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Hi,

I'm new here but I need some help. I'm trying to start a company on the side of a full time job, bootstrapping with very little cash to start. It's incorporated in Norway, but not making any sales.
We are two people doing this part time (10-15 hrs per week each). We have been trying to find a product to sell online and on amazon fba for more than a year and we can't for the life of us manage to find any products that are viable for sale.

We have been looking through several niches and now think survivalism/prepping products may be a good niche. It appears to be a growing billion dollar market in the US alone.

We are based in Norway and look to source from and sell in the US. (Long term, relocating to US is the plan) The Norwegian market is too small (population just under LA + San Diego) and the trends and interests are quite off compared with USA, UK, Australia, Canada etc. Also the toll and import charges are ridiculous.

When it comes to amazon fba, we seem to be hitting one legal and tax requirement after another. So it looks like I have to shell out for a CPA in USA in addition to the one in Norway.

We have been looking for good eCommerce courses, but all the courses that we have found online seem to be just from people who are mostly making money just from selling courses about how to sell, and not people who are actually in the top of the eCommerce selling field. (I have been reading books on eCommerce, but they all seem to be low quality? - What are the best and most current?)

At this point we really need some professional help, but we have no idea where to look.
#advice #ecommerce
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  • Profile picture of the author dave_hermansen
    We make the vast majority of our money from the many eCommerce sites that we own. The course that we put together was initially for family and friends who kept asking us how to do it. It turned into a massive full blown course over the years, but the revenue generated from it is a drop in the bucket compared to our eCommerce sites.

    I really think you should consider dropshipping. Instead of going down the same oversaturated, short-lived AliExpress path that so many on this forum are doing (and struggling with), go after high ticket, brand name items.

    You'll need to actually get on the phone and talk to those brands and see if they will dropship for you. If they won't, they'll usually hook you up with their large buyers or distributors who quite often will dropship for you (that is, if you ask).

    So many people try to make this either easier or harder than it has to be. It takes real communication with human beings - something that seems to be terrifying to so many people these days. You may not land the exact brands that you want at the beginning, but you'll get "good enough" ones in pretty much any niche that you really try to get them for. Later, many of those who said "no" will be begging you to get on your website when they see nothing but their competition and that you are ranking well or showing up prominently in ads (without their products).
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    • Profile picture of the author Kenter19
      Originally Posted by dave_hermansen View Post

      We make the vast majority of our money from the many eCommerce sites that we own. The course that we put together was initially for family and friends who kept asking us how to do it. It turned into a massive full blown course over the years, but the revenue generated from it is a drop in the bucket compared to our eCommerce sites.

      I really think you should consider dropshipping. Instead of going down the same oversaturated, short-lived AliExpress path that so many on this forum are doing (and struggling with), go after high ticket, brand name items.

      You'll need to actually get on the phone and talk to those brands and see if they will dropship for you. If they won't, they'll usually hook you up with their large buyers or distributors who quite often will dropship for you (that is, if you ask).

      So many people try to make this either easier or harder than it has to be. It takes real communication with human beings - something that seems to be terrifying to so many people these days. You may not land the exact brands that you want at the beginning, but you'll get "good enough" ones in pretty much any niche that you really try to get them for. Later, many of those who said "no" will be begging you to get on your website when they see nothing but their competition and that you are ranking well or showing up prominently in ads (without their products).

      wow thanks Dave, I've checked out your site and read all through your different options, you definitely know what you are talking about!!
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      • Profile picture of the author minimax
        Originally Posted by Kenter19 View Post

        wow thanks Dave, I've checked out your site and read all through your different options, you definitely know what you are talking about!!
        We also have set up a big market place website and for the lack of timing we couldn't manage the things on the straight level, we just upload the products which are required for the customers.
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  • Profile picture of the author h3ktor
    There are some ecommerce incubators all around the world. I'm pretty sure, you can get into one with a precise business model. I would recommend, getting into one.
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    but i have promises to keep and miles to go before i sleep...

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