You’re ready to start a business. But what do you sell? One of the best pieces of advice I ever received about sourcing was “sell the buyers what they already want.” Simple, but brilliant.

Consumers are smarter then ever now. Ever since the online retailers setup shop to compete with local retail stores they have more options on where they can spend their money. But in a marketplace with tens of millions of different items, clearly you want to choose the right product to sell to your market.

Once you figure out what buyers want, you’ll need to locate those items. So where do you find a supplier? Type “manufacturers” into Google, and you’ll find a site that lists of quality manufacturers, products and suppliers that can satisfy your business needs. Whether your an experienced businessman or woman or an entrepreneur and starting your first business remember this… “You make your profit when you purchase your inventory, not when you sell it,” so finding good sources is essential.

When sourcing keep in mind every business seeks the one product no one else has at the lowest price possible, and then sells that product for the greatest potential profit. Few companies will be so lucky. Instead, successful selling relies on choosing reliable suppliers able to offer quality goods at a fair price.

Again it’s the source that counts you or your buyer will face a plethora of choices to stock their businesses with anything from collectibles to industrial equipment. Suppliers may be located around the corner or around the globe. They may be someone you know or a factory owner overseas you’ll never meet. A crucial decision you need to make (in fact, it’s perhaps the most crucial choice you will make) is which supplier you will use. Good luck.