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Step by Step Guide on How to Find a Profitable Product to Sell

WillMitchell

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Hello everybody,

I just made a followup post to my article that was posted here on "How to Create an Importing Empire".

I received so many questions regarding niche selection and how to find a good product that I decided to do write this guide - "Step by Step Guide on How to Find a Profitable Product to Sell"

This new Step-by-Step took me over 20 hours to write, and is as comprehensive as I could make it. I hope it helps anybody who is having an issue selecting a good product for light-bulk importing.

Let me know if there are any additional questions or anything, I'll be here to answer!

P.S. - I know the link to my blog was posted by somebody other than me last time, so let me know if it is bad etiquette here to post your own link. Just trying to help people with a follow up!
 
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AllenCrawley

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Great info and welcome to the forum. Your posts come at the right time as my son is looking to find products to import.

[FYI, I think you're alright with posting the links since someone else posted it before however the forum rules state no sigs until you reach 100 posts or join the INSIDERS.]
 

WillMitchell

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Great info and welcome to the forum. Your posts come at the right time as my son is looking to find products to import.

[FYI, I think you're alright with posting the links since someone else posted it before however the forum rules state no sigs until you reach 100 posts or join the INSIDERS.]

Thanks a lot Allen, hope this post does help your son out, let me know if there is anything I missed!

Thanks for letting me know on forum rules, I will head over and de-link my sig now (or maybe join INSIDERS :) )

Thanks, first time I have seen such detail put into the topic

Thanks for reading, glad you liked it!

Thought it was a pdf file...

Anyways, thanks.

I will read and send any feedback I have.

Sorry, it probably should be a PDF at its' length :)

Hope you enjoy it, and please do let me know of your feedback,
Will
 

WillMitchell

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[FYI, I think you're alright with posting the links since someone else posted it before however the forum rules state no sigs until you reach 100 posts or join the INSIDERS.]

On the INSIDERS's page it says I get an extra 3 lines of sig space for the paid subscription. Not sure if the link is ok or not?
 

AllenCrawley

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If you have less than 100 posts an INSIDERS subscription allows you to have a sig. It also allows you to have 3 additional lines.

Here's a screenshot from the homepage of this forum:
FLF rules.jpg

Btw, an INSIDERS subscription is worth 1000x the investment.
 
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oddball

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Perfect time for me as well. In the middle of reading it now actually.

Great info and welcome to the forum. Your posts come at the right time as my son is looking to find products to import.

[FYI, I think you're alright with posting the links since someone else posted it before however the forum rules state no sigs until you reach 100 posts or join the INSIDERS.]
 

AllenCrawley

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Laverdure

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Never start with the product ... always start with the market to be successful
 

WillMitchell

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If you have less than 100 posts an INSIDERS subscription allows you to have a sig. It also allows you to have 3 additional lines.

Here's a screenshot from the homepage of this forum:
View attachment 4326

Btw, an INSIDERS subscription is worth 1000x the investment.

Subscribed :)

Perfect time for me as well. In the middle of reading it now actually.

Glad it is helping people!

The document mentions a Spreadsheet.

I do not see the link to that document.

It is in there under "Tools You'll Need" like AllenCrawley said, sorry I will link it where you are referencing as well.

It's the last link mentioned under "Tools You'll Need".

Thanks!

Never start with the product ... always start with the market to be successful

I think it really depends on what you're doing. If you are building a company, it is probably best to start with the market. If you are trying to find a product to import and sell on the side, it is a bit different. You are looking for much different things in each search.
 
D

DeletedUser2

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I received so many questions regarding niche selection and how to find a good product that I decided to do write this guide - "Step by Step Guide on How to Find a Profitable Product to Sell"

Dude!

YOU ROCK
Great job on posting that. awesome information, just freaking great!

congrats on coming to the forum. let me know if I can personally help you in anyway, because you did such a great job creating value for OTHERS first. you can reach out to me if you need anything, just for that. GOLD STAR in my book!

Keep it up.



Z
 
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MissKeda

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Thank you soooooo much for posting this!....you have proven that my decision to join this forum is a good one...I was so impressed that I became your subscriber as well...again thanks....hope I can do the same for you soon.
 

WillMitchell

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Dude!

