Our partner, 1st PMF Bancorp, provides resources for wholesalers and general merchandise vendors that can help finance their business in today’s economic climate. One way PMF can help suppliers is with invoice factoring, and another way is by providing lines of credit or trade financing. With many years of experience in the U.S. and Asia, PMF Bancorp has the kind of knowledge you can use to help manage your capital and increase your profits.

Many wholesalers are finding it to their advantage to use Accounts Receivables Financing rather than the more traditional funding that is difficult to come by these days. When your business needs to raise funds, you must determine where to find the capital. In today’s economy, many traditional financing options are not readily available. Banks are reluctant to lend and are getting more demanding with their requirements. Friends and family are struggling themselves. You can’t count on Angel investors, either.

That means wholesalers must innovate in how they find capital to grow and maintain operations. Many wholesalers need a resource that can provide the cash needed to fulfill new orders, pay their staff and suppliers, and cover payroll tax obligations to the federal government in a timely manner. That means they can’t take the time necessary for loan approval from a bank.

If wholesalers can avoid raising capital from traditional sources, they can keep more capital for themselves. One way to do this is to use PMF Bancorp for Accounts Receivable Financing and Invoice Factoring.

Big Banks Are Hoarding Cash

As reported in Fortune, U.S. big banks said they spent the first quarter of this year writing loans and renewing credit lines. In fact, Bank of America (BAC) said it provided consumers and businesses with $144 billion in credit in the Q1, Wells Fargo wrote $151 billion in loans and JPMorgan Chase claims to have loaned $450 billion. However, the deposits are surging and the loan balances are shrinking at the nation’s top four banks.

As you can see in the chart above, loan balances actually shrank in the first quarter compared to a year ago, and this same thing has happened at other big banks. All the banks deemed “too big to fail” are taking in new deposits at rapid rates and not loaning money out.

The average loans outstanding at these top four U.S. banks dropped 7 percent from a year earlier, which is a decline of $210 billion in loans. At the same time, deposits went up 5 percent.

As noted in Fortune, the top U.S. banks, which were bailed-out with tax-payer dollars, are not doing much to support the U.S. recovery. The banks insist there are good reasons for this. They say good customers aren’t asking for loans and won’t be until the recovery gains momentum. While there are pockets of loan growth at some banks, for the most part, loans to American businesses are shrinking.

If you’re a wholesaler, and you need funding, you can rely on PMF Bancorp with invoice factoring for a line of credit or trade financing. It could be the right option for your business and it can help you manage your capital and increase profits in difficult times.

For this reason, it’s crucial to find the right blend of wholesale networks, buyer platforms, and trade finance partners to back up smart decisions. Starting with CMLA™ (www.ChinaMartUSA.com), a trade platform specialized in sourcing Chinese products and bringing the Chinese companies to the US to sell directly to the wholesalers.  ChinaMart™ is a way to begin exploring just how far a solid partnership based on educated choices can go, with the right people bringing their extensive resources and experience to the table. It will also become the most rewarding, as the power of  connected network leads to sales generation and revenue that boosts business to new levels of performance.

Small to medium-size buyers can use PMF Bancorp™ (“PMF” www.pmfbancorp.com) trade finance products, as an integral part of their working capital arsenal, as well as ustilize PMF’s credit verification resources as an important tool for making the right selection of supplier(s) from the start. All this is available on Manufacturer.com’s platform to help avoid the pain of dealing with weak or inefficient suppliers that do little more than fail on a regular basis. PMF provides such credit information and financing in part through its trained staff of professionals who are adept at conducting real-time inspections of Chinese suppliers, and then comparing this information to official Chinese government databases.

Additionally, PMF’s trained staff in its China Offices follow through prescribed processes, based on PMF’s strict training and criteria from PMF’s American trained credit staff. This is just an example of the tools available to create a highly complementary partnership amongst clients, and to make transactions beneficial for all parties involved. The benefits of PMF’s credit expertise in credit management becomes a highly useful tool that levels the playing field and matches small businesses with great trade partners by increasing transparency and minimizing the risk of making bad choices through unnecessary guesswork.

For added stability and performance, the ultimate strength of utilizing Manufacturer.com™ comes from the power to connect USA buyers with verified manufacturers and suppliers in China. American-based customers from TopTenWholesale™, WholesaleU™, and OffPriceNetwork™ provide a way to connect Manufacturer.com™ members with a truly enormous base of existing wholesalers, as their USA networks handle the direct advertising of over 2,000 very large, mid-sized, and small wholesalers, importers, and even exporters ─ that are all buyers to Chinese manufacturers.

Offices are located in China and the USA, and are ready for interested business owners to make the call, and begin the process of creating a high-performance connection with suppliers who can deliver on their merits.

In a $12 billion industry, there certainly is a lot of opportunity to go around for those who are willing to do the legwork. While many in the business regard this as merely another chance to see and be seen, it’s actually much more important that that, with dealers and buyers coming from around the globe to make comparisons and exchange ideas that will lead to the decisions that affect tomorrow’s marketplace.

SPREE, the Specialty Retail Entrepreneur Expo & Conference is the world’s largest event for the $12 billion specialty retail industry, and there are few reasons to miss the event dates, especially with advance notice giving roughly five months notice.

