Importing from China

12 years ago

Where did you find the supplier? From Alibaba?

A LOT of scammers are there, so you have to be careful with your due diligence. I live in China at the moment, in Shenzhen. You have to be smart about doing business when trading.

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want2knowhow 12 years ago

Yeah, there is iOffer.com and TradeKey,com but as for the fact that what is pictured might "look" good, the problem becomes the poor quality and materials. Most will tell you that you can ship it back for replacement but they pretty much know, most folks won't bother with the expense and hassle and will simply just not do business with them again or look for another mfg'r to do business with. That's why most big companies have buyers on hand to personally go overseas direct to the factory and buy or they outsource by using a local liaison to facilitate their buys to keep an eye out for quality control.
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Jason Kanigan

12 years ago

Talk to catchtheniche; he knows something about this.

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ewenmack

12 years ago

Originally Posted by socialdrew

Hi all,

I'm new to this forum and stumbled upon it with this burning question. I hope someone here has the knowledge.

I'm looking to import products from a Chinese manufacturer. I have already contacted the supplier, but I seem to be running into some issues, and can't seem to find any straight-forward answers on the subject.

I know that there are issues with import taxes, needing an agent to clear customs, and a whole bunch of legal paperwork to fill out. Do any of you have any experience with this topic? I really have no clue what I'm getting where to start, and where I can find all the laws and paperwork and the process that my shipment must go through. Ideally I would like to do it as cheap as possible without having to hire an agent, etc.

Thank you in advance!

Here's a tip very few know when getting the best price from Chinese manufacturers...

TIP: Ask them who their biggest buyer is of x product,
then ask when is their next production for them is.

Once that's established, ask them to add yours to it.

They love it because of large run on the production line.

As far as quality control goes, you must have a person inspect during and finish of production.

If you are sharing a container with others, then have the container inspected so that
the product doesn't fall over and get damaged. This also makes sure it goes to the right destination...not like my container went to India instead of Auckland!

You really do need other people to look after your best interests,
that does mean agents and inspectors.

Best,
Ewen

Thanks
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ImportFromChina 12 years ago

A couple of questions :
- what country are you importing to?
- how much are you importing

All the posts thus far are totally valid although you need to be careful when you ask the factory to do a "add on" to a big order. Not all factories in China like doing this because it sounds like your a small time importer. Chinese factories are much more responsive if you sound like you going to be a regular client. Small time importers often order once and move on so even if your starting out you need to sound like your big.
If you are unsure about your supplier you need to get a thorough factory audit done.
As a importing business coach it may sound like I am just looking to make a sale (of course I won't say no ) but your going to get yourself into alot of trouble if your not sure about your source in China. You need to be certain your not getting scammed and ideally you want to be dealing directly with a reputable factory and not an agent. The list of headaches can be endless
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Stranger Danger

12 years ago

THE BEST BOOK I've read on importing to date: "How Small Business Trades Worldwide: Your Guide to Starting or Expanding a Small Business International Trade Company Now"

By John Wiley Spires (FREE VIA GOOGLE BOOKS)

Here's his blog: How Business Happens

Here's his youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/JohnSpiers2008

You can contact him directly, via his blog. He even has a course that he teaches (I think it's $100).

He has his own ideas about some things and can be a little difficult to deal with, but he DEFINITELY KNOWS HIS STUFF.

Thanks

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John Durham

12 years ago

I use to do import export on alibaba... and have a report about it called "export profits" around here somewhere, but the short answer is this... "Get a freight broker who handles it all for you". Your shipping company should be able to handle all the customs stuff.

Thanks
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bryce84

12 years ago

Originally Posted by John Durham

I use to do import export on alibaba... and have a report about it called "export profits" around here somewhere, but the short answer is this... "Get a freight broker who handles it all for you". Your shipping company should be able to handle all the customs stuff.

Its still here but cant buy it.... I just decided this morning I wanted to know more about import export and remember you had a report so I tracked it down but you remove paypal link.

Thanks

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redlegrich

12 years ago

John Durham (as he always does) offers sage advice. Get a good customs/freight broker. In many cases they will be the same company.

There is no way you should do this without hiring an agent, or I suspect you really can't do it without an agent. Importing is not hard, but there are plenty of pitfalls. Small pallet size loads keep your risks down and still allow you to have a low acquisition cost. Insure it and you'll be a lot safer too.

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dropbear

12 years ago

as you are new to importing from china you really should engage a local trading company to assist you in the process..may be an extra cost but will save you plenty in the long run..

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ewenmack 12 years ago

Here's a set of videos on the subject.

Well worth taking the time to watch if you are serious on the subject...

chinaimportformula's Channel - YouTube

Best,
Ewen
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KaterSD

12 years ago

I would follow johns advice on this or get his report.

Thanks
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ewenmack 12 years ago

John's Alibaba report was about being a broker of surplus goods,
which is a different subject than buying and importing new goods on your own account.

Best,
Ewen
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Tad 100

12 years ago

Hi, let me help you with your problem.

Supplier and manufacturer is different thing. It is very hard to find real manufacturer so are you sure you are dealing with the real one. Maybe it is simple reseller?

You need to order 1 or few samples first. By doing this you will learn a lot about the company you are dealing with and no you don't need to audit factory because it will cost you a lot of money.

If you quantity is for example not more than 50 units and weight is like 20kg you can use DHL, FedEX or other similar company. Most of the time supplier will arrange the shipping for you; you just need to pay money for that.

Call to customs, you can find phone number using Google and say:
Hi, I want to import 50 Tablet's from China, worth $1000, what taxes I need to pay? And they will tell you everything. You don't need to use agent and declare your shipment if you don't have to pay taxes to your Country.

I know that USA has higher limits for different product categories so you don't need to pay fees for small orders most of the time.

Well if you order is much bigger you need to use shipping forwarders. Your supplier can help with that too. I use Finair cargo services, because they are very cheap. Now you need local agent to fill all the papers or you can do it on your own. My suggestion is find an agent because it will be much faster and you will save your time and money.

Contact me if you need more information.

Thanks

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wanrom

12 years ago

We had some problems in the past importing from china but Ali express which is part of Ali baba is better because they work as EBAY. Many of our printers came from China and they work perfectly fine.

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Tad 100

12 years ago

Real manufacturers don't use Aliexpress and they don't use eBay too. Aliexpress is retail business, not wholesale. By using aliexpress you are paying higher price for your products.

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franciscif

12 years ago

Hi Socialdrew!

I remember the first time I got into this business. So many questions so little answers. But the fact of the matter remains. There are a whole lot of scammers out there and you really need to be careful with who you deal with. It is important to know their business address and a photo of their operations. If it's too expensive for you to travel, you can always use skype so at least he can give you a tour of the working area. Also, be sure to ask for samples if possible so you can physically check the products. If this is not available, at least a detailed picture of the product will suffice. Also, do an initial order before you order in bulk. Remember, the purpose of doing a tour of their production office is to assess if they can handle your order. There are times that these factories sometimes sub-contracts the production with other factories if it's too much for their team. This will result in inconsistent product quality and the raw materials being used might be different.

When choosing the supplier, make sure not to choose the cheapest one. Try to ask around. 5 quotes is a good number that will help you get to the middle ground. Why? It's all about costs. The cheaper the quote, the lower the quality of the raw materials used.

There are a million other things you need to consider. Let me know if you need anything else.

Thanks
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Tad 100

12 years ago

Originally Posted by franciscif

Hi Socialdrew!

I remember the first time I got into this business. So many questions so little answers. But the fact of the matter remains. There are a whole lot of scammers out there and you really need to be careful with who you deal with. It is important to know their business address and a photo of their operations. If it's too expensive for you to travel, you can always use skype so at least he can give you a tour of the working area. Also, be sure to ask for samples if possible so you can physically check the products. If this is not available, at least a detailed picture of the product will suffice. Also, do an initial order before you order in bulk. Remember, the purpose of doing a tour of their production office is to assess if they can handle your order. There are times that these factories sometimes sub-contracts the production with other factories if it's too much for their team. This will result in inconsistent product quality and the raw materials being used might be different.

When choosing the supplier, make sure not to choose the cheapest one. Try to ask around. 5 quotes is a good number that will help you get to the middle ground. Why? It's all about costs. The cheaper the quote, the lower the quality of the raw materials used.

There are a million other things you need to consider. Let me know if you need anything else.

You can't judge the supplier based on the questions you ask. You need to order a sample and it will show everything. Never deal with supplier if they can't sell you a sample first.

And most of the time cheapest price is the winner for me, because if the product is popular a lot of resellers buy from same factory and resell for higher price.

Thanks
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franciscif

12 years ago

Originally Posted by catchtheniche

You can't judge the supplier based on the questions you ask. You need to order a sample and it will show everything. Never deal with supplier if they can't sell you a sample first.

And most of the time cheapest price is the winner for me, because if the product is popular a lot of resellers buy from same factory and resell for higher price.

IF the item is Hot, definitely you can go get it at a lower price. But this doesn't change the fact that they will still try to lessen their costs in terms of either the raw material or the labor costs. That'e the reason why I never go for the lowest price. But of course, every supplier is different. The best way to really really gauge the product is through their samples. It also helps if you build good relationships with your supplier. This will make it easier for you to connect to them or talk to them in case there are defective products.

