2047 Comments (page 12)

Hi Will, awesome post. I'm wondering about how taxes fall into all this? How did you report your taxes to the IRS and did you apply for a business license? If so what are the benefits in doing so?

Hey this is my fourth time attempting to start a sellable inventory. I already have products that I can sell. My biggest problem is negotiating a better MOQ. One product I wanted the most, the supplier wouldn't go down lower than 500 units!. They came out to be 1k + 5.5% for the PayPal fee! I have already been through lots of samples, but they stiff me on lowering MOQ. Any help?

Hi Will, thank you very much for this valuable article. I'm thinking about resistance/strength bands for fitness. It's a niche. However, there are already sellers on amazon, ebay, etc. Is it a good idea to go ahead and sell still? Not just bands, but also other types of products in the future.

Dear will Thank you very much for the article, in action i have already request some quotation from alibaba.com but im facing one problem, none supplier accpect paypal payment i contact more tham 20 supplier but no one accept, only T/T or western union. What to do now? please help me! one more time thank you for the post.

Really great and informative article. I agree that most difficult thing is to find a reliable and trustworthy supplier in China. That is why I visited china for many times to directly meet people and build business relations. And make sure my goods are delivered and I am not a victim of any scam. Now I have very good business terms in China. If any one from Canada is planning to buy anything from china I can help you.

Hello Rocky, Could you please send details to below mail id too? [redacted] thanks,

Thx for sharing ur experience in this blog, I really enjoy reading this! I always dream abt having my own business but just how! So now I find ur post n it's very helpful. I'm really motivated to start doing it now. Anyways, just a question, when u ask for the sample from you supplies, do u have to pay for that it?

Hi, I was looking around on Alibaba and found that the sell gaming consoles. Do you think that this is a good idea and promising or should I stay away??

Will I was thinking of selling adult sex toys. Do you think this would be a great market?

Definitely stay away to start--stay away from all electronics and trademarked goods.

It's pretty saturated but you can give it a go?

Hi Will, you are probably busy but i just pray you reply to my comment........ My name is Lea Cole and ive been selling only for 5 months now and I havn't gone anywhere, I guess its just the products i was selling because I made HUNDREDS a week and that is great for a beginner but then I just fell off my products stop selling wasted money buying junk more my manufactured products we're made in the US I didnt know what i was doing and i actually lost more than what i made, I was a failure just waiting to happen... I also have problems finding the perfect supplier on alibaba there are TONS of Sellers on that site and i just still haven't found one yet, how do i know if i found the right supplier, i was wondering if we could talk another way maybe email or if you have a member's group. Our story is somewhat the same (Beginner Days) though i hope to be someone of a success like you... I hope to get a reply from you! Thanks much, Lea.

Hi Deb, the only drawback in the UK for importers like you is the VAT and duty is due as it comes in the country. You do of course charge it on if you are VAT registered so only pay the difference to the Govt but if you are not you will have to pay it and wear the 20%. My advice to you is this: 1. Spend money on samples to give you a range good enough to show potential customers. 2. Get pre orders on your products which will hopefully weed out any duds and give you a fast start. 3. Make sure you deliver what you promise. Good Luck! Jim

Great article. I thought importing from China was only possible for large scale corporations. It's good to know that anyone has the ability to do this. I wanted to know your thoughts about using this process to wholesale to retailers?

Hi, I was planning to buy RAM i.e memory for desktop & laptops. I would be glad if you could suggest me some sellers. I would like to sell them in Canada.

I'd like to start ordering samples from Alibaba, but it appears only businesses can create accounts and make purchases. I am an individual, not a business. What is everyone else doing?

Hi Will, This is a wonderfully informative and well written post. Exactly what I've been looking for since I sort of stumbled upon the idea of importing and have been trying to hammer down the details for the last few days trying get things rolling. So i originally was interested in purchasing clothes, having a good eye for fashion. I am quickly coming to find the margins on most apparel products is basically non existent, especially being a small buyer, maybe with the exception of shoes. Can you suggest a product, or several? This would be greatly appreciated thank you so much.

