New business - some advice needed.

[mts]

I am in the process of starting up a new business venture. Basically its an online computer store but with a difference. Now as far as im aware what I am doing has not been done before, infact im almost positive so I dont want to give too much information away on it yet.

Basically though I need to find some suppliers for the products that will be sold on the site. I already have spoken to one supplier, but I would like to get lots of different options so I can work out what is best for me and my potential customers.

Ive heard about these dropshipping companies where you have to pay to sign up with them and then you sell their products and they ship them out. Im not really looking at something like this, well not where I have to pay money just to sign up to their service. To me it seems that they will make money out of the purchases to so why should they charge to set up business to you. Are they all like this?

Im happy to either use a supplier that I pay and they send the goods out or I pay then they get send to me and I send them out. Any help or advice you can give me would be great. Im not exactly new to running a business as I already run a webhosting business and web design but this is my first time going into this field.

Look forward to receiving any feedback you give me.

[IP2]

Slightly confused mate...

You say this business idea is unique, but you plan to use dropshippers? If what you are selling is being dropshipped seems to lack USP on any scale?

[Indizine]

Perhaps the concept of how he plans to sell the products via the site, is the unique bit, rather than the components themselves??

[IP2]

That would make some sence. Hopefully MTS will enlighten us and some advise can be given.

[mts]

Okay I hope nobody has done anything quite like this yet. Basically Im combining solcial networking and computer shopping. Users will be able to create memberships on the site and purchase items in the norm, but users will have the option to display what they have bought, review the items that were bought and send purchase details to other members as recomendations, along with lotz of unique features which will be unvailed once the site is complete.

Rather than just a normal shopping experience, it will be a social shopping experience. Users will be able to donate to each others accounts should they feel they want to, view the most common bought items and again as i say more features which I will eventually share that make this really unique.

[jdpos]

But people like to shop around so like this they're ties down, I'd scrap the selling point of it and just setup a compare site complete with forum and reviews database.

[mts]

People wouldn't be tied down at all. They can shop at other places if they want to. Im just creating a more social shopping experience. Can you explain what you mean a bit more please.

[Indizine]

By the time the network has put up thei recommendations there should eventually be enough to shop around with, if the concept was to work.

[mts]

The main objective of this is to run a successful shop, the social aspect of this is just an added feature. Basically I'm going to be running an online store in the usual manner but with customers being able to interact with each other should they wish too.

[DavidT]

I've just PM'd you with details of a Taiwanese Wholesale Supplier with their office based locally. One of our team also does work there, so I am confident it's not a scam!