SMC Complaints
Specialty Merchandise Corporation (SMC) provides a great opportunity for ordinary people to go into business without all of the risk, expense and logistical decisions that accompany most start-up enterprises.
One of the first businesses of its kind, SMC has a vast range of products designed for particular markets, from mail order to flea markets, kiosks and the internet. The idea is that vendors choose which type of market opportunity is best suited to them and then order the appropriate products from SMC, after they have made their sales at a profit.
This business model has helped thousands of successful vendors enter the world of business and generate an income for themselves, and experience the excitement of working on their own behalf, but with expert guidance to see them through each progressive step.
SMC has been advertising in the back pages of small business magazines for decades, and ran an ad campaign on TV fronted by the late Tom Bosley of Happy Days fame. Many hopeful entrepreneurs have decided to give it a try and haven’t regretted signing up. They receive a Welcome Pack that outlines the way the process works, and if they decide it is not for them they can return it for a full refund within 30 days.
Once they have become a member they will have a business coach who will help chart the new waters for them, answer any questions and help them decide which is the best marketing program for them. SMC has a range of different programs to choose from, such as the Gift Shop/Kiosk Program and the Mail Order Program. The idea behind this is that everyone has their natural talents when it comes to selling, and while mail order may be the way to go for some, the face-to-face challenge of a shopping mall is better for others. Whatever the program settled on, it will have its own glossy catalog of products tailored to that particular market.
Vendors choose which products they wish to sell from the catalog, and get a 60% discount on the retail price. This will give them a wide margin for making a profit, and each program also comes with its own action plan to keep them focused on goals and targets, as well as a drop-shipping service. The Flea Market Program is very popular with new vendors because it is fun and family members can take part. It can be the cornerstone of a flourishing business as other, more demanding, programs are tackled.
SMC provides vendors with their own websites to tap into the huge internet market and get their goods out to as many buyers as possible. The website is state-of-the-art and vendors can use simple cut and paste operations to get information about products from the main SMC website onto their own website. The advanced software built in to the vendor websites helps draw traffic and get the merchandise onto search engines.
The Truth of SMC Complaints
Despite a few SMC complaints from disappointed vendors, it is plain that for most of their partners SMC has provided the perfect opportunity to leave the rat race and successfully start out in business for themselves.