But shopping networks realized that at trade shows, products are open to all bidders, reducing the chance of finding something nobody else has seen. Moreover, taking random calls isn't always fruitful. QVC sends out 24,000 applications a year to would-be vendors who call the network. These products ranged from bug repellent to cheesecake. The Entrepreneurial Guy' Most products that reach the air are discovered by QVC's 100-plus buyers.
Some buyers work within a category, such as jewelry or electronics.
Mr. Ellis knows the plight of the small-business owner, having been one himself. After eight years selling pharmaceuticals, he opened a successful sneaker shop in eastern Pennsylvania in 1985. But the arrival of superstore Sports Authority squeezed his profit margins so Mr. Ellis closed the business in 1991 before his bottom line turned red. He was then a sales manager for four years at a Wanamaker department store in Philadelphia until the chain entered bankruptcy proceedings and was sold in 1995. He joined QVC in May 1996.