Sidewalker Attempting to Escape

[Member]

This is how I think about finding a product (note to The Grind - I'm not a successful entrepreneur yet either).

If you are familiar with sales and copywriting...

When you are writing copy or selling a product, what do you WISH you could tell your customer without lying?

What are the things that if you told your customer your product could do for them... they would buy INSTANTLY.

Obviously as a copywriter and a salesperson you aren't allowed to actually say these things - you would be lying about the product and your customers would be hugely dissatisfied.

BUT... you don't have a product yet do you?

So, that actually gives you a HUGE advantage.

To create a business you have to first find a market (the people who are going to buy your product). They have a common dissatisfaction, and they are looking for help. They may want to be happier, healthier, sexier, more free time... or for really specific examples we all experience:

I need my house cleaned. may translate to "i'm an embarrassed bachelor who's dates always make fun of him for the state of his apartment" or "i'm a single mother that works all day and can't find time to spend time with friends, take care of my kid, and keep my house clean". Could you bundle house cleaning with making dinner?

I need someone to make me thin. may translate to "i'm overeducated on diet and health, but my willpower sucks" or "i follow every diet to the letter, but i never look the way i want" different markets... different common dissatisfactions and different solutions...

You find the group of people with a common need, a common problem, a common dissatisfaction with where they are and a COMMON PLACE THEY WANT TO GO.

Your skill at copywriting and sales is what helps you with understanding that. All you do is get inside the head of your customer. Listen to their pain points and suffering and figure out "what are the things that i can tell them... that would make them buy my product INSTANTLY".

And then you make the product.

This is the "angle". Any market can be a great market, but not all solutions are equal because not all entrepreneurs have the sales skills and copywriting ability that you do. That skill is what is going to help you understand your customer and offer the solution that makes them open up their wallet.

 

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[ljb7]

Found a product to try, emailed the few suppliers that sell it on Alibaba, been waiting 2 days for replies.

If you aren't getting replies it's most likely because of your opening enquiry.

There are a number of good posts on here about how to craft a good opening message to potential suppliers. Here's one: https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/co...products-and-selling-critiques-welcome.54380/

Do what's suggested and you'll get replies almost every single time.

 

[The Grind]

If you aren't getting replies it's most likely because of your opening enquiry.

There are a number of good posts on here about how to craft a good opening message to potential suppliers. Here's one: https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/co...products-and-selling-critiques-welcome.54380/

Do what's suggested and you'll get replies almost every single time.

Thanks for the suggestion, I got my email template from startupbros. I was able to open a chat with one of the manufacturers I contacted, just asked him if he received my email, he said "you know the past 3 days are our weekend". Haha, lesson learned that they dont do business over the weekends.

I got 2 replies today. One of replies is much more thorough than the other, if he calls me or just continues to email me and wants more specific information on me, how do I make it seem like I have a full operating business when I have no business, no EIN, no legit company name, no logo, nothing.

Also, there are others selling the exact same product on ebay /amazon etc. putting my logo on the packaging makes the product mine right?

 

[ljb7]

Thanks for the suggestion, I got my email template from startupbros. I was able to open a chat with one of the manufacturers I contacted, just asked him if he received my email, he said "you know the past 3 days are our weekend". Haha, lesson learned that they dont do business over the weekends.

I got 2 replies today. One of replies is much more thorough than the other, if he calls me or just continues to email me and wants more specific information on me, how do I make it seem like I have a full operating business when I have no business, no EIN, no legit company name, no logo, nothing.

Also, there are others selling the exact same product on ebay /amazon etc. putting my logo on the packaging makes the product mine right?

Good for you on taking action and getting replies!

Yes, most legitimate manufacturers don't tend to respond too much on the weekend.

Firstly I'd recommend you try out the template I mentioned above - see for yourself which works better.

The answer to your first question is to fake your own empire!

• Think of a name and tell them your company's name is xxxxx (I'd just make sure the name you use isn't registered already). You don't need to register a company to do this either! As long as you're just telling these suppliers it's all fine.
• Craft a basic Wordpress site all about your company - It doesn't need to be amazing, just gives you some validity!
• Get a logo made on fiverr - There are plenty of great logo makers on there - if you don't want to do this you can just make your own.
• Get a business number that redirects to your mobile to appear even more genuine, there are numerous websites that offer monthly subscriptions for a very low price

In answer to your second question, no, putting a logo on the packaging does not make the product yours. Branding a product will add value, it gives you a chance to put an identity behind your product instead of just buying an unbranded product. If you decide to do this, good for you! But just know that people will still be selling the same product, just without your packaging.

