Thanks to the ease of setting up an online commerce site, one can easily establish a new business with potential for reaching customers around the world. When you think of the low overhead involved in a shop website as compared to a brick and mortar store, you may have a large enough budget to use on promotion and other aspects of your work. Inventory and storage will figure into your plan eventually; after all, you need something to sell and maybe you do not wish to enter into an arrangement to drop ship products. The question then becomes: where do you get products to sell, and can you get them wholesale?

Before you contemplate setting up your website, you will naturally consider exactly what you plan to sell to your customers. Depending on your budget for storage and logistics (shipping, returns, etc.), the products you choose will correspond to what you have available to hold inventory. These days one can pretty much sell and ship anything not restricted by the post office. Candy, shoes, books, clothing...even larger items like furniture and art works are sold daily over the Internet.

What do you sell? It's not uncommon to build your business around either something you enjoy or something you know is in demand. Once you do decide upon an inventory, you must then look for the most reasonable costs in bulk wholesale so you can set up prices that are sufficiently marked up to allow you a profit.

Finding the right product is not difficult. As an online entrepreneur, you have the option of search Internet trade portals and message boards where you can connect with wholesale dealers and private businesses that may be willing to offer you a good price on resale product. If you do pursue negotiations online with vendors, ask first for product samples and research their reputation in the business world. If there are warnings against certain companies, you should be conscious of them, and cautious.

Trade shows are another avenue for finding good products to sell. Depending on the type of business you enter, there is typically a corresponding trade show that highlights products and related services. Food expos, baby and children's goods, and books are just some of the shows you can attend to find products. You will meet with vendors from around the world willing to sell you products for your store.

Finding the right products to import for your inventory make take time. It's important to note, too, that you will need to observe import laws and other regulations. Research what you need to do in order to obtain your stocks and work to make your business a success.

Kathryn Lively is a freelance writer specializing in articles on online trade portals and supply chain management.