry - Smart. Chic. Recycled. Sophisticated. Youthful.
Toby & Max - Destiny. Wise. Warmth. Live. Love.
Judson & Co. - Elegant. Costume. Practical. Glamourous. Shiny.
Relaxation with Poetry
Thursday, August 23rd, 2007No, I’m not talking about getting out a book of poems and soaking in a warm bath. That might be nice, but I’m actually referring to Poetry Intimate Ritual products. If you or your customers like the eclectic, slightly organic and artsy look, you’ll love their bath and body products. Take a look at these.
If you’d like to get in touch with Poetry to find out about buying their products for resale (or just personal use, I suppose), contact them at:
Poetry
(901) 355-4966
They don’t sell directly to consumers, but I’m sure they can tell you where a retailer is located if you just want to buy a few pieces.
The Anti-Resource
Tuesday, August 21st, 2007I’ve decided to start a new category here called “Unhelpful”. Now, while it might seem silly to have a category like that on a site like this, I hope that I’ll be able to recommend readers AWAY from certain resources that might not be good for their businesses. I’m calling it “Unhelpful” because I want to cover more than just scams. There are a ton of resources out there that aren’t necessarily scams, but in the end, they’re still more trouble than they’re worth.
Wholesale Central is one of those sites. I want to be very clear by saying that Wholesale Central is not a scam. They offer a legit service and a lot of perfectly honest people do business as a result of their site. On the other hand, if you’re looking to purchase high-quality products from the manufacturer or their authorized distributor, Wholesale Central is not the best place to search.
A quick look at their homepage is probably enough to tell you that it’s not the kind of place that most companies would put their name. Flashing banners and drop shipping ads are everywhere. If you look deeper in the categories, you’ll find tons of generic products, designer look-a-like sunglasses and bags, and enough cheap flea market items to make your head spin.
If you’re stocking products for a community sale stall or convenience store, you may find Wholesale Central to be very helpful. If you’re looking for brand name items, remember that you’re going to spend the least time looking if you just call the company and ask for a distribution contact.
I’m also not sure about how well Wholesale Central polices their merchants. Many of the sites appear to be fly-by-night, very questionable operations. If anyone has more details on what they do to keep their shoppers safe, I’d love to hear about it.
New Age Fido - Bodhi Toy Dog Toys
Thursday, August 16th, 2007Truly, we have all lost it. I was never totally on board with the whole new-age trend, but I recognize the appeal there. And of course, it’s very profitable for a lot of small business people. These toys from Bodhi Toys take it to a whole new level, though. Toys like these Mendhi Balls and Shanti Sticks bring that kind of peace to your dogs, too:
If you’re interested in promoting Bodhi Dog Toys, contact them at:
BODHI TOYS™
2554 Lincoln Boulevard #369
Venice, CA 90291
310/822-3522
DIY Logo Design
Sunday, August 12th, 2007When you’re just getting started, the idea of hiring someone to create a custom corporate logo can be unappealing, to say the least. You may be starting on a shoestring, and graphic designers may charge a lot more than you’re willing to pay at that point. And of course, you may not be totally sure of what you’re looking for so early on.
So if that’s where you find yourself, head over to LogoYes.com and play around with their DIY logo feature. If you decide that you want something more complicated, they can help with that, too. They’ll give you several options for a set fee, and you can pick the one you like the best.
NotNeutral, Not Even a Little Bit
Sunday, August 12th, 2007NotNeutral is a pretty cool company. I’ve seen their site before, but for some reason I’ve never gotten around to writing about them. When I saw these adorable garden stakes today, I knew that had to change:
NotNeutral is well-known in design circles, but I’m always surprised by how few small retailers know their line. If you’d like to get in touch with NotNeutral, contact them at:
NotNeutral
800.270.6511 ext. 208
sales (at) notneutral (dot) com
Vacations for the UK Readers
Thursday, August 9th, 2007While I’m not sure that UK residents are subject to the same regulations that I mentioned in my last post, I do know where they can search for great vacation deals. Holiday Hypermarket offers cheap package holidays and information on trips all throughout the world. The best part is that you can actually talk to a human over the phone for booking. Here in the United States, it can be kind of a chore to find a site with good deals where you can actually speak to a human.
Looking over the page, I really wish I were in the market for a Mediterranean vacation. With temperatures here over 100 almost every day (and humid!), I could really use a week or two in a more temperature, more pleasant place.
Easy Traveler - Travel Container Manufacturer
Thursday, August 9th, 2007Given new airport security rules, plastic travel containers are a pretty popular item these days. Easy Traveler has built a business around that, and they do it prett well. You can see one of their travel kits below.
If you want to sell their products, give them a call at:
Easy Traveler, Inc.
209 W. Orchid Lane
Phoenix, AZ 85021
602-595-3117
info (at) easytravelerinc (dot) com
Speaking of College…
Thursday, August 9th, 2007If you do happen to cater to the high school graduate and parent crowd, you should also familiarize yourself with this site on college scholarships and grants. Scholarships.com is a great way for people to learn about the ways they can save money on college - both scholarships and grants. It’s totally free, and your customers will be pleased that you cared enough to mention it to them.
And of course, while you’re at it, you might check out scholarships for returning students. It’s never too late to pick up an extra semester of courses if you’re still eager to learn.