The people selling the unbranded version will most likely undercut you on prices as well, but if your brand conveys genuine trust and quality and you find something that truly differentiates you from the crowd, you will be able to charge a higher price and get the majority of sales. Now I haven't branded a product before so I'm not the best person to get advice from, but there are a lot of great threads on here that will help explain all that.

Hope this helps!

 

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[The Grind]

The manufacturer is giving me 2 free samples, said the freight fee is 86 dollars fedex, 86 bucks to ship 2 small items to me? Does that sound accurate?

 

[ljb7]

The manufacturer is giving me 2 free samples, said the freight fee is 86 dollars fedex, 86 bucks to ship 2 small items to me? Does that sound accurate?

If it's the product we were talking about yesterday that seems like an awful lot. Ask him for the weight and dimensions of the package then go to worldfreightrates.com and other courier websites like FedEx and plug in the data to get an estimate of what it should be.

One of the suppliers I'm in talks with really likes me and I'm getting a 13.5kg package which will be quite large for 98$ express with FedEx... This just goes to show how cheap you can really get it.

 

[Land Baron]

No I havent, I read the hustlers thread. I dont see the point in trying to flip stuff on craigslist when It would be more beneficial to spend the money starting an e commerce and learning from that. If I hustle on craigslist, that just pro longs the process for me.

If you want that $ 100.00 - go hustle some stuff on Craigslist. Not only will it meet your immediate needs but through trial and error and osmosis you will learn the very basics of being an entrepreneur. I am no expert - lifelong side walker -finally working to escape. That said I have been self employed for the last 7 years and bootstrapped a business form nothing to one that provides enough for me to take care of my family. I also did all of this without any mentors or help from others.To be successful you have to hustle and you have to think outside the box or else you will be stuck where you are at forever.

 

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[The Grind]

If it's the product we were talking about yesterday that seems like an awful lot. Ask him for the weight and dimensions of the package then go to worldfreightrates.com and other courier websites like FedEx and plug in the data to get an estimate of what it should be.

One of the suppliers I'm in talks with really likes me and I'm getting a 13.5kg package which will be quite large for 98$ express with FedEx... This just goes to show how cheap you can really get it.

Thanks for the references, I went to those sites and checked shipping rates, im getting anywhere from 150-300 for it.

Makes no sense to me. The details of the package are 51*42*16cm, volume weight is about : 7kg

If the shipping is that high for 2 small items that weigh a total of maybe 3 lbs, 40-75 bucks per item??

 

[ljb7]

Thanks for the references, I went to those sites and checked shipping rates, im getting anywhere from 150-300 for it.

Makes no sense to me. The details of the package are 51*42*16cm, volume weight is about : 7kg

If the shipping is that high for 2 small items that weigh a total of maybe 3 lbs, 40-75 bucks per item??

I think you have answered your own question.

$86 may actually be quite good - I thought your package would be smaller than that.

When using Air Freight, there are two different ways you can be charged:

1. Actual Weight
2. Volumetric Weight

If the volumetric weight is larger than the actual weight you'll be charged with that weight.

I'm positive you're being charged on the volumetric weight because of the size vs weight of your package. For somebody who doesn't know about these two different weight charges it may seem expensive, but in actuality it isn't.

Edit: I plugged the measurements of your package into a volumetric weight calculator and it is indeed 7kg in volumetric weight. I'm sure you could still get this price down but for a sample order of 2 pcs it really isn't worth it - negotiate shipping when you begin to order more, otherwise you'll just piss them off.

 

[The Grind]

I'm not ganna proceed with this product, just reviewed all the data again, its only getting a couple hundred clicks a day ( im using market samurai ). Theres 40 other people on ebay selling the exact same product and I have no idea what kind of value I could provide to the item. Read vigilantes thread and

listened to his podcast ( which is excellent ). He says to find a product that doesn't exist here in the USA yet, which confuses me further, so I'm back to researching for a better product / niche using market samurai or find something that doesn't exist here yet. At least I learned a couple things.