Whether attendees are wholesalers, a retailers, or prospective entrepreneurs looking for the newest concepts, locations or services to start or grow their specialty retail business, SPREE is designed with all of these individuals in mind. Visitors should be sure to come for the new products showcased in the exhibit hall, the educational seminar program, and the opportunity to conduct business and develop ongoing relationships, in a fun and entertaining atmosphere that highlights the full range of social events, as well as all of the excitement of Las Vegas.

Calendars should be marked well in advance for the SPREE 2011 show, which will be held on April 12-14, 2011 at The Sands Expo Center at the Venetian in Las Vegas, NV. In order to make this accessible and useful for everyone, admission to the exhibit hall, seminar sessions, and SPREE social events is FREE with pre-registration.

SPREE exhibitors represent the specialty retail industry’s leading manufacturers, wholesalers, suppliers, artisans,

as well as companies offering turnkey concepts, property managers, developers, and

various other service providers.

• Selling to first-time buyers and other eager entrepreneurs
• Turning both prospects and clients into repeat customers
• Meeting leasing managers who act as an extended sales force
• Signing and closing deals that will bring in much more profit
• The convenience of receiving a FREE Virtual SPREE booth
• Networking with the key players that make up specialty retail
• Having fun in Las Vegas with peers at SPREE social events

As a $12 billion industry, the specialty retail continues to thrive and grow into international markets all over the world. In addition, by attending and exhibiting at SPREE is an outstanding opportunity to learn about the industry and meet all the key players that can help anyone begin their journey as a specialty retail entrepreneur. Retailers can find all the new and exciting products that are needed to get started and gain FREE business information at SPREE educational seminars. As an exhibitor, SPREE is the only place to expose a company, product, or service to the world’s largest gathering of specialty retail professionals. At these networking events, it’s possible to meet and mingle with specialty retail executives, including leasing managers and generate leads and deals for future business relationships.

With an impressive list of sponsors, this event will set the tone for what retailers and wholesalers who source from China and other parts of the world expect to see, as global trade and supply chain management continue to provide the most pressing questions in business today.

On Thursday Dec. 9th, 2010, ChinaMart Los Angeles, 1st PMF Bancorp, and Manufacturer.com will be hosting this incredibly important preview into the next wave of trade finance and industry practices, as the final seminar of the year at the ChinaMart Los Angeles Conference Center.

Two special speakers will be giving their thoughts and observations on the key issues that most members of the global trade community are asking:

Dr. Young, Professor of Global Economics at Pepperdine University, will be acting as the keynote speaker. He will also be presenting a Summary of the Chinese and US Economies in 2010 and focus on areas that shaped the year.

Stephen Perl, CEO of ChinaMart Los Angeles, will be delivering a hard-hitting presentation on how Chinese and US companies, and their various trade and sales channels, have evolved as a result of the two rapidly-changing and extensively interconnected economies.

For those attending, the Seminar Agenda is as follows:

• 7:30-815am     Breakfast and Networking
• 8:15-8:30am    Introductions
• 8:30-9:15am    Dr. Terry Young
• 9:15-9:45am    Stephen M. Perl, CEO ChinaMart
• 9:45-10:00am  Closing questions / meetings

The event will be held on Thursday Dec. 9th, 2010 t the ChinaMart Los Angeles location, which is at 5250 W. Los Angeles, CA 90045. For attendees, breakfast will be included, and parking is $6.00 per vehicle. RSVP is required.

For details and additional information, attendees can contact Cynthia Liu[cynthia@chinamartusa.com] at the ChinaMart Los Angeles offices.

Some background on the featured speakers at the event:

Dr. Terry Young, PhD is a seasoned professor and economist and has over 18 years of business experience in Asia and the United States.  She has published numerous articles and has regularly presented papers at professional meetings and seminars.  She has extensive knowledge of the global marketplace, with a primary emphasis on Asia.  Her consulting expertise encompasses global sourcing, business start-ups, and management in many industries, including food distribution, textile/garment, agriculture, and electronics.  She is experienced in the areas of US, European, Latin American, and Asian economies.  Dr. Young is thoroughly versed in the area of international economics.   In 2004, she served as the Interim Associate Dean for Academic Programs.   She also serves as the Director of Global Programs at the Graziadio School of Business and Management.

Mr. Stephen M. Perl, MBA, MS is the CEO of 1st PMF Bancorp (“PMF” www.PMFbancorp.com ), a privately held US commercial bank lender specializing in trade financing and the CEO of ChinaMart™ Los Angeles in the US (“CMLA” www.ChinaMartUSA.com ), a platform assisting Chinese Companies to invest / open the US Market. For 16 years, Mr. Perl has successfully grown 1st PMF Bancorp’s lending portfolio to one of the largest private short-term business lenders in the US Mr. Perl is also the founder of ChinaMart(TM) . ChinaMart is the first non-government platform supporting Chinese and US trade in the US Mr. Perl has designed PMF to provide global financing and credit services support for its Chinese and US Clients in its global platform. Mr. Perl established PMF’s presence in China in 2004 as the first private US lender in China and has successfully opened PMF’s branch network of offices for PMF and ChinaMart throughout China. Mr. Perl actively serves on the board on the County of Los Angeles Board of Governors and the City of Los Angeles Economic Advisory Board. Mr. Perl is a Director on the Board of the Commercial Finance Association in the United States and former Board Member of the International Factoring Association. Mr. Perl was also award an Honorary title of Professor of Finance for the GuangDong Financial University, in Guangzhou, China.

