How to Find a Manufacturer or Wholesaler for Your Product
A practical guide—from first product to scaling with confidence
Finding a manufacturer or wholesaler sounds simple on paper. In reality, it's one of the areas where ecommerce founders waste the most time—and often money.
A lot of people spend weeks jumping between platforms, comparing prices, sending messages, and ordering samples. Then months later, they realise nothing really improved. Margins didn't grow. Delivery didn't get faster. Reliability didn't change.
That usually isn't because they picked a "bad" supplier.
It's because supplier sourcing was done at the wrong time, without a clear system behind it.
This guide walks through how to find manufacturers or wholesalers in a way that actually makes sense—whether you're just starting out, seeing your first traction, or trying to scale without breaking your operations.
Why Most Supplier Searches Don't Work
Most people follow a similar pattern:
- Start looking for the cheapest supplier
- Compare prices across platforms
- Place small test orders
- Hope costs improve as sales increase
The effort isn't the problem. The order of decisions is.
Supplier optimisation only works once a product is already selling. Without real demand, even the best manufacturer can't fix weak margins, inconsistent orders, or unstable cash flow.
In practice, we've seen far more stores struggle because they focused on suppliers too early than because they chose the "wrong" one.
Step 1: Make Sure the Product Is Actually Validated
Before reaching out to any manufacturer or wholesaler, your product should already show signs that it's worth optimising.
That usually looks like:
- Consistent sales (not one-off spikes)
- Customers willing to pay a realistic market price
- Enough margin room to improve later
Validation can come from different places:
- Your own store
- Marketplaces
- Repeat customers
- Clear buying intent, not just traffic
Once demand is real, sourcing becomes a smart business decision instead of a guess.
Step 2: Know Who You're Actually Dealing With
Not everyone selling a product plays the same role.
- Sellers usually resell products with added markup
- Wholesalers buy in bulk from factories and resell to brands
- Manufacturers actually produce the product
Most online platforms list sellers or wholesalers, not factories. That's completely fine—as long as you understand where they sit in the supply chain and don't expect manufacturer-level pricing or flexibility from them.
Problems usually start when expectations don't match reality.
Manufacturer vs Wholesaler: Which One Makes Sense?
This decision depends far more on stage than ambition.
Wholesalers are often the better choice when:
- You want speed
- Order volumes are still unpredictable
- Flexibility matters more than optimisation
Manufacturers usually make sense when:
- Demand is stable
- Volumes are predictable
- Margin and control matter more than convenience
Going to a manufacturer too early often creates pressure—high MOQs, cash flow issues, and rigid terms. Staying with wholesalers too long can limit margin growth later.
Neither option is "better." Timing is what matters.
Where Businesses Actually Find Manufacturers and Wholesalers
Instead of asking "Where's the cheapest supplier?", a better question is:
"Where do businesses at my stage usually source from?"
Common paths include:
- Online B2B marketplaces
- Wholesalers and distributors
- Direct factory outreach
- Industry directories and referrals
- Trade shows and supplier networks
Marketplaces are especially useful early on—but mainly as research tools, not permanent solutions.
Step 3: Use Marketplaces to Understand the Supply Chain
Platforms like AliExpress or Alibaba are valuable for more than just placing orders.
They help you:
- See which products are selling
- Understand pricing ranges
- Spot repeated listings that likely come from the same source
Instead of focusing on price alone, look for patterns:
- Multiple sellers offering identical products
- Similar photos or descriptions
- Signs of scale or consistency
At this stage, you're mapping the supply chain—not committing to it.
Step 4: Choose Suppliers Based on Your Business Stage
A simple way to avoid costly mistakes is to match supplier type with where your business actually is.
| Business Stage | Supplier Type | Main Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-validation | Sellers / marketplaces | Speed and learning |
| Early traction | Wholesalers | Reliability |
| Scaling | Manufacturers | Margin and control |
Most sourcing problems happen when this order is skipped.
Step 5: Talk Like a Business, Not a Bargain Hunter
When reaching out to suppliers, how you communicate matters more than what discount you ask for.
Strong conversations usually focus on:
- Expected order frequency
- Approximate monthly volume
- Fulfilment timelines
- Long-term intent
Suppliers care about predictability. Clear expectations often lead to better terms over time—without aggressive negotiation.
How to Tell If a Supplier Is Worth Trusting
You don't need long checklists or certificates to evaluate a supplier.
What matters more:
- Clear and consistent communication
- Realistic timelines (not overly optimistic ones)
- Willingness to explain their process
- Flexibility around small operational needs
Suppliers who understand how your business works usually outperform those who just offer lower prices.
Step 6: Improve Costs by Making Things Easier
Lower pricing doesn't always come from pushing harder.
More often, it comes from:
- Fewer SKUs
- Standardised packaging
- Clear order formats
- Less back-and-forth
When your operations are simple and predictable, suppliers naturally work more efficiently—and pricing improves as a result.
Step 7: Keep Fulfilment Simple
You don't need complex systems early on.
For many stores, a simple setup works well:
- Orders come to you
- Details are shared with the supplier
- Shipping happens within agreed timelines
- Tracking is passed back to customers
This keeps cash flow flexible while maintaining control.
Common Mistakes That Hold Businesses Back
- Looking for manufacturers before demand exists
- Choosing suppliers purely on price
- Relying on a single platform
- Ignoring operational efficiency
- Scaling ads before supply is stable
Avoiding these mistakes often matters more than finding the "perfect" supplier.
Final Thoughts
Finding a good manufacturer or wholesaler isn't about shortcuts.
It's about:
- Choosing the right time
- Understanding how the supply chain actually works
- Communicating clearly
- Building systems that can grow with you
As businesses scale, sourcing stops being a task and becomes infrastructure.
When done properly, it turns into a long-term advantage—not a recurring headache.