chriselle
Member
Is it just me or are suppliers really running low on stock these days??
I think the suppliers are reacting to a change in the market. A lot of my customers have shifted from using component sets to "kitless", that reduces demand and also reduces the amount of items I need to keep in stock.Is it just me or are suppliers really running low on stock these days??
Ed I know how old you are (give or take a couple of years) and in about 30 years I strongly suspect that you and I will not be concerned with business in this world - maybe we'll be providing pen turners in the next.As a very small business, I can tell you there are only so many tasks two people can perform. Customer service (filling orders and taking calls and emails) is the first priority. Then, "putting up" on the website the handmade (and uniquely pictured, thus requiring substantial time) blanks that our partners send us. Last, ordering from suppliers and restocking the products that we purchase.
Additionally, the leadtime for many "kit" products is 90-120 days. So, when we experience the tremendous order volume we had during the "Show season"-Oct to mid-December-------reordering does no good, you won't see it for months.
I realize our problems are unique to Exotics and a couple other IAP very small vendors. The "big guys" have millions (yes, really MILLIONS) of dollars of inventory. That "purchasing power" earns them much lower cost of goods than we have, so they can afford personnel to watch over each aspect of the business.
Someday, maybe we will be able to afford more people---if our prices were higher, we could probably afford them now-----but, then, we would be unlikely to sell at higher prices.
Every business is a "balancing act": You dedicate a certain amount of money to "inventory" and try to spread it around to handle LOTS of products, but you can't have a LOT of any of them----I call this a broad, but shallow product line. And this is where we are, presently. As we sell more, we have a tiny bit more money to buy more---using this progression, in about 30 years we will be as well stocked as the "big boys"-----right now we can just gaze at their catalogs and dream.
Thanks to all of you who continue to bring that dream closer to reality!!
Hope this helps!!
Ed & Dawn
10 AM to 10PM M-F, Sat and Sun we sluff off---only here noon to 10 PM
Thank you for chiming in guys. I honestly really only consider the IAP vendors in my purchases. Actually, I have never ordered from the two big non IAP suppliers. I think with the cost of international shipping I'm always trying to consolidate everything to one or two vendors but lately it has become more and more difficult.
So, from each vendor I end up getting the few things I need and a bunch of other stuff I really don't urgently need just to fill out the dead space in the box. Man, that really adds up. Just try ordering 5 or more Rho/Ti Jr Statesmen right now and you'll see what I mean.
But, that's the way it goes I guess.
As a very small business, I can tell you there are only so many tasks two people can perform. Customer service (filling orders and taking calls and emails) is the first priority. Then, "putting up" on the website the handmade (and uniquely pictured, thus requiring substantial time) blanks that our partners send us. Last, ordering from suppliers and restocking the products that we purchase.
Additionally, the leadtime for many "kit" products is 90-120 days. So, when we experience the tremendous order volume we had during the "Show season"-Oct to mid-December-------reordering does no good, you won't see it for months.
I realize our problems are unique to Exotics and a couple other IAP very small vendors. The "big guys" have millions (yes, really MILLIONS) of dollars of inventory. That "purchasing power" earns them much lower cost of goods than we have, so they can afford personnel to watch over each aspect of the business.
Someday, maybe we will be able to afford more people---if our prices were higher, we could probably afford them now-----but, then, we would be unlikely to sell at higher prices.
Every business is a "balancing act": You dedicate a certain amount of money to "inventory" and try to spread it around to handle LOTS of products, but you can't have a LOT of any of them----I call this a broad, but shallow product line. And this is where we are, presently. As we sell more, we have a tiny bit more money to buy more---using this progression, in about 30 years we will be as well stocked as the "big boys"-----right now we can just gaze at their catalogs and dream.
Thanks to all of you who continue to bring that dream closer to reality!!
Hope this helps!!
Ed & Dawn
10 AM to 10PM M-F, Sat and Sun we sluff off---only here noon to 10 PM
And on call, at least 8 more hours a day and weekends.Self employed and working 12 hour days? Man, that's dedication!
And on call, at least 8 more hours a day and weekends.Self employed and working 12 hour days? Man, that's dedication!
Hey Chris,
TRY the Triton----looks very similar to the Jr. Statesman and costs a lot less. Plating is chrome and gold or tigold (both available).