Customer relationship management (CRM) is all about managing the relationships that businesses have with their customers. This includes potential customers as well, and perhaps plays an important role in bringing retention numbers up into goals that make a huge difference in the long run.

CRM often combines various business processes, people on the back end and front end, and technology to achieve the single most important goal of getting and keeping satisfied customers, and narrowing the gap between those who don’t repeat business and add to predictable outcomes for these companies.

The overall strategy hinges upon learning more about valued customers and their behavior so that more meaningful, and lasting relationships will continue to provide a number of benefits to both parties. In truth, it’s not likely that a successful enterprise can continue to develop momentum, without a strong CRM infrastructure to keep things on the right track.

CRMBoost is one of the top companies in the industry that delivers services which are well suited for those in the wholesale or retail industry. It’s never been easier to keep in touch with a client, especially when records keep sales and customer service personnel informed of critical information like when a conversation last took place, what was said, what was offered, and what was agreed upon.

Some of the most valuable features of CRMBoost are broken down below:

• Sales Lead Management
• Contact Manager
• Account Manager
• Opportunity Tracking
• Customer Quotes and Proposals
• Support Case Management
• Email Marketing Campaigns
• Dashboard Views
• Document Storage
• Calendar, Tasks, and Reminders
• Group Management
• Multi-Language Interface
• Products Management
• SMS Text Notifications

In addition to providing a platform for efficient and effective record keeping for tracking customer activity, CRMBoost also brings the latest technology into play with seamless and intelligent features that make sharing portions of important content a breeze.

“ Getting on the cloud,” for true cloud computing without compromises, is made possible by a service that is web-based, which means users will never need anything other than a standard Internet browser to access crucial information. A powerful array of online on-demand tools will also allow users to track leads, contacts, products, deals, even vendors and purchase orders. This reduces costs that can be overbearing, by eliminating the need for software, hardware, and IT personnel.

In addition, CRMBoost also offers a Quick Connect add-on feature for popular ERP’s and accounting software including Quickbooks. Customization is available to fit any industry and any need.

For a long time now, Facebook users have had the pleasure of connecting with friends and family over great distances, but still needing to turn to their email client for the really important stuff. Somewhere in the last three years, marketers started making use of the social media platform to connect buyers with sellers, and a new innovation was born.

Twitter has also become a launchpad for a number of companies that wish to express themselves directly to followers, through a medium that can often be perceived as much more instant and “wired” than email, although email operates on the same technology as any other Internet-driven messaging service.

Now that every marketer in the know is adding friends and tweeting their company’s message to everyone who will listen, it seems that the logical conclusion would be to merge email and social media into one package.

Facebook Messages, the new email system that tightly integrates with their existing social network of individual profiles and sites around the world, will be available as a way to manage the flow of information between users who want to make use of Facebook’s vast archives, and 500 million-user database.

This new messaging system combines the attributes of text messages, instant messaging and e-mail, with some experts already bemoaning the impending death of email marketing.

What’s the big deal? Everyone already has email, and Facebook is not going to replace the email address… or is it? The outlook is that Facebook will not be replacing traditional email, but that’s where the line becomes blurry. Facebook is offering its users an interface that has no ordinary subject lines, nor will users be required to cc or bcc other users on their thread. In a sense, this is everything Google Wave and Buzz wanted to be, but with the momentum of Facebook’s enormous user community already behind it.

The plan is to keep your friends in a “friends” folder, and everyone else in the “other” folder. While some retailers and specialists are not thrilled with this idea, it presents a real opportunity to those who are willing to invest more of themselves to their customers.

Rather than worry about email addresses getting out, and spammers clogging up inboxes with rubbish, users are now going to find themselves with a new form of message control that was never quite available before.

The “like” button may gain a greater role in bringing marketers closer to their targets, as this will become a strong identifier for users who see their friends and others within their personal networks giving the virtual thumbs-up to products and services that wouldn’t even show up unless somebody already gave it a nod of approval.

Experts are also saying that retailers and online marketers should not expect to see this new development from Facebook affect holiday sales for 2010, since the technology is too new to be fully implemented by most users, and will undoubtedly be in a period of observation by users who are less likely to get onboard at a moment’s notice.

It’s also not expected that users will simply switch their email addresses over to a Facebook address, because email is still going to be a trusted and comfortable method of sending important messages, and because some countries – like China – have put an indefinite ban on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and to some degree MySpace… which eliminates the possibility of those users ever seeing what the new messaging system has to offer.

Some experts are also pointing out the need for marketers to do a better job of not only measuring the click behavior of email users, but also determining the behavior of market segments with regard to which addresses are getting traffic in the first place, and which ones remain inactive.

For those who desire the real answers to questions that require expert advice, TopTenWholesale Answers™ represents a first time community-driven platform on the Internet where buyers and sellers can go to discuss any business challenges or general topics that are relevant to them.

After doing a lot of research, it was discovered that millions of people have many questions about every facet of the industry, and that it was absolutely necessary to provide a forum for the most relevant and important questions to get the exposure they needed. This new and dynamic virtual environment would have to be answered by peers and experts in the industry, in order to create a community that truly fulfills the needs of users who need answers with more impact.

