Dear Dan: With the cost of almost everything we buy going up, I’ve started to purchase a few things overseas to save money. It’s saved us a bundle, but the learning curve has taken a bite out of my time. What are the best ways for small companies to buy globally? – Global Buyer
Dear Global Buyer: Is global buying a viable solution for small companies in the United States? Lots of people around the world certainly think so, and the business of “global sourcing” is taking off among companies of all sizes.
Global purchasing is no longer the future. It is today; right now. Businesses looking to stay cost-effective and competitive in whatever they do are finding it essential to look everywhere from across the street to across the globe to find the best combination of price and quality for whatever they need.
Alibaba.com, a popular business-to-business e-commerce hub, is one place that lets you quickly and easily browse by product or supplier categories for what you need. You can contact sellers after you find products to get more information, or post buying leads to get instant seller quotations.
The Web site has a variety of customer support and safe trading features that help you research seller backgrounds and reputations and protect your account.
The site is also rich with free articles on global trade, including helpful advice on finding suppliers, shipping and inspection, payment and security, along with Alibaba’s own tutorials on how to best use the site.
But Alibaba is not alone. Another excellent global trade resource hub is the FITA Buy and Sell exchange, a partnership of the Reston, Va.-based Federation of International Trade Associations and Worldbid.com. It’s a huge network of international trade sites, providing easy access to buy and sell leads around the world. You can submit offers to buy, RFQs and RFPs for whatever your business needs.
The Web site (fita.worldbid.com) offers a wide range of helpful information, links to other sites, company “showrooms” that businesses have set up to display their products, plus directories and information on global trade shows.
The FITA Buy/Sell Exchange resources section includes links to country profiles, government agencies, industry news, trade organizations, shipping and international business travel. Their “Really Useful Sites for International Trade” section lists over 8,000 Web sites related to global commerce. •
Daniel Kehrer can be reached at editor@business.com.
