Import/Export Guide With Steps! Get in here to change the way you think!

[Tubulin]

Alright guys, here it is, due to popular demand I'm releasing this step by step guide to importing/exporting.

What you'll need:
- Some Capital
- A Market
- Website (optional)
- Some brains and balls


What is Importing/Exporting

Importing is the act of bringing (goods or services) into a country from abroad for sale.

Exporting is the act of sending (goods or services) to another country for sale.

So what, tell me how I make money

Alright I guess you don't care about definitions and want to know how you can make money from all this.

Well it's simple, you import for low, and sell for high. You produce for low, export for high. Most of you will probably import as I can imagine you don't produce fruits, chemicals etc, so we will focus on importing.

If it's that easy, why doesn't everyone do it?

The answer to that question is very simple, not everyone knows! Another answer is, nobody cares! Believe it or not, people don't know the stuff they are buying from dollar stores cost the owner a penny. All these "closing sale warehouses" - they mass import from a foreign country like china and sell to you for crazy margins!

Alright, I'm interested, how can I get started?

Alright first things first. Research your market. Find out what people are buying, the new "hot" product. Look at classified ads, check what people need. Say someone posted an ad for socks. Message them how many pairs they need. If they say "100 pairs", bingo - there's your first client. You can also check out cool gifts, gadgets etc. and experiment with sample orders.

Where should I find a supplier?

Great question! DHGate and Aliexpress are NOT your friends! They are middleman! They will charge you higher prices! Alibaba.com - this your friend in the importing game. Anything you can think of will be found there. Beware, there are scammers, so just make sure to avoid shady people. Seeing a "gold member" status usually implies they are trust worthy as alibaba runs background checks, and the supplier has to pay a hefty premium to become a gold member. Next, don't be startled by their MOQ (minimum order quantity), always make sure to place a sample order. You can use the sample order to promote the product. Usually you have to pay just for shipping costs. After you place your first order and sell your products, you will call your self an idiot and say "why didn't I do this before..."

Some start up ideas/products
- led Dog Collars => great time, it's Christmas season, makes a great gift. If you have a dog, order 10 pieces as sample, put one around your dog an take him out for a walk when it's getting dark. If people approach you, you know you got something.

Average cost on alibaba.com = $1.2-$1.6/collar

Average retail value = $6-$15

Average profit per 100 collars = $380-$800


Will be updating with more ideas and products!

Please let me know if this helped! Directed to those that wanted more insight on to what it is about!

Also if you guys got any questions, please ask below and either another miscer or myself will answer them for you!

[MirinTheIron]

Great guide! thanks brah

[Dang3rZone]

repped. thanks for starting a guide on importing/exporting. after reading the other 2 threads, im strongly looking into getting in the import/export world.

[hickorysmoked1]

Will rep again off recharge bro. Awesome thread!

[Tubulin]

Thanks brahs, I will continuously update the op with more products and ideas!

[hickorysmoked1]

Question. How long will a vendor usually take to get back to you on Alibaba? I know I'm being impatient lol but would they ever just not get back to you for some reason?

[Dang3rZone]

What are the other costs in importing goods? Outside of paying for the goods themselves and the shipping.

[swks26]

Lol.

[Tubulin]

Question. How long will a vendor usually take to get back to you on Alibaba? I know I'm being impatient lol but would they ever just not get back to you for some reason?

Make a trade manager account. Then when you search for a product, there is a box you can tick that states "online", and chat with em.

Otherwise, usually the suppliers from china, japan, Taiwan answer you fast. Try to be professional, tell them your an import from the states, and was interested in their products. Tell them to attach a catalog etc.

[nillocsivad]

You mentioned exporting fruits. Could I get more info on that? I'm building a business that focuses on commercial aquaponics technology. The plan so far is to sell aquaponic systems, my own custom control systems for greenhouse automation, and fruits and veggies. Top quality organic produce sells easily these days. Hadn't thought of exporting the produce, though.

[Tubulin]

What are the other costs in importing goods? Outside of paying for the goods themselves and the shipping.

Import duties, which depend on your place of residence. Say you live in Ontario, Google "Ontario import duty calculator". Also if your products will cost you around $100 or so, usually the suppliers mark the item as 40-50 so that you pay less import duties. Make sure to talk to the supplier about that.

[Tubulin]

You mentioned exporting fruits. Could I get more info on that? I'm building a business that focuses on commercial aquaponics technology. The plan so far is to sell aquaponic systems, my own custom control systems for greenhouse automation, and fruits and veggies. Top quality organic produce sells easily these days. Hadn't thought of exporting the produce, though.

For the exports your going to need connections in that country you want to export in. Otherwise, become an alibaba supplier and start promoting your goods. Which country you reside in if you don't mind?

[nillocsivad]

For the exports your going to need connections in that country you want to export in. Otherwise, become an alibaba supplier and start promoting your goods. Which countryyou reside in if you don't mind?

I'm in Lockhart, TX

Right now I've just got a few hundred lettuce, strawberry, tomato, swiss chard, and eggplant plants along with some herbs in a greenhouse. Just getting things going, testing my electronics, and seeing what grows well. It'll probably be another 6 months to a year before I'm pumping out a few thousand pounds of fish, fruit, and veggies each month.

[Tubulin]

I'm in Lockhart, TX

Right now I've just got a few hundred lettuce, strawberry, tomato, swiss chard, and eggplant plants along with some herbs in a greenhouse. Just getting things going, testing my electronics, and seeing what grows well. It'll probably be another 6 months to a year before I'm pumping out a few thousand pounds of fish, fruit, and veggies each month.

