Tips for Brokering Goods

Brokers typically do not have warehouses or storage areas, but can move as much merchandise if not more than brick & mortar or online stores. Brokers market other vendors? merchandise through their own e-commerce websites or eBay.

When dealing with Via Trading on brokered orders, Via will always ship ?blind,? meaning our company name will not appear on any packing lists or paperwork in order to preserve our anonymity and keep your customers loyal to you.

We have extensive information on our dropshipping program on our dropshipping page.

Unless you are VERY familiar with the salvage industry and the risks involved in purchasing such goods, it is a good idea to stick with NEW OVERSTOCK items rather than customer returns, in order to avoid customer complaints.

• Always research a potential supplier. Look at their reputation within the industry. Read up on what others have said about them on forums, testimonials on the supplier's own website and other sources. You need to find a reliable source of product, and a supplier who will be willing to work with you in the event that one of your customers is not fully satisfied with a purchase. Check out our blog to see an article about questions you should ask a potential supplier.


• Try to keep your markups low. If your customers can search the internet and find the products you are selling at a price significantly lower than you are offering, there won't be much incentive for them to buy from you. Brokers generally make their profits on volume rather than on individual sales. Your return per individual order might be small but your profits will grow as you build lasting relationships with your customers and they place repeat orders with you.


• Use several resale channels. Whether you have your own wholesale website or not, the more resale channels you use, the better your chances of moving more product. Take advantage of large online marketplaces like eBay, Craigslist, Amazon, Liquidation.com and such sites to list your wholesale lots in multiple places. The more exposure your lots have, the better. Consider selling at a local flea market in your town or setting up yard sales to supplement your sales as needed.


• Be wary of suppliers who require payment by wire transfer in 100% of cases. Paying for your purchases by Credit Card or Paypal gives you a recourse in case a supplier does not deliver the merchandise. When you do wire money, make sure you've established a trusting relationship with a company as some dishonest suppliers may cash in on your wire and never deliver the goods. Although this is fairly rare, it does happen. Paying by Credit Card or Paypal (even though it occasionally means paying a 3-5% service charge), may avoid headaches in the future. Note that some companies only accept wire transfers for large amounts until a relationship of trust is established with their customers - this goes both ways. Do be flexible, but be vigilant as well. Do your research and know where your money is going.


• Whenever possible, try to visit your suppliers. Seeing their physical operation and meeting them in person can enhance your understanding of the product to help you advertise it to your own customers more accurately, and can enhance your working relationship with the account managers you deal with regularly. Many companies exhibit at liquidation and wholesale industry trade shows. If you can't visit them at their locations, consider attending an industry trade show. Not only will you get to meet your suppliers face to face, but you'll be in a room with thousands of other companies and may very well find additional suppliers while you're there.


• Take into consideration that while starting your own brokering business can seem "easy" and a quick way to make money without ever touching inventory and having to deal with warehousing, shipping and storing merchandise, it does require a lot of research and time on your part. This is a time sensitive industry and your customers will require fast and efficient service. Make sure the suppliers you work with can get you answers to your customers' questions quickly, and that you make the time to get to emails, questions and complaints quickly to build a good name for your business.

Brokering Resources

Robert Cyr of TheCloseoutIndustry.com has written dozens of articles on brokering and dropshipping, and has compiled his ten years of experience selling wholesale liquidation products into an e-book called Wholesale Liquidations Exposed.

Both his website and his book are highly recommended reading for anyone getting involved in this industry. He includes important-to-know information as well as hints and tips for brokers and resellers in all resale channels.

Read up on brokering and dropshipping.

Or download his PDF e-book about wholesale liquidations and how to work with liquidation companies when you are brokering or having products dropshipped.

Brokering Articles

Check out our Via Success Story article with one of our long-time customers who has successfully built a brokering/dropshipping business out of her home.