 

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[ljb7]

I'm not ganna proceed with this product, just reviewed all the data again, its only getting a couple hundred clicks a day ( im using market samurai ). Theres 40 other people on ebay selling the exact same product and I have no idea what kind of value I could provide to the item. Read vigilantes thread and

listened to his podcast ( which is excellent ). He says to find a product that doesn't exist here in the USA yet, which confuses me further, so I'm back to researching for a better product / niche using market samurai or find something that doesn't exist here yet. At least I learned a couple things.

You're right - with 40 other sellers it probably isn't worth it.

However, you can add value... Post #58 on this very same page gives you some ideas to start adding value... But use your imagination - find an ANGLE!!!

Keep looking, if you're reselling on eBay and Amazon then you'll just need to keep plugging away, finding potential products, crunching numbers. That's how it works in importing - especially when you are a beginner. Find one good product and then find 10 more... it's all about SCALE.

You'll become better and better at finding profitable products and as an added bonus you'll be developing fastlane skills while doing it!

You don't need to find a product that hasn't been introduced to the Western market. That'll be hard - and it'll be even harder if you haven't even made your first buck yet! Yes - finding a product that hasn't been introduced can be great! But if you do, you may start thinking about building a business around it and similar products to it. That's a completely different ball game.

Anyway - while you're on your path of becoming a successful importer, you may even find a great product that hasn't been introduced to the Western market by chance! That's what's happened to me, and I'm currently receiving samples for it as we speak. But I'm also receiving samples for three other products as well at the same time! There's no point putting all of your eggs in one basket this soon.

Good luck and I hope you keep at this long enough to give yourself a chance. A lot of people quit so soon because it all seems so tedious. BUT, once you get that first sale, once you make that first ounce of profit - your hunger will grow. And it'll keep growing every single sale after that.

 

[The Grind]

Imported first product, got the package yesterday. Strictly importing to re sale on ebay to start.

Been letting the 60 hours a week in slow lane jobs distract me, nothing more demotivating than slow lane influences and the steady paycheck.

 

[Kid Money]

Let me make this really easy for you. I'm going to tell you EXACTLY how to supplement your income and QUIT your job (once you're off and running of course)

You make $600 before taxes per week right?

3 things you need. A car, drivers license and basic knowledge about phones/electronics. That's it. Let not complicate.
Here we go:

Get on Craigslist.
1-Buy an almost flawless iPhone 5s from someone you can negotiate down that needs to buy xmas presents this season.
2-sell it on eBay for 75-100 profit.
3-take that money and snowball it.

DONE! You just made $75-100 in about 30 minutes. Do that for 30 minutes 6 days a week. You just replaced your slave wage 60 hr income for 3 hours per week.

Now here's where I'll need you to use your vision. There are things called iPads, iphone 6's, samsungs, tvs, laptops, ETC.!

This isn't exactly fastlane but you can easily make $1000 week if you apply yourself and learn about certain things.

This is for a beginner but who cares. Take 6 months flipping and reinvesting your profits and while you are at it you will have a crash course on selling, buying, negotiating, dealing with negative people and the good feeling of taking X and making Y for a profit. I am 1000 percent positive anyone can do this. Even if you only make 25-50 on each deal.

So here's your plan:

Start by doing this on your free time. Take that money and invest it back and keep turning it. I am confident that you will have a $5k nest egg after 6 months. Take that and invest that into something that will make a profit. Walahh you're a millionaire after a few years. What's the worst? You lose your job and are still broke? You need to realize at this point you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Get motivated and get pissed off. Take action. No excuses. Best of luck to you buddy!

Cheers!

 

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[The Grind]

Let me make this really easy for you. I'm going to tell you EXACTLY how to supplement your income and QUIT your job (once you're off and running of course)

You make $600 before taxes per week right?

3 things you need. A car, drivers license and basic knowledge about phones/electronics. That's it. Let not complicate.
Here we go:

Get on Craigslist.
1-Buy an almost flawless iPhone 5s from someone you can negotiate down that needs to buy xmas presents this season.
2-sell it on eBay for 75-100 profit.
3-take that money and snowball it.

DONE! You just made $75-100 in about 30 minutes. Do that for 30 minutes 6 days a week. You just replaced your slave wage 60 hr income for 3 hours per week.