YOU ROCK
Great job on posting that. awesome information, just freaking great!

congrats on coming to the forum. let me know if I can personally help you in anyway, because you did such a great job creating value for OTHERS first. you can reach out to me if you need anything, just for that. GOLD STAR in my book!

Keep it up.



Z

Hey Z,

Thanks a lot for your kind words!

Thanks for the welcome as well, I am sure I try to put just as much value into this forum as I take out. It seems it might be tough with such great people though!

Thanks again,
Will

Thank you soooooo much for posting this!....you have proven that my decision to join this forum is a good one...I was so impressed that I became your subscriber as well...again thanks....hope I can do the same for you soon.

Awesome! Thanks a lot for reading and taking the time out to post. I hope we can continue to provide you with valuable content in the future :)
 

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Good post will, really enjoyed the read. Another way to find products that I like is through Amazon using the "customers who bought this also bought" Its helpful to get into niches you never expected to get into. I dont have any experience like you have but its a great way to find new things.

Anyways, thanks for the post. If you ever do a third post in the "importing series" I would love to hear if you have used any promotion methods to sell your items through any of the major sales channels (outside of ppc)
 
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Mike.B

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Great post! Obviously you put some time and effort into this.

I do question though, whether a person could still do this and make a profit with SO many others doing the very same. Over the past year I have researched many products in the same fashion that you describe here. The problem I have run into over and over was the enormous amount of small vendors and/or large retailers already selling popular or trending items. Items that I did find with very little competition, nobody was buying or the price point was to low. I believe, when there are large amounts of people vying for the same market space utilizing the exact same search criteria, your chances a very slim of ever making a profit. I understand that there are a lot of new products reaching the marketplace every day, but by the time you find one on Ebay and/or Amazon, that product has essentially been sold to death. Because of this, I've been diligently searching Chinese markets for products that are popular in China and have yet to be sold in the US. Though this process is very monotonous, I believe I'll have a better chance of being ahead of the curve. Now all this may be conjecturable, but it’s some of what I have encountered as a newbie in the import market.

Thoughts?
 

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JAJT

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Thanks Will!

Highly appreciate the follow-up as it comes at the perfect time for myself as well.
 
D

DeletedUser4

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Great post! ObI do question though, whether a person could still do this and make a profit with SO many others doing the very same. Over the past year I have researched many products in the same fashion that you describe here. The problem I have run into over and over was the enormous amount of small vendors and/or large retailers already selling popular or trending items. Items that I did find with very little competition, nobody was buying or the price point was to low. I believe, when there are large amounts of people vying for the same market space utilizing the exact same search criteria, your chances a very slim of ever making a profit. I understand that there are a lot of new products reaching the marketplace every day, but by the time you find one on Ebay and/or Amazon, that product has essentially been sold to death. Because of this, I've been diligently searching Chinese markets for products that are popular in China and have yet to be sold in the US. Though this process is very monotonous, I believe I'll have a better chance of being ahead of the curve. Now all this may be conjecturable, but it’s some of what I have encountered as a newbie in the import market.

Thoughts?

I've been wondering about this too. I've studied all of Will's great info and re-read Vigilante's thread thinking about getting into this. Vigilante said to find a product that is not imported to anyone else in the States. I imagine this is tough to find. Whereas Will takes a different approach, finding products that are already imported and are just undersold, I guess. Two very different points of view.
 
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cdrag

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Excellent post!
Great way to explain to people how to start a valuable importing business.
I sell on ebay daily - I have a few different niche products that I sell and I have always thought about starting to import from China. I do about 30-40K in revenue with collectibles (comics, toys, video games) and profit always varies each year.
I really need to shift my focus towards a handful of things and find a nice that does bring in 50% of more in profit.
Again, great post - you have given people some extemely powerful knowledge
 

WillMitchell

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Good post will, really enjoyed the read. Another way to find products that I like is through Amazon using the "customers who bought this also bought" Its helpful to get into niches you never expected to get into. I dont have any experience like you have but its a great way to find new things.

Anyways, thanks for the post. If you ever do a third post in the "importing series" I would love to hear if you have used any promotion methods to sell your items through any of the major sales channels (outside of ppc)

Thanks a lot for reading and commenting. I also love that feature, but historically have used to to spend money rather than make money :-D I'll have to give it a try

I will definitely keep that in mind for a 3rd part, good idea!

