Sourcing at your Niche Trade Shows

Most of my sourcing is done on the internet, but every now and then it’s really helpful to get out there to a trade show specifically tailored to your niche market.  On Thursday I’m heading out to the International Quilt Market in Portland to find out what’s new and exciting in the quilting world. 

I’ve been to gift trade shows but they haven’t been especially useful to me since they did not really zero in on the marketplace that I sell in.  The more focused the trade show, the more likely you are to find good products targeted to your demographic.  No matter what product category you sell in, there is probably a trade show that you may find useful. 

Be prepared to bring information on your company such as business cards, screen shot of your online store (if you have one), tax ID info, and other pertinent business statistics.  Scope out the show for a day before you commit to buy, then take the evening to do some online research and decide on your purchases.   When dealing with new product lines, ask if you can make a small purchase to test the market before commiting to buy a large amount.

You may just find that hot product to roll out this holiday season!