----
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum:
Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.
Join over 90,000 entrepreneurs who have rejected the paradigm of mediocrity and said "NO!" to underpaid jobs, ascetic frugality, and suffocating savings rituals— learn how to build a Fastlane business that pays both freedom and lifestyle affluence.
Free registration at the forum removes this block.Not Bio but to chime in. Amazon will let you have 2 accounts if they do not sell in the same category. You'll need separate bank accounts and email addresses and to request approval.
I was hoping to sell completely different products in the same category but as per their rules it's a no go =(
I didn't bother looking past step 2. PossiblyThanks for the reply Jake, that clears things up!
Presumably you aren't limited to two accounts then either, so if you find success in 3 separate niches they'll allow you to have a third account too, and so on?
What if a customer orders 2 products which are from different suppliers? How do you go about that? (Talking about dropshipping)
Since you've been in the scene for years now, do you still use a freight forwarder? If so, do you pick one that is local to you?
My final sample is coming in this week, and I'm planning on going with my first order as agreed with the manufacturer. The samples were easy as they were small so they came in a bubble envelope. I'm still frantically thinking about the logistics of having the first order shipped to me.
I plan on contacting a local freight forwarder to me because I don't want to goof anything up. Any input/advises will be appreciated.
Thanks, man!
@biophase thanks a lot for this thread, its awesome.
I have a question, It might not concern you but when I talk to the manufacturers at ali-baba and I ask for 1 sample with my logo and of the final product its always a problem for them.
They say they can only ship the "generic " product [ whatever unbranded item it is ] and the shipping cost is extremely high.
How do you deal with that ? I dont want to see the product without my logo first, I want to see the final product thats why im ordering a sample... am I missing something ?
Agreed.I'm sure they can make your final product if you are willing to pay for it. Sometimes they will only send you a sample of the final product after you make a production order. This is because they need to procure the parts to make you product, especially if it's custom. They aren't going to be able to order just one custom part to make your sample. But if you are willing to pay more for that 1 custom part, then they would be able to make it.
I'm sure they can make your final product if you are willing to pay for it. Sometimes they will only send you a sample of the final product after you make a production order. This is because they need to procure the parts to make you product, especially if it's custom. They aren't going to be able to order just one custom part to make your sample. But if you are willing to pay more for that 1 custom part, then they would be able to make it.
Biophase, thank you for your reply mate !
I actually improved a product that costs me 5-6$ a unit, and intend to sell it.
It isnt " revolutionary " like the products you're selling ( I mean there are products like it ) but mainly by big brands that sell for at least twice the retails price that I will sell it for.
The thing is I wanted a product like this and thought " I dont wanna pay 35-40$ for that, just because it has lets say NIKE on it... "
So lets say they sell something like that for 35-40$, and I will sell it for 19.95$ with my brand on it, and it will actaully be the same quality if not better because I did read reviews and even use a product like that myself so Im improving it to the MAX.
Do you think ill be able to compete in amazon with the big boys while I offer a very similar product to theirs, in just around 50% of their price ?
your thoughts would be appreciated )
and again thank you so much, you dont understand the value you're giving out here, god bless !
I would be pricing it at $35-$40. Maybe you start at $20 to get some sales, but ultimately, if your product is the same or better, there's no reason why it should not sell for the same or more than others. In your case I would probably start at $29.99 and move prices up as your rank higher.
Just because I thought ppl usually trust a product that says " NIKE " or " ADIDAS " more than " Zman sports " ?
What do you think about my margins ? price of a unit is around 5$ not including shipping ( each product is around 2 LBS ) ?
When I get this product im going to market this sh1t out of it im just not sure it will compete with those big guys yet im afraid because they're brand name is so strong...
But if I do decide to go with it... then its youtube videos, spamming FB twitter and basically dominating the internet, lol
Well it will depend on your niche and the brands you are going up against. Nike, Coke, Apple would be pretty big. But other medium brands you will have a chance. What niche or category are you in? Your margins are great even at $20, but at $30 would be fantastic.
I doubt you can dominate any market being a new comer on a limited budget...Thats the thing, nike, under armour, these guys are in the market.
I dont want to compete, I want to DOMINATE the niche ...
Thats why I want a better item, and a lower price...
I'm ordering my first piece, and ill update on my progress... thanks for all those tips man, last question -
What is the process you're going through when looking for products to improve ? how do you choose products ?
I realize you cant give all your secrets, but whatever you can tell us that will NOT harm your business, will be awesome .
Thanks for everything !
Hey Kenric,
I know you've been in the game for a while. I just have some questions over your journey since I'm relatively still a newbie in this.
1. Did you use Alibaba since you first started in the late 2000s? How has contacting manufacturers changed since then since there are now quite a few platforms you can use?
2. Have you ever need to file a charge-back of some sort due to a deal gone wrong? I know you said that any money you send overseas is money you're willing to part with. Just curious to hear if you have any stories such as you're ordering another typical order with Company X, and they stopped replying to your email and such.