Room It Up - Dorm Decor Wholesale
Thursday, August 9th, 2007I’m a big fan of black damask lately, so I loved what I saw over at Room It Up. They have a line of lap desks, and in my mind, the cutest one is this black and white piece:
They also have a number of towel sets, cosmetic cases, throws, and school stuff. If you cater to a lot of kids and parents sending kids off to college, you should look into their line. To be considered as one of their retailers, you’ll need to fill out their retailer application form.
Quintana Roo - Rustic Elegance Wholesale Home Decor
Wednesday, August 8th, 2007If you’re into copper, cacti, and other rustic home decor, you should give Quintana Roo a call to get a look at their catalogs. They have a variety of “aged” and treated pieces in copper and tin, which is a very trendy look in a lot of homes these days. Take a look at this piece:
Even better, there’s no minimum order to get started, so you can test a few pieces without investing a small fortune.
If you’d like to get in touch with Quintana Roo, call them at:
Quintana Roo
1-866-847-3770
Fax 1-512-847-6213.
Causari - Cool Laptop Bags & Luggage, Wholesale
Wednesday, August 8th, 2007Sometimes, big corporations make it easy to compete. If you’ve ever gone into a Best Buy looking for a cute laptop bag, you know what I’m talking about. If you’re lucky, there are one or two “girl” styles, and the rest look like bags you’d take on a camping trip. While I understand that the purpose of such bags is to protect your laptop, I don’t see why it can’t look good while it’s doing it. Enter Causari.
Causari makes all kinds of cute bags and luggage, but I was especially drawn to their laptop bags. While they do offer the “normal” blacks and blues, they also have bright sun stripes and polka dots. If you own a small store, it’s a great item to help differentiate yourself.
You can contact Causari at:
Causari
info (at) casauri (dot) com
1-877-778-4698 or 772-460-8978
A Change of Pace - Schnauzer Puppies
Monday, August 6th, 2007As soon as I get settled into a new place with an office and a great kitchen and a fenced-in backyard, I intend to get a little doggie. The one thing I won’t be doing, though, is getting one from a mall pet store. I’ve always been careful to get my animals from either shelters or reputable breeders. It can be tough to get certain kinds of dogs at shelters, though, so it’s important to figure out how to locate a good breeder.
Moonlight Kennels demonstrates all the qualities I would look for in a prospective breeder (and they’re in Missouri, so they’re not far from me). They have a great website with tons of pictures and information, especially testimonials. The owner, Wanda, makes a personal guarantee that all the dogs she sells are cared for in her home, and they offer a great introduction to the breed for both Schnauzers (one of my favorite breeds!) and Yorkies. They even have teacup yorkie puppies.
It can be tempting to just buy the first cute animal you see, but as with anything, you have to be careful. Even if you end up okay, and you give an animal a great home, you’ve also cast a dollar vote for the seller. That supports and furthers what they’re doing, whether you like it or not. Remember that whether you’re buying dogs, products for your business, or items for your personal life.
Pretty Pretty Folders
Monday, August 6th, 2007I would LOVE to get my hands on some of these awesome folders from Gina B Designs. The black and white style is so perfect for my office. It’s feminine and pretty, but definitely not too flowery. Flowerly works for some people, but I like to keep it simple. I don’t know if they’d stand up to regular office abuse, but I would certainly give them a chance.
If you’re interested in carrying these folders or any of the other Gina B paper products, get in touch with them at:
Gina B Designs
800.228.4856
I couldn’t really find any other contact info on their site, so you’ll just have to give them a call or fill out the contact form on their site.
Ritzenhoff Dishes
Saturday, August 4th, 2007I recently heard that Ritzenhoff USA will be handling a new collection of Coca-Cola glasses, and it reminded me what a nice collection they had this year. The glass you see below was apart of their 2007 offerings.
Their line is distributed out of Illinois, so shipping is reasonable for companies on both coasts. If you’re interested in getting in touch, contact Ritzenhoff at:
Kress International Importers, LLC
P.O. Box 5786
Naperville, IL 60567-5786
Sales: 630-305-7377
Fax: 630-305-3477
franz.kress (at) ritzenhoffusa (dot) com
Wholesale Media Products
Thursday, August 2nd, 2007If you want to carry blank DVDs, CDs, and other media products, Super Media Store can help you out. They do both wholesale and resale on items like dvd-r discs, dvd+r disks, computer hardware, storage, and even some ink and toners. This is great news for smaller resellers who can’t directly approach a huge company like Sony or Imation.
The site itself is easy to navigate and very clear. I like the fact that there are quality test results listed for most (if not all) of the disk products that they sell.
If you’d like to get in touch with Super Media Store for retail or wholesale purposes, check out their website (covered in security and verification seals, by the way) or contact them at:
Supermediastore.com
629 S 6th Ave,
La Puente, CA 91746
Beehive Kitchenware - Darling Designs for your Kitchen
Thursday, August 2nd, 2007Whether you sell gifts, housewares, or strictly kitchen products, you can probably find a good place in your product line for Beehive Kitchenware products. While some of the pieces aren’t terribly practical (when’s the last time you used cheese markers?), others are just adorable. These Pewter Bird Birthday Candle Holders are a great example. Who wouldn’t feel extra special with those lovely creatures adorning their cake?
You can get in touch with Beehive Kitchenware at:
Beehive Kitchenware Company
Fall River MA 02720
Phone: (508) 678-4335
Fax:(508) 678-7700