Let’s face it. We’re in for rough times ahead. But will you participate in the negative downturn in the economy, or try to figure out a way to prosper from it?

One niche market area that I see growing tremendously in the midst of trying economic times is wholesale sourcing. Right now, each and every retail-oriented business out there is looking for ways to cut costs and increase sales at the same time. Business owners know that they have to add a pile of value in order to coax would-be buyers into parting ways with the money that is stuffed deep into their pockets. One way to increase value and cut costs is to find new sources for their products.

That’s where wholesale sourcing comes into hand. Anyone who has started a business from scratch knows how time consuming it is to find true wholesalers out there in the real world. When you search for wholesalers on the internet, you find that 95% or more are really retailers with low prices, claiming to be wholesalers. Most of these companies sell directly to the public and don’t require a sales tax ID or reseller’s license. But the ones who truly sell wholesale don’t need to litter the internet with ads, because they don’t need to advertise to the general public.

True wholesalers tend to connect with buyers through trade shows, trade magazines, and referrals. That’s why you have to dig so deep to find them. They know that selling directly to the public would undercut their true target customers, the business owners. Rather than to bother with selling items in low quantities, they would rather sell in bulk and move as much as possible. That’s why they are in the wholesale game in the first place. They’d rather leave it up to the retailer to have to deal with cranky customers, returns, shoplifting, stocking, price adjusting, and so on.

It isn’t just the startup companies looking for new wholesalers. It can be well-established retailers who either want to find lower-cost alternatives, or who may want to expand their inventory offering to include other high profit items. If you can learn the game of digging up wholesale companies and connecting them with the retailers that seek them out, you have your hands on a possible thriving consulting business.

Wholesale sourcing consultants can typically charge anywhere from $75 to $150 per hour for their work. Or, they may charge per wholesaler that they estabilish an account for on behalf of the retailer. The retailer stands to save a ton of research time, plus they have the benefit of connecting with a wholesaler that comes recommended by someone who has had a relationship with them.

Retailers look for wholesalers that have aggressive pricing, quality products, flexibility on case ordering quantities, and most importantly, ones who stand by their products no matter what. Build a list of wholesalers in a niche area and establish a firm working relationship with them. When the trust factor is solid, you will have no problem marketing these companies to retailers that are looking for new suppliers!

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WHEN WILL THE WEB 2.0 EXPLOSION IN JEFFERSON CITY MISSOURI HIT?

I live in Jefferson City, Missouri. Right smack dab in the middle of the state. In fact, we are in the middle of the entire country. When you are as land-locked as we are, and as far away from the fast-paced left and right coasts, you tend to be the last to pick up on the trends.

Case in point, web 2.0 marketing has not yet hit in Jefferson City. Sure, there are a handful of businesses using social media sites. But would you believe that there are absolutely NO businesses displaying social media information in our local Ad Sheet, or in the Newspaper?

I guess it comes as no surprise, because some of the media sources view the internet as a threat. But what I will be watching for is this: Which businesses will wake up and take the lead on social media marketing in their sectors?

I still stand strong on my prediction that the social media revolution will hit strong and fast, once business owners wake up. So what makes me so sure of this? Well I’ll tell you what makes me so sure! It’s the simple fact that about 98% of young people (25 and younger) are using social media sites. What is even more shocking is the fact that about 50% to 60% of “older” people are now using social media sites, right here in Jefferson City!

So here you have more than half of the population chattering and jabbering away each and every day, and into the night on the social media sites. And not one business has figured out that their entire market base is spending the majority of their time away from the traditional advertising media.

Somebody is going to wake up and spark off the revolution… and I’m going to chuckle when I see this happen.

Carlton Flowers, self-proclaimed Social Media Marketing Expert

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PLASMA & LCD TV SALES ON THE RISE

With the Christmas season coming, and with the new HDTV standard kicking in starting February 2009, plasma & LCD TV sales are on the rise. Many people make their TV purchases from major retailers like Best Buy and Walmart, but consumers are scouring the internet for so-called “wholesale sources”.

If you have spent any time on eBay, you’ve probably seen the rash of “wholesale source lists” being sold, which promise consumers that they will have access to goods at discounts of up to 80% off of retail. Is it legitimate, or is it a sham?

