Author: vendorco

Costco Vendor Guide

By vendorco

Costco is one of the largest retailers in the United States with vendors jumping at the chance to sell their products in the warehouses. However, in order to satisfy Costco and the Costco member, vendors must have an understanding of Costco’s processes and the ability to implement them.

Vendors are responsible for managing creative, manufacturing, packaging, delivery, accounting, customer service, and so much more.  In order to serve Costco well, a vendor guide can be very useful.

An effective vendor guide may be in the form of a manufacturer representative, also known as an independent broker or product placement company/individual. Representatives often specialize in a particular retailer.

If you’re looking for a Costco vendor guide, look no further than VendorCo. We offer over 20 years of Costco specific expertise, saving you time and money with your Costco program, and cutting out the guesswork. We offer many services that are useful for current and future Costco vendors.

Browse our website for information about the scope of our business, or contact a VendorCo representative today: Contact Us

15 Elements of Successful Product Placement

By vendorco

The 15 Elements of Successful Product Placement are the 15 essential steps that are necessary to achieve maximum retail success.

The Elements were crafted and developed by VendorCo’s CEO, S.D. Walker through 20+ years of Costco experience, including buying, operations, distribution, and manufacturer representation. S.D. Walker has gained the knowledge and expertise necessary to succeed in retail.

To assist aspiring retail manufacturers and service providers, VendorCo now offers this knowledge and expertise in a short, easy to read book. The 15 Elements of Successful Product placement book is provided to you for FREE, you only pay shipping and handling. To order, visit https://vendorco.com/15-elements-of-successful-product-placement-booklet-1
OR, receive The 15 Elements of Successful Product Placement as a free add-on with your purchase of a 50 minute Professional Consultation, and your shipping and handling fees will be waived.

Need help with your retail/Costco program, but looking for something different? Contact VendorCo today! We are happy to assess your company to see how we can help you. e-mail [email protected]

50 Minutes of Advice

By vendorco

Expertise in key areas of business is essential to your success. This a simple, but profound concept that many executives overlook. It may seem easier to perform multiple aspects of your business independently, even if these pieces fall outside of your strengths and abilities. Perhaps it appears that “going it alone” may save you money, but in the long run you may find that this is a grave mistake.

When you attempt to navigate avenues of retail without the proper knowledge and understanding, you may find that all of your hard work is useless when your program is quickly denied. There are countless mistakes that can be made in the product presentation process, even after spending hours, days, months, or even years researching or paying employees to research the best methods and procedures for success. This is time and money that could (and should) be spent focusing on your individual strengths. And these mistakes can easily be spotted by a trained expert.

Retail product placement is OUR strength. Over 20 years of experience has crafted our business, and our experts are here to help you.

With just 50 minutes of advice through VendorCo’s Professional Telephone Consultation, we can help provide direction and answer important questions about retail placement. Just 50 minutes will provide you access to over 20 years of research and experience, setting you on the right path to retail success.

Don’t take a risk with your large retail accounts. Contact us or visit https://vendorco.com/internet-consulting-products to get started, and gain an edge in the retail market.

Product Broker: Pros and Cons

By vendorco

A product broker can also be referred to as a manufacturer representative, independent representative or a product placement company. These companies assist manufacturers and service providers with retail placement. A product broker may be specific to one retailer, or may solicit to many retailers.

A product broker eliminates the guess work for your company. An experienced product broker will know how to present, who to present to, and what to include in your presentations. They will know what packaging changes should be implemented, pallet requirements, process for shipping and delivery of your product, and more. They can assist you with forecasting and customer service on all levels. A product broker will know about hidden costs to account for and suggest how to get the most out of your retail program. Essentially, a product broker will work you through all of the ins and outs of a retail program. An expert can save you hours of research, headache, and hassle.

One of the obvious drawbacks or hesitations in working with a product broker is opening your business specifics to an outside company.  If a broker offers services to more than one retailer, be cautious. Serving more than one major retailer will take enormous effort and likely water down their expertise.

How do you choose the right product broker for you? View our blog based on information we have required through our experience: how-to-find-cost-effective-product-brokers, or contact VendorCo for expert Costco representation.

Vendor Guides to Success

By vendorco

Vendor guides refer to resources and expertise that individuals or companies may utilize for various professional needs. Having the right guides to success is extremely important for ALL businesses to succeed.  Examples of suitable vendor guides may include in-depth research or third party individuals/companies that are specialists in the field of your focus.

