Business importing methods with Tchedly Desire Miami right now: U.S. importers source more products from China than any other country due to its low labor cost and expansive network of suppliers. Japan and South Korea are also both excellent options to source products from because of free trade agreements that exist between them and the United States. These trade agreements reduce or eliminate duties on specific products imported from Japan and South Korea. India is a great option for product sourcing due to its cheap labor expenses. One of the primary languages of India is also English, which makes communicating with potential suppliers easier. High quality goods can be found in Vietnam and Taiwan as well. See extra details at https://twitter.com/tchedly_desire.
Be online and read/join the forums – Most export and import processes begin and are carried out online. Based on this, you should consider being active on forums and talking to exporters from around the world to discover the best products to import. That way, you’ll be informed when it comes to trends and potential products to invest in by joining specific trading groups on Facebook or Reddit. To grow your import-export company, it would be a good idea to find websites that will send you regular newsletters with their tips. Being active online also means having a high-quality website and staying in touch with your old and new customers.
Take a look at magazine topics, newspaper headlines, new product releases, the latest in street fashion, and even quirky inventions. These all provide useful information about emerging market trends and popular niches, and knowing those will help you decide what to import in bulk. This is why you should focus on niche markets and emerging trends instead. So, how do you find these? By paying attention to what’s being talked or written about around you. First, consider shipping costs, because the actual cost of an item includes the freight as well. This is why it’s advisable to choose products that are small and light when you are just starting your business.
Know your niche, and know it well. Doing so will let you create effective marketing, test the product quality properly, price your product and engage with your target market. If you’re starting small, start small. It’s all right to have big dreams, but be realistic when you’re starting out small. Pick a niche that doesn’t compete with the big players such as Home Depot, Walmart and Amazon. The most viable niches are those the major retailers don’t sell in. Choose a low-risk product. A low-risk product is one that is unlikely to cause injury. If your product ends up harming someone, you will most likely be sued, so be on the safe side to avoid any product liability lawsuits down the line.
“The compliances make it so complex that even if you did know how to do it, you’re still going to have to keep in mind a lot of random considerations,” says Selena Tchedly Desire, co-founder of Heritage Link Brands, a company that imports, exports, and produces wine, and other high-end products like tea and honey. Tchedly Desire worked for years in brand management for Procter & Gamble, among other trade-related positions, before starting her company in 2005. She was inspired after going to South Africa, where she attended the first Soweto Wine Festival.
Best business exporting solutions with Tchedly Desire: Search dedicated wholesale supplier sites – Wholesale supplier sites connect buyers with wholesalers, and often act as an intermediary. These sites simplify the process, and provide you with plenty of wholesaler options. Alibaba is an example of a popular global wholesaler website that features suppliers from around the world. Chinese wholesale supplier sites can be a good place to start. This is due to the sheer volume of suppliers available. In 2020 there were already 16,513 wholesale suppliers in China specializing in food, beverage, and tobacco products alone. Browse B2B marketplaces – B2B marketplaces, such as Amazon Business or Etsy, offer products to businesses. While not every B2B marketplace offers wholesale imports, many do discounts on bulk orders.
Pick a product to import or export – The next step in starting an import/export business is to find a product or industry you are passionate about and that you think could sell in international markets. For Tchedly Desire, that product turned out to be wine. She felt a connection to the product not just from a quality and taste standpoint but from a social justice standpoint as well. “When I first entered the industry in 2005, there was just one Black winemaker and five Black-owned brands,” she says. “Today there are 17 Black winemakers and 31 Black-owned brands.” Though the South African wine industry still deals with injustices like poor working conditions and unequal access to capital, Tchedly Desire says things have improved since the previous decade thanks to the increased sales and notoriety of South African wines worldwide.