If you guessed sham, you are mostly right. The majority of the “wholesale lists” are bogus. What you normally get from these sellers are:

• lists of sources that are really retail, and not true wholesale
• lists of hundreds of “wholesalers” on a CD, most of which aren’t even in business
• no disclosure of the actual pricing you will get from the alleged wholesalers
• prices from a list of “wholesalers” that are more expensive than Walmart’s retail prices
• listings of Chinese manufacturers copied from Alibaba.com that anyone can search for and find

Not to say that there are no legitimate wholesale source lists on eBay, because there are a few. But from my own experience, there aren’t many. I have purchased several of the “wholesale source” lists just to satisfy my curiosity, and the result is usually the same.

But being the consumer advocate that I am, and having owned my own discount store, I have decided to combat the wholesale source list scam artists by providing the only legitimate info product available on eBay for wholesale plasma & LCD televisions.

The biggest difference in my product and the competition? I actually disclose the prices of the TVs that you will have access to. Instead of making bold statements like “save 80% off retail”, I simply list a few of the TVs and the prices that they are actually being advertised for. Plus, I don’t list 100’s of sources that would take a person weeks to muddle through. I only list one. That’s all that’s necessary.

You can read my shocking expose on eBay by checking out my classified ad. Click here to visit the eBay ad site, and you will learn a few things about true wholesale sourcing!

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GAS GENERATOR SALES CAN ENHANCE PROFITS FOR ANY BUSINESS

Winter is close, and so is the dangerous ice season in Missouri. We are one of the worst geographical areas in the country for icing conditions. While this area creates dangerous ice storms each and every year, power outages are almost guaranteed to happen somewhere in the state.

In the past couple of years, we have had major power outages and serious emergency situations in areas like Springfield, and Mid-Missouri. The demand for portable gasoline generators was so high, that retailers were gouging consumers and tripling the price of their generators. And it wasn’t just the hardware stores selling the gas units. There were several types of stores, even grocery stores, selling generators. “Fly-by-night” sellers were showing up in Springfield selling generators out of the back of pickup trucks, box vans, and 18-wheelers, and the outrageous prices included no warranties or guarantees that they would even work.

Serious entrepreneurs will not only see the problem we have, but they will also see an opportunity to make serious money while helping consumers get what they need at FAIR prices. That’s why I am turning over my secret sources for gasoline generators to entrepreneurs and current business owners that want to enhance sales.

I am re-releasing the “Secret Wholesale Sources Series”, specifically the source list for gasoline generators. In this report, business owners and entrepreneurs have the chance to get my very best 3 sources that I used for my retail tool store for gasoline generators.

These generators are Chinese-made, but feature very reliable Honda knockoff engines. Many of my customers told me that the engine parts are directly swappable with Honda parts. I never had one generator come back defective, and that is a true testiment of the quality of these units.

For more information on the generators, pricing, and ordering, visit the MicroBusinessPlans website and click on the “Secret Wholesale Sources” banner which leads to the wholesale sources web page.

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What if you had a “secret weapon” that you could unleash, which gave you an unfair advantage over all of your competitors? What if there was a way to create an almost “cult-like” following among your customers? What if you figured out a way to make your customers so loyal, that they defended your business as if they had a percentage of ownership themselves?

Well, these “what-ifs” just became a reality. Yes, there is a way that you can create a “cult-like” following for your business. There is a top-secret marketing method that flies under the radar. Using very guarded cutting-edge marketing strategies that your competitors have no clue about, they will be left rubbing their heads. They won’t be able to figure out how you pulled such amazing results.

With over 15 years of experience in computer hardware, internet usage, web site design, business consulting, marketing, public speaking, and high-tech advertising, I’m the new local marketing & SEO expert in town. Plus I’m backed by some of the top names in the industry, including “The Niche Professor”, Dr. Ron Capps, of Northwest Missouri State University. Putting me behind the wheel of your marketing and advertising campaign will blow the doors off your competition. Period. And I dare you to try me.

The best thing about my high-tech marketing method is the simplicity. I have a proven step-by-step scientific method of high-tech advertising and connecting with people via web 2.0 media. If you are searching for an unconventional expert who can cut straight to the point and get measurable results, your search for help is over.

Right now, you are probably wanting me to get back to the “secret weapon” and reveal what it is, and how it works.

THE ANSWER: I’m not telling! If I did, it wouldn’t be a secret! I am bound by my ethical standards to only divulge the “secret weapon” marketing plan to my valued clients. That way, the “secret weapon” keeps its edge and effectiveness due to the simple rules of scarcity. In other words, you will have it, and your competitors won’t!

MY QUESTION: Which businesses in Jefferson City Missouri will be the first to cash in on the “Secret Weapon” in their target market? Hmmm.. I wonder.

“Web 2.0 SMO: Do it now, or let your competitors do it for you.”

-Carlton

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