Starting and Growing Your Business with Alibaba.com

Sponsored by Alibaba.com

Alibaba.com is the leading platform for global wholesale trade that continues to develop services to help businesses do more and discover new opportunities by bringing them hundreds of millions of products in over 40 different major categories.

This month Alibaba.com is hosting their March Expo from the 5th of March to the 31st of March. It is their annual festival for buyers to discover new products and quality suppliers globally through online channels. Making this a great opportunity for small businesses and small business owners helping them to grow and expand.

If you’ve been looking to start your e-commerce business, or you’re looking to expand your current offerings, see how Alibaba.com can help.

What exactly is Alibaba.com?

Alibaba.com is a leading wholesale marketplace for global trade. Buyers on Alibaba.com, who are located in more than 190 countries (as of March 31, 2018), are typically trade agents, wholesalers, retailers, manufacturers, and SMEs engaged in the import and export business. Alibaba.com also offers its members and other SMEs import/export supply chain services, including customs clearance, trade financing, and logistics services.

If you’re wondering the types of products that Alibaba.com has, they pretty much have EVERYTHING! Here are a couple of my favorites, this adorable cable-knitted sweater with fur-lined hood from their apparel section for kids, and here are some cool wireless, Bluetooth earbuds.

What types of companies do you typically work with?

Businesses of all sizes can use Alibaba.com to find manufacturers. Alibaba.com is an end-to-end platform that is uniquely designed for small businesses who are looking for a single solution without having to travel abroad. Our services include real-time translations, safe payment solutions, inspections service, and logistics.

What should business owners have ready before they come to your site?

Knowledge of their key market and basics of Alibaba.com. Although the March Expo offers several products at a single checkout option similar to a B2C site, it is still a wholesale B2B platform and small business owners should understand the basics of how to work with a manufacturer overseas. Alibaba.com is a platform and is not selling the products, rather the suppliers listed on the platform are selling their goods. 

Are your manufacturers domestic or international?

We have manufacturers from all over the world listed on our website. A Large number of manufacturers that are participating in the March Expo are from the Asia Pacific region

What is the minimum order quantity?

Minimum order quantity or MOQ is the minimum number of products the manufacturer requires to be purchased.  There are many products during March Expo that have an MOQ of 5 or under meaning that SMEs can test out products without having to place large orders. 

Alibaba.com is currently hosting their March Expo, can you tell us a little bit more about that?

The event runs March 4th – 31st and its Alibaba.com’s biggest online global sourcing event featuring the best deals and incentives throughout the month-long event. The event is tailored around entrepreneurs and small business owners and provides them with a unique opportunity to connect directly with manufacturers. March Expo covers products across various industries and features low minimum order quantities on most products making this the perfect event for SMEs to test new products and build new relationships with manufacturers. 

 Top featured product categories:

• Consumer Electronics
• Home & Garden
• Fashion & Apparel
• Jewelry and Fashion Accessories
• Industrial

Key Incentives:

Credit Card Fee Waived:

• New Users Only – Alibaba.com will waive credit card fees up to $20 when users link their Mastercard or VISA to their account

50% OFF Air Express Shipping Fee:

• Buyers can save 50% off when they choose Alibaba.com’s standard shipping service for products being shipped from China to the U.S.

Weekly Deals with Product Discounts Starting at 30% OFF:

• Products with low minimum order quantities
• Fast dispatch time from factories (usually 24 hours)

How Alibaba.com Empowers Women Business Owners

To see how women are using Alibaba.com for entrepreneurial success, check out this post with interviews from Chelsea Abingdon Welch, Kate Castle, and Li Su Ling.

Learn more on how Alibaba.com can help you with your business at Alibaba.com.

This post was sponsored by Alibaba.com. Please be aware that we only promote advertising from companies that we feel we can legitimately recommend to our readers. See our disclosure policy for further information.