The basis of this community would have to address the following key topics, as well as many others:

• Finding suppliers
• Trade shows
• Dropshipping
• Purchasing from manufacturers overseas
• Starting a wholesale business
• Finding closeouts
• Selling on eBay
• Making some extra cash

TopTenWholesale Answers™ is here to further connect buyers and sellers with all of their trading, sourcing, financing, and general business questions. While TopTenWholesale™ has been connecting them together, TopTenWholesale Answers™ will be the support system that allows intelligent dialogue to build a knowledge base that is unprecedented in the business of wholesale, retail, or trade.

When a user posts a question, it is open for the community to respond to. Best of all, users can also direct their question to an expert and get advice from a someone with years of experience on a variety of topics.

Most users can expect an Answer to their question, and while the panel of experts will do their best to answer any and all questions, there is no guarantee that every single question will always be answered. However, questions with the highest relevance to the community’s user base will find their response queues filled in no time.

As added insurance, users also have the ability to post their answers through the built-in Twitter client, which will post a tweet right from their accounts. This helps guarantee that most questions will be answered, and raises the level of awareness for all members.

The developers of TopTenWholesale Answers™ are aiming for 99% answer rates, and they welcome comments that alert them when no response to any particular question has been given.

Increasing the bottom line with the right blend of traditional and innovative marketing solutions may not be an easy task, especially when dealing with anything that revolves around the fickle playbook of SEO and SEM tactics, or even the newly-emerged industry of mobile handset apps. There’s a lot to learn, and it can be more than the typical business owner has time for.

If a company is looking for a customized solution to increase sales by locating new markets for growth, and perhaps even coaxing sales from idle accounts, there are many companies that can help. The trick is to find the one that fits a particular business, and its particular needs.

Experienced professionals should be able to listen closely and work even more closely with their customers, in order to gain a thorough understanding of various clients and their needs. Understanding is a key factor in developing a custom B2B marketing solution, as this will be designed to improve business sales, reduce costs, and ultimately improve the bottom line.

It’s helpful to have a quick reference available, which will assist in giving the entrepreneur a leg-up on getting the process started. Here is a small but comprehensive checklist of items that should be offered by any company that has expertise in providing the solutions in question:

• Appointment Setting
• Multi-Tiered Sale Programs
• Sales Force Optimization Process
• New Product Introductions to be Suggested
• Account Winback Programs for Lost Accounts
• Strong Qualification Processes and Standards
• Professional Lead Generation & Management
• End-to-End Lead Management System
• Sales Territory Coverage/Knowledge
• Integrated Team Selling/Coverage
• Extensive Prospect Databases

The real focus for any company should be the acquisition of new accounts and growth of market share. What happens after that market share is attained is something that a qualified B2B marketing solutions provider should be able to follow up on, and help perpetuate for their clients.

As important as the ability to respond to new discoveries in leads that have been generated is the ability to adapt to changing markets with a high level of consistency as well.

Qualified leads should also be somewhere near the top of the list; these are the backbone of sales, and are second only to actual customer referrals in their ability to bring revenue home. A company that can help to uncover qualified leads will be indispensable to small businesses that are either tapped out, or simply understaffed with a sales department that can’t afford to go out and find the leads on their own. In addition, getting qualified leads through a service provider that already has them categorized and indexed, will almost always prove to be a highly value-driven decision.

With these basic tips, anyone can start the search for a qualified B2B marketing solutions provider. It’s a lot to cover in one breath, but in the end the results could be well worth the initial outlay of investments and effort, if only to organize and refresh the direction for a company that has been in need of a tune-up for some time.

Commitment for getting into the business is an important factor, since the amount of time and energy that needs to be put into the planning and execution of a small-scale wholesale distribution business will be rather large, especially in the beginning. Those who are looking to supplement their income, make up for a lost job, or prepare for the possibility of a layoff, should keep this mind. As always, the risks can be greatly outweighed by the rewards, but only if initial steps are taken to ensure a properly laid foundation.

Knowing What They Already Know

Manufacturers rely upon brokers to distribute the goods they make, since the time and resources needed to do this are not always in line with their facility’s capabilities. While more and more manufacturers are turning to the jack of all trades model that has been spurred on by a recently turbulent economy, the truth is that most of these companies would rather not do it for themselves.

Retail distributors are the ones who most consumers buy from. They move the product to physical locations, and turn it over to be sold to the public at the highest prices. A small-scale operation has some advantage over them, however. While the retailers have warehouses, extra staff, and corporate support, the small distributor can be a more personalized choice for consumers who are not finding their needs met by a one size fits all big box retailer or mega-store.

Owners of wholesale distributorships will be buying goods to sell at a profit, just as any other business would. The biggest difference is that many independent distributors will be working in a B2C realm, by selling to the buying public.

Making It Happen

When it comes to setting a virtual or even a physical shop, needs will vary according to what type of product the seller chooses to specialize in. It used to be considered an act of folly to store goods in the home, since space requirements and other factors would undoubtedly hamper results. However, the high acceptance rate of dropshipping has nearly eliminated the need for warehousing in many areas of the business. It’s important to note that a distributor and a broker have different meanings when taking title and legal ownership of goods, so it’s important to be familiar with local policies.

