Hello, I'm a high school student in an entrepreneurship class. One of our projects is to make up a pretend business. We have to write up feasibility studies, business plan, floor plan, etc. My pretend business is a Music CD store.

What I need to know is how much each product costs to buy from a supplier, how long it takes for me to obtain it, and who my suppliers are?

My products are music CDs, DVDs, books, coffee and juice.

I don't know if I buy from suppliers directly or if there is some kind of distributer person? I don't even know who my suppliers are! Im very lost and need some help. Even a point in the right direction would be helpful. Thanks!

Sarah

Moonie the easiest way for you to do this is to ask the right person. Call a store that sells exactly what your pretend store sells. If you are going to be a stand-alone store then that is the type of store you should target. If you are going to be a franchise then call a store that is franchised. Try to call a store in your area and let them know you live nearby. If you have used their store, better yet. If you don't have one in the area you live in, go to the library and use the yellow pages to find one. There is likely to be a smaller retailer in a big city like San Francisco where people rely on neighborhood type stores. The reason I make the distinction between a franchise and a no franchise is buying power. The wholesale prices will be better for a franchise. The person you want to talk with is the purchasing agent. Call them in the morning around 10:00 A.M. their time and ask them if they have about 10 minutes or if there is a better time to reach them. Let them know what you are doing and have all of your questions ready. You may want to record the conversation. It should be a piece of cake. Good luck; Darrel