Also, you need to anticipate that at least 15% of the products have the potential to be defective. If you have a healthy and thriving relationship with the suppliers, it will be easier to have them replace this for you.

Frequent phone calls and simple emails daily can help you achieve that healthy relationship. Better yet, visit them and see the production yourself and bring gifts. This almost always works.

Thanks

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Mae Rose

12 years ago

Beware of importing from China! You should check the legalities very well before engaging into business with any Chinese men.

Thanks
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Tad 100 12 years ago

Originally Posted by Mae Rose

Beware of importing from China! You should check the legalities very well before engaging into business with any Chinese men.

Beware of importing from China? Do you know that all business goes around China?
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Quentin

12 years ago

China is a great place to import from as they have a large range of goods and services to offer.

You say you want to do it as cheap as possible and not use an agent so you are asking to get ripped off.

The money and time you will save using someone who deals in this stuff every day will be huge plus they usually have people on the ground that can do spot checks on the quality and products you order.

From experience this is the only way to go as the Chinese have there own way of doing business and you can get screwed very easily.

Quentin

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Tad 100

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Quentin

China is a great place to import from as they have a large range of goods and services to offer.

You say you want to do it as cheap as possible and not use an agent so you are asking to get ripped off.

The money and time you will save using someone who deals in this stuff every day will be huge plus they usually have people on the ground that can do spot checks on the quality and products you order.

From experience this is the only way to go as the Chinese have there own way of doing business and you can get screwed very easily.

Quentin

You can be screwed even if you are using good agent. Agent can't inspect each product in container or monitor the manufacturing process all day long. Dealing with Chinese is very hard if you are big business. One my good friend was reselling furniture from China and trust me he had problems with Chinese and he had very good agent and he also visited this factory in China. Common problems are like missing parts, broken parts and so on.

Since I am teaching how to import small, light weight and high priced products you don't need agent. You can do it alone just by following simple guide lines like order sample from few suppliers first, start small and grow bigger.

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domyvic

Banned 12 years ago

[DELETED]

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Tad 100

12 years ago

Originally Posted by domyvic

I suggest you go to China yourself. I am speaking from practical experience. My Dad imports goods from China; my cousin always has to go there to pick the best quality jeans material and does almost all himself. The first time my Dad sent money down to a Company to do that all we go was crappy goods.

We both have experience but mine is a little bit different than yours.

Have your dad bought samples? I never lost money just by using this simple technique. Buy 1 or 2 samples, after that buy a little bit more. But if you put all your money on the table just like that I am sure you can lose them all very easy.

I understand you because with clothes it is a little bit different. But if you for example want to resell GPS Tracker the quality of different suppliers will be the same. You just need to find out the cheaper one with great service.

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zigzag10

12 years ago

@Catchtheniche,

You talk a lot about buying samples but it is from my understanding and experience that many factories and manafacturers will not produce "samples" without the promise or deposit of a larger order. i.e. 30% down on a $XXX.00 order.

To them it is not cost efficent to produce one or two samples for you if there is no prospect of a larger order.

Thoughts?

Originally Posted by catchtheniche

We both have experience but mine is a little bit different than yours.

Have your dad bought samples? I never lost money just by using this simple technique. Buy 1 or 2 samples, after that buy a little bit more. But if you put all your money on the table just like that I am sure you can lose them all very easy.

I understand you because with clothes it is a little bit different. But if you for example want to resell GPS Tracker the quality of different suppliers will be the same. You just need to find out the cheaper one with great service.

Thanks
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Tad 100

12 years ago

Originally Posted by zigzag10

@Catchtheniche,

You talk a lot about buying samples but it is from my understanding and experience that many factories and manafacturers will not produce "samples" without the promise or deposit of a larger order. i.e. 30% down on a .00 order.

To them it is not cost efficent to produce one or two samples for you if there is no prospect of a larger order.

Thoughts?

I haven't found manufacturer who can't ship sample first.

How you can deposit large sum if you haven't touched the product yet? Samples are the way to test the product without visiting China. You don't need to promiss that you order more, you want to check quality and only after that decide what you are going to do.

It is normal procedure and they are happy to ship samples first. But I am not talking about big business like wallmart, furniture stores and others who are also importing from China. I am talking about products that you can resell online easy and get profit. These products are like I said before: small, light weight and high price.

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zigzag10

12 years ago

Maybe I ran into a bad manafacturer. When I was looking to get customs ipad cases and iphone cases made, they would not simply make 1-2 samples for me unless there was a promise and/or deposit of a larger order.

I can see where they are coming from because, I would not want to manafacturer a unique product for a customer if he only pays me for one sample and then I never hear from him again. It is not effecient business as the factory owner.

Are you talking about products that have already been made? Can you give examples? Thanks.

Thanks
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Tad 100

12 years ago

Originally Posted by zigzag10

Maybe I ran into a bad manafacturer. When I was looking to get customs ipad cases and iphone cases made, they would not simply make 1-2 samples for me unless there was a promise and/or deposit of a larger order.

I can see where they are coming from because, I would not want to manafacturer a unique product for a customer if he only pays me for one sample and then I never hear from him again. It is not effecient business as the factory owner.

Are you talking about products that have already been made? Can you give examples? Thanks.

If your product and service is good they always come back to you. I think you don't understand that real business people don't invest all their money in to something without testing it first. This is how the real business works.

For example why I want to invest $1000 or $10000 in to something that I never touched in my hands?

Manufacturer duty is to build relationship with resellers and provide good products and services.
My personal advice is to use manufacturers or suppliers who provide samples first.

If you service and products are good you don't have to be afraid of anything.

Plus you will have contacts of potential customers and you can call to them and ask about next order and why they don't want to order more.

Don't buy cat in the bag J

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kiddoman

12 years ago

You contact the supplier directly? Or just redirected by a mediator?
I think you need contact with the purchase business supplier, like Alibaba company and the producer.

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Tad 100

12 years ago

Originally Posted by kiddoman

You contact the supplier directly? Or just redirected by a mediator?
I think you need contact with the purchase business supplier, like Alibaba company and the producer.

You can contact suppliers directly using Alibaba or just find them using Google. Alibaba is something like eBay, it is the link between you and the company that's all.

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ewenmack

12 years ago

To protect yourself when dealing with manufacturers,
and even that you you are getting product from the manufacturer,
not farmed out, there's documents you can use.

From, having manufacturers...
bidding for your work
sample agreement
manufacturer terms
intellectual property protection
distribution agreements

Another words right from idea through to expansion.

Starting out correctly also shows the Chinese Manufacturer you are a real player,
not a hobby, which means they will treat you better in service, quality and pricing.

Here's the template agreements...Importing From China - China Manufacturer. China Direct Sourcing

Best,
Ewen

P.S. Scroll down the page to get them

Thanks
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Tad 100

12 years ago

Originally Posted by ewenmack

To protect yourself when dealing with manufacturers,
and even that you you are getting product from the manufacturer,
not farmed out, there's documents you can use.

From, having manufacturers...
bidding for your work
sample agreement
manufacturer terms
intellectual property protection
distribution agreements

Another words right from idea through to expansion.

Starting out correctly also shows the Chinese Manufacturer you are a real player,
not a hobby, which means they will treat you better in service, quality and pricing.

Here's the template agreements...Importing From China - China Manufacturer. China Direct Sourcing

Best,
Ewen

P.S. Scroll down the page to get them

They will treat you as the real business when you order a container, asking for a lot of papers are not what they want.

All those suggestions can be used for the companies like wallmart and others but not for simple online business owners.

The process is not so complicated like everyone is talking here. Brad Fallon one time said that he learned only one thing from business school and it was FOB price.

If you are not going to invest $50000 or $100000 dollars you can deal with suppliers or manufacturers very easy, just read my previous posts.

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Quentin

12 years ago

I guess that is where we differ as I was importing container loads of mugs for printing.

Quentin

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Tad 100

12 years ago

Yes exactly.

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GlobalSources 12 years ago

Hi Socialdrew,

This article from Global Sources gives you an idea or general overview of the hidden costs of customs and shipping when doing business in China, and how to minimize them.

Landed cost: The hidden costs of customs and shipping
smartchinasourcing.com/shipping/landed-cost-the-hidden-costs-of-customs-and-shipping.html

To get more China sourcing tips and advice, please check out the articles on this page:

globalsources.com/NEWS/SIC-Index.html

All the best,
Global Sources
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franciscif

12 years ago

I always believe it best to do a little digging before the completion of a business transaction. Get out there and try to get as much information as you can from suppliers. There are a thousand out there and finding the right one means you are half way done. The rest is easy. Samples are very helpful in your decision making process. This should at least eliminate half of the worry. If the sample is good, the next step is to make sure you are dealing with a trustworthy factory. Find out as much as you can about them and try to ask around about their credibility. One more thing, legit suppliers seldom ask you to send money through Western Union so this is something you should be looking out for as well. Try to find out what their payment scheme is like.

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Mark Singletary

12 years ago

Related question I think:

If an oversea company dropships merchandise, are taxes still due typically? (I know ask tax and legal questions elsewhere - but just trying to get an idea)

For example, a customer orders a purse through a catalog and the overseas company ships the purse directly to the customer.