The Industry at Large

Wholesale distribution is a substantial part of the economy. The business contributes almost 10% to the value of the nation’s GDP (private industry) while much of the existing distribution channels are broken up into small, privately held companies.

General merchandise and apparel sales represent another possibility for the new breed of wholesale distributors, because they rely heavily on end consumers, instead of retailers. Online sales have skyrocketed since 2008, and this kind of activity is projected to continue acceleration, say experts.

Getting a Piece of the Action

While this is good news for entrepreneurs, it also comes with unique risks. As the economy continues to present challenges to mid-size companies that struggle with their inventories and staff, larger companies are merging or acquiring them. This means that consolidation issues are a factor for all of the smaller players. On the other hand, this very issue could provide opportunities for sellers who are creative.

The trend in consolidation that has some medium-sized companies cringing, is also the same thing that fuels the specialty industry. Specialty markets are difficult and often not cost-effective for large retailers to attempt, so the smaller ones are able to quickly move in to fill this void. Rather than looking at it as “picking up the scraps,” it’s a matter of taking care of customers who would otherwise find themselves with limited choices in a market that has little excuse to make such a distinction.

Personality Matters

Taking on the challenges of wholesale distribution and selling is a game that requires seriously keen negotiating skills, and oftentimes a thick skin. The ability to detect trends as they emerge, or to anticipate changes in the consumer mindset will be huge advantages as well. Many experts agree that having a varied career history can play a large role in giving an advantage. There is also evidence suggesting that former salespeople have the right blend of ingenuity and resources to make the switch to private entrepreneurship.

It starts with a turning point. By the second quarter of 2008, there were 15 million subscribers using online services through their handheld devices. However, in the second quarter of 2009, the figure jumped almost twice the past year’s numbers, as it rose to 26 million.

Top research firms predict that mobile devices will overtake basic feature phones by the end of 2011. According to Nielsen, smartphones were used by 25% of the US mobile phone audience in the second quarter of 2010, which is a figure that is up from 23% the previous quarter and 16% in the second quarter of 2009. In the past, online sales were regarded with skepticism and doubt. These days, there is undisputed evidence to a proven success record from companies that adopted an online model early in the game, and this could be very true for those who attempt to capture a burgeoning market like the one that is forming the growing online mobile user community.

More owners of smartphones means more people using online mobile services. The jump in ownership is driving continued growth for the mobile internet industry, and overall usage. Forecasts are indicating that by 2014, there will be about 142 million users, representing over 53% of the US mobile user population, who will access the Internet using mobile browsers or applications. There will undoubtedly be interesting numbers generated in other countries, as their mobile user community grows as well.

Buying online can become a common, everyday practice for owners of smartphones, and the wholesale and retail industries could benefit nicely from appealing to this kind of consumer, if they position themselves to take full advantage of the technology. It will also be crucial that they invest in partnerships and services to promote security. Verification and screening will b valued highly by consumers and businesses alike, in the continuing search for ways to improve the user experience, and the safety of transacting over these kinds of networks.

Mobile banking, as a growth market, will experience tremendous escalation alongside the further adoption and acceptance of smartphones. Studies of smartphone users in the USA show that they spend an average of 4.5 hours per month on the Internet, compared to a figure of over 26 hours per month for all American Internet users. However, this figure is growing rapidly, and the expected outcome will be similar to what already exists through conventional online sales today.

Wholesalers wanting to capitalize on this explosive market can expect to see some new technology and user interface developments that make selling a more interactive experience, right from handsets. The notable surge in applications for handheld devices that allow buying and selling from mobile handsets is encouraging. With so many new methods of engaging customers and making sales, the future looks quite promising for anyone who seizes this technology.

Recent studies indicate that mobile usage growth is in direct proportion with advanced features and functions. With these increases, consumption is quickly evolving from only brief, surface-level transactions, such as checking up on the latest weather news or travel plans, to time-intensive interaction with Web sites that are optimized for mobile transactions. This also shows great promise in the area of online sales and wholesale business becoming a reality from a customer’s handset.

The mainstream appeal of smartphones was made a reality by the overwhelming adoption of Apple’s iPhone 3G. While it’s gaining greater acceptance with more consumers than Blackberry, and even the original iPhone, the newer iPhone is still found appealing to people with incomes over $60,000 USD.

It’s no secret that mobile banking will eventually take off, and remain a mainstay in consumer buying cycles and habits. However, many experts in the industry agree that current smartphone costs, and costs for cellular phone Internet connectivity, are too cost prohibitive to encourage faster and more complete adoption. Mobile banking needs to wait for the technology to become more widely available, which should happen by next year.

The campaign is meant to sponsor seminars and business in China by the city of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Economic Development Center, and the Los Angeles World Trade Center, together with the Shenzhen Import and Export Chamber of Commerce, Shenzhen Electronic Chamber of Commerce, CCPIT Shenzhen City, Shenzhen City, and Yiwu Small Commodity Wholesale City joint programs. The main topics of this seminar were created to pinpoint some discussions and thoughts on the effects of the financial crisis following the era of Sino-US trade approaches and the eventual collisions that followed. Particular emphasis was placed upon export-oriented manufacturing enterprises in Shenzhen, and in various types of processing and manufacturing orders.

