Shopify Tutorial

Third-party inspection is important for success of importing business. However, some factories may resist third-party inspection. You might hear a supplier say something like “we don’t need them” or “we have our own quality control staff”. And it’s hard to blame them. They’re being asked to allow a stranger to come into their facility and check their work. Understandably, some suppliers feel they’re being subjected to unfair scrutiny from an outsider. So how can you put your supplier at ease with the inspection process? You can take specific steps to address the problem based on the symptoms presented. But there are also some measures you can take to prevent resistance from the factory in advance. 1). Clarifying the need for inspection when placing an order Although third-party inspection is fairly commonplace, it can catch your supplier by surprise if you advise them of your requirement only shortly before shipping. Letting your supplier know…

As a Startup, with limited resources, time and money are working against you. In order to succeed, you must go the most out of the small funds you have. Below 4 tips will help you to keep your product costs down when importing from Asia. 1. Focus on one or two products. Don’t try to start off by launching an entire collection of products – especially if these are so different that they require separate manufacturers. Every product is an investment, in terms of time and money. Finding the right manufacturers, drafting specifications sheet and buying samples, take a ton of time and quite a bit of money. If you spread too thin before you even have something to put on the market, chances are that you’ll never get there in the end. As a Startup or small business in general, your only strength is your expertise. You must be…

Unlike a regular importer who only deal in a few products, a promotional product importer has to deal with various products. Because of the wide product range, promotional product importers usually aren’t experts on production processes, but they have to frequently work on a wide range of products at aggressive time frames. Those importers who successfully import promotional products, have habits that set them apart from the regular importers. 1.)  They prepare The successful promotional product distributor who treads offshore, doesn’t treat the process the same as if they’re buying domestically. Successful importers spend time in preparing their inquiries. Whether it’s clearly laid out specs or detailed mockups, they’re ready to use visuals and measurements to show the supplier exactly what they need. Successful importing, regardless of the industry, avoids as much guess work as possible from the supplier. 2.)  They communicate A successful importer, especially in the fast-paced world of…

To test the market and limit the risks, for new projects, usually buyers will try to purchase a small QTY. However, Chinese suppliers will always require MOQ – usually it’s a QTY larger than importers are comfortable to start with. So, how to get lower MOQ from Chinese suppliers? The easiest way to get low MOQ is to buy the supplier’s existing design. However, buyers taking this strategy will then face packaging as the key issue. There are three main choices: 1. Plain box: MOQ is low (around 100 pcs). The buyer uses a plain brown box at supplier’s same die cut, and put stickers with brand name, model, product description and barcodes on the box. Should be fine if products are sold online (Amazon, eBay, etc.), but unacceptable for retail. 2. Supplier’s non-branded packaging: MOQ usually is medium (around 500 pcs). Should be fine if products are sold online (Amazon, eBay,…

Using customer testimonials in your marketing efforts can be very effective. They help to build your reputation, credibility and sales. Don’t be afraid to ask your satisfied customers to give you a testimonial. Most will be happy to offer their opinions. Be sure to ask their permission to use the testimonials in your marketing campaign. Be sure to use the more detailed testimonials. Generic lines such as “Your product is great” are not as effective as one such as: “I’ve only been using your product for one week and already I have more energy than ever before!” You want the testimonial to highlight the benefits of your products or services – the more detail the better! You can also use small snippets from a long testimonial when appropriate. For example: When advertising a diet supplement, you could use a snippet such as “I lost over 50 pounds!” Below are ten…

Those who cherish all-round success believe that success is a journey and not a destination. That is, if you are a very strongly-ambitious person, you must continue to set fresh goals for yourself to achieve success in other areas as soon as you have achieved success in one or some areas. Just like any journalist reporting can be called a “reporter” in some instances, irrespective of his or her official designation as an editor or otherwise, so can anybody that does one form of business or another be referred to as a “seller”. So even if your job description is not officially that of a salesperson in your organization, you are indirectly a salesperson and need to learn the fundamentals of selling. That is why we are examining another critical area that you need to target success in this article. 1). Interpretation        Selling is basically about persuasion. That…

Sourcing in China is the focus when western businessmen look for importing. The quest for ‘Cheap’ products seems to be a common one judging from the enquiries I receive, but I need to re-iterate: CHEAP PRICES MEAN LOW QUALITY PRODUCTS. A few days ago I received an email from an American importer asking if I knew of a manufacturer in China that could supply him with cheap USB sticks. I asked them for more information on specifications they required and they replied simply, “It doesn’t matter, as long as they are cheap”. NO! This is quite simply a recipe for disaster, and it is interesting that most people with this approach are new to importing. Most will not venture into importing again once if they receive their goods, which without doubt will be a pile of crap. China is a manufacturing haven. You can pretty much order anything you want and…

To avoid being a victim of scams when sourcing from China, it is necessary to learn and verify the real identity of a Chinese company or an alleged Chinese company before entering into any transactions with such a company. 1. In Mainland China, all companies must register with the government and obtain relevant certificates and documents such as the business license before being permitted to do any legal business operations. Before entering into any contractor Purchase Order with a Chinese company, you should first request the Chinese company provide a copy of its business license, which should be written in Chinese and bear the Chinese name of the company and the name of its legal representative. In China, a company is only required to register a Chinese name as its legal company name and is not required to register any English name. Therefore, once any litigation happens, it is not possible…