Thanks.
Mark

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512 Designs

12 years ago

Last year I started a business selling automobile DVD/GPS systems (the kind you install in your dash). I found a company from China that I liked and I created a good relationship with one of the Chinese sales reps. We actually became friends and chatted a lot online.

The way my business worked is I would take the orders from the e-commerce site I created and they would drop ship them to my customers worldwide. These units were in the $800-$1000 range and shipping alone was over $70.00. Things were going pretty well for a couple of months.

But then the Chinese sales rep ended up quitting and the rep they replaced her with was terrible. And to make matters worse, one of my customers had a defective unit which became a HUGE HEADACHE. Even though it was under warranty, I ended up losing money just to keep the guy happy.

I quit selling them not too long after that simply because it ended up being too much of a hassle and I couldn't sleep at nights when things would go wrong.

If I were to do it again, I would definitely find something that was a lot less expensive and cheaper to ship. I would also not go the dropshipping route either. I would need to control the product before shipping it to make sure everything was of high quality first.

Every once in a while I think about trying it again but then see so many people on eBay just about giving products away that I haven't seen anything you could make a decent profit with. But maybe I'm not looking hard enough.

Mike

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Tad 100

12 years ago

Originally Posted by 512 Designs

Last year I started a business selling automobile DVD/GPS systems (the kind you install in your dash). I found a company from China that I liked and I created a good relationship with one of the Chinese sales reps. We actually became friends and chatted a lot online.

The way my business worked is I would take the orders from the e-commerce site I created and they would drop ship them to my customers worldwide. These units were in the $800-$1000 range and shipping alone was over $70.00. Things were going pretty well for a couple of months.

But then the Chinese sales rep ended up quitting and the rep they replaced her with was terrible. And to make matters worse, one of my customers had a defective unit which became a HUGE HEADACHE. Even though it was under warranty, I ended up losing money just to keep the guy happy.

I quit selling them not too long after that simply because it ended up being too much of a hassle and I couldn't sleep at nights when things would go wrong.

If I were to do it again, I would definitely find something that was a lot less expensive and cheaper to ship. I would also not go the dropshipping route either. I would need to control the product before shipping it to make sure everything was of high quality first.

Every once in a while I think about trying it again but then see so many people on eBay just about giving products away that I haven't seen anything you could make a decent profit with. But maybe I'm not looking hard enough.

Mike

This is why I don't use dropshipping anymore. Low profit margin and no control over all selling process.

I recommend selling products worth $30-200 depends on the volume you can resell on eBay. One of my students makes more than $3000/Month from one product worth $40-50.

Start using Terapeak and find profitable products on eBay. All you have to do is replicate the process and resell same products.

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smartiewriter

12 years ago

I would look up the product that you are interested in importing and find someone who is already doing it. Ask them for advice. It's always better asking someone who is actually doing it. Make sure that you are not in direct competition with the person that you ask for advice from. Otherwise, they may not want to help you out.
Hope that helps!

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Stranger Danger

12 years ago

Mark-

Yes. There are always costs involved. Someone is going to eat those costs - ultimately, that will be the consumer.

There may be insurance, taxes/tariffs/duties and other fees applied for shipping. However, depending on how you order/who you order from, those costs may or may not be listed.

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Mark Singletary

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Stranger Danger

Mark-

Yes. There are always costs involved. Someone is going to eat those costs - ultimately, that will be the consumer.

There may be insurance, taxes/tariffs/duties and other fees applied for shipping. However, depending on how you order/who you order from, those costs may or may not be listed.

Thanks for the reply.

Let me ask the question a different way and see if there's a different answer.

What if you lived overseas and/or had family/friends who lived overseas and they wanted to send the purse or trinket or book to friends/family/customers who lived in the US?

I'm not talking about a "gift", I'm talking about a purchase of the trinket but there's not an "official" company involved - just a bunch of single purchases.

Still a bunch of hoops to jump through and taxes to be paid?

Mark

Thanks
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Tad 100

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Mark Singletary

Thanks for the reply.

Let me ask the question a different way and see if there's a different answer.

What if you lived overseas and/or had family/friends who lived overseas and they wanted to send the purse or trinket or book to friends/family/customers who lived in the US?

I'm not talking about a "gift", I'm talking about a purchase of the trinket but there's not an "official" company involved - just a bunch of single purchases.

Still a bunch of hoops to jump through and taxes to be paid?

Mark

Call to customs and ask same question. Basically customer has to pay taxes because of importing involved, but maybe the amount this products worth is tax free. In my country customs don’t care if you bought this item or received it for free, they care about product price only.

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Stranger Danger

12 years ago

I'm not quite following you.

The costs involved (taxes/tariffs/duties/insurance/shipping etc.) are all going to depend on a few things (to name a few):

1) country of origin and country of destination
2) product type
3) product weight/volume and quantity
4) method of shipment

If you're wondering whether or not you will have to pay tax - it's kind of a moot point. You have to think of it in terms of total cost (i.e. gross vs. net). Buying something in China and selling it in the States is generally going to be cheaper - period. That is why so many suppliers import goods from China and resell them here.

Does that answer your question?

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Stranger Danger

12 years ago

Definitely. If you're going to dropship, it's going to be way easier if you are working with a local manufacturer - especially one that has a return policy. Also, I generally wouldn't recommend shipping to international clients - whether you are drop-shipping or not - but that's just me. Also, I would never consider selling physical products via Ebay these days unless I was selling high-ticket items, like cars, as an affiliate.

Fortunately, more and more manufacturers in the US are realizing the power of the internet and are offering drop-shipping solutions (they just don't normally call it that).

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Stranger Danger

12 years ago

There are pros and cons to each method. Dropshipping has smaller margins, but very little start-up costs, inventory/storage costs are nil and it's much, much simpler (hands-free).

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Tad 100

12 years ago

You can start importing from China with as little as $100-200 and buy 10 or 20 units to resell and make more money than selling 100 drop shipped products.

Thanks
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Stranger Danger

12 years ago

Originally Posted by catchtheniche

You can start importing from China with as little as $100-200 and buy 10 or 20 units to resell and make more money than selling 100 drop shipped products.

These 'scenarios' can also be reversed. At the end of the day, local drop-shipping is much more convenient, efficient and less problematic.

That being said, however, if you know what you're doing, can find a good agent/manufacturer in China and can get a good sales team etc., then importing and reselling can be very profitable.

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Tad 100

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Stranger Danger

These 'scenarios' can also be reversed. At the end of the day, local drop-shipping is much more convenient, efficient and less problematic.

That being said, however, if you know what you're doing, can find a good agent/manufacturer in China and can get a good sales team etc., then importing and reselling can be very profitable.

I repeat my sentence again, you don’t need agent or team if you want to import from China. Period. You can do this alone very easy.

I used drop shipping and this is the worst method if you want to make a lot of money. Simply because you don’t have business, you just become sales person, like affiliate but with low profit margin. You don’t have real tangible business, nothing is in your hands, you just sell products.

With importing from China you control everything and get the profit you deserve.

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Stranger Danger

12 years ago

Originally Posted by catchtheniche

I repeat my sentence again, you don't need agent or team if you want to import from China. Period.

-I never said otherwise. Having help and scaling your business can be more profitable, however.

Originally Posted by catchtheniche

You can do this alone very easy.

It's not very easy as you say - at least, not at first. There is a learning curve - and if you're not careful, you can lose a lot of money, fast. Every question is easy if you already know the answer.

Originally Posted by catchtheniche

I used drop shipping and this is the worst method if you want to make a lot of money.

-The worst method? Far from it. Look at hayneedle. A lot of the bigger, multi-million dollar e-commerce businesses started out as drop-shippers.

Originally Posted by catchtheniche

Simply because you don't have business, you just become sales person, like affiliate but with low profit margin.

-What are you talking about? You're margins are almost always going to be better as a drop-shipper. Were you selling via Ebay or something?

Originally Posted by catchtheniche

You don't have real tangible business, nothing is in your hands, you just sell products.

-Umm, it is a real business. If you choose to only build one, small e-commerce site and rely on only one or two manufacturers to support your family, that is your own fault. Do you think a retail store is a real business? If so, why? Because products are being sold from a brick and mortar store instead of a website?

Originally Posted by catchtheniche

With importing from China you control everything and get the profit you deserve.

-You certainly do not control everything. And whether or not you import or dropship, you're still going to be relying on a manufacturer. At least, as a drop-shipper, you can deal with local manufacturers and are protected by local laws (among many other benefits).

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Tad 100

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Stranger Danger

-I never said otherwise. Having help and scaling your business can be more profitable, however.

It's not very easy as you say - at least, not at first. There is a learning curve - and if you're not careful, you can lose a lot of money, fast. Every question is easy if you already know the answer.

-The worst method? Far from it. Look at hayneedle. A lot of the bigger, multi-million dollar e-commerce businesses started out as drop-shippers.

-What are you talking about? You're margins are almost always going to be better as a drop-shipper. Were you selling via Ebay or something?

-Umm, it is a real business. If you choose to only build one, small e-commerce site and rely on only one or two manufacturers to support your family, that is your own fault. Do you think a retail store is a real business? If so, why? Because products are being sold from a brick and mortar store instead of a website?