Getting out of a bad situation was found to be directly related to understanding international routes and developing a more direct understanding of Los Angeles, Canadian, or Mexiano trade areas of the market throughout the cultures, systems, structures, and even the current situation, using what forms of marketing with the U.S. market without butt joints, the use of local financial, tax, legal service system, government incentives such as a wide range of issues.

China Mart Los Angeles helps to balance the equation, by providing Chinese domestic enterprises a means to open up trade cities through a unique platform for the USA market, which will create a unique direct sales environment of Chinese goods to the United States. Through face to face contact with USA buyers, a new platform to achieve success in the United States is established to promote their own sales base inside the country. Government policies are being supportive in both countries,  with the Chinese business cities having joined China Light Industry Arts & Crafts Import and Export Chamber of Commerce, as well as the Chinese Import and Export Fair exhibition platform, which is the first strong support base for writing a unique business model that retains fundamental Chinese characteristics.

Los Angeles World Trade Center supports the development of international trade, providing access to Southern California for the world, as the leading international trading company services resource center to help the Los Angeles area of foreign investment. Services include: investment, location, tax incentives, staff recruitment and training resources,  Import / Export training, basic international trade, development of market research, marketing support, international and domestic trade delegations, trade finance assistance, loans, advice and packaging, access to state and federal trade and financial services, providing electronic online trading platform, and online compilation of market research and economic data.

Founded in 1981, the Los Angeles Economic Development Bureau, (LAEDC) was created by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to implement LA County’s economic development program through land development, project financing and marketing activities. During its history, the LAEDC has evolved from being a facilitator of the County’s industrial bond development program, to being Southern California’s premier economic development organization.

WholeSaleFashionSquare.com sets themselves apart from the others right away with a site that is easy to navigate, easy on the eyes, and easy to understand… since it’s not littered with all the extra noise that so many other sites seem to have on their pages. On top of the nice, clean user interface is a huge selection of goods that lets the visitor know right away that this is a clothing wholesaler distinct from other clothing wholesalers. Carrying top quality fashion apparel from hundreds of Los Angeles area manufacturers and importers is one of their unique selling features, and all of their bulk wholesale clothing and accessories are overstocks or leftovers from these sources. By acquiring large quantities of fashion apparel and accessories – so that merchandise can be offered to customers at below wholesale prices – an amazing assortment of products can be provided in many brands and styles. This includes a number of closeout jeans and other deeply discounted items in their selection of the finest in wholesale juniors and missy clothing.

“For the best prices and the best selection of styles when it comes to wholesale clothing, Wholesale Fashion Square has got you covered! When you shop for wholesale clothing at Wholesale Fashion Square, your bank account will thank you! The Best in Discounted Online Wholesale Clothing!”

WholeSaleFashionSquare.com brings you an amazing assortment of products in many brands and styles. This includes a number of skirts, dresses, pants, jeans, activewear, sweaters, jackets and jewelry. Deeply discounted items also include wholesale tops (e.g. camisoles, tank tops, halter tops, t-shirts, tube tops and blouses), wholesale jeans (e.g. boot cut, low-waisted, hiphugger, stretch, straight leg, flared, playfully decorated), and an unparalleled variety of tops, sweaters, jackets, pants, jeans, skirts and dresses in wholesale plus size… even offering a greater selection of plus size fashion options over most brick and mortar stores.

For the best prices and the best selection of styles when it comes to wholesale clothing, Wholesale Fashion Square has got you covered by being the clothing wholesalers with  fantastic selection, great prices, and the functional site you’ve been looking for! Browse all of the remarkable prices and great styles available to you in everything from Junior and Missy to plus sizes.

If the sound of super deals, tops, pants/jeans, skirts, dresses, plus sizes, activewear, sweaters, jackets, accessories, jewelry, handbags/purses, sunglasses, shoes, lingerie, men’s clothing, styling, and even mismatched items sounds good to you, then be sure to check the product categories on the Wholesale Fashion Square site.

Plenty of information. As someone wisely pointed out to me once upon a time: “Everything you put on the Internet exists somewhere, even if you don’t see it anymore.” Scary stuff indeed.

To put it simply, much of it can used to drive your sales in the right direction, if you know the answers to the five ‘W’ questions, and us them to track your website performance…

• Who is checking out your site right now? Who visits most often, and browses the contents of your online catalogs, but never buys? Don’t you want to know which customers are using your FAQ page, then heading straight into the order form? This kind of information can help you better service the people that are currently working with your site… and tailor the rest of it to suit the ones that seem interested, but not fully compelled to follow through.

• What are visitors looking at, anyway? Do you really know which parts of your site get the most traffic, and which components are getting the most clicks?

• Where does your site show up on the Internet, anyway? You might be surprised to see some blogs and other sites that have linked your site in reference to a story, article, or random post. On top of that, you’ll probably find a few reasons to work out a deal with some sites that you’d love to have a link posted on, which will direct traffic back to your site very easily.

• When do visitors frequent your site? Are there particular times of the day, month, or even year that seem to get the most activity? This goes beyond the simple logic of holiday season peak traffic, but maybe there are some connections to other events on the calendar that tie in very nicely with your site’s offerings. Once you’ve identified these trends, it could be easier to position yourself for some higher visibility during the times that count most.

• Why are consumers even looking at your site, anyway? True, you’ve spent some money and worked out some deals with partners and affiliates to promote your property, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg… consumer buying habits can be tricky to nail down, and chasing down the answer to the ever-elusive why can put you in the lead. It may also expose some flaws in your system, and help you to answer the other logical question: why not?

