By Rieva Lesonsky
March is more than half over, which means time is running out on the bargains and deals retailer and e-tailers can find on Alibaba.com during March Expo. If you’ve already visited the site—or even ordered—this is a great time to come back and take a look at some of the more than 12,000 new products available now. To save even more money, check out the weekly deals, where man manufacturers are offering discounts of at least 30%.
Keeping with the theme of saving money during March Expo, Alibaba.com has teamed with well-known national brands to help small business owners save money.
Paying with Credit Cards
One of the new features of March Expo is the savings you can get when you save a new Mastercard to your Alibaba.com account. You can save up to $20 on the transaction fee of the first order you place using your new linked credit card.
Discounts on Supplies
Alibaba.com and Office Depot have teamed up to offer small business owners savings of up to $2,ooo. All you have to do is buy a minimum of $200 worth of merchandise on Alibaba.com. Once you do that, you’ll get an email “unlocking up to $2,000 worth of exclusive savings. Then you can redeem your offers at OfficeDepot.com/Alibaba or in an Office Depot or OfficeMax store.
How Can Working Capital Help with Inventory?
As retailers you know that buying inventory to stock your stores and/or websites is one of your largest expenses. So, having access to business financing is crucial for your success. Using inventory financing you can access working capital specifically for your inventory needs.
Like most retailers, you likely experience seasonal surges—times when you need to order more merchandise. With extra working capital, you can cover the costs of that without worrying about how you’ll cover other expenses. You’ll also be able to stock up on popular-selling items in advance and avoid running out during periods of high demand. Having access to extra working capital also means you can afford to order in bulk and save money.
Finance Your Purchases with the Pay Later Program
What is Pay Later? Pay Later is a new way to pay for Trade Assurance orders on Alibaba.com. Currently Kabbage, a U.S.-based lending platform, is providing credit lines of up to $150,000 under the Pay Later program. Through Pay Later, Alibaba.com members can apply online for business financing to use toward Alibaba.com purchases.
Kabbage Pay Later loans offers numerous benefits to help your business run more smoothly and increase revenue. Benefits include:
Quick application. You can access Pay Later from the Service tab on top of the Alibaba.com home page and apply securely during checkout in minutes. You can also apply on the to secure financing and be ready in advance for your next purchase.
Competitive rates. Kabbage offers favorable terms over six months. Unlike some payment methods, there are no order transaction fees. You’re only charged fees during the months you have a loan, so you can pay back your loan early and save on fees.
Flexible access. Once you’re approved, you can access your available funds through checkout whenever you need purchase financing.
Greater purchasing power. With access to extra capital, you can increase your order quantities to potentially negotiate better pricing from sellers. Even if you’re waiting on customer payment, you’ll have extra capital you can access to purchase the inventory you need, when you need it.
How to apply? Applying for Pay Later and using financing is simple. To get started, click the Apply Now button at checkout or visit this page.
Then:
- Enter simple information about your business.
- Securely link your business checking or other online accounts. This gives you an automatic business review without any additional paperwork.
- Provide your personal information for identity verification.
Kabbage uses technology to review your application, so you’ll know quickly if you are qualified and how much financing your business can access. Once approved, you can use your credit toward Trade Assurance purchases on Alibaba.com.
Quick tips about Pay Later
There’s no obligation if you’re approved for financing, so you can apply for Kabbage loans anytime so you’re ready in advance to finance upcoming purchases.
When applying, link the accounts where you process the most revenue to potentially increase the likelihood of qualifying.
You’re only charged fees during the months you have a loan, so you can pay back your loan early and save on fees.
Saving money stock photo by Watchara Ritjan/Shutterstock