-You certainly do not control everything. And whether or not you import or dropship, you're still going to be relying on a manufacturer. At least, as a drop-shipper, you can deal with local manufacturers and are protected by local laws (among many other benefits).

I teach how to import products from China and I know how everything wokrs. It is very easy process and anyone can do this. You are missing some important information and this is why importing from China sounds like a hard thing to do.

Yes a lot of businesses started and made a lot of money but do you know how much money they invested in to their businesses? You need a lot of money and great team of people to create something like that.

Yes I sell on eBay and you will not make a lot of money using drop shippers simply because of big competition.

Since you are talking about e-commerce store it is way different than selling on eBay.

Drop shipping for e-commerce stores is a good way. But you can make even more by importing products from China.

Brad Fallon made millions from one ecommerce store by importing products from China. Check his website Unique Wedding Favors - Stylish Wedding Favors at Affordable Prices

I think everything is up to you, I like to control the process, deal directly with manufacturers and get huge discounts and better conditions, make more money selling same amount of products and this is working for me.

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Stranger Danger

12 years ago

Originally Posted by catchtheniche

I teach how to import products from China and I know how everything wokrs. It is very easy process and anyone can do this. You are missing some important information and this is why importing from China sounds like a hard thing to do.

-I am not 'missing' anything. If you do not know what you're doing, you can get burnt and lose a lot of money, fast. You must learn how to do this. That can take time and may be difficult if you do not have someone to guide you. That is all I said. It is quite easy, just as anything, once you know how to do it.

Originally Posted by catchtheniche

Yes a lot of businesses started and made a lot of money but do you know how much money they invested in to their businesses? You need a lot of money and great team of people to create something like that.

-In order to scale it to that size, yes, you will eventually need to hire help. However, you can create a six figure income, quite easily, just by yourself - with very little capital - as an e-commerce drop-shipper. I know this for a fact.

Originally Posted by catchtheniche

Yes I sell on eBay and you will not make a lot of money using drop shippers simply because of big competition.

Since you are talking about e-commerce store it is way different than selling on eBay.

Drop shipping for e-commerce stores is a good way. But you can make even more by importing products from China.

-We agree on something.

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Tad 100

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Stranger Danger

-I am not 'missing' anything. If you do not know what you're doing, you can get burnt and lose a lot of money, fast. You must learn how to do this. That can take time and may be difficult if you do not have someone to guide you. That is all I said. It is quite easy, just as anything, once you know how to do it.

-In order to scale it to that size, yes, you will eventually need to hire help. However, you can create a six figure income, quite easily, just by yourself - with very little capital - as an e-commerce drop-shipper. I know this for a fact.

-We agree on something.

You said that you can create and run e-commerce store with little capital and make millions right? What is little capital to you? Can you give me exact numbers?

How you are going to attract customers: SEO, Adwords or other methods?

What about stock photos, designer, content writer, customer care agents and so on?

You also need to register as a business, hire accountant, create brand name and register it, get merchant account...

This doesn’t sound like a little capital to me. You can’t do everything alone and if you are going to hire people for that you need a lot of money. I thought about good e-commerce store and my calculations showed that you need at least $50 000 to start good and competitive online store and this doesn’t mean you will make millions.

With eBay it is different, because you don’t have to advertise or build anything. Just write the description for few products, list and sell them again and again. eBay is one big e-commerce store with millions of buyers who are buying every day.

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John Durham

12 years ago

Originally Posted by catchtheniche

You said that you can create and run e-commerce store with little capital and make millions right? What is little capital to you? Can you give me exact numbers?

How you are going to attract customers: SEO, Adwords or other methods?

What about stock photos, designer, content writer, customer care agents and so on?

You also need to register as a business, hire accountant, create brand name and register it, get merchant account...

This doesn’t sound like a little capital to me. You can’t do everything alone and if you are going to hire people for that you need a lot of money. I thought about good e-commerce store and my calculations showed that you need at least $50 000 to start good and competitive online store and this doesn’t mean you will make millions.

With eBay it is different, because you don’t have to advertise or build anything. Just write the description for few products, list and sell them again and again. eBay is one big e-commerce store with millions of buyers who are buying every day.

You havent spent much time on alibaba have you?

Google "wallpaper border stocklot" . Im number four in the natural rankings (WDWLLC), usually number ONE...and I have done nothing to optimize.

You dont need alot of stocklot buyers or even searches to make alot of money on those kinds of deals, but my point is that Alibaba pages get ranked like NOTHING! With very little attention to SEO.

You can start a storefront on AB for ZERO cash...

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Tad 100

12 years ago

Originally Posted by John Durham

You havent spent much time on alibaba have you?

Google "wallpaper border stocklot" . Im number four in the natural rankings (WDWLLC), usually number ONE...and I have done nothing to optimize.

You dont need alot of stocklot buyers or even searches to make alot of money on those kinds of deals, but my point is that Alibaba pages get ranked like NOTHING! With very little attention to SEO.

You can start a storefront on AB for ZERO cash...

Yes I spent more than 4 years on Alibaba. I use Alibaba to import products to Lithuania and resell worldwide. I also teach others how to do it right.

But you havent spend much time on Google keyword tool right?

For wallpaper border stocklot is 0 searches. This simple thing show that you don't know anything about SEO, Adwords or traffic. But I know, because I learned SEO and Adwords and I can rank sites for very competitive keywords and I know how much it cost.

I don't sell on Alibaba like you do, but you get customers from Alibaba, not from Google.

Yes you can open online store, but opening online store is nothing. Who will visit your store, how you are going to generate targeted traffic?

Today it is different than 10 years before than you can rank anything without investing money or time.

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John Durham

12 years ago

"I also teach others how to do it right".

Okay? How wrong can you be when you have sold a half miillion dollars worth of product on it part time? (Thats me).

"But you havent spend much time on Google keyword tool right?"

Yes I have spent much time on the google keyword tool... and it doesnt take many searches to get a significant return when you are selling a $20,000 product.

"This simple thing show that you don't know anything about SEO, Adwords or traffic".

I do know a small thing or two about this... and regardless of what the keyword tool says I still get searches weekly...Im not sure its the most advanced SEO tool out there BTW... and thirdly I have made 6 figures in commissions off my alibaba listing... I have a 5 figure mailing list that made over $60k last year, and I have sold over 20,000 websites across America.

"But I know, because I learned SEO and Adwords and I can rank sites for very competitive keywords and I know how much it cost".

Great so you are a tech then? Read emyth... Techs work by the hour.

I don't sell on Alibaba like you do, but you get customers from Alibaba, not from Google.

Yes you can open online store, but opening online store is nothing. Who will visit your store, how you are going to generate targeted traffic?

Most of the MILLIONS of Alibaba users dont come from outside search engines;correct, they go directly through the Alibaba search engines. You create targeted traffic by[putting your listings in the right categories, and using the right keywords, just like ebay. However some do come from the search engines, and you can easily optimize for more...I just DONT, and am ranked for MULTIPLE keywords.

Today it is different than 10 years before than you can rank anything without investing money or time.

Bull****.Spoken like a tech, not a marketer. I could rank this very thread if I want to.

Sorry to come across as crass, I was just addressing your objections to my being able to dispense advice on the subject. We could probably like each other if you get past the preconceived notion that everyone else is ignorant.

Oh yes, (Forgot) I also built Wallpaper Depot a 5-10k per month ebay store, as one of my web marketing clients... and trained their employees to run it. Call and ask them 574-299-9000 Im not afraid to show my credentials, because they arent made up....even held a contest on the Warrior Forum to generate more ideas for their ebay store, which could be a good contact for you if you hadnt already blown the impression.

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Tad 100

12 years ago

Originally Posted by John Durham

"I also teach others how to do it right".

Okay? How wrong can you be when you have sold a half miillion dollars worth of product on it part time? (Thats me).

"But you havent spend much time on Google keyword tool right?"

Yes I have spent much time on the google keyword tool... and it doesnt take many searches to get a significant return when you are selling a $20,000 product.

"This simple thing show that you don't know anything about SEO, Adwords or traffic".

I do know a small thing or two about this... and regardless of what the keyword tool says I still get searches weekly...Im not sure its the most advanced SEO tool out there BTW... and thirdly I have made 6 figures in commissions off my alibaba listing... I have a 5 figure mailing list that made over $60k last year, and I have sold over 20,000 websites across America.

"But I know, because I learned SEO and Adwords and I can rank sites for very competitive keywords and I know how much it cost".

Great so you are a tech then? Read emyth... Techs work by the hour.

I don't sell on Alibaba like you do, but you get customers from Alibaba, not from Google.

Yes you can open online store, but opening online store is nothing. Who will visit your store, how you are going to generate targeted traffic?

Most of the MILLIONS of Alibaba users dont come from outside search engines;correct, they go directly through the Alibaba search engines. You create targeted traffic by[putting your listings in the right categories, and using the right keywords, just like ebay. However some do come from the search engines, and you can easily optimize for more...I just DONT, and am ranked for MULTIPLE keywords.

Today it is different than 10 years before than you can rank anything without investing money or time.

Bull****.Spoken like a tech, not a marketer. I could rank this very thread if I want to.

Sorry to come across as crass, I was just addressing your objections to my being able to dispense advice on the subject. We could probably like each other if you get past the preconceived notion that everyone else is ignorant.