Our suggestion is to avoid electronics starting out, too many opportunities to get screwed

Thanks for all the insight! I am studying International Business in Ningbo, China and I've learned much more about the subject than I did in the class in the last 2 months. Thank you so much!!! It is much easier to get samples here in China from Chinese suppliers. What do you guys think is a good idea to start with? I was considering selling creative office gadgets to Turkey thru Turkish channels, even though the quality is an issue with cheap goods here.

Hi guys, Im from the UK and i think iv found my product its $7 (£4.50ish) a piece on alibaba and £16 on ebay, however after iv tested the sample and happy with it (which i havent done yet), for me ship 1 carton (18 pieces) via fedex they're charging me £271 and for 5 cartons £1483 and this is before duties and taxes. The supplier also says it would be more expensive to send these smaller deliveries via sea. So this leaves me confused. Have i missed something or not doing something right? Or do i need to order larger amounts and go by sea? or is this just a dud product? Its hurting my brain!! lol Please help!! Many Thanks

Thanks for your wonderful article. I had an idea a few weeks ago about a niche market after I couldn't find a product I needed to buy. My question is though, what if it's the kind of product that demands a range of choice to suit various tastes and colour schemes? Let's say it was teatowels and not everyone wants yellow. Is it worth getting a product that you have to buy large quantities of in various colours? Or best to stick to a product that has no variation- like a 'black' airgun (I'm guessing you never sold them in yellow!).

Hi Will, I have been looking into sourcing a product from China. My only concern is that potential customers will enquire where the product was been made. With my particular niche, most people prefer to buy the goods made in USA or UK as they associate goods made in China as cheap and possibly faulty. (My potential clients are quite snobby) I'm currently awaiting samples to test the quality myself, and if satisfied I would like to purchase a small order and see how the selling goes. My only concern is dealing with the questions regarding "brands" or "where it was made". How would you handle these questions? I fear if I answer honestly that it was made in China, I won't make any sales. Do I have to disclose this? Would it be better to brand the products with my own business logo or something? Some people just have to know where it was made. Any advice would be appreciated, thanks.

HI Mitchell, Amazing piece of information. Just had a query that i have started my own company for Home Automation products in India and the problem is OEM for which the supplier says that they want a minimum order of 500pcs. I have been to there factory and office in China and found it genuine but still feel jittery on ordering and starting the business. Please help. Regards, Pratik

Feel free to email details to bros at startupbros dot com and we'll see what we can do!

I am a newbie trying to break into the importing business and I must say I was clueless before I read your article but it helped a lot. Thanks so much!

Hello, Many thanks for this article, very very informative. I am having issues finding the 'one product' I can start with. And will be extremely glad in you could point me in the right direction. Thanks alot in anticipation of your help. Regards.

Wow. Hours to read through this article. As a Chinese sourcing agent for small foreign orders, happy to find out what is in my customers' mind. Both parties involved should be reliable to make a successful deal.

This is awesome and is being the only guide i'm using to import goods from China. I'm in the stage of selecting suppliers and asking for their samples. Do you think i should negotiate them first their MOQ, price, policies, before requesting for a sample of their product? Or it doesn't really matter? Thank you! John

Hi, do I pay money for asking China supplier to send me the sample product? Thanks, Wannlong

Sometimes you can get a supplier to send free samples... often you will have to pay though.

Hi. I found this article extremely helpfull! I'm 16 and very interested in this but have some questions and would like some advice. Is there an email I could contact you on? Thanks?

bros at startupbros dot com :)

Thanks for the great article! Now I know that I would need a new email, but I was wondering if my PayPal and the accompanying credit card info would be safe if buying stuff over AliBaba as my account security is Auber-important. Thanks again and I hope to hear from you soon

Hi Will, Thank you for a great article. I really appreciate all of it. I am still confused about one thing, though. What kind of products can I bye from alibaba? If they sell a product with a brand, how do I know if it´s a copy or not? And if it´s not, how do I know if I am allowed to sell it without breaking any law? I guess I should´t bye anything with a brand like IKEA, but what if it´s a brand that I don´t recognize? Thank you very much/Ann

Hi Ann, Start with the article on finding a profitable product here: https://startupbros.com/step-by-step-guide-on-how-to-find-a-profitable-product-to-sell/ Let us know if you still have any questions!

