Trust is built through verbal communication. If we agree to make the payment within 30 days, we must follow through. This helps to establish trust with them. If we fail to make the payments on time, it becomes challenging for them. They will increase the rates for the next transaction. If we delay the payments, they will raise their rates, resulting in a loss for us. If we acquire items at a higher rate, how can we sustain this business?
I build trust with vendors by making timely transactions. If I have purchased something, I make its payment immediately. The vendor asks to pay cash in 3 installments. If you make the payment properly, the vendor asks you to make the payment next time. Then the vendor gets to know that your shop is located there. They get to know based on your quality, whether you are suitable. All vendors cooperate, so they say that better rates, quality, and better materials will be available at their shop.
Yes, I used to feel scared in the beginning. There’s a metro in Kolkata and I used to take that. I didn’t know how to take the metro. But I learned quite a lot. Now I go alone everywhere, I don’t need anyone. My sister-in-law taught me in the beginning who lives in Bengal. She told me about the shops and we used to go together. And used to purchase everything on our own. But now she is also busy. So I manage everything on my own. She told me about the markets and told me about the retailer and the wholesale shops. First I didn't use to buy from wholesalers, I used to buy from retailers and used to sell it for Rs 100 more. But slowly I started learning who is giving cheaper or at a higher price. I figured this out slowly and found the main wholesaler and who is the biggest one. Now I buy from wholesalers only. Earlier I used to save Rs10 now I save Rs 15/20. Ma’am I got to know by going there and I used to ask those shopkeepers about wholesale shops. But you have to buy inventory for Rs10 lakh and you can’t take the stuff for less than that price from a wholesaler. You don’t get inventory for Rs 1 or 2 lakh. It starts from Rs 15 or 10 lahks. But in the beginning, you have to make them your customers as well. So slowly I started from 2 lakh and they used to listen to me.
Ma'am, I go to such vendors to ensure that the quality of clothes is good. That's why I choose the vendors carefully. That’s why I kept them on number 1 so that I get good quality items. There are a lot of vendors there. There are lakhs of vendors. I choose them because their fabric is the best. That's why I go to 4 places and buy from 1 place after looking at the material. They also satisfy me in the same way. They ask me to take their items and look at their work. They tell me that the poth won’t get black. They also convince me with their words and I also convince my customers with my words. I look at the fabric. Everyone's work is not the same. There are 10 shops there. But the goods from those 10 shops will be different. You go to everyone's shop. Everyone's goods will not be the same. Everyone's goods will be different. Yes, it's different in every shop because every shop wants to keep something different. They also keep it different. So I take whatever I feel will can be sold in Pratapgarh and what my customers will like.
In both cases, I will keep both. But if I keep it, it's Vendor. I will keep it on the third. Because the vendor is also important. It is also important to maintain a relationship with the vendor. A relationship with the vendor means assuming that I am continuously dealing with them for a particular product. The major vendor for me is a regular vendor, almost daily or 2-3 times a week, continuously. So, how much do I have to deal with the amount of payment I have to pay? For example, if they ask for a payment of 30 days or 60 days, then it doesn't mean that I always have to pay in 30 days. If I have a trial, there is a plus or minus. So, I have to deal with that. So, I am talking about that relationship. Yes, it's a trust-based relationship. With new vendors, there is some advance payment in the beginning. Or we tell them that if there is any specific guarantor or if we feel so. Rest, we deal with new vendors in cash. We get orders on a mass basis.
You can say vendors are reliable because they deal with most of the companies. So, we get everything from them. We come to know if we can trust vendors or not when they have good products and the rates are also reasonable. We buy from them based on that. And it's not like we have only one vendor; there are a lot of vendors in this business. One vendor doesn't have everything. The nearest market is Nagpur, which is the main market and supplies to nearby areas. So, it is more affordable for us because Nagpur is nearby. Another thing is, it's not like there is only one vendor in Nagpur; there are so many vendors. So, we order from the vendor we feel is fine and offers affordable rates.
Trust and faith are most important priority while doing business.
There are other shop owners who have a chappal shop. I ask them about their suppliers. If it is the VKC brand, we have the article number. We can ask for the number and they will send the pieces to us. VKC is a branded item, so they will have all the same items. They give us a catalogue and we can also order through that. I trust them because we have a good relationship. [shows the catalogue] These are all provided by the company. They take our name, phone number, and if there is a new article model, it will come to us directly. We ask them for new models, and if they have them, they will send them to us. I buy through a sub-dealer. We can find a sub-dealer with the help of the article number. I buy at least once a week. We can look for more varieties when we go to purchase. They will also respond by phone, but the product may not be the same. So, it is better to buy directly. Sometimes we will not get size 7. If we want extra pieces in size 7, we can specifically ask for them.
I give credit to customers because we have to trust or else we cannot do business. I am getting stock from Pali. I am in Tamil Nadu and he is from Rajasthan. On which basis does he send? I am living in Tiruppur and give credit to Tiruppur people, then how cannot I trust? He is sending from state to state because he believes in me, right? So I should trust. Only if we trust we can do the business. Without trust we cannot do business.