Oh yes, (Forgot) I also built Wallpaper Depot a 5-10k per month ebay store, as one of my web marketing clients... and trained their employees to run it. Call and ask them 574-299-9000 Im not afraid to show my credentials, because they arent made up....even held a contest on the Warrior Forum to generate more ideas for their ebay store, which could be a good contact for you if you hadnt already blown the impression.

I am not tech person, but I learn things related to marketing so that I can hire best tech people for that. I don’t know how to hire good people without involving myself in to it at 100%.

Yes you can rank this thread, please create a website and rank for keyword ‘wedding favors’ in 2 months without using a lot of money? You can rank anything, but like I said how much money and time you are going to invest. You can’t rank site with few thousands for very competitive keyword and let me explain why. You are competing with other people in search engine results not with Google. If your keyword is super competitive everyone will be investing tons of money to rank first and only one of them will beat others.

No you are not crass, you just talk what you know and I know what I know. It is absolutely normal, maybe we are not aligned well right now and don’t understand each other very well.

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John Durham

12 years ago

Originally Posted by catchtheniche

I am not tech person, but I learn things related to marketing so that I can hire best tech people for that. I don’t know how to hire good people without involving myself in to it at 100%.

Yes you can rank this thread, please create a website and rank for keyword ‘wedding favors’ in 2 months without using a lot of money? You can rank anything, but like I said how much money and time you are going to invest. You can’t rank site with few thousands for very competitive keyword and let me explain why. You are competing with other people in search engine results not with Google. If your keyword is super competitive everyone will be investing tons of money to rank first and only one of them will beat others.

No you are not crass, you just talk what you know and I know what I know. It is absolutely normal, maybe we are not aligned well right now and don’t understand each other very well.

I may not rank a site for 'wedding favors' but I can rank a sight for "custom Written Wedding Songs" that leads them to a wedding favors site.... or "blue and pink ruffled bridesmaid dresses..."

You have to do your research and choose your battles. If you are taking the wrong approach its hard, like trying to put a square peg in a round hole... but when you find the square hole that fits the peg, it slips in like nothing.

There are a million longtails in between "wedding Favors" and "Custom Written Wedding Songs" that could lead someone to the site..

In any event, not all techs are just techs, some ARE entrepreneurs but ALL techs think they are smarter than the entrepreneurs they work for in my experience.And there is a difference.

Catchtheniche. Im no SEO expert admittedly. I just know some basics, and I know how to follow through to a result...if blindly sometimes.

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Tad 100

12 years ago

Originally Posted by John Durham

I may not rank a site for 'wedding favors' but I can rank a sight for "custom Written Wedding Songs" that leads them to a wedding favors site.... or "blue and pink ruffled bridesmaid dresses..."

You have to do your research and choose your battles. If you are taking the wrong approach its hard, like trying to put a square peg in a round hole... but when you find the square hole that fits the peg, it slips in like nothing.

There are a million longtails in between "wedding Favors" and "Custom Written Wedding Songs" that could lead someone to the site..

In any event, not all techs are just techs, some ARE entrepreneurs but ALL techs think they are smarter than the entrepreneurs they work for in my experience.And there is a difference.

Catchtheniche. Im no SEO expert admittedly. I just know some basics, and I know how to follow through to a result...if blindly sometimes.

We don't have to talk about SEO, I know about long tail keywords too.

So what you are doing on Alibaba? Reselling as agent and earn comissions or what?

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Stranger Danger

12 years ago

Originally Posted by catchtheniche

You said that you can create and run e-commerce store with little capital and make millions right? What is little capital to you? Can you give me exact numbers?

-No. I said you can make 6 figures, quite easily, with very little capital. Now I am repeating myself again, because you refuse to read my posts carefully. Little capital; that is subjective. Let's see, if you are targeting American manufacturers and already have a hosting account, you can create a 6 figure income as a one-man operation with less than $100/month. That includes having a merchant account, a shopping cart, a 1-800# and a website with trust graphics and easy navigation etc. You could probably outsource the content writing and SEO and still stay under this amount. Filing for an LLC will run you $150, but that's a one-time fee. That gets you your DBA, and a reseller's permit will only cost you $50 - and that's only if you decide to pay your accountant to file it for you.

You don't have to hire anyone. Should you choose to hire an account, those costs are considered overhead, not start-up costs. A business checking account can be had for free, these days.

Originally Posted by catchtheniche

How you are going to attract customers: SEO, Adwords or other methods?

-SEO. But you can do Adwords if you know what you're doing. Any profits that are generated from your business can be fed back in to the business for advertising/adwords purposes - which are, again, not considered start-up costs.

Originally Posted by catchtheniche

What about stock photos, designer, content writer, customer care agents and so on?

-You don't need stock photos. The manufacturer will supply all photos and product descriptions. As I already stated, you can write your own content, should you choose to do so. You can also use e-commerce themes (paid or free) - and some of them even include a shopping cart (again, paid and free versions are available). You can easily handle the customer service yourself with a 1-800# and/or live chat.

Originally Posted by catchtheniche

You also need to register as a business, hire accountant, create brand name and register it, get merchant account...

-You can file for an LLC for $150 (and that's if you hire an attorney) and grab a reseller's permit for $50 (and that's if you hire an accountant). Your accountant will handle your taxes, but those fees are overhead, not start-up. You can get a merchant account for around $30/month + fees. You do not need to create any branding - you are a reseller.

Originally Posted by catchtheniche

This doesn’t sound like a little capital to me.

-Less than $100/month is not little capital?

Originally Posted by catchtheniche

You can’t do everything alone and if you are going to hire people for that you need a lot of money.

-Wrong. You can easily build a 6 figure income by yourself. If you get to a point where you need to hire someone, you will be making more than enough to do so.

Originally Posted by catchtheniche

I thought about good e-commerce store and my calculations showed that you need at least $50 000 to start good and competitive online store and this doesn’t mean you will make millions.

-I don't know why you keep saying millions. You can start small and build your business to 6 figures, then, if you like, you can expand your business and hire people - and make your millions. Although, by then, you'll probably start buying in bulk and stocking your own inventory. And if you think you need $50,000 to get started, someone is seriously lying to you.

Originally Posted by catchtheniche

With eBay it is different, because you don’t have to advertise or build anything. Just write the description for few products, list and sell them again and again. eBay is one big e-commerce store with millions of buyers who are buying every day.

-Ebay makes a LOT of money off of people like you by forcing you to pay money each time you want to list and sell something. They can ban your account and raise their prices at any time. Ebay is also very competitive/saturated. Why limit yourself to ebay, when you can build an empire with organic listings, make your own rules and set your own prices?

If you don't believe me, head on over to storecoach.com and ask around. And please, read my words entirely before you respond to them.

Originally Posted by John Durham

We could probably like each other if you get past the preconceived notion that everyone else is ignorant.

-This.

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Tad 100

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Stranger Danger

-No. I said you can make 6 figures, quite easily, with very little capital. Now I am repeating myself again, because you refuse to read my posts carefully. Little capital; that is subjective. Let's see, if you are targeting American manufacturers and already have a hosting account, you can create a 6 figure income as a one-man operation with less than $100/month. That includes having a merchant account, a shopping cart, a 1-800# and a website with trust graphics and easy navigation etc. You could probably outsource the content writing and SEO and still stay under this amount. Filing for an LLC will run you $150, but that's a one-time fee. That gets you your DBA, and a reseller's permit will only cost you $50 - and that's only if you decide to pay your accountant to file it for you.

You don't have to hire anyone. Should you choose to hire an account, those costs are considered overhead, not start-up costs. A business checking account can be had for free, these days.

-SEO. But you can do Adwords if you know what you're doing. Any profits that are generated from your business can be fed back in to the business for advertising/adwords purposes - which are, again, not considered start-up costs.

-You don't need stock photos. The manufacturer will supply all photos and product descriptions. As I already stated, you can write your own content, should you choose to do so. You can also use e-commerce themes (paid or free) - and some of them even include a shopping cart (again, paid and free versions are available). You can easily handle the customer service yourself with a 1-800# and/or live chat.

-You can file for an LLC for $150 (and that's if you hire an attorney) and grab a reseller's permit for $50 (and that's if you hire an accountant). Your accountant will handle your taxes, but those fees are overhead, not start-up. You can get a merchant account for around $30/month + fees. You do not need to create any branding - you are a reseller.

-Less than $100/month is not little capital?

-Wrong. You can easily build a 6 figure income by yourself. If you get to a point where you need to hire someone, you will be making more than enough to do so.

-I don't know why you keep saying millions. You can start small and build your business to 6 figures, then, if you like, you can expand your business and hire people - and make your millions. Although, by then, you'll probably start buying in bulk and stocking your own inventory. And if you think you need $50,000 to get started, someone is seriously lying to you.

-Ebay makes a LOT of money off of people like you by forcing you to pay money each time you want to list and sell something. They can ban your account and raise their prices at any time. Ebay is also very competitive/saturated. Why limit yourself to ebay, when you can build an empire with organic listings, make your own rules and set your own prices?

If you don't believe me, head on over to storecoach.com and ask around. And please, read my words entirely before you respond to them.

-This.