Hi Will, I came through your website looking for information on import from china. I want to start with Toy import from china as india is a potential market. Can you suggest supplier(s) like you had for soft guns. Any suggestions are welcome. Thanks in advance

We keep those specifics for our paying clients :)

Hi Will I am baagi, I am very new to import business. I have gone to your article. I refer to the alibaba.com website as well. I dint understand the price. ( US $1-2 / Piece ( FOB Price). ), What exactly the price per piece. Is it $1 Or $2. What exactly the FOB is.

This is Echo from China.I work in one China factory and have 7 years work experience as foreign trade sales.This website is very good, i think i also can help you know more about China factory. FOB means free on board.Take USD 2/piece FOB Shanghai as example,China factory/company should pay all the cost before the cargo is delivered.Such as send the goods from factory to Shanghai port, the declaration charges includes all document fee. You need to pay other fees,such as freight,insurance fee, customs clearance fee,tax...... Wish my explanation can help you. Echo

Hi Will, I am new to this business. I have question regarding shipping and customs. Say for example I am going to order 100 Iphone cases from China Can you tell me the estimate for shipping costs and Is there custom fee too? Thank you.

But how do you know how much will a container cost. I am looking in to starting my business also. But I have so many unanswered questions. Like fees and customs. what are the things you do when your container arrives. What is the information a beginner needs to know at this point. what if we get charged at customs more than what we paid for or half of what we paid for products. again i am very beginner . the only obstacle on my way is the knowledge of what happens when your products arrive at port. what is the next step. obviously you have to fill paper work , unload, take it to desired locaton. etc. who does all this and how.

You're asking some great questions--they're also massive topics! We spend a whole week dealing with each one in our coaching program. Feel free to email us with the details of where you're at in your business and we'll see if we can help you out with your current situation.

Sometimes it's as simple as going to DHL.com and putting in the dimensions of your product.

Absolutely you need product liability insurance! The first person a lawyer comes after if there's a case of personal injury/property damage will be you. With that being said, if you're new to importing, you should not begin importing a product where there is a relatively high risk of injury, stick to dining room sets over trampolines.

Hi Will.. very inspiring article. .i wonder how did you get the orders from customer and forward them to your supplier? And how did you transfer the money once you collect it from your customers? Did you use any ready made solution?

Hi Hana, You can use Fulfillment by Amazon to get the product to your customers. The way you collect your payments will vary depend on the sales channel you take advantage of. These are some big questions! You should definitely watch one of our webinars (email for link)--they answer these questions in MUCH more detail!

how much is a ok sample amount?

Hi I'm just starting out I have a product but it's not very profitable and there is so many others to choose from I'm stuck and need something bad! If you could help me will be much appreciated ?

I've been a successful 3rd party reseller for po's equipment for about 5 years, but throughout those years, I've noticed more and more competition, and less deals to find. I need to find a different product and fast. No counterfeit items. You talked about a few good items, but I'm in a bind and have a chunk of money to invest in to something, but I can't figure it out.