How much does it cost you to produce maybe a lb of tomatoes?

[nillocsivad]

How much does it cost you to produce maybe a lb of tomatoes?

Hard to say on the tomatoes right now. I've got three different strains and will have to see how they compare. For a lb of romaine, though, about $.75 and generally sells for around $3 here. I have about 2000sq ft available for growing right now in the first greenhouse. Each sq ft is a pound of romaine every six weeks, assuming only romaine is grown. I'm also developing my own automation electronics to reduce labor, so the numbers will improve and should have another 2000sq ft added on next year.

[Tubulin]

Hard to say on the tomatoes right now. I've got three different strains and will have to see how they compare. For a lb of romaine, though, about $.75 and generally sells for around $3 here. I have about 2000sq ft available for growing right now in the first greenhouse. Each sq ft is a pound of romaine every six weeks, assuming only romaine is grown. I'm also developing my own automation electronics to reduce labor, so the numbers will improve and should have another 2000sq ft added on next year.

Is the land paid off? If not, how much does it cost you to manage the place? You got potential bro, put a brand on yourself and start getting your products out. Everyone is health conscious these Days, perfect marketing opportunity.

[BellusAdonis]

Could I ever live up to this guy?

[nillocsivad]

Oh ya, I forgot the fish. Not sure if that's something that could be exported and still turn a profit, but I can grow Tilapia, Koi, Goldfish, Catfish, or Bluegill. Right now I'm running goldfish. Fish sales aren't really part of the business model, but I will end up with at least a thousand pounds of them per greenhouse each year. If I sell them once they reach maturity, that is.

[Uncle-Phil]

How do you sell your products? Ebay or what?

[Tubulin]

How do you sell your products? Ebay or what?

Local, my own site, sometimes I use eBay.

Check out my new site: aesthetic-bags.myshopify.com

Been a hit, only out for 3 days, I didn't even get a full domain lol... Sold out already.

[nillocsivad]

Is the land paid off? If not, how much does it cost you to manage the place? You got potential bro, put a brand on yourself and start getting your products out. Everyone is health conscious these Days, perfect marketing opportunity.

Nope, it's not. The situation basically is this. My dad has 7.5 acres of land that he's got nearly paid off, and he lives overseas. He doesn't use the land for anything, except he lets some immediate family live there. After I graduated earlier this year, I expressed interest in aquaponics technology and he offered to help fund a small startup. So now I've got a 3000sq ft greenhouse I'm filling up with stuff, and enough land for 10 or 20 more similarly sized greenhouses. The cost per head of lettuce I quoted is with a single greenhouse and includes all costs except his mortgage. He'll be paying that regardless, and any profit I make will go back to him to help pay things off and build more greenhouses. His property taxes are relatively low, and won't significantly impact the bottom line. I can't quote a number on that because I don't remember it right now, but I can say it's not a deal breaker.

On top of the produce, my degree is in electronics engineering, and I'll be leveraging that to design these greenhouses such that they're nearly autonomous and self-sustaining and I can manage many of them myself. I'll also be selling the control systems for either large or small scale greenhouses.

[Uncle-Phil]

Local, my own site, sometimes I use eBay.

Check out my new site: aesthetic-bags.myshopify.com

Been a hit, only out for 3 days, I didn't even get a full domain lol... Sold out already.

Fuking repped brah.

I love good ideas like this.

Do you use a company for your credit card/ shopping cart system or what? and how much do they charge?

[MirinTheIron]

Local, my own site, sometimes I use eBay.

Check out my new site: aesthetic-bags.myshopify.com

Been a hit, only out for 3 days, I didn't even get a full domain lol... Sold out already.

How are you bringing traffic to your site?

[chichotheman]

i started a led lighting business in 2010 every year i bring about 50k just working when i feel like it, this is a great market but you need to have knowledge on types of lights, bases, colors, sockets voltages and currents, but you can learn quick, leds are replacing normal bulbs fast, and the profit is amazing, i encourage anyone to start one on their town and they will probably make bank


i used aliexpress and dhl for orders usually i go to businesses show them the benefits of led lighting, less energy consumption last longer etc, once they say they are in i ask for half of the money with that money i buy the product and keep a little more, then i deliver and get payed. never work with my own money, info is money, thats my deal.

[reflex13]

moar ideas

[nillocsivad]

just working when i feel like it

Such an awesome feeling, right?

[chichotheman]

Such an awesome feeling, right?

it is im still studying uni but i dont plan on sending any resumes when i graduate, i beleive a person can make a living by multiple businesses and not depend of someone else

[BeefJurky]

i started a led lighting business in 2010 every year i bring about 50k just working when i feel like it, this is a great market but you need to have knowledge on types of lights, bases, colors, sockets voltages and currents, but you can learn quick, leds are replacing normal bulbs fast, and the profit is amazing, i encourage anyone to start one on their town and they will probably make bank


i used aliexpress and dhl for orders usually i go to businesses show them the benefits of led lighting, less energy consumption last longer etc, once they say they are in i ask for half of the money with that money i buy the product and keep a little more, then i deliver and get payed. never work with my own money, info is money, thats my deal.

How do you start stuff like this. Where do you/how do you find a place to buy these lights in bulk/cheap? And from there how do you find people to sell too?

And for the OP, okay so lets say you found a place to buy these bags cheap and want to sell them high... how do you bring traffic to your site?

[BeefJurky]

bump...

[freelans]

good thread though brah
repped