You bring up a great point of these places selling paracord items cheap. The problem is the cheap paracord items are just plain junk that these stores sell. I've found a place online where I can get any quantity of paracord bracelets, key fobs, etc. for a very low price. With that said I can then turn around and sell these bracelets, key fobs, etc. at a price that no one can beat.
BUT the paracord items I'm talking about are made in China out of inferior materials. So this isn't a option for me and my paracord company.
There was a few dollar stores in my area that was selling paracord bracelets around the same time I decided to start selling paracord bracelets. They sold the bracelets for $2.00! How could I compete with that when I was selling mines for $5.00?
Easy! My wife's nieces and nephew bought some of the bracelets so the nephew brought to my attention how the dollar store was selling the bracelets and they like them but they don't last long.
So I gave him one of my bracelets to compare and educate his friends. I never got the chance to see one of those $2.00 bracelets for two reasons, 1. The kids lost theirs after the plastic buckle broke. 2. The dollar store stopped selling them. My guess is due to complaints about the buckle breaking but I'm not sure.
My wife's nephew and his friends liked my bracelets so much that I started selling them to my wife's nephew wholesale (small quantities) so he can sell them and make a little money.
Now since my story is over now its time to get to the point. You CAN'T compete with those China made paracord bracelets, key fobs, etc. BUT you can educate your potential buyers on the quality of your paracord products. To the consumer all the paracord bracelets are the same. This is where you come in and explain to them the major differences between their bracelet and yours.
Sometimes it will be easy to educate them sometimes it won't.
Since I know my paracord products inside and out I can go to the stores that sell the cheap stuff and just laugh at the quality control. I've seen some bracelets that were tied very loose, uneven knots, really thin buckle, etc.
It's not easy standing out since stores decided to go the wholesale route and got bit by the survival bug and the paracord survival bracelet craze. But this is what we are faced with and small independent paracord crafters.
When I sell someone one of my products I try to educate them on the truth about paracord and its usefulness. Those so called survival paracord bracelets are a disgrace but yet people market these cheap inferior paracord as being used for survival but in fact the best you can use it for is drying your clothes outside in the backyard on a hot summer day.
I remember when I was in a home improvement store about three years ago and I took a pic of the display that was selling 50 foot hanks of so called paracord for $2.99 each. After almost dying from laughter I decide to read the so called paracord and its rated for 100lbs. So I put it down and walked away just shaking my head.
I'm very passionate about the things that I sell and I had quite a few job as a salesman so I make it a point to learn the product(s) I sell inside and out. So that is why I can explain to my customers the survival uses of real paracord and how to know if your getting the real deal or a suckers deal. I wish I could find at least one liked minded person in my area that has the same passion for paracord and business as I do because together we could work together and educate a lot more people and make a lot more money.
BUT the paracord items I'm talking about are made in China out of inferior materials. So this isn't a option for me and my paracord company.
There was a few dollar stores in my area that was selling paracord bracelets around the same time I decided to start selling paracord bracelets. They sold the bracelets for $2.00! How could I compete with that when I was selling mines for $5.00?
Easy! My wife's nieces and nephew bought some of the bracelets so the nephew brought to my attention how the dollar store was selling the bracelets and they like them but they don't last long.
So I gave him one of my bracelets to compare and educate his friends. I never got the chance to see one of those $2.00 bracelets for two reasons, 1. The kids lost theirs after the plastic buckle broke. 2. The dollar store stopped selling them. My guess is due to complaints about the buckle breaking but I'm not sure.
My wife's nephew and his friends liked my bracelets so much that I started selling them to my wife's nephew wholesale (small quantities) so he can sell them and make a little money.
Now since my story is over now its time to get to the point. You CAN'T compete with those China made paracord bracelets, key fobs, etc. BUT you can educate your potential buyers on the quality of your paracord products. To the consumer all the paracord bracelets are the same. This is where you come in and explain to them the major differences between their bracelet and yours.
Sometimes it will be easy to educate them sometimes it won't.
Since I know my paracord products inside and out I can go to the stores that sell the cheap stuff and just laugh at the quality control. I've seen some bracelets that were tied very loose, uneven knots, really thin buckle, etc.
It's not easy standing out since stores decided to go the wholesale route and got bit by the survival bug and the paracord survival bracelet craze. But this is what we are faced with and small independent paracord crafters.
When I sell someone one of my products I try to educate them on the truth about paracord and its usefulness. Those so called survival paracord bracelets are a disgrace but yet people market these cheap inferior paracord as being used for survival but in fact the best you can use it for is drying your clothes outside in the backyard on a hot summer day.
I remember when I was in a home improvement store about three years ago and I took a pic of the display that was selling 50 foot hanks of so called paracord for $2.99 each. After almost dying from laughter I decide to read the so called paracord and its rated for 100lbs. So I put it down and walked away just shaking my head.
I'm very passionate about the things that I sell and I had quite a few job as a salesman so I make it a point to learn the product(s) I sell inside and out. So that is why I can explain to my customers the survival uses of real paracord and how to know if your getting the real deal or a suckers deal. I wish I could find at least one liked minded person in my area that has the same passion for paracord and business as I do because together we could work together and educate a lot more people and make a lot more money.
