Are you ready to start purchasing wholesale beauty supplies for your salon in Anchorage, AK? If this is your first time, making the switch from wholesale to retail can be intimidating. Generally, salon owners purchase far more items in bulk than you might with a simple retail order. That’s a commitment, particularly if you haven’t used those particular products before—but you’ll end up saving money over the long term.
Here’s how to confidently order the products you need:
- Get your business license and paperwork in order: You might not be aware that you’ll need a business license in order to shop with most wholesalers. If your salon is new, you won’t be able to place a wholesale order until you have your business license and tax identification numbers squared away. Since you need to do this anyway, get it taken care of as soon as possible. Then you’ll be able to stock your salon with the products your clients will want to use and buy.
- Find vendors who sell the products you need: Next, you will need to find a wholesale vendor who carries the products you need. This can be an overwhelming and time-consuming process, especially because most vendors have different delivery timeframes and minimum order sizes. They also may have price differences, which can be the difference between profitability and merely breaking even. A lot of salon owners struggle with this aspect of the business, and end up devoting a lot of time to trial and error. Our best tip: get referrals from other people in the same industry. They’ll be able to tell you about their experiences with different companies. You can also check the Better Business Bureau—or, even better, visit trade shows so you can check out all the products in person.
- Know what size order to place: Finally, you’ll need to know how big of an order to place. Not only is it difficult to know how things will sell, but beauty supplies often have expiration dates. You don’t want to get stuck with a lot of expired products, but you also don’t want to run out of stock a week into opening. Plus, when you’re buying wholesale, the more you buy, the bigger the discount will be. We suggest starting with the minimum order size, then increasing the order once you have a better idea of how the product is performing. It’s also a smart idea to ask for samples before you commit to buying products you’ve never tried before—most vendors are happy to oblige if it means they’re more likely to receive additional orders in the future.
Keeping these tips in mind will ensure you get the right products at the right price. Buying wholesale beauty products in Anchorage, AK is a great way to stock your salon and develop professional relationships with your vendors. When you need quality products at great prices, Aurora Beauty Supply can help. Reach out to us today to learn more about our services and selection.