By Rieva Lesonsky
Alibaba.com’s annual March Expo kicked off this week offering small business owners numerous opportunities to order new products, find new suppliers, take advantage of new services and save time and money. During the month-long event, Alibaba.com, its partners and suppliers are offering specials, great deals and discounts to business owners making a purchase on Alibaba.com. It’s a great opportunity for retailers, e-tailers and wholesalers to discover and connect with global suppliers.
No matter what you sell, chances are you’ll find them this month on Alibaba.com. You can choose from more than 12,000 new products, in nearly any category of goods, including clothing, accessories, jewelry, home décor, consumer electronics, tools, machinery and other specialty merchandise.
There are a lot of good reasons to take advantage of all that March Expo has to offer—and we’ll be discussing those more in-depth all month long. But first, let’s talk about all the deals to be had this month.
Business owners who shop during March Expo can receive discounts from numerous suppliers, ranging from 5% to 20% off. There will also be new specials every week, so check back often to find the best merchandise for you to sell.
If you’ve made purchases during previous March Expos, this year it’s easier than ever to buy. For U.S. customers who link their Mastercard, credit card fees up to $20 will be waived. First-time buyers who link their Mastercard or Visa, will also have up to $20 in credit card fees waived.
Also new this year for U.S. buyers is the Buy Now, Pay Later option powered by Kabbage. You can get a $10 gift card just for applying for financing. And you can save up to $100 on your first month’s loan fee when you use the Pay Later option for the first time. If you use more than $15,000 of Pay Later financing, you can get a $100 Visa e-gift card.
And that’s not the end of the deals. Alibaba.com is offering shipping specials too.
But March Expo is more than just deals. Think of it as a month of discovery. March Expo gives you access to a treasure trove of suppliers and products to buy and sell. If you’ve been hesitant about buying from overseas suppliers you’ve never met, March Expo is a great time to connect with them, and save money at the same time.
Before you jump in, create a plan of action. What products are you looking for? How many do you need? Check your sales records for the past year. Are you stuck with unwanted inventory, or has your merchandise been moving well? Do you sell seasonal goods—since there is expedited shipping during March Expo—you can even order products for the upcoming summer season. Planning what you need ahead of time will make the ordering process, quicker, smoother and more efficient.
March Expo is a great time to expand your merchandise mix, test products and experiment with new market. We’ll talk about that more in next week’s post.
