Hello,

I'm running over a few different things with my future website layout here.

Our next launch is a company that provides Airsoft Products wholesale to other companies as well as Law Enforcement and Security Agencies.

(Airsoft is a sport very similar to Paintball - also often used in Military Simulation Tactics, force-on-force training, etc.)

Our primary target market are companies with brick-and-mortar storefronts, established E-Stores/Serious Ebay/online auction and classified sellers.

Secondary Market is our local and regional Law Enforcement and Security Agencies. Our products provide them with a very realistic but cost effective training tool.

Third and last is a huge but inconsistent market of resellers - many who may not have a business license and just sell here or there on Ebay or other online auction and classifieds sites - maybe they have a small online paypal store or something of the sort or perhaps they just sell to friends and family.

While our focus is providing the most professional and highest quality service and products to other established business's as well as our LE Agencies - we do not want to leave out on the market of smaller guy's just buying some here and selling there.

What I came up with is having three different register/log-in accounts as follows...

***Account Example #1 - One can sign up for a Company Account ? All business info (tax exempt ID for example) will be required. Once registered (and approved by myself - verified? faxed/scanned copy of biz lic req.?), one can log in and will gain access to a section of the website with full view of products along with the Company Prices ONLY. These will be the MOST competitive prices and incentives that we offer outside of specialty contracts. This account is our premier offering and is geared for the brick and mortar store fronts, serious Internet Sellers (Ebay, E-stores, Online Classifieds), or one who is looking to open a brick and mortar store/e-store.

Account Example #2 ? One can sign up for a General Reseller Account ? general information about the institution/person and who/where they will be selling to will be required. Once registered (and approved by myself), one can log in and will gain access to a part of the website with General Reseller Prices only. These prices will be generally average but not as competitive as the Company Prices. This account is geared more towards the average reseller ? one who may be looking to sell small amounts on the internet (Ebay, E-Store, Online Classifieds, etc.) or to friends and family, etc.

Account Example #3 ? Law Enforcement and/or Security Agency Representative can sign up for a Contract Account. All Agency information is required for registration. Prices will vary on the needs of the agency and the total order amount. Once logged in (and approved by myself, verified by some means...), one will have a full view of our available products but must contact us with their specific needs and from there we will price the order out.

With the exception of the LE/Security Account, all accounts will be able to purchase directly from the website. They can add the total items to a cart and go ahead and check out. From there, they may enter their CC information or send payment via Paypal. We will also be able to take CC payments by phone as well as company checks/money orders by mail.***

Above is the general plan for now...but I'm still playing with it - not sure exactly how well it will work. Again, we want to meet, greet and grow business relationships with those actual companies with physical storefronts or serious online sellers with a business license, tax info, etc. We want them coming back to us exclusively for their professional wholesale distributor. But of course we don't want to leave out that huge market of people that don't do a huge amount of business on a week to week basis but are willing to meet the min. order req's to get a decent bulk order price.

Looking for some feedback on the system I'm working with here - or if you have any other ideas of how YOU would work it - whatever!

Thanks a lot all!

Sam Burnette

just a quick thought while i think on this... the quicker it is for the customer to get to where they can buy, the more you're going to sell. don't put too many roadblocks in the way of your product. You can always hold them up as they are giving you their payment info.

when i go into a website and i learn that i have to create an account to purchase something, i klick out very soon thereafter.

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"cookin mc's like a pound of bacon" ~vanilla ice
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Thanks for the input!

Sam Burnette

just more thinking... why not sell to "joe-sephine" who wants just a few things as well as to those who want volume. I'm sure you could get lists(varying in cost) of law enforcement/firefighters/emt's whoever...

wholesale is sweet... it's a good way to turn a lot of product, get better volume discounts, etc... but why not sell to everyone who may want the stuff if you're going to have a website and the distribution channels to deliver?

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"cookin mc's like a pound of bacon" ~vanilla ice
eagle disc golf disc golf forum

Your referring to doing some retail on the side...?

Sam Burnette

on the side... no. I've found, for myself, that having a good focus on both works.

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"cookin mc's like a pound of bacon" ~vanilla ice
eagle disc golf disc golf forum

Understood, but I really want to keep our main focus on providing professional services and products to different sorts of resellers only.

By not doing retail at all, we're really stepping away and perhaps above our competition. By presenting our target market with a company that is purely devoted to their well being and not competing against them (by having our own retail joint going) I think will make a difference - and if nothing else, will at least set us apart from the competition.

I've done retail?n?wholesale before and definitely have the experience and the means to do both but its just not something I want to do with this company. Perhaps I will open something else up under a completely name - but will not have it directly linked to this distribution company.

More so, we are already distributing on a local scale. If kids started coming to me for products retail instead of purchasing from those companies who buy from me to sell retail - I'm going to be in a world of hurt with losing those companies business.

But yes, definitely thought about opening something separate from this biz...perhaps for inventory that doesn't turnover quickly - I'll set up a "discount/surplus Airsoft" online store or something...not sure but have thought about it.

Thank you much Stephen for your feedback!

Sam Burnette

thank you for the clear explanation. put that way it makes complete sense to me. i understand my market is a bit different from yours and what may make sense for me won't for you. there arent many retailers for me to compete with so it's natural to do both.

__________________
"cookin mc's like a pound of bacon" ~vanilla ice
eagle disc golf disc golf forum

Ah okay. Yeah.

But hey, really congrats on your business doing so well - I cannot say how nice it is to hear people doing really well on these forums when 80% of the time, all you've got is posts saying "Help Help, I've got no customers!"...but yeah! Good job. We should have at least some sort of "test" website up in the next three-four months and I'll be sure to hit you up for some advice on that one!

Thanks again Stephen!

Sam Burnette