Today I want to share a different way – a better and faster way – to start a business and source products for that business.
Let’s say that you want to open a new coffee shop in San Francisco and have it also do e-commerce. Yes, there are plenty of coffee spots in that beautiful city, but you just know that you have a unique idea and that the people would just love it. And you also know that selling online is smart.
So, what do you do?
Typically, you would begin doing a lot of research in preparation for drafting a business plan. You would visit competitors and dig into demographics. You would look at trends and identify high-performing niches. You would analyze websites. Then you would begin the laborious task of sourcing products: coffee beans, tables and chairs for the store, and more. Then you would create a budget.
And you’re just getting started.
This would all take you several months.
Or you could use a new AI tool from Alibaba called Accio. Accio is an AI that can do all of that, and a whole lot more, in seconds.
I was recently given a tour of Accio and wow, what it can do is pretty remarkable.
Exactly, What is Accio?
Accio is an AI platform created by Alibaba that, when I first learned about it several months ago, was a way to source the products – quickly, hyper-efficiently, and with spot-on results. More recently, Alibaba has added a business research tool to Accio, making it even more useful. Or, as Accio puts it,
“Find products and B2B insights with AI.”
Let’s look at both.
Product Search
Alibaba recently surveyed more than 4,000 sourcing decision makers at SMBs in the US, UK, Germany and France The survey found that nearly two thirds (63.83%) of respondents said that they planned to integrate AI or digitise sourcing in their business in 2025.
I have no doubt they would really like Accio. But do you know who would like it even more? The 16% of respondents who said they would not be integrating AI into their sourcing, because of a lack of expertise (34%) and a lack of understanding on the return on investment (29%).
But Accio is crazy easy to use, so that even this 16% would find it easy.
So, for example, back at our little coffee shop, the store would need all sorts of products of course for the sore and the site – everything from coffee to espresso machines and more. It would also likely need some things that we don’t quite even know yet.
This is where Accio comes in.
Accio is like having a really smart business partner who knows what you actually do need, the best sources for finding those products, and who won’t waste your time with fluff. Not only will Accio help you quickly locate exactly what you are looking for, it will also suggest some things that you probably don’t even know you need.
I tried searching for some very specific types of coffee on the site and got great sourcing recommendations. Each source was analyzed for key attributes like reviews, supplier capabilities, and customization options. Accio also lets you compare the products you like side by side, complete with supplier info, prices, and more.
Beyond that, what I found really exciting and helpful was Accio’s ability to make me smarter. While looking at my coffee buying options, I tried the “deep search” mode. All of a sudden, I was given recommendations for related products like cappuccino cups and mushroom coffee. Mushroom coffee? Yep, you bet, Accio showed me how mushroom coffee is a trending product in the coffee world.
See? It made me smarter about the products I wanted to purchase. And my e-commerce store can crush it.
Business Insights
Now things get really interesting.
Accio didn’t have this ability when I first ran across it, but this feature changes the game. Here, it’s like having an MBA at your fingertips. The business research function automates labor-intensive tasks like number-crunching and trends analysis.
For our coffee business, I typed “coffee house budget” into the search function and it gave me a full-blown, business plan ready analysis, including
- Equipment costs
- Rent costs
- Operational expenses
And then Accio offered the ability to click on some additional suggested search terms, like “what are the latest trends in coffee shop sustainability?”
This ability to go deeper on subjects that the AI deduces fits your needs makes Accio a powerful potential partner for your business.
The Upshot
We really are in a new AI era, and a tool like Accio shows why it is so significant.
Using my coffee house example, not only was I able to source the exact type of products we would need easily and accurately and from the best suppliers, but the basics of that business plan we were going to spend months creating can be pretty much done in seconds.
Save time, save money, get smarter, and find the right products from the right sources – it’s all pretty impressive. So, whether you are looking to start a business, expand one, or you simply want an easier, better way to source products, you won’t go wrong using Accio.
(And, of course, down the road, you will get a great cup of coffee!)