Great article! Quick question. Intellectual Property Infringement... I am looking into purchasing the small plastic army men from China to resell in the U.S. with other products. My issue is finding out whether or not these little plastic army men are patented, therefor... I would not be able to sell them. How do I figure out if these little guys are legal for reselling in the U.S? Looking around, I found army men made of not only plastic, but PVC as well. Please let me know how I can figure this out before I move on. Thanks guys, Johnny

Hey Will, I had more questions concerning on what to sell right now. I am interested in all that you wrote and would like to act now. But I don't know what would sell well . That can continually sell of course. Any good suggestions? Thanks!!! For a great article :)

Drop shipping (which I do for a living) is done by pre-labelling your inventory in the country of origin with domestic shipping labels at the point of delivery. Thereby bypassing another distribution and going direct to courier... It can be done electronically and saves you TONS of MONEY in both customs and extra shipping charges

Simple answer is "don't do it". A courier account # is like a credit card # really. It just means you are liable for what they ship. Both trans and customs fees... The responsibility always lies with the shipper (especially internationally), so if you get credit from DHL in NA and give your account # to someone in China... Unless it's a vendor you really trust, it's a bad idea

Hi Will I am dealing with one of the manufacturer in China and after so many back and forth in email we figured out the products that i wanted to buy from them and the prices. I asked them i prefer Paypal but he said their paypal doesn't work because they have to release money from paypal to Chinese bank. Below is their reponse: "Friend, for the unit price, I've gave you the best price. Because your order is trial order as you know, while I gave you same wholesale price. I hope you can kindly understand, next time, for your formal order(buck quantity), I will give you discount, ok? For the payment method, nowadays, our paypal doesn't work cause of we are releasing money from paypal to our Chinese bank. If you don't want to pay via T/T or Western Union and you want to pay via "safe " way for you, then, you can pay online, as you know it is even more safer than paypal, but there's 5% handing fee, so the total cost turns to be:395.9+395.9*5%=415.7$. If now everything is clear, I will make the link for you to pay tomorrow morning. Best regards" The company name is "Shenzhen Hawtai Trading Co., Ltd." Could you please suggest me on this . Thanks

Hi will I'm looking at starting out importing to Aus I'm having some trouble in find a niche - I was maybe thinking Somthing in the horse industry - but not sure on where to start Could you help me in the area or guide me in the right direction - even if it's completly off topic I would appreciate your help Thanks Nicole

Hello Jessica, the answer is already in the post, you really need to re-read it if you already did it. But in general, If the product you are trying to buy is a well known brand name then the only place you can legally buy it from is the authorized stores for that specific product. Hope this helps, good luck!

Hello David! Thanks for your comment. I wanted to ask you, How do I do the per-labeling the inventory in the country of origin with domestic shipping labels at the point of delivery?? I really don't understand what you mean by that in your comment. Thanks for your time and patience.

Well written, informative and entertaining. Thank you !!

You're most welcome Erin :-D Thanks for reading!

A+++ This method works very well. You just have to make sure you do your research on the products starting out. Compare the products from Alibaba to Ebay and Amazon to make sure their isn't a ton of competition, and also that the product is going to be worth it.

I am Chinese supplier of storage products,very useful and enjoyable reading your article. Most Chinese suppliers are nice and honest.

Hello Will, I am trying to import some food from China to the Netherlands. My order quantities are too low to make the use of seashipping worth it, so I wanted to use a courier service, but it would cost me around 400€ in shipping (500$) to get only 20kg of food in Europe, which is too expensive to keep a good margin AND a decent price. Are these costs normal? And you know any way to pay less in shipping when you order in small quantities? Thanks Mike

Hey Will, I'm in Australia and doing some importing at the moment but not large volumes as am a bit scared of being ripped off, can you help me??

Great article, I'm looking to start an importing business those tips were amazing. Looking forward to the next article. Again great work!

Nice post. Thank you. I wish I had read it sooner. I have already made some of the mistakes you mention.

You can register free of charge with Yahoo and open an email address there. They may send a message to your mobile/cell phone to verify you are human, but the whole process takes 5 minutes!