Now here's where I'll need you to use your vision. There are things called iPads, iphone 6's, samsungs, tvs, laptops, ETC.!

This isn't exactly fastlane but you can easily make $1000 week if you apply yourself and learn about certain things.

This is for a beginner but who cares. Take 6 months flipping and reinvesting your profits and while you are at it you will have a crash course on selling, buying, negotiating, dealing with negative people and the good feeling of taking X and making Y for a profit. I am 1000 percent positive anyone can do this. Even if you only make 25-50 on each deal.

So here's your plan:

Start by doing this on your free time. Take that money and invest it back and keep turning it. I am confident that you will have a $5k nest egg after 6 months. Take that and invest that into something that will make a profit. Walahh you're a millionaire after a few years. What's the worst? You lose your job and are still broke? You need to realize at this point you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Get motivated and get pissed off. Take action. No excuses. Best of luck to you buddy!

Cheers!

Good post thank you.

I look on CL for deals almost every day, I did buy an iphone 5s a few weeks ago that seemed to be a very good deal, took me 2 weeks to sell it and ended up losing 20 bucks for gas and a couple hours of time.

600 before taxes, I wish, I take home 250 a week. Both sales jobs, one job is only commission and is very difficult to get an actual paycheck.

I'm making progress though, never thought I'd actually import something from Asia and I did.

 

[The Grind]

Sold the sample, it was only on ebay for a couple days, made adjustments to the ad as time went on, I'm not sure why someone bought it honestly I think the ad sucked.

Sorting out how to ship it now so it arrives when it should, then I'll determine the costs and see if I have enough cash to order more.

 

[Kid Money]

Sweet! Don't worry about why it sold or why you think it sucked. Worry about the fact that it SOLD! Keep going and remember one thing is more important that the $ at this point- the knowledge! Take something from every sale and use it as a weapon on your next. Keep moving forward!

 

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[The Grind]

Just got back from post office, it felt amazing standing in line waiting to ship an envelope of value to another person, knowing you created that value for them. Makes me think it's sad not wanting to provide the most amount of value and wanting to sell snake oil to make a buck.

 

[The Grind]

Went to order 10 pieces after I sold the 1 sample, supplier gets back to me days later and says the MOQ is 1500-2000. Completely out of the question for me. Theres only a couple suppliers for this specific product and they never responded to me.

Guess I'm back to researching and finding a product.

 

[miked_d]

Went to order 10 pieces after I sold the 1 sample, supplier gets back to me days later and says the MOQ is 1500-2000. Completely out of the question for me. Theres only a couple suppliers for this specific product and they never responded to me.

Guess I'm back to researching and finding a product.

Ask for a test order of 250. Offer to pay more. If that is too much, look for some traders that will do smaller quantities (if the numbers still work). Keep selling stuff from the traders until you can reach the manufacturers MOQ.

Contact the other manufacturers again. Use a different email, different name and different message.

 

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[The Grind]

Ask for a test order of 250. Offer to pay more. If that is too much, look for some traders that will do smaller quantities (if the numbers still work). Keep selling stuff from the traders until you can reach the manufacturers MOQ.

Contact the other manufacturers again. Use a different email, different name and different message.

Yeah 250 pieces is way out of my price range, honestly I couldn't even fit 250 pieces in my room that I rent.

When you say traders you mean companies on Alibaba that are not the actual manufacturers?

 

[miked_d]

When you say traders you mean companies on Alibaba that are not the actual manufacturers?

Exactly. I am in the same position.

With one product, I am talking with a few manufacturers with high MOQs and a trading company with lower MOQs. The trading company charges a little more. I am going to work with the trading company until I have enough to buy direct from a manufacturer.

I am not a sourcing expert. I'm just sharing the route I am taking.

 

[The Grind]

Exactly. I am in the same position.

With one product, I am talking with a few manufacturers with high MOQs and a trading company with lower MOQs. The trading company charges a little more. I am going to work with the trading company until I have enough to buy direct from a manufacturer.

I am not a sourcing expert. I'm just sharing the route I am taking.

Gotcha, thank you. Makes sense, doesn't seem like there is another choice.

 

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[The Grind]

Got in touch with the only trade company for the product, they want to charge me 50 per piece, which made me laugh, its suppose to cost 1-3 per piece so the 50 just made no sense, I asked why so much basically, they said the best they could do would be 30 per piece for samples. Still makes no sense whatsoever. Literally just trying to scam people I suppose.

