Sourcing Made Simple
In an industry full of complexity, the simplicity of ordering a product through The Designers Collaborative can sometimes feel like a godsend.
How simple is it? Let’s take a look:
Imagine, for example, that you want to order a chair from Manufacturer X.
Say that the Stocking Dealer price for the chair is $800, and the designer member of TDC who holds the account for Manufacturer X is named Jane.
You send Jane a purchase order for the $800 Stocking Dealer price of the chair, plus a 10% administrative fee ($80) for Jane to act as go-between on all the paperwork.
Jane places the order through her account with Manufacturer X and earns $80 for her efforts.
You resell the chair to your client at the retail price of $2,325 and make a profit of $1,445.
If you’d bought that same chair at the Designer Net price through your own account with Manufacturer X (assuming you could meet the hefty minimum required to open an account and the annual purchasing quota required to keep it open), it would have cost you $1860, bringing your profit down to $465.
Instead, you’ve made $1,445. That’s $980 in additional profit on a single chair.
Can it really be that simple?
In a word: Yes.
Not only that, but membership in TDC also gives you access to more than 300 vendors. That’s a far greater number of accounts than any single designer would be able to maintain on his or her own — at the lowest price point, anyway.
So what’s in it for us? Doesn’t The Designers Collaborative make a profit on any of these purchases?
No, in fact. We don’t. TDC is not here to make money off its members. We are a true collaborative, whose sole purpose is to enable the success of our fellow designers.
The only price you pay for being a member of TDC is a modest annual fee, which we use to keep everything organized and running smoothly. We also maintain an emergency fund as insurance against any unforeseen hiccups in the purchasing process.
How small is this modest annual fee? Well, it’s small enough to be more than covered by that extra $980 you earned on that single chair from Manufacturer X. In other words, the cost of membership typically pays for itself with your very first purchase, plus leaves room for you to profit right away as well!
That’s why I keep getting emails like these from delighted member designers:
“Just wanted to let you know how wonderful this group has been for my business. I’m so happy I joined! My profit has increased dramatically . . . Everyone has been very professional, and easy to work with.” — Jenna T, member from NJ
“The Designers Collaborative has given me the opportunity to know so many vendors! Without this group, it would have taken years to discover them. Thank you TDC team!” — Vanessa P, member from MA
“Wonderful group of designers willing to make accessing trade products a reality for anyone in the field! I have learned more about furniture construction, met talented designers across the country, and, best of all, increased my profit margin!” — Megan T, member from CO
So if you’re a designer who wants to earn as much as triple the profit on products you sell to clients, or if you’d like to help empower other designers by sharing one of your own accounts (and making a little extra money in the process), come be a part of the team. Join TDC today here!
