QUESTION:
I am writing to confirm that I have gone through all your letters. They're really enriching. I didn't know where I would have gotten all these info. Thanks a million.
Let me be frank with you. I am an industrious person who has been in China for the last four years. I've seen a great deal of business. I've understood that the best way to 'cut my own share of the international money' is getting into trading business. However, I got a big problem. That problem of kick-starting a company on my own. You know; the protocol and finances needed to own my own licences etc.
I need your expertise advice here. I have got the money to subsribe as a paid member to your site. I understand that after subscription I wouldn't be able to count the number of customers knocking on my door. Now, without all necessary paperworks such as licence. How can I go about this business? Or is it the only way?
ANSWER:
First, I cannot advise you on what or how to operate a business in China.
My advice would be, since you write very good English, that you hire yourself
out to Chinese companies to help promote their products as an Export Agent/Broker
but also get yourself on payroll (to help carry you over until commissions start coming in) to
translate or prepare their correspondence, advertising, etc..
I know there is great difficulty in interpreting correspondence to English and many Chinese
companies use online translation programs that are next to worthless.
In regards to the services we offer, we really do not have a membership site. The export leads service may be of some benefit but it too is run by one of the many publishers we deal with.
I am not sure this has provided you with any assistance, but I hope it does and I wish you the best in whatever you decide to pursue.
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QUESTION:
Finding your website and customer service assistance has been very helpful in getting me in the right direction to how I will consider starting up my business. I want to import products from china through an import service, although I am skeptical about how much profit do the importing companies makes off of me and is it more or less then me importing the goods myself? Do the import companies get the products for cheaper then I could? In the world of business its all about knowing people and having this opportunity to ask you questions is very much appreciated as well as the access to your website.
ANSWER:
A couple of things I would really recommend to you, if you are just getting started with Importing goods.
1) Do market research on the products you are considering - just because you like something does not mean others will like it or wish to buy it from you at a price that allows you to make a profit. There is a market research tool that is built into a program I will recommend to you later that is very well regarded as being one of the best, if not the best, market research programs available.
2) If the price an importing company or company that has already imported the product is reasonable enough for you to make a decent profit, then why concern yourself with how much market they are making? Especially in the beginning. They have family's to feed and bills to pay like we all do and are going to mark up what they import at a rate the market will bear.
When you are educated and prepared to take on the responsibilities of importing the goods yourself and at the much higher quantities they most likely have to buy, then do so, but the importers serve a much needed purpose for which they deserve to profit for their time and efforts and most of all "risk".
3) Once you have decided to buy and import products on your own, you should really get a copy of our Importing business course. Don't do like so many people do who end up calling after they have got themselves into a mess because they did not invest in a "real" course that teaches them the processes and acts as a resource library for them to refer to during their entire business career.
Here is the link to our Importing Business Course
4) Now, as an alternative to getting started and working with verified importers and being able to perform the market research you need to be successful, I am recommending you start with this service and only "after" you have established a market for products should you consider getting our importing course and trying to import on your own.
Visit the following web site, take in all the videos and information they have there and do some searches as a guest for the products you are considering. See the verified Importers they have who make these products available and then decide if you wish to subscribe to gain direct access to them and their unique marketing research tools: http://www.importexporthelp.com/redir/odssd.htm
I hope the above suggestions will help you.
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The above questions and answers represent actual emails received at our Import Export Help Center web site. You are encouraged to read the Archived posts to this blog as there are many Questions and Answers. We will continue to post until all Q and A's are published here and all new ones will then be posted shortly after the actual exchange.
Ron Coble
International Business Marketing Services