Sourcing Mindfully for Your Reselling Business

Mindfulness: Being consciously aware of your surroundings and that your actions can make a difference in your life and the life of others known and unknown to you.

It is a trending topic these days, but the practice dates back millennia perhaps. Mindfulness is a huge component of making the decision to be more sustainable in your small business. Let why we do what we do, become how we do it and visa versa.

Sourcing mindfully is an aspect of reselling that doesn’t get talked about as much, but can be a critical component to making a true difference and not adding to the problem of textile waste. It is about conscious consumption and purchasing with intention.

Here are some ways you can source mindfully:

Source secondhand for all of your stock

So much clothing exists in this world. The most sustainable thing you can do as a reseller is source 100% secondhand. This means not drop-shipping brand new mass produced products from fast fashion companies or from overseas.

Source secondhand for supplies for repairs

Go the extra mile and think secondhand when it comes to thread, zippers, buttons, etc for making repairs or changes on your stock. Not only is this sustainable to use what already exists, if you purchase from apps like eBay you are also supporting another reseller.

Source secondhand for shipping supplies

Most thrift stores have paper, ribbon, and yarn galore! Utilize these secondhand commodities for your thank you notes, packaging and personal touches you add to your packaging.

Don’t hoard more than you can possibly sell

This can be a tough one. When you thrift as much as you have to in order to have a successful resale business you have days where you find an excess of the same thing. Keep in mind season and demand so you don’t end up with more than you can list or sell. Tracking your sales and trends from previous years can help with this.

Source from places where your purchase has the most impact

A great example of this is sourcing from a Goodwill outlet or warehouses where the next step for the articles is to end up in a landfill. If you’d rather search through the racks, consider favoring places that give back to your communities rather than just collect a profit.

Source mindful of price.

As a reseller you obviously want to make a profit off of each sale. But you also don’t want your prices to be so high that the item sits forever in your shop. Find a good balance between what you are willing to pay and what you know you can flip the article for quickly.

Share your passion. Be sure to let your customers know that you sourced your supplies mindfully. Sometimes the biggest impact can come from a personal note simply stating that “this packaging was sourced from a second hand shop.” These little nudges and reminders will reach people who are already like minded and will extend the impact that you are personally making with your efforts.

If you are in sales, you are encouraging consumption—plain and simple. But hopefully these tips will help you see how you can truly be a champion of sustainability at the same time.