Relying on research can often be useful, but is usually time consuming and costly. Additionally, you may find that there is either too much or too little information on your subject of interest, making it extremely difficult to identify information that is truly accurate and valuable. You should also consider that the time spent researching a topic is time that you could spend utilizing your unique skills.

Consulting with an expert can save you hours of research, ensure that the advice and information you receive is solid and accurate, and allow you to focus your time on growing and improving your business.  When you can rely on experts we recommend that you do. Vendor guidance from a reputable individual/company is likely to save you time and money in the long run.

Interested in Costco vendor guidance? Keep up with our blogs for more information, or contact us at [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you!

Knowledge is Power

By vendorco

It was the great English author and philosopher Sir Francis Bacon who said “Knowledge is power”. Life and business success are achieved through knowledge. Experienced, knowledgeable experts are absolutely necessary to the success of your business.

VendorCo is a 20 year retail product placement and program development expert and the creator of the 15 Elements of Successful Product Placement book, specific to newer businesses.  If you or your company need cost effective knowledge about retail, purchase a 50 minute Professional Phone Consultation and receive a complimentary copy of 15 Elements of Successful Product Placement.

Click here for more information or to purchase your 20 Minute Professional Phone Consultation.

Branding Mistakes for Retail

By vendorco

Two Major Branding Mistakes:

1. Email address

Do not use Gmail, yahoo or hotmail email addresses.  Any reputable company has an official email address. It separates a business from a hobby. The lack of a company email address will relay the message that your company is underdeveloped and therefore under qualified

2. Web site

Websites are an extension of your company and your products. The website must give a unique look and feeling about your company. It’s like a corn company who has opera music playing or an amusement park company with an image of someone sleeping.  It does not target the demographic.  Your website should not be too wordy and should have a synergy between text, images, and details.

Want to know more about branding costs? Which costs are important and which are avoidable? Read more here

Brand Leaders

By vendorco

Below are the top 10 brands according to Interbrand’s Best Global Brands of 2010.

  1. Coca-Cola
  2. IBM
  3. Microsoft
  4. Google
  5. GE
  6. McDonald’s
  7. Intel
  8. Nokia
  9. Disney
  10. Hewlett-Packard

View the full list online here: http://www.interbrand.com/en/knowledge/best-global-brands/best-global-brands-2008/best-global-brands-2010.aspx

Check out the advertisements below, it’s no surprise these companies are brand leaders!

Coca-Cola:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwCn-D5xFdc&feature=player_embedded

Microsoft:
http://youtu.be/KXZGfH_d_nk

Read about branding mistakes here

Branding Consultations

By vendorco

Looking to improve or build your company brand? The top three most important questions to ask when

looking for a top quality marketing/branding company are:

 

  1. What does their brand look like? – The ability to build their own brand is a perfect reference to how they will build your brand. Look at their website look and feel, if you don’t like it – don’t hire them! If you don’t feel confident judging them simply by the look and feel of their branding materials, ask them to explain their brand to you.  Also, be conscious of how many branding experts they have available to serve your company.
  2. How many years of experience do they have? – be sure they are an established company with over 10 years of experience!
  3. Who are their clients? – you will want to know what current and past companies they have served,  AND be sure to contact their references. If their clients are largely food product companies and you are a non-foods company, that may not be a good match.  Also, consider the size of the companies they are serving compared to your own.

Looking for examples of top branding companies? Click here

Advertising

By vendorco

New or emerging businesses mostly advertise through print, electronic, or in person. Print advertising includes newspapers, flyer ads, magazines, and mailers.

Electronic advertising includes radio, television, and internet.

In-Person advertising includes street fairs, door-to-door sales, and is considered a form of Gorilla marketing.

Advertising is largely a necessity.

When you Google search the term “Advertising” over 2 Billion sites are available on the subject.

Advertising results are best realized in 6 month increments.

Why 6 month increments?

Generally, it takes hearing or seeing an ad 4 times before a customer will fully absorb what your company or ad is about.

Thus the rule of thumb is to consistently target the same demographic for at least 6 months., then move to a new option of advertising if it does not do well.

We suggest you do your research or hire an expert prior before purchasing any advertising.

See the advertisement from a top 5 branded United States company:

http://youtu.be/R4vkVHijdQk

How to find a successful branding company? Read more here

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