The fact is that you don’t have e-commerce store generating 1 million every year. You talk about things that someone said. I am talking about things that I know personally.

So why don’t you have 6 figure business if it is so easy and you can start with as little as $100?
You read too many eBay horror stories, eBay is not a hell and they treat you the same as you them.
eBay has potential buyers looking to buy products. Google is way different, if you are going to use SEO you can get 100 visitors and sell 0. Competition is big too.

I never met person who say that building million business is easy. Maybe because you don’t have such business and it looks easy to you.

Let’s do like this. If you are so sure that you can do this, I will give you $200/Month and please create this business for me easy and after that we can divide the profit?

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kevfish32

12 years ago

Originally Posted by socialdrew

Hi all,

I'm new to this forum and stumbled upon it with this burning question. I hope someone here has the knowledge.

I'm looking to import products from a Chinese manufacturer. I have already contacted the supplier, but I seem to be running into some issues, and can't seem to find any straight-forward answers on the subject.

I know that there are issues with import taxes, needing an agent to clear customs, and a whole bunch of legal paperwork to fill out. Do any of you have any experience with this topic? I really have no clue what I'm getting where to start, and where I can find all the laws and paperwork and the process that my shipment must go through. Ideally I would like to do it as cheap as possible without having to hire an agent, etc.

Thank you in advance!

Hi, i am new to this forum, one of my mates got me onto it last night because i am starting up a website design business, guess what i have just stepped back from ? Import, China India etc, there is nothing wrong with Alibaba, but there are like anywhere else a bunch of snakes wanting to take you for an easy ride, here are some tips and this is from experience of being screwed over at the start, bearing in mind i have imported around 250 containers from the far east and consider myself a fully paid up importer, having spent many many trips over there, i have found how to deal with certain agents, manufacturers, etc.

1, Always ask for a sample where possible and in the first instance insist that they pay to send it, oh and don't pay for the sample, if they dig there heals in then offer to pay for the shipping/ courier only, most of the big players will have no problem with this.
2, Get a good agent.
3, Do not pay any deposit on any order, full stop.
4, Fly out and inspect any complete order, this is only applicable on large orders and i would expect that if you are going to the trouble of importing that you are not buying small amounts, whats the point, stack it high sell it cheap.
5, Get a good agent.
6, In terms of getting the goods cleared, get in contact with a freight forwarder and they will handle all the custom clearance for you.
7, Know the difference between good and bad quality, if you dont then you get what you deserve, the cheapest IS NOT always the best but its not impossible.
8, Get a good agent.
Thats as much as i can tell you at this stage and if you require any further information message me.

Regards Kev Fisher.

Thanks

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kevindevans

12 years ago

Good luck mate, it's really hard to tell quality of Chinese products these days.

Thanks
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rozzski999 12 years ago

Hi,

I run a number of successful Ebay businesses and inport ALL my goods from China.

Is it easy- it gets easier!

Find your Niche- go to Alibaba and search Gold+ sellers, those established for a number of years. Check out their websites if they have any.

They send them an email or talk 'Live' on Alibaba explaining what you want.

Order some samples-these are usually free but they charge you postage.

You need to do this with a number of companies.

Compare quality.

Sort out the best price you can.

Order. I receive over 10,000 a month from China and have an established seller- never had any problems.

Then you have to sort out EORI numbers, TAX,VAT etc with customs!

Bob
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redlegrich

12 years ago

For you folks looking to import and sell on eBay, check this very informative book on using Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA). It is 99 cents in the Kindle format. It is really an eye opener on selling oneline, especially for you eBay seller who are sick of the whole routine and fee structure.

The guy is promoting a few tools he offers but I'll say this will be the best 99 cents you have spent.

Amazon.com: Retail Arbitrage - Just the Bonuses...
Not an affiliate link.

So........... if you do find a good Chinese supplier now you have channel to pump the products through!

Thanks

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franciscif

12 years ago

Hi Kevfish!

I totally agree with your post. Also here are some points to ponder:

There is more competition between Chinese manufacturers, which is resulting in better customer service and less fraud. They want your business.

The Chinese government is cracking down on violators of intellectual property.

The internet has shaved time off communications and financial transactions: you can now check the exact location of your shipment as it makes its way across the Pacific Ocean.

Manufacturing technology has enabled higher quality, longer-lasting products.

Chinese manufacturers welcome your designs and are eager to accomodate your input.

Labor is still very cheap in China. In order to make it in retail, you need to be price competitive.

Thanks and Good Luck

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John Durham

12 years ago

Really you can put together a MAJOR deal in 8-12 weeks, I have even done it in 24 hours (but that was a one in a million dollar shot). Anyway, throughout those 8-12 weeks you need to work one hour per day consistently.

So you may make 20k in commission for 12-15 hours work, but it seems harder and it seems like you are working more, because the road is a bit longer and negotiations can take weeks even though they really only require 15 minutes here and there spread over those weeks.

It FEELS like work, but its more anticipation and hanging on the edge of your seat as you negotiate... waiting days for an answer just to have to come up with another solution...

Again; even though at the end of 8 weeks it seems like 100 hours in your mind , its only 10 or 15 actual productive work hours that are required to put something like this together..

Lets stretch it way out and say 40 hours... whi9ch is hard to imagine because there just isnt that much to do brokering a deal to keep you that busy...still worth it though.

Big key is having a good deal to work on in the first place... Most of establishing that happens in the first 4-6 work hours and the rest is emailing here and there.

Lets average it out and say "20 hours". Not too much work right? For such a great return?

Ps. Think of major manufacturers who pay salesman 150k per year salaries just to close 1 or 2 new clients each year...

There is alot of money in the wholesale industry.

Thanks
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prodigy1290 12 years ago

few questions:

1. if i have an invention, how can i find a manufacture that can make it to my specs in china?

2. what kind of products are good to get into know a days? electronics? etc.

I have money to invest and would love to figure this niche out.
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sloanjim

12 years ago

Surely a sample means zilch as well?

So they send me one sample. Looks great. I order 1,000. They run off. What good did tyhe oen sample do?

You need secured paymernt methods. L.C, etc.

How you can deposit large sum if you haven't touched the product yet? Samples are the way to test the product without visiting China. You don't need to promiss that you order more, you want to check quality and only after that decide what you are going to do.

Thanks
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Tad 100

12 years ago

Originally Posted by sloanjim

Surely a sample means zilch as well?

So they send me one sample. Looks great. I order 1,000. They run off. What good did tyhe oen sample do?

You need secured paymernt methods. L.C, etc.

Since I teach simple people how to start an eBay business and they don't have thousands of dollars to invest in to products, they do like this:

1. Order one sample
2. Order 10 or 20 units
3. 100-200
4. And so on

Thanks

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Stranger Danger

12 years ago

catchtheniche-

You do not know anything about me.

Stop spreading misconceptions about workable methods that you clearly know nothing about. And stop trying to discredit people with outrageous claims. If you have anything real to offer the forum, share it. If ebay is working for you, great. Educate people about it. Help other people and share your experience(s). But give them facts (not theories and hot air), and don't spread misconceptions about methods that you are unable to succeed with.

Ebay can work.
E-commerce can work.

6 figures is possible with either or.
1 million dollars is possible with either or.

There are pros and cons to each. Some will work better for others.

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Tad 100

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Stranger Danger

catchtheniche-

You do not know anything about me.

Stop spreading misconceptions about workable methods that you clearly know nothing about. And stop trying to discredit people with outrageous claims. If you have anything real to offer the forum, share it. If ebay is working for you, great. Educate people about it. Help other people and share your experience(s). But give them facts (not theories and hot air), and don't spread misconceptions about methods that you are unable to succeed with.

Ebay can work.
E-commerce can work.

6 figures is possible with either or.
1 million dollars is possible with either or.

There are pros and cons to each. Some will work better for others.

Gosh, I am not against e-commerce stores, I think this is very good business if you have money and know how to do it right. But you said that you can start with as little as $100/Month and make millions. I think a little bit different; you need more than $1000/Month to start. Please teach me how to do it, because I can spend more than that.

If you teach me how to do it and I will be able to make 6 figures pure profit after 12 months I will give you 70% just for teaching me? But if not you will pay me for wasting my time? Deal?

It is very to say stop speaking about methods you don't know anything, but this is what you do.

I can teach anyone to make money by importing products from China and resell on eBay. This is why I know how to do it.

If you are real expert and know you are so right, teach me and let’s make this deal.

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John Durham

12 years ago

Its better to bury this thread dude and come back with another that you can make a better impression on than to keep pulling it up and let people watch you argue and scramble to explain yourself to someone.

I say that after having had alot of arguments. They have dark clouds over them, and even if you are right that stigma gets attached to you...all people will see is a dark cloud, not your point when it gets this deep.

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Tad 100

12 years ago

Originally Posted by John Durham

Its better to bury this thread dude and come back with another that you can make a better impression on than to keep pulling it up and let people watch you argue and scramble to explain yourself to someone.

I say that after having had alot of arguments. They have dark clouds over them, and even if you are right that stigma gets attached to you...all people will see is a dark cloud, not your point when it gets this deep.

I am very pleased that you worry about my impression but I don’t like gossip and this is what some people do in this thread. My friend did that, I think that and so on.

