I make products/commodities/whatever you want to call them. I have an idea to supply certain shops with them (I won’t go into specifics because I don’t want anyone stealing my idea which took me a long time to develop). In the past every time I supplied a shop with stock they sold it and didn’t pay me. Luckily I didn’t lose too much but I want to prevent it from happening again.
I’m looking for mentors, advice. I’m in my mid thirties in a dead end job with no chance of progression, so business is my way out. I have no start up capital but can produce on a small scale as materials are cheap. Production happens in my dining room. I can’t afford to pay for a business unit elsewhere.
How do I start by approaching shops? I don’t know anyone who supplies shops. I don’t know any shop keepers in the area I want to supply.
How do I get people to pay for wholesale amounts? Do I need legal contracts? What happens if they don’t pay?
Is there anything I’ve missed out, what else do I need to know? My thoughts have been “contact shops with samples, get replies then make stock and deliver it there and get paid” - is that wrong, or too simple?