Find Overseas Suppliers For Your Business

If you're searching for overseas suppliers for your business, you're probably looking for low prices to increase your profit margins. However, it's not always a simple process. Any supplier you use needs to be trustworthy and reliable, regardless of how cheaply you can buy from them. You also need to look into any trade regulations that might complicate matters.

### Research

When it comes to finding potential overseas suppliers, trade exhibitions can be excellent opportunities for making contacts. You can find a list of upcoming trade shows here: http://10times.com/unitedkingdom/tradeshows.

Of course, the internet is also a rich vein for potential suppliers and there are a number of business-to-business (B2B) websites bringing together importers and exporters. Here are some you can explore:

http://www.alibaba.com – One of the best-known B2B sourcing websites for small businesses, bringing together buyers and suppliers from around the world.

http://www.ec21.com – Global B2B marketplace of export and import, with company directory, product catalogues and trade leads for importers, exporters, manufacturers, wholesalers and suppliers.

http://www.globalsources.com – Facilitates trade with manufacturers and wholesale suppliers in Greater China and Asia.

http://www.thomasnet.com – A leading product-sourcing and supplier platform for procurement professionals, engineers, plant and facility management and other buyers.

http://www.tradesparq.com – A marketplace for everyone involved in international trade, including suppliers, buyers and service providers.

Government agencies can also help with advice on finding reliable overseas suppliers and establishing international trade links.

Visit the UK Trade Investment website for information and advice on overseas contracts: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-trade-investment

You’ll also find useful, detailed guidance on the Gov.uk website: https://www.gov.uk/browse/business/imports-exports

### Making a list

With all the information you need at hand, you can start to make a list of prospects. A spreadsheet will be ideal for this – enter details such as website, contact name, number and email, etc.

You should also look for online ratings and reviews of suppliers – you might find these on the B2B websites you use, or you can do a search on Google, etc, or trade websites and forums. Peer reviews and opinions can be an invaluable way of assessing a supplier’s reliability and quality of service.

When vetting your list by comparing prices, exercise caution – if a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is. Be wary of any rates that differ wildly between competitors.

### Making contact

Once you’ve vetted your list, you can make contact with your favoured prospects. Email is probably the easiest and least expensive method, and it will also cut down on some of the communication problems often associated with dealing with someone overseas – both parties will have time to digest the information and prepare a response. Once contact has been established and you’re ready to move on to the next phase, you can arrange a phone call, use instant messaging, or a video conference via Skype or Facetime, etc.

You might want to proceed with caution until a proper business relationship is established. Ask for references from other companies the supplier has dealt with, and request samples of their products. If for any reason you can’t get samples but you still wish to proceed, make small orders to begin with so you get an idea of the company’s goods and service, and build gradually until trust has been established.