I said only facts, what I know, not my friend, dad or girlfriend and people who are really serious about learning something valuable will know that I know what I am talking about.

I am not targeting people who are looking for magic pill to make millions with little investment such as $100/Month and I don’t like such lies. Yes you can make millions with $100 if you had millions before but lost them. Just because you have real life experience and knowledge. But not wise versa, having $100/Month and making millions VERY EASY like Stranger Danger said.

You can lose millions VERY EASY but not make them.

I think a little bit different and this thread is a sample how people use emotions to estimate something without talking real facts. This is a must read for everyone because you can find a lot of people talking about millions and easy money.

This is there people get angry and frustrated because someone come and say no you can't do this easy, e-commerce business is not very easy like you said before. I asked to prove it, teach me how to easy make millions without response. Why? Because he has no millions in his hands and just gossip about other people.

Honestly, I don't want to offend anyone, but misleading other people is not the best idea if you want to be good community member.

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John Durham

12 years ago

So why not just tell us some story examples of your clients instead of coming across like you are quoting from an seo textbook? Make it interesting.

Im serious... the voice of experience is waaay better than the voice of text books. Its got a very distinctive tone. If you have it , it will come across.

Speak with your own voice is my advice, from the gut, not from the wso section.

You may have it, but I cant hear past all the tones of wso's ringing in my ears...

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Tad 100

12 years ago

Originally Posted by John Durham

So why not just tell us some story examples of your clients instead of coming across like you are quoting from an seo textbook? Make it interesting.

Im serious... the voice of experience is waaay better than the voice of text books. Its got a very distinctive tone. If you have it , it will come across.

Speak with your own voice is my advice, from the gut, not from the wso section.

You may have it, but I cant hear past all the tones of wso's ringing in my ears...

What textbooks? WSO section? You must be joking

I bought only 1 WSO in my life about 1 year and 3 months back.

Ok, I know what you are talking about.

I have 2 successful clients right now who completed my program last year and have their own eBay business. One of them left his job already. Next month they will record video explaining all experience with me and the exact outcome they received. I don't want to tell their stories, it will be way better to wait and hear stories from them.

About 2 months ago I grabbed 10 new clients but 4 of them run away because they had no time to do tasks I asked. With other 6 everything is just fine and I am going to help them and I think they will have profitable products in next 2-3 months. We are testing products, bought samples with some and we are going to continue till we finish.

My promise is to create a video showing exact numbers I have in my eBay accounts. Programmer is creating new video page in my site and I will insert my video after he finish. Maybe 2-3 weeks later.

You can always monitor my progress, I am not afraid of that.

And if you want hear my voice, go to my site and read all my articles, forum posts and you will see what my background is. Everything is created by me.

Thanks

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sash024

12 years ago

The supplier was from Alibaba right??

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seotothecore

12 years ago

Yes, if you don't care about return business too much, sell them goods you get from china without quality control of your own

If you can do replacements cause the goods are low enough in cost, then you may be better off, but still you need to buy in bulk to get the deal on them

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John Durham

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Ken_Caudill

Find a good freight forwarder to walk you though the maze.

.....Exactamundo!... or you could always wait ten years to figure everything out on your own instead.

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Yawg Dawg

12 years ago

Well,,,,,I would be very leary of importing from China. Better off going to Skip McGrath's website and get his wholeseller's list. He's been a Powerseller on Ebay for years.

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redlegrich

12 years ago

Skip is a great guy and his guides are very useful and he has sold many of them. Hence, his wholesale list will not be of much use. Most everyone using those sources will be a race to the bottom on pricing. Not the place to be!

One way Skip has been successful is he negotiates online exclusives for the products he sells and his Starbucks are collectibles. If you want to succeed on eBay you have to have unique items with little competition or be able to get popular items from a closer to the factory source (or the factory).

Importing from China is certainly a way to go. However, as a former trade development guy for the Australian government here in Seattle I will tell you there are import opportunities from every country out there. There are many unique products from small companies that are dying for US representation. Although I always told Aussie companies to never accept a blanket exclusive opportunity from a US vendor I would tell you as a US vendor (or where ever) to ask for the exclusive. Get as much as you can.

Want help importing from any country, call their trade development folks. Start with Wash DC and call the countries embassy and ask for their trade folks. They will know plenty of companies that need help in the US, or will help you find qualified exports. And all for free!

I worked with a number of Aussie companies with neat products who would loved to have had some aggressive partners in the US. I helped a lot of US companies find Aussie exporters to the US. There are tons of trade development resources out there.

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zigzag10

12 years ago

@catchtheniche,

are you still offering your course on importing products from china? I will be returning to China next month for other business ventures and think this course could be beneficial. PM me and we can talk.

Thanks!

Thanks
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Tad 100

12 years ago

Originally Posted by zigzag10

@catchtheniche,

are you still offering your course on importing products from china? I will be returning to China next month for other business ventures and think this course could be beneficial. PM me and we can talk.

Thanks!

You can check my site and check my free videos. I don't sell video product anymore because I want to share everything for free. Thanks

Thanks

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SuzyBlack

12 years ago

There are also some importing agents that you could look into, they handle all this stuff for you, and some even liaise directly with the supplier.

Ive imported from China previously and it has been hit and miss - even with the same supplier - so I wish you the best of luck.

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Chronic IM

12 years ago

Hello! Personally, I think China has lots of scammers. Just try and be careful about it. I just hope you'll be careful. Best of luck!

Thanks
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Tad 100 12 years ago

Originally Posted by Chronic IM

Hello! Personally, I think China has lots of scammers. Just try and be careful about it. I just hope you'll be careful. Best of luck!

I can say the same thing about this forum. You can find a lot of scammers even here. The main goal is to be smart and know how to choose.
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ertweryt

12 years ago

So what kind of products do you import? As a salesman from a chinese micro-manufacturer producing iphone case, in my experience, clear customs, and a whole bunch of legal paperwork etc problems i haven't encountered yet, which is almost all done by the express company. There is no agent at all, so what's the price do you think it's as cheap as possible for your order? no matter what kind of products u import, maybe i can give u an very useful suggestion, as a native chinese man who's very familiar with the factory, i am in guang zhou~

Thanks
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Tad 100

12 years ago

Originally Posted by ertweryt

So what kind of products do you import? As a salesman from a chinese micro-manufacturer producing iphone case, in my experience, clear customs, and a whole bunch of legal paperwork etc problems i haven't encountered yet, which is almost all done by the express company. There is no agent at all, so what's the price do you think it's as cheap as possible for your order? no matter what kind of products u import, maybe i can give u an very useful suggestion, as a native chinese man who's very familiar with the factory, i am in guang zhou~

Iphone case is very bad product for eBay. It is very popular product and profit is really low like 5% or less. I teach how to find products for people with specific needs and not as popular as apple accessories or something like that.

Thanks

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fresh68

12 years ago

99% of Chinese products are knockoffs, That being said China also makes 99% of everything.The Chinese make Mercedes Benze Automobiles.

But Ebay does not look at it that way.If they find out you are selling Chinese goods you are in for alot of scrutiny from them and Paypal.

Ive done it and it caused nothing but problems.

Thanks
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Tad 100

12 years ago

Originally Posted by fresh68

99% of Chinese products are knockoffs, That being said China also makes 99% of everything.The Chinese make Mercedes Benze Automobiles.

But Ebay does not look at it that way.If they find out you are selling Chinese goods you are in for alot of scrutiny from them and Paypal.

Ive done it and it caused nothing but problems.

99%, wow, glad you made research and analyzed Chinese market. Can you give me more details?

I think 99% knockoffs are what you sold on eBay and this is why you had problems with eBay and paypal.

So you want to say that wallmart is full of knockoffs because they import products from China too?

Thanks

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KingSolutions

12 years ago

What are you buying and at what quantities?

We purchased PCB's from china generally in quantise of 10K or more with plus 20% (at their cost) to allow for rejections. As for getting samples. Factories can turn out very nice samples, but a production run is another thing.

Because of the legalities of importing/exporting electronic component we had a agent in Hong Kong keep an eye on things. In the long run this more than paid for itself.

Thanks
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Tad 100

12 years ago

Originally Posted by KingSolutions

What are you buying and at what quantities?

We purchased PCB's from china generally in quantise of 10K or more with plus 20% (at their cost) to allow for rejections. As for getting samples. Factories can turn out very nice samples, but a production run is another thing.

Because of the legalities of importing/exporting electronic component we had a agent in Hong Kong keep an eye on things. In the long run this more than paid for itself.

I sell small and light weight products so I can get them by air.

For example this seller is from USA:
FULL HD 720P SPY PEN CAMERA CONCEALED MINI COVERT DVR + 4GB CARD | eBay

He is selling Spy Pen and you can find more products from China if you check his other items. They are all from China. Check each product on Alibaba and you will find a lot of suppliers.

Thanks

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fresh68

12 years ago

Tad I doubt you even have an Ebay Account.

To everyone else try selling Chinese goods on Ebay and see what happens to your feedback and Ebay, Not to mention the chinese are taking over Ebay with most goods,If you think you can sell the product cheaper than the chinese manufacturer, then i have some swampland in florida i can sell you very cheap.

