How to Start Wholesale Apparel Online Business from Scratch?

Whether you are a professional or a homemaker, starting a wholesale online business is a great choice.

As a wholesaler, you will purchase products from manufacturers in bulk for low prices and sell them to retailers and distributors at higher prices.

The benefit of wholesale business is that you don’t need to worry about design, innovation, production, or creating a brand. You just need to focus on selling. This is the reason why wholesaling is gaining so much momentum.

In this post today, we will provide you with the step-by-step blueprint to start a wholesale apparel business online.

So, let’s get started.

Step #1: Picking the ‘hot’ products in the market.

Before you even register your business, you need to know what kind of products you want to sell, including those in high demand.

Of course, we are talking about apparel here. But the apparel industry is huge. There are women’s apparel, kid’s and men’s apparel, etc. You will need to choose one that is in demand. You can always grow your inventory later as your business grows.

As a wholesaler, your job is to sell your inventory quickly. Because if you can’t sell your previous merchandise, where will you store the one that has demand?

You can research on the Internet about your products and which ones are in demand.

Step #2: Decide on a Name and Register Your Business

Now that you know the products you want to sell, it’s time to come up with a name for your wholesale business.

The name should be unique and easy to remember. Most importantly, it should not be registered by another business out there.

Also, don’t forget to check the trademark. Some terms are trademarked, and you cannot legally use them in your brand name.

After deciding on the name, it’s time to get registered as a business entity. You can start as a solopreneur or form an LLC.

Every business needs to pay taxes no matter what. As per the Indian Government, any company selling online needs to register for GST.

You will also need to get a wholesale license as most manufacturers won’t sell to you without having a wholesale business license.

Step #3: Finding Manufacturers

Now that you have a business name and know what products to sell, it’s time to find the manufacturers.

Finding a suitable manufacturer to buy products is a challenging task. Although the internet has made things easy, you still need to figure out many things by yourself.

You can easily connect with manufacturers from all over India with B2B directories such as IndiaMart, Exporter India, and TradeIndia.

Moreover, if you plan to sell artworks, you can partner up with local artisans who produce products in bulk.

You will need to negotiate and come up with a price that is profitable for both parties.

Step #4: Stocking Up the Inventory

Now that you have decided on manufacturers to source your apparel products. It’s time to find a place to store your products.

When you are just ting out, working from your home or garage can be okay. But as orders start growing, you will need to find a warehouse to store your products.

Warehouse space often does not come cheap. Hence, you need to calculate all the costs associated with business operations carefully. This includes inventory, machinery, employee rooms like break rooms and bathrooms.

If you don’t want to deal with warehousing, you can partner up with third-party logistics(3PL) providers that will handle storage and shipping for you. Example: Bluedart, DHL, Aramex, etc.

Step #5: Managing Shipping

Shipping is a major nightmare for most small and medium businesses, especially when you need to ship a large number of products.

You also need to decide whether you will ship your product locally or internationally.

Find reliable shipping companies that provide shipping at affordable costs and at ships at the proper time.

You can partner up with many shipping providers such as Shiprocket, Delhivery, FedEx, and DHL for shipping management.

Step #6: Setting Up Your Online Shop

Now that you have registered your business and figured out your logistics, it’s time to open an online store.

Now, when you go to open an online store for your wholesale apparel business, you will come across endless options.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed with the number of options. But, don’t worry, with Risor, you can get started with your online store in minutes.

Unlike other online platforms, Risor is designed explicitly for B2B business owners like wholesalers, manufacturers, retailers, etc.

So, you will get everything you need to create an online store for your wholesale apparel business.

Step #7: Promote Your Wholesale Business

You opened your online wholesale store. Now what?

You need to market your services. If customers don’t know you exist, why will they find you in the first place?

This is why marketing plays an important role. Luckily for you, marketing has become less expensive today. You are not limited to television and billboards to market your service.

There are many inexpensive marketing channels like FB ads, Google ads that you can use to drive traffic to your online store.

If you want to learn more about social media marketing for wholesale business, read our blog here.

Wrapping Up

You can quickly start your wholesale apparel business online with proper tools and correct information.

The above blueprint will help you establish a solid business base.

Although starting a wholesale business online can feel daunting, you will be thankful when it is thriving and bringing you significant profits.

So, Don’t wait anymore. Start your online wholesale apparel business with Risor in minutes! We will be waiting for you.

Risor is a B2B selling app designed specifically for B2B sellers like manufacturers, wholesalers, and distributors. Risor comes with features like built-in chat, reseller management, product catalog, discounting, social sharing, and so much your online store with Risor free. Register with Risor today.