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Get StartedImagine an office or home without furniture. Pretty dreary, right? Now imagine that same office or home with plenty of furniture, but all down to a maxed out credit card. That’s not a pretty picture either. Buying wholesale furniture is a way to furnish a home or office for a fraction of the cost of retail because you avoid the markups taken by retailers to cover overhead. This guide is meant to give an overview of benefits and pitfalls of purchasing wholesale furniture, along with a discussion of pricing trends. As with any major purchase, consider what is best for your business’goals before making a decision.
Benefits
There are many benefits to starting your own wholesale furniture business that go beyond the simple concept of just making a profit. Although the income is stable and practically limitless, the savings and tax breaks involved just from being a wholesale distributor make it a worthy option for any business entrepreneur.
Stable Annual Income
According to the EPA, approximately 3 million tons of office furniture is discarded annually. What this means to a furniture distributor is that there is a large recurring and consistent market that will provide an annual income. The BIFMA (Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturer’s Association) predicted an 8.7 percent increase in production of office furniture by 2011. This shows there is a large supply and an even bigger demand that could purchase from your new business. Even amidst the recent economic recession, the office furniture industry is still thriving.
Wholesale Prices for Personal Purchases
Whether you are furnishing your personal home or setting up a new business office, the discounted prices you will receive by being a wholesale distributor are worth it alone; but are just considered an added perk when compared to the possible profits available. You will get wholesale prices on any type of furniture, and this allows for huge savings. Another advantage is any furniture purchase you make for personal use can be used as a future tax write-off since you are in the furniture industry. The purchases are considered a way to advertise your furniture in your own home or business.
If you are looking for a profitable and recession-proof distribution business to get started in, wholesale furniture is a smart choice. No matter if you choose office or home furniture, the profits and benefits are endless if time and consideration are taken when planning the execution of any business, especially wholesale distribution.
Pitfalls
Though wholesale furniture can be an inexpensive solution to your office needs, it is not without its share of risks.
Time Consuming
Wholesale vendors may not yet be established near your business. This means that you will probably have to drive a long distance to their location to look at their selection if they have no online catalog available to view. If you do not already know the piece or type of furniture that you would like to purchase, then you may end up spending a lot more time jumping from place to place searching for an appropriate piece, as most vendors of wholesale furniture have a limited selection.
Poor Quality
This is probably the most obvious potential disadvantage to purchasing wholesale furniture for your business. If you plan to buy in bulk or from a catalog and cannot inspect each piece of furniture then you have no way of knowing if they are all in good condition. Have someone that works for you look at each piece to ensure its quality or make sure that there is a return option if the furniture is not up to your standards.
Limited Selection
Business owners looking for wholesale furniture may find that their choices are more limited than they thought. Furniture retailers order lots of different kinds of furniture from numerous places, which tends to result in a larger selection. Some wholesale warehouses only offer discounted or discontinued lines of furniture and not the newer, more contemporary ones. If you are looking for the most up-to-date fashion in your office furniture, then wholesale vendors may be the wrong choice for your business.
No Design Services
If you already know the exact pieces of furniture that you want to set up in your business space, then you will probably fare fine with wholesalers. If you do not know exactly what you plan to do yet, then you may have a harder time. Wholesalers do not offer the same design services that normal retailers do. Not knowing what to look for while searching through numerous locations can become time consuming and exhaustive. When you are looking to start a business or in the midst of running one, time is a luxury that you can afford to waste.
Pick-up and Delivery
Wholesale vendors often employ a cash-and-carry type of service. Many do not accept credit cards and only offer sales services and offer no aid in loading or delivering the furniture. Businesses purchasing large quantities of furniture or plan on returning for further purchases are usually accommodated though.
Pricing
According to Dun & Bradstreet, in 2009 over 13,000 wholesale establishments employed over 81,000 people. As these numbers illustrate, the wholesale furniture business is becoming a popular choice for the cost-conscious business owner.
Cash and Carry
The cost that you pay to a wholesale furniture vendor is a one-time transaction. They do not offer payment plans. There are, typically, no refunds. You usually have to carry out and deliver the furniture yourself, unless you bought a significant amount or express interest in returning. As such there are no additional fees that you should worry about. Buying wholesale furniture is a great way to save money. Buyers usually save at least 20% off of retail price and sometimes as much as 50%.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that buying wholesale furniture can help save money. However, these savings must be balanced against the difficulty of locating a wholesaler, the potential for lower quality and less selection, and the usual requirement that you take your purchase with you. If you can overcome these pitfalls, you stand to save your family or business a considerable amount of money on furniture. Remember to carefully consider the needs of your home or business before visiting a wholesaler; this helps limit impulse buys of great deals. Finally, make sure you really need the furniture you purchase. You haven’t saved money by getting a good deal if you didn’t really need the product to begin with.
Do you need to find quality wholesale furniture? There are all kinds of furniture, from office furniture to the furniture used in the home. These can be decorative items, items for comfort, or essential items needed to conduct business. The right furniture can make an office more efficient or a home more comfortable and stylish. A wholesaler will specialize in stocking large number of furniture. Because they buy in bulk from a supplier they can often sell for a significant discount.
When you are searching for a wholesaler that supplies furniture, you may have quite a few options available in you area or nationally. There are several things you will want to consider during your search. First is the type of furniture, because specific wholesalers may specialize in one sort of furniture over others. Next is the size of any order and any shipping costs relating to that. Price will depend on the kind of furniture you need, the size of an order and of course the supplier.
Going over available wholesalers as you make your decision, is essential. Business.com has links to many sources that may have the furniture you want.
Browse the links to the left for wholesale furniture.
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