One major thing to consider is the rise of the vertical search market on the Internet. Companies like our very own Toptenwholesale.com specialize in narrowing the spectrum of search, to give seekers of industry-specific information the tools they need to find more relevant results with fewer clicks. While search giants like Google are doing an amazing job of bringing information to everyone, they almost do it too well, and a simple search for a text query will turn up thousands of results. Who’s got that kind of time? Fewer clicks – in terms of buyers looking for sources – means the difference between somebody choosing you… or your competition! It also means that you’ll get answers to questions that are heavy on the wholesale, and lighter on the other stuff that doesn’t apply to your business. All of this will work towards your goal to Find it. Source it. Profit!

So… who do I get my products from?

It’s a serious question. Assuming you’ve already found a product, or maybe a range of products that seem to be in demand… a viable market that expresses demand for the product… and as long as the product isn’t currently flooding the market (unless you thrive on the thrill of high-pressure competition), you will need to find a source. On top of that, you’ll need to find one that isn’t going to leave you high and dry when you need support later on.

There’s a lot of different kinds of suppliers out there, and you might want to start with these top categories:

• Dealing with distributors could be the way to go for a lot of choices right upfront, or if you want to eliminate the guesswork of having to put complimentary sets of items together by yourself. It could also come in handy if you don’t fancy doing the paperwork and technical stuff that might need to be done to tie the whole order together when dealing directly with a manufacturer. This way of sourcing goods will probably cost you more, but it might save you a lot of time and aggravation in the long run.

• Discount sellers and liquidators can lead to big savings. This means you’ll have to be pretty flexible, too… since you won’t always be assured of being able to fill repeat orders for something that was an awesome steal last week, and has quickly dried up this week.

• Importers are bringing the goods from far away right to your front door. If you are trying to get goods from another country, this is where you’ll need to look. Luckily, there are some rather firm rules regarding the processes involved in import and export… but it’s all going to be smooth ride or a bumpy one, depending on who the importer is. Larger importers are not as flexible as smaller ones, but tend to be a safer bet. Small companies can give you exactly what you were looking for, but might have their hands tied by some sudden political instabilities or policy changes that they have no power over. I’ve seen this happen a number of times with associates of mine here in China, and it’s a reality you should be prepared to face.

• Distributors are great… but maybe drop shippers are better for you. In the case of large or heavy items, it makes a lot of sense to shave off as much of the overall shipping price as possible, both for logistical and price cutting purposes. This can save you from having to coordinate the transport of goods from the source, to you, then to your customers. It will also save the customer some money too, which makes you a lot more attractive as a seller when your competition seems to always have a higher price point for the same merchandise you carry.

• Go straight to the source… the manufacturers. This is the best route to take when you are hitting high quantity numbers per order. It also leaves you in a position where you are dealing with fewer parties, and this could simplify things considerably. On the other hand, many manufacturers are great at producing the goods you desire… but awful at customer service, after-sales service, and even simple stuff like accounting or invoicing. This could be a problem if you aren’t willing to take ownership of the situation, and handle as much as you can for yourself.

What are you waiting for? Get online and start looking for these sources! Of course I would recommend that you take a little time to browse the numerous categories of Toptenwholesale.com and Manufacturer.com to see some great examples of global manufacturers and distributors who have made the cut, and investigate the ones who have become part of our search results pages. One of the biggest advantages to using a wholesale-specific search engine like this one is the simple fact that your search results are all going to be relevant to the business of manufacturers, wholesale, and retail… instead of returning hits that are coming from popular celebrity gossip headlines and YouTube feeds. You want information that has been put together using the leading wholesale directories and search engines connecting thousands of buyers and sellers daily. These B2B directories and platforms were designed to connect buyers  directly with domestic and international wholesalers and manufactures. There are over 100 different product categories to search from including: general merchandise, apparel, accessories, gifts, electronics, handbags, jewelry, toys, and more. Toptenwholesale.com and its network of sites (manufacturer.com, wholesaleu.com, offpricenetwork.com) help buyers to connect directly with the wholesaler or manufacturer of choice, because the Internet is frustrating enough with 80% of content being spam-related… so do yourself a favor and use the tools that will streamline your search! Of course, there is a lot of traditional media you can subscribe to a well, and trade magazines and newsletters are readily available if you like to have something more tangible to read. Making the voyage out to major shows like the huge Canton Fair in Guangzhou, China could offer you a tremendous advantage too.

Be wary, though… there’s a lot of fake stuff in circulation, and after living in China for the past three years, I’m never surprised anymore when I see something new that turns up, no matter how ridiculous it may seem. Doing your research is paramount to protecting yourself, and there are many ways to find out if a business is legit or not. Visit the website, and take a few minutes to move around within it. If it doesn’t seem to be a worthwhile investment of your time, walk away. This extends beyond simply sniffing out the scammers; it’s also a good indicator of which companies have their acts together… or which ones will be a challenge in terms of simple communication, or basic ideologies behind doing business with them. Make sure you do your homework once you find a possible partner. Taking the time to read through policies regarding returns, damages, backorders, and other essential parts of the company’s customer service plan will save you some headaches later. If you notice that the company has a contact number or PO box… instead of a physical location that you can visit… this is a huge indicator of something shady. Of course, nothing substitutes for calling the supplier directly and asking a few questions. If in doubt, you can also take a shot at checking the business out through the Better Business Bureau, Hoover’s Online, or any other background investigation agency.

