Hi,
I could use your excellent advice on how I should go about this. I sell retail fixtures to new and existing retailers. What I want to do is create wholesaler lists of reputable wholesalers that people who are starting or are in business can use to buy products from. I want to do this free of charge, so it will be open to the public. It annoys me to see people selling lists of wholesalers. I think this information should be free. The people selling it would probably disagree though. I see it as just one more barrier to getting into business.

For instance...If I were opening a sunglass store..I could consult this list and research the various companies on it if I chose to.

As someone looking at this list, what would be important to you? I don't want to get into rating these companies or offering quality assurance etc...
Name, Location, Number, Contact, Website.

What else. Is there a format you think would be best? Help!

Also, do you think this wouldn't be worthwhile or that it would just waste a lot of time with no real audience in the end?
Thanks,

Joe

I'm having a hard time figuring out why you want to work so hard for free.

If you want to work hard for no pay, come work for me. :)

Another thought... why not structure it as a non-profit?

Tina Brooks, VP Marketing
Brooks Pepperfire Foods, Inc.
Makers of Peppermaster Hot Sauces
http://www.peppermaster.com

Eat more peppers!

The upside for me is that the people who would seek this information would be the decision makers for the products I sell. Also, as far as I know, there isn't really a repository for this type of info unless you search through naics codes or something. I would feel guilty about a non-profit because the ultimate point is to expand my own business and I want to be immediately connected with it. I also enjoy being able to talk to my customer's and make referrals. Then once I make a couple of referrals, maybe the same will be done for me. The part I struggle with is am I peeing into the wind here? :P Do you think I would be doing this work for no reason or would it be useful?

Pepperfire...I think making hot sauce would be my dream job if I could be the one trying to come up with the recipes like a beer scientist.

Joe