Thanks
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Tad 100

12 years ago

Originally Posted by fresh68

Tad I doubt you even have an Ebay Account.

To everyone else try selling Chinese goods on Ebay and see what happens to your feedback and Ebay, Not to mention the chinese are taking over Ebay with most goods,If you think you can sell the product cheaper than the chinese manufacturer, then i have some swampland in florida i can sell you very cheap.

You have no idea what you are talking about. I have more than one eBay account.

China manufacturers don't sell on eBay, they manufacture their products. This is why they are manufacturers and not retailers.

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Stranger Danger

12 years ago

Chinese manufacturers selling on Ebay? -Not impossible, but unlikely.

There are plenty of folks selling Chinese-made goods on ebay. Not all of them are counterfeit goods. Some of them are, and some people have even been banned (or worse). There are even folks selling American-made goods on ebay, buying in bulk from manufacturers and selling goods as a reseller/merchant.

If you intend on making good money with ebay, you're going to have to start sourcing product from manufacturers, eventually. You can buy up liquidated goods, but unless you have a good source with unlimited supply, you're going to have to look elsewhere when the product dries up.

I don't want to get in to this argument again, but I would not rely on ebay, solely, to sell product (and) I would heavily advise anyone considering it to learn about SEO.

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Tad 100

12 years ago

I prefer eBay and I know this marketplace very well but you can sell on Amazon or open e-commerce store. Everyone can find best way for making money online.

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fresh68

12 years ago

Chinese manufacturers certainly do sell on Ebay,, im gonna check out your guide looks interesting

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prodigy1290

12 years ago

Just want to make sure I understand this correctly. You are finding your suppliers through alibaba correct??

How can I find manufactures for products im interested in/?

Thanks
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Tad 100

12 years ago

Originally Posted by prodigy1290

Just want to make sure I understand this correctly. You are finding your suppliers through alibaba correct??

How can I find manufactures for products im interested in/?

Yes that's right. Try using different keywords and you will find a lot of suppliers. Contact me if you can't find manufacturer and I will help you.

Thanks
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prodigy1290

12 years ago

Thanks. Have you had luck in the past negotiating prices with the manufactuerers? For example..they say min. 1000 @ $200 ea. Is there any room to negotiate in your history dealing with them?

Thanks
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jimbo13 12 years ago

If you are thinking of spending $200,000 then I would make sure you have someone on the ground out there.

Preferably you.

If you have that sort of money to invest you should have $1000 for the flight and accommodation don't you think?

Everything is negotiable. Chinese will just be far superior to your negotiating efforts.

Dan
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Tad 100

12 years ago

Originally Posted by prodigy1290

Thanks. Have you had luck in the past negotiating prices with the manufactuerers? For example..they say min. 1000 @ $200 ea. Is there any room to negotiate in your history dealing with them?

Never look at minimum order quantity or FOB price. You need to contact each supplier and ask about that if you want to get real answer.

I know one trick. As always I start from the sample and after that I say that I need to test my market a little bit more. I try to explain that I am trying to add this product to my assortment and I am thinking about doing real business with this supplier. You can even say that you are ready to pay 10-20% more if they can sell like 10 or 100 units.

But most of the time I can find supplier which can sell me the quantity I need.

Thanks
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prodigy1290

12 years ago

Thanks for the responses. I am very i interested in getting involved in importing. One last question I have is; when you find a niche that you want to attack how do you compete with brand names? Or since you offering a better price, people tend to go that route?

I have a few ideas, but my product won't have that special brand name that everyone wants. How do you deal with this aspect of the game?

Thanks
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Tad 100

12 years ago

Originally Posted by prodigy1290

Thanks for the responses. I am very i interested in getting involved in importing. One last question I have is; when you find a niche that you want to attack how do you compete with brand names? Or since you offering a better price, people tend to go that route?

I have a few ideas, but my product won't have that special brand name that everyone wants. How do you deal with this aspect of the game?

Products without brand name are 2-5 times cheaper.

But my approach is a little bit different.

First of all I analyze eBay marketplace and after that I decide which product to sell. Only in some situations I start selling blindly by entering new niches.

I use eBay research tools so I can find best products to resell. I have free videos about that in my site.

Thanks
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prodigy1290

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Tad 100

Products without brand name are 2-5 times cheaper.

But my approach is a little bit different.

First of all I analyze eBay marketplace and after that I decide which product to sell. Only in some situations I start selling blindly by entering new niches.

I use eBay research tools so I can find best products to resell. I have free videos about that in my site.

Sounds good. Do you have a price that you like to stick with...maybe $100+ or have you ever invested in smaller, cheaper products? Been real interested in learning this trade..still need to figure out my niche tho.

Just watched your video from your website. I noticed when your searching for products on ebay you select the location "china". So what you are essentially doing is competing with other people selling the same products from china? Instead of competing with popular american brands like "apple" or "nintendo".

Thanks
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Tad 100

12 years ago

Originally Posted by prodigy1290

Sounds good. Do you have a price that you like to stick with...maybe $100+ or have you ever invested in smaller, cheaper products? Been real interested in learning this trade..still need to figure out my niche tho.

Just watched your video from your website. I noticed when your searching for products on ebay you select the location "china". So what you are essentially doing is competing with other people selling the same products from china? Instead of competing with popular american brands like "apple" or "nintendo".

I don't like to sell cheap products, something like $10 or $20. You don't need to have a lot of money. You can order 10 units and make money on eBay.

My main goal is to find local sellers selling products from China. I use location China to get ideas what I can resell. It will be very easy to find product on Alibaba and deal directly with supplier If you can find seller from China selling same product on eBay.

Thanks

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malia 12 years ago

,If you think you can sell the product cheaper than the chinese manufacturer

Chinese MANUFACTURERS don't bother with onesie twosie B2C sales on eBay or elsewhere, though there are a lot of Chinese trading companies, and individual traders (opportunistic people with access to wholesale markets) who do. Either way, you can't really beat their pricing when they sell consumer direct but there are other ways to do it.
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zaajaaz

Banned 12 years ago

[DELETED]

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Tad 100

12 years ago

Originally Posted by zaajaaz

I wouldn't suggest doing this without an agent. Agents though costly can really save you a lot of dough. Imagine that you do import stuff from china without an agent, ofcourse you would be paying them an advance before shipping and the rest right before shipping. The consignment reaches you location and you end up finding that portion of the shipment is missing/defective, or even worse, the entire shipment is defective. Having the right kind of agent would insure you against such issues. The agent has to be able to check if the items that is being sent is as you wanted, and you pay him only if it is as you wanted, when it reaches you.

First of all you need to start small and grow bigger with new supplier and you have no problems in the future. Suppliers are not thieves and I bought so many products without agent. This is why you need to order sample first, after that 10, 20 and 100 units. You need to start slow and by doing this you will learn a lot about your supplier.

One quick tip here. If you ordered a lot of products take a photo or video camera with you and take pictures of everything you are doing from opening a package. This will help you to give some evidence to your supplier.

But note this part, I am saying evidence to your suppler.

The fact is that even the best agent in the world will not help you if you received defective goods and your supplier decided to leave you.

What you are going to do? Prepare documents and visit court in China?

If you ordered 100 units worth $50 each, it will be like $5000. Well going this way you will pay more and you have no chance to win it.

The easiest and recommended way is to solve problems with your supplier in the nice way and start business slowly.

Thanks

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thomasmps

12 years ago

I am looking for people who have products to sell,I have huge distribution! Electronics,novelty items,clothing, etc welcomed.

Thomas

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zigzag10 12 years ago

@Thomasmps and any other wholesalers, please PM if you are interested in sourcing products from China. I am currently living and working in Guangzhou (south china).

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ebaypowerguru

12 years ago

Hey, feel free to PM me the suppliers in question, I will have a quick look for you!

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Veronika H

12 years ago

Hi socialdrew and everyone,

Yeah there's so much paperwork associated with purchasing from China.. But I'd say it's still well worth it!

Moreover, there's the quality aspect. You'd better order by verified suppliers (I can recommend globalsources.com and hktdc.com - some of the suppliers listed on these platforms have been verified) or let someone check supplier's registration by provincial authority.

I also must agree with the advice on having samples sent and approve them.

And then it's good to conduct at least one check. The most popular one is Pre-Shipment Inspection.

Our company can help out with both supplier verification and product inspections. We focus on providing QC solutions in China.

Drop me a line to veronika @ accu.eu if interested.

Good luck!

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nikegame

12 years ago

Oh be careful especially for the first time!
kevfish32's advice is detailed and useful!Just good luck!

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gottalovegoogle

12 years ago

welcome to the importing world! no straight answers, can't understand them, they're always late with the orders, cheapest possible shipping! Good luck it's not an easy world!

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Kickstarter

10 years ago

A lot of people are saying alibaba.com and to look for gold suppliers. This is not a bad place to start and there are lots of credible suppliers on there. I find however that there are many resellers which leads to higher prices for you, as well as scammers.

You might want to give The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (hktdc.com) a try. They are a little more strict with their verification and manufacturers usually have to pay a larger fee to be verified which at least gives you a little assurance they can pay 5-6k to be verified.

Thanks

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juegosdelpc

10 years ago

Try to find a provider with a lot of experience and i suggest having an expert to control the quality in China.

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Importing from China

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