Hi Will, Thank you for posting this article, it is insanely helpful. My name is Steven, I'm 21 years old and I plan on diving into this importing business as a starting point to generate capital to take forward into future ventures. I have a limited amount of capital and am being extremely careful with choosing my first products. I was planning to buy products in small quantities and sell them 1-5 at a time but I'm finding that when shipping and customs charges are added, the profit margins are nearly eliminated. In your article you mentioned that you were selling only 1-5 products at a time in the beginning. Did you hone in on one product and buy in bulk to lower shipping/customs costs, or did you manage to order small quantities and still make a profit? Hope to hear from you soon, it's amazing to hear what you accomplished at the age of 13-16. Keep inspiring! Steven,

Hey, Did you have problems after ordering products from China and then try to add them on amazon with upc and ean numbers?

hi, I would like to know whether it is possible to find a manufacturer through Alibaba who would be able to turn my ideas into products ? thank you

Hi wil, Awesome article. I have some questions-- 1) i'm willing to import five-fingered shoes from china; with my brand name on them. I have contacted the supplier and they agreed but the problem is their MOQ is around 1000 pairs; please tell me how can I bring it down. 2) Can I order a single sample.

Thanks for the awesome work, Sir. Most people think too much and do little. It's always the right time to reach out Chinese suppliers. Starting from samples or small quantity can't be wrong. Some valuable experiences can only come from practical importing processes.

Dude, nice job! This is exactly what I was looking for. Its the way I was workin but I needed validation! Thanks.

Hi Will, Nice article and awesome You really motivated me and i want to do this business in a small step I hope you will guide me in this journey.

Hey! So how will I know if my item will actually sell on Amazon...how can I be certain. No one seems to clarify that. Yeah terapeak but what shows a solid sign. Say if a item isn't the same on Amazon as alibaba Is that okay, also?

Very interesting article, congratulations! I started a company in France in 1991 with 2 partners and we imported clothing from Asia for large distributors. I sold my shares after 2 years. Bad idea, the company now has sales of over 30 million euros / year. In those days, internet did not exist. I am now contemplating importing from China again with the help of the internet and your input is very helpful. (there is no date so I don't know how old or how recent your article is). Regards.

Hi Jignesh I'd like to know more-do email me. I'm based in the UK. Regards Rich

Hi, Will this an awesome article! I am telling myself that I really have to start. I am living in Thailand now and I am italian Chinese, will start with your first step. Thank you so much for the help! hope I can be lucky find the product that rocks Lol. Sure will keep follow up Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Thank-you for a very sensible article with wisdom acquired from the school of hard knocks. You can speak with authority that comes from experience. Good luck in all your endeavours. Kind regards, Marion.

I cant decided on a product! :(

Hello , First Things first. I would like to Say BIG THANKYOU for your Detailed Article which help people like to who are looking forward to start some business. Note : I am from INDIA , looking to Import from china I would like to know.. 1. lets say, i have purchased some mobile accessories . so if i pay for order in alibaba. Does i need to pay any extra money for 'customs' etc before i got product to my hand? If yes, where and how can i pay?

Where were your parents during this activity when you were younger? And if you had neither father nor mother with you, then where was whoever else?

Nice article very interesting and motivated myself. Thank you for sharing your experience. I was searching for a job and I end up here in your website. i have a lot of knowledge and multilingual and I am searching the "Niche" the right one that does not required much investment of course….Thank you again for you valuable experiences.

Hi,I would like to ask to talk a bit more about your following comment "Don’t sell what you buy - Devan made a great point when I was speaking with him that you can’t sell items that you buy. Most of us buy electronics, clothes, food, and other essentials. I can tell you right now that you are not going to compete in any of those markets. You really have to niche down in this and find a nice little nook for you to sit in."

Great Great article. I wanted to read such a guide to sell stuff for months. Thanks for sharing your real time experience. It's time for me to ACT now.

Thank you for sharing a great information. I tried to do an online business for 3-4 years now but unsuccessful!!! I actually know how sad :) a really difficult part is an issues to find a product. If you can advise me that I will really appreciate :) just a hope that one day I can be a successful person by doing online business.

thankyou for sharing your experience with importing, I have been reading and researching for a while I am new to this and wanted to start with something small and simple. I have found a product on alibaba and contacted the supplier, asked a lot of questions and he has been very prompt with answering me back. I am currently requesting 20 samples of the product. the question I wanted to ask was did you put your brand and change packaging during 1st set of samples or did you just get them to send out generic? also did you collect the freight charge or do prepaid freight? not sure what the best way to go?

