Full Version: Promo Suppliers
From: MikeW (MGWALMSLEY) [#1]
28 Apr 2006
To: ALL
Hi All,
We have been doing awards and trophies for almost a year now and our customers are starting to ask about promotional products.
Does anyone know of a couple of good suppliers for promo items. Most of the web sites I've seen sell to everyone. I dont want my customers to be able to buy from the same places I do.
Thanks
Mike
Canyon Awards, Trophies & Engraving
From: Dee (DEENA-ONLY) [#2]
28 Apr 2006
To: MikeW (MGWALMSLEY) [#1] 28 Apr 2006
David Takes is my "guru" on ad specialties. Maybe he would be willing to do an article. Also go to the search feature of the forum and type in advertisig specialties. You should get lots of info.
Dee
From: RALLYGUY (RALLYGUY1) [#3]
28 Apr 2006
To: MikeW (MGWALMSLEY) [#1] 28 Apr 2006
Check into SAGE....http://www.sageworld.com/distributor/index.htm
It will show you what you can do with a system that helps you find companies that can provide you with promotional products.
They are a cost effective way to enter this market. They give you a month free trial, and I believe that it costs approximately $4-500 annualy thereafter....Well worth it and several thousand less than ASI members have to pay.
I suggest you give them a try....Once you get the hang of it, it can be a very nice way to help diversify your offerings.
From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#4]
28 Apr 2006
To: MikeW (MGWALMSLEY) [#1] 28 Apr 2006
Within this folder, there are a few lengthy discussions on the topic.
If they're not visible to you, just click on the "10 Threads" link, under the folder heading.
From: LipChip [#5]
28 Apr 2006
To: MikeW (MGWALMSLEY) [#1] 28 Apr 2006
Hello Mike,
Where are you located? Sometimes it helps to have this in your profile. I work with several promotional companies in different areas, including ASI, PPAI, and SAGE. What type of promotional products are you looking for? Are you planning to decorate them yourself, engraving or otherwise, and in what kind of volumes?
From: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES) [#6]
28 Apr 2006
To: MikeW (MGWALMSLEY) [#1] 28 Apr 2006
Mike,
Venturing into the promotional product area is a natural progression for any award and recognition business. You are smart to begin researching the feasibility to expand into this market. It is a huge, huge market, and stretches into areas you have never imagined. I guess in that respect, it is much like the engraving industry.
I will give you one small example from this past week of why to get into this business.
I had a new customer referred to me by one of my current small town customers. This prospective customer was in charge of buying customized items to sell at the upcoming sesquicentennial celebration for their town. To make a long story short, she ended up spending over $5,000 on pens, pocket knives, mugs, shot glasses, commemorative porcelain plates, etc. The best thing is that I don't have to touch a single item. I create and send in a few PO's, e-mail a few layouts, shuffle a few papers and almost have my monthly rent paid for on this one transaction.
You will find one of the biggest challenges of the promotional product business is maintaining cash flow. The trick is to get deposits whenever possible. In the real world, you will not be able to demand deposits from everyone if you want the business. You just have to assess the risk-reward with each situation.
Another challenge is pinpointing the suppliers with quality products and customization processes to match.
I would start out by researching the industry through www.distributortalk.com and www.distributorcentral.com. As others have mentioned, there have been some great discussions on this forum as well.
From: MikeW (MGWALMSLEY) [#7]
28 Apr 2006
To: LipChip [#5] 28 Apr 2006
Hi David,
I updated my profile. Based on your phone number you must be in the SFV. I'm up in Canyon Country.
I'm not sure of all the items I will need, it is based on customer requests. So far I have been asked for pens, hats, keychains, etc. Most of the time, I would like to order the product and deliver it to the customer. Other times I may engrave it myself. Quantity could be in all ranges. I will know more specifics next week when we meet with a couple of clients
Thanks
From: RALLYGUY (RALLYGUY1) [#8]
28 Apr 2006
To: MikeW (MGWALMSLEY) [#7] 28 Apr 2006
We are in a similar situation, We are custom screen printers, engravers, sublimators, and pretty much whatever the customer needs either on our own merit, or through Sage or ASI promotional options....I just recently had an opportunity to quote 10,000 pencils...Never would have even thought about it in the past....Made almost $1000 on the job and didn't do anything other than research the product, and made sure the Order was placed appropriately.
If you are a dot the I's , cross the T's kind of person....I doubt you would have any trouble working in the promotional marketplace. The biggest issue outside of financing for a smaller company....is using quality suppliers....Sage and ASI both have rating systems....I use them extensively when looking for products that my customers request. I typicaly look for companies rated B or better, as I was burned a couple of times early on with poor service and quality from lesser rated companies.....
Definitely worth looking into if you have an interest and your finding customers requesting products that you can't do on your own at this point.
From: LipChip [#9]
28 Apr 2006
To: MikeW (MGWALMSLEY) [#7] 28 Apr 2006
Hello Mike,
Nice to meet you. SFV is correct.
David Takes also gave "great" advice in his posting.
One of my primary focuses in the promotions market (ASI, PPAI, SAGE, and others) is with our glass, ceramics, crystal, acrylics, plastics decoration partner, which we have been working with for over 3 years. We have worked with them on sublimation (which they have now decided to jointly go into in extremely large production runs), decal manufacturing and decoration possibilities, and direct flatbed printing solutions.
Another of our joint ventures with the direct flatbed printing will start with one of the top "keychain" suppliers to the ASI/PPAI/SAGE market with our direct printing machines being shown starting at the Philadelphia Show at the end of May. These are the www.swi-usa.com printers/ Super A3 and A4 models. Direct "full color photo" printing into plastics, without any pre-coatings. These are specialty LipChip HOT (heat cured inks), that's what SWI calls them, and they will be printing directly to many surfaces for the promotional products market.
Just email me when you need some help.