Finally, besides getting everything squared away in terms of setting up your company and getting a business license and tax ID number… you need to establish payment terms with your new source. Sometimes they are easy to work with, and sometimes you will feel like you need to get certified as a CPA to understand the paperwork. In either case, remember that many of these suppliers will allow you to apply for credit, or set up payment terms that work for you. If you need to know more, try contacting us at Toptenwholesale.com for the answers! Find it. Source it. Profit!

Take a look at the solutions on offer to the wholesaler and retailer as sales are slumping in some areas, and booming in others! Make the changes to your selling strategy before it becomes a problem… and capitalize upon the proactive approach to delivering the news about your products and services to customers, before you need to tell them as a last-minute reminder… or worse, a pleading call to shop with you…

Ready? Okay, I’m going to give it to you straight, in the form of a power-packed TopTen List of Advertising Methods that Make the Most Sense for Buyers and Sellers this season:

• Are you utilizing pay-per click (PPC) advertising with your site? Why not? Toptenwholesale.com is affordable and easy, and with a minimum budget of $200 or more, PPC can be implemented with only $0.40 cost per click. Be sure to contact us for the details, and get your PPC engine revved up!

• Have you said everything that you could possibly say on your company’s site? Are you feeling Twittered out? Facebook is not giving you the leads you want? Let TopTen Wholesale tell everyone about you, more effectively! A directory listing  on Wholesaleu.com or Offpricenetwork.com can be achieved for only $299 for 6 months of listings with 100 keywords available, to maximize your advertising budget… and to help you reach a targeted audience base this season!

• TopTenWholesale.com offers many other online banner ad and email solutions reaching thousands of buyers & sellers daily. Prices vary to fit all kinds of wholesaler needs, so contact us for more information on this option.

• Just so you don’t think we’re tooting our own horns, here’s a  few customer testimonials to help send our message home:

“The results I have received from TopTenWholesale are phenomenal! I have advertised with TopTenWholesale since 2005 and have received a high return on my investment. We highly recommend using TopTenWholesale, Wholesale U, OffPrice Network, Wholezilla, and any other JPC INC properties”

- Alain Sambouli, Via Trading

“I personally would like to thank TopTenWholesale for the significant growth we have received since 2005. We have been advertising with TopTenWholesale for the past 4 years and have seen a tremendous increase in our online orders and traffic. We continue to expand our presence with TopTenWholesale services because of the quality leads we receive.”

- Marc Joseph. CEO, Dollar Days INC

• Stay on top of the news! Some popular and powerful methods for culling useful information can be found through sites like MarketingSherpa and ForresterResearch, to name a couple. It’s a lot of information, but boosting your business is worth the effort!

• While I’m on the subject of light reading… here’s something to sink your teeth into: Vertical Search Reports. With condensed, no-frills, and heavy-hitting statistical content at your fingertips, these white papers will give you a real knife-edge when you’re cutting through the nonsense of a highly imperfect world. Take the time to read copies of SearchChannel and Slack Barshinger‘s reports, or maybe subscribe to CONVERA‘s e-consultancy report. These are amongst some of the papers out there that make up the real deal, and they are often available in international or country/region-specific versions as well.

• Have you tried collecting your own email database list, and sending out promotional offers to your customers via email? Sure, it’s a lot of work, and takes a lot of time… and it will surely end up in the spam bin if the customer doesn’t perceive it as being valuable right away…

  Hmmm, maybe you don’t have the time or energy to do a fully-featured, informative, and value-added newsletter on a regular basis? It sounds to me like you had better select another option, like doing a series of targeted Toptenwholesale.com email blasts, since we’re already doing them… and our current customers are quite happy with the results.

• You should create in-house specials and holiday promotions (such as: free shipping, or a 15% e-coupon for $500 or more spent on an order), then advertise them with banner ads on your company’s site. Of course, promoting these special offers to a targeted demographic audience through some nice banner ads on Toptenwholesale.com can’t hurt either!

• After you’ve designed and implemented a general-purpose banner ad on one of our sites (like Wholesaleu.com, Offpricenetwork.com, or Manufacturer.com), why not focus upon one particular market or demographic, to offer a response to a more specific challenge, or to provide a custom solution to a specific type of buyer? Sending an email out to your entire customer base with a special promotional offer for tracking purposes is fine, but giving extra attention where it really counts is the secret of success.

• Last but not least, placing a directory listing on Wholesaleu.com or Offpricenetwork.com for only $299 for 6 months (which breaks down to about $49 per month for 6 months of targeted advertising!) instead of placing your ads within a traditional printed medium could be a real deal-maker. Have you ever tried to track results from magazine advertising? On the flip side, it’s pretty easy to do with online content. Besides, there is always a great chance that your advertising budget will be wasted on print, because it simply might not reach the desired demographic group in the first place… and you’ll never know about it, until you realize that those magazine ads didn’t turn anything up after all.

Go ahead, give us a call or send an email. For more information, contact a Marketing Specialist at sales@toptenwholesale.com to get the information you need, and the service you expect! Good luck, and happy wholesaling!