 

[The Grind]

I know "it only costs a few hundred dollars to start an importing business". But I make 10 dollars an hour, you know how long it takes for me to save 300 dollars to blow on ordering samples from asia? Months.

And ordering samples you're sure to lose most of it if not all of it seeing if the product sells and of course samples are much more expensive to ship here.

I'm not giving up here or anything, just asking if I'm understanding the process here to make sure I'm at least on the right path. Save a couple hundred, order 5-10 samples, see if they sell, order more if they sell quickly. Also the MOQ is usually a lot, a 2k order or something which again that would even take me much longer to save up.

 

[jockinbox]

There is no shortage of money in the world

Think bigger

 

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[The Grind]

There is no shortage of money in the world

Think bigger

If I wasn't thinking bigger I would have opened a 401k a few days ago when it was presented to us at my job. Alls I'm asking is if the process I said above is correct for the most part, you really don't know if the product will be good until you actually order it and try to sell it, right?

 

[miked_d]

If I wasn't thinking bigger I would have opened a 401k a few days ago when it was presented to us at my job. Alls I'm asking is if the process I said above is correct for the most part, you really don't know if the product will be good until you actually order it and try to sell it, right?

Unless someone else is already selling, you need to try selling it for yourself.

With the crazy sample price you were quoted, did that include shipping? One of the items I am working on costs around $1.25. Most places would give me the samples for free but ask that I pay shipping. They always want to use express couriers as it the easiest for them.

 

[The Grind]

Unless someone else is already selling, you need to try selling it for yourself.

With the crazy sample price you were quoted, did that include shipping? One of the items I am working on costs around $1.25. Most places would give me the samples for free but ask that I pay shipping. They always want to use express couriers as it the easiest for them.

I don't think it was including shipping. they said 30 per piece. Even if shipping was included it still is way too much, they only sell for 20 bucks. If it costs 30 per piece for the product and shipping to get to you and you can only sell for 20, your just losing money.

That specific product completely left my mind, it was a shower curtain with a specific design on it. I've been looking for a different product.

 

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[jockinbox]

If I wasn't thinking bigger I would have opened a 401k a few days ago when it was presented to us at my job. Alls I'm asking is if the process I said above is correct for the most part, you really don't know if the product will be good until you actually order it and try to sell it, right?

yeah but thats not what I am referring to

lack of capital is another obstacle you need to face, not just give up because of it

do you think everyone who had a good idea always had money in their pocket to make it happen? please

you started this thread October 9th of 2014, it took you 3 months to find a product, order it and sell it, and then you GAVE UP because the MOQ was too high

whats your plan? spend 3 more months looking for another product that will work & hope the MOQ is low enough?

You realize you are dealing with China and they make their money in QUANTITY, they make a penny per item. They live off selling hundreds of thousands.

If you REALLY have a product that you can make money off that easily it shouldnt be a problem for you to find money

remember, INVESTORS ONLY MAKE MONEY WHEN THEY INVEST

trust me I dont know a single old fart with 30k in CD's that is happy making less than inflation

Common man get creative, start F*cking reading, start learning from the F*cking geniuses who have gone before you

We can put a guy on the F*cking moon but you cant figure out how to pull this shit off?

You honestly arent trying hard enough

 

[The Grind]

yeah but thats not what I am referring to

lack of capital is another obstacle you need to face, not just give up because of it

do you think everyone who had a good idea always had money in their pocket to make it happen? please

you started this thread October 9th of 2014, it took you 3 months to find a product, order it and sell it, and then you GAVE UP because the MOQ was too high

whats your plan? spend 3 more months looking for another product that will work & hope the MOQ is low enough?

You realize you are dealing with China and they make their money in QUANTITY, they make a penny per item. They live off selling hundreds of thousands.

If you REALLY have a product that you can make money off that easily it shouldnt be a problem for you to find money

remember, INVESTORS ONLY MAKE MONEY WHEN THEY INVEST

trust me I dont know a single old fart with 30k in CD's that is happy making less than inflation

Common man get creative, start F*cking reading, start learning from the F*cking geniuses who have gone before you

We can put a guy on the F*cking moon but you cant figure out how to pull this shit off?

You honestly arent trying hard enough

So the advice there was...??