Hello, How did you register your online business? As Sole Proprietor or LLC? Thank you, Kelly

Christine, Start as you man to go on. If the item you want is readily available and recognized because its packed in a certain way you may want to continue with that. If you want to build your own brand then do your own packaging.Make the packaging awesome, first thing the customer will see so make sure they love it before they get to the product. Regarding freight you might ask the supplier for his cost. They get great prices in China and although I have a DHL account cant get near their prices most times.Most also take PayPal so its an easy transaction and safe if there are any hiccups.20 samples will be great as you can look and compare quality. Have a good one Jim

Well, I am glad to answer your question, express account is the way for freight in collect, and I believe they will not charge on the samples. It is always the best and most convenient way to send out samples for suppliers.

Hi Really liked your article. The information is so valuable. I have communicated with a seller of a product through Alibaba and they have shipped my sample and it is in route. I have established a new LLC, and a new website for this young business and I am planning on importing a specific type of sock to USA to sell. I would very much appreciate your input. My question for you is: Are there any regulations and/or licenses I need to be obtaining in order to sell these socks? In other words a product like this one coming from China: Does it have any regulations to go through before I actually sell them? Thank you so much in advance and thank you for giving all of us such valuable information. I have a question for you Will, and would really appreciate your insight.

Hi, I've been thinking of doing this with IPHONES but I don't really want to take the risk of them being counterfeit items, is there any sellers you would recommend and any products in particular you'd recommend?

Counterfeits are a bad idea... counterfeit iPhones are a REALLY bad idea. Follow Will's instructions for product research and finding suppliers above.

hi will i am delighted to have read through your experience ! i am based in south africa and would very much like to do the same. will i need a import licence ? rgds, melinda

Nice to see that every person has to struggle and very few reach destination. However we can try rather than to sit and watch the ship sailing. Hope for the best, be prepared for the worst.

hi , I had started Chinese import since 3 years but none of the product I feel is getting me profit as I see many things from China are imported here on large scale and I live in a town where still people are not aware or they buy from bug cities. I would like to start my business of furniture and other small gift items. Please if u could let me know some suppliers from gaungzhou. Thank you for your time.

I am interested in going into the import business but I can't decide which product I should try to market.

Check out the post on finding the perfect product :)

Thanks for the information i have plan to starting importing staff this year but i have been wondering what products can give me good returns.Iam from Nairobi Kenya and a lady .Iam hoping to raise a capital of 10000 $ .I have been thinking may be i can start with phones accessory because i have someone who can supply but as i wait for the release of my finance i just hope i can get a clear direction and be sure.

Dear will, I am justin from vancouver, canada. My idea is to import car dvr .Selleres quoted me 17.3 usd/pc for 100 pieces a particular model. The same model is being sold for 44 cad on e bay by a seller from china What do you think will be a good price to buy 100 pieces for start? Thanks, awaiting your reply

Hi I like the content of your blog as it is easy to imbibe and informative. I am from Delhi , India and I want to import some niche product from alibaba china. It is cost effective as far as rings etc are concerned and I can expect some profit margins but when it comes to handbags or jackets etc I do not see any profit margin for me.For eg if I purchase 1 smartwatch fully loaded it is costing around 70 USD including all costs , but there are already sellers who are selling same or even better stuff at same or frctionally lower rates so why people will buy from me. Same goes for handbags , clothes etc.... in a local market here I can purchase 1 handbag for around 8 USD and I can get discount if I buy in bulk so what is the benefit of sourcing from alibaba and going through all that complexities of customs etc...and as far as local chinese goods are concerned they are not known for quality or durability ... so is it actually profitable to source via alibaba and then reselling it..