Make new items available for pre-order

Selling items before you have them in stock can be a great way to generate funds needed to order the inventory. Many companies do not have the cash flow available for inventory. Getting payment in advance from a customer can help with this situation. Make sure you can deliver the goods by the estimated date promised so that buyers do not get impatient or disappointed. For large orders to vendors, request a down payment or partial payment before delivery of goods. Construction typically does this in order to pay for the up front costs of materials needed in order to perform the job.

This is also a great way to test if there is an actual demand before releasing a new product or service.