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Finding Products for Your Business Startups are full of challenges. Our guide tells you everything you need to know to make sure you've got the right stuff.

By Chris Malta

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

The idea of product sourcing may seem overwhelming to you as a new business owner, but it's really very simple: It just means finding products at a wholesale price that you can resell at a retail price.

Whether you're starting an e-commerce site or a physical retail business, you need a steady, reliable source of inventory. Otherwise, you are going to end up disappointing your customers through lack of product variety, back orders and more. For the vast majority of retail entrepreneurs, the main source of products will be a factory-authorized wholesale supplier.

In this step-by-step guide to product sourcing, we'll help you through the process. And the first thing to understand about product sourcing is who wholesale suppliers really are and why you must work with them.