A search for the best retailer for your product starts with you browsing stores for similar or related products. Spend some time in local retail stores to see what's on the shelves. Picture where in the store your product would sit on the shelf, and keep that in mind when it comes time to approach the store's buyer and make your presentation.

Check to see if the retailer offers any special programs that could give you a leg up, such as local vendor programs that serve as an entrée to regional markets or programs that offer breaks to women-owned or minority-owned businesses.

Kate Crosby's company, Dionis Inc., grew from a cottage industry to a small business as the line expanded from soap to include what is now the company's driving product, lotion--all still using goat's milk from the Blue Ridge Mountain area. The company had more than a decade of business under its belt before courting the attentions of Cracker Barrel. Crosby just knew her product was a perfect fit for the chain, which bills its 538 company-owned units in 41 states as "Half Restaurant, Half Store, All Country." And the company agreed, first placing Crosby's products in just a fraction of its stores to test its customer interest.

Happy with the placement she was getting in just one district, it never occurred to Crosby that her products could be a national presence in Cracker Barrel stores.

If you're looking to hit the big time, you can. By thoroughly assessing your prospective marketplace, preparing carefully for production, and taking full advantage of existing resources available to help you grow your business, your dream of seeing your product on a multiunit store's shelves doesn't have to remain a dream.