3. How do you deal with the culture gap (if you do at all)? This may be a weird one, but I'm weary about being too straight forward to the point that I may appear like an a-hole to the manufacturer. I also don't want to appear weak to them. My manufacturer is slacking a bit on making my sample due to unforeseen circumstances. It's throwing off my plans a bit.
Thanks as always!
Thats the thing, nike, under armour, these guys are in the market.
I dont want to compete, I want to DOMINATE the niche ...
Thats why I want a better item, and a lower price...
I'm ordering my first piece, and ill update on my progress... thanks for all those tips man, last question -
What is the process you're going through when looking for products to improve ? how do you choose products ?
I realize you cant give all your secrets, but whatever you can tell us that will NOT harm your business, will be awesome .
Thanks for everything !
I think you should concentrate on the competing portion before the domination portion. Does Honda sell more cars than Lexus? Yes. Does Honda compete or dominate against Lexus? No, because they aren't in the same ballpark. Nobody compares them.
Does Mercedes compete against Lexus? Yes
Who do you want to be? Honda or Mercedes, when mentioned against Lexus?
Thats EXACTLY when im going to do, be HONDA vs LEXUS.
Thats why my price point is lower, as I said as the beginning
I know you said you dont look at the "best selling " list because thats what most people do [love your advice about that ]
You also said you dont use any software [ correct me if im wrong ]
does that mean your manually/ randomly go through amazon looking for products to improve?
thanks again mate
Thanks. In regards to 3. I asked because the culture is different for sure. I'm placing my first order that's only about $2k in value with a Chinese manufacturer and the communication is great...I email them, they'll reply ASAP, but I have to follow up with deadlines. IE if I was promised pictures of samples would be shown by Thursday then I would have to ask for them on Thursday. Understanbly I'm just a small fish so they probably take care of the larger accounts first. Just a different experience overall than I've had with companies in the states so just wanted to get your thoughts on it and don't want to outcast myself as a jerk or a 'softie'.1) Not much has changed for me. Still contacting new suppliers through alibaba. Still in contact with my old suppliers through email and skype.
2) There's really not much you can do if a company in China decides to screw you. You can try to get your money back if you paid with paypal, but it's probably pretty hard. With a wire transfer I'd just kiss it goodbye. It's a risk of doing business. I never wire over more than I'm prepared to lose 100%.
3) I'm pretty straightforward. I don't make alot of small talk. I'm usually all business when I talk to them. Alot of them want to have long conversations. I don't mind that, they just need to be competent when it comes to the product and work.
Let's assume Amazon and FBA is our sales channel.
Do you prefer to use PPC advertising, or do you prefer organic growth when starting a new store, or adding SKUs to an existing store?
If you use PPC ads, are you using Amazon's? Google AdWords? Both, or something else entirely?
Hey Kenric,
What are your thoughts on heavy items with FBA? I ask because I recently found a complimenting item for my niche. It's probably the size of a mini-fridge so even to get the orders from China would have to be via sea. Just want to know if you've tried any heavier pieces at all and your thoughts on it.
Also, with your own branded items, do you go have custom packaging that says "Bio's brand boxing gloves", and www.biosbrand.com, etc on them? My items come in generic bags from China, but I'm looking at having another party make my custom packaging so the presentation isn't cheap looking. My concern is I'm not sure if Amazon would be OK with that since they don't want anything shown except their own UPC code.
Thanks, bud.
Few questions for anyone to respond to:
1) How do I accurately predict selling volume on Amazon listings? Do the selling listings have a separate page with selling information? Currently, I typically base my estimate on the frequency of reviews. The problem is that about 80-90% of all the reviews I see are made by people who say, "I have received this product at a discounted or free rate for an honest review."
2) Any ideas for coming up with a brand name? I feel like I can make decent names, but I find it hard to find something specific enough to the niche yet broad enough in case I expand.
3) Is it still necessary or unnecessary to order samples from a few different suppliers to test each supplier out? I remember bio saying that he would just tell the factory what he wanted to improve; then, he would just do a small order of over 100 products.
4) Does alibaba.com show which manufacturers take PayPal? Also, is PayPal still the best way to initially pay a supplier to reduce the risk of scammers? What other payment methods do you think are good to use?
5) Any other good websites with importing information, where the goal is to improve products? In other words, I've found some websites that talk about importing, but many seem to appeal to lazier people and say, "Ride the wave! Piggyback on other people's listings!"
6) Do I need to have a registered company to sign up on Alibaba? I tried signing up for Alibaba, but it says I need a legally registered company. That's kind of a problem because I'm 16, and I don't have a company. XD I've been running into some problems as a minor... For example, I'm going to have to register a company under my parents; will I be able to take over the owner title easily once I'm 18? I might just ask a lawyer who knows this stuff, lol.
Thank you for still responding and keeping this active! With your help, I'm getting closer to my goals!
Join Fastlane Insiders.