Thanks again!

Great post.

SPEED

Thank you!

Great post! Obviously you put some time and effort into this.

I do question though, whether a person could still do this and make a profit with SO many others doing the very same. Over the past year I have researched many products in the same fashion that you describe here. The problem I have run into over and over was the enormous amount of small vendors and/or large retailers already selling popular or trending items. Items that I did find with very little competition, nobody was buying or the price point was to low. I believe, when there are large amounts of people vying for the same market space utilizing the exact same search criteria, your chances a very slim of ever making a profit. I understand that there are a lot of new products reaching the marketplace every day, but by the time you find one on Ebay and/or Amazon, that product has essentially been sold to death. Because of this, I've been diligently searching Chinese markets for products that are popular in China and have yet to be sold in the US. Though this process is very monotonous, I believe I'll have a better chance of being ahead of the curve. Now all this may be conjecturable, but it’s some of what I have encountered as a newbie in the import market.

Thoughts?

Thanks a lot for reading!

I don't think there is a TON of room for competition, but there are so, so many products out there to sell that it is unlikely that even now this method is saturated overall. I used to think importing like this must be super saturated, but it really isn't. There is opportunity all around you, you just have to know it to see it.

Like I said in the article, you have to avoid the super popular items that have high-volume low-margin retailers competing in them. There are other markets all over the place that are wide open.

Even if 5k people decided to take action on my post, there are literally millions of products to be found. More and more pop up every day as well, tons of opportunity on Etsy and the like since it is new.

I have made some money buying Chinese toys and selling them in the US. Those little inflatable water balls to be exact. Made some good money on them, but again you are going to be paying to sell them, not just selling them. I can put airsoft guns on eBay and have them sell themselves, but if I put some obscure toy nobody already wants then I have to pay to create demand and market and sell it. It is an entirely different business, now you are building a brand (which is why I eventually stopped with those.

It takes some time to know what kind of products to look for, and the only way to know is by finding a few. The first couple are the hardest.

Hope this helps,
Will

Excellent content, Will, your site will be a hit, congrats :thumbsup:

One thing I would like to add: There's a story of one guy that did exactly what Will is teaching us here and got it up to millions per year.

Check this out, all he did was looking for products and selling them on ebay: https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/ge...ideos-links-etc-ebay-thread-3.html#post254278

Thanks a lot for your kind words and confidence :)

I will definitely be checking out that thread tonight after I get back from the office - thanks for the share!

Will

Another source of products (like Alibaba) is Wholesale - Buy China Wholesale Products from Chinese Wholesalers on DHgate.com
Anyone heard of them/bought from them?

I have heard of it, but have no experience working with them. Hopefully somebody else knows, sorry.
 
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biggeemac

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Bugsey and Mike.....if you both read Vigilante's and Will's information, then you may have missed the most important point. Its never about the product. Its always about the value that you can provide. I can find a million things to bitch about.....which means that I can find a million niches that can be profitable. I am highly motivated by what Vigiliante and Will have written and I am going to use the info to get into the niche that my wife and I have found. I'm not scared of the fact that there are many others selling the same product because the PROBLEM is always the same....those guys are trying to make a quick buck without really providing a great service. Its easy to find an importer that throws some crap on Amazon or Ebay, but its hard to find someone thats gonna give a shit if you arent happy with what you got in exchange for your money.
 
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Mike.B

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Bugsey and Mike.....if you both read Vigilante's and Will's information, then you may have missed the most important point. Its never about the product. Its always about the value that you can provide. I can find a million things to bitch about.....which means that I can find a million niches that can be profitable. I am highly motivated by what Vigiliante and Will have written and I am going to use the info to get into the niche that my wife and I have found. I'm not scared of the fact that there are many others selling the same product because the PROBLEM is always the same....those guys are trying to make a quick buck without really providing a great service. Its easy to find an importer that throws some crap on Amazon or Ebay, but its hard to find someone thats gonna give a shit if you arent happy with what you got in exchange for your money.

In this case, I think it's all about the product. Value doesn't mean much in this market when you're competing on price most of the time. Maybe if your product is truly unique or in exceptionally high demand. Yes, customer service does play a role, but not so much when you are competing against 10 other sites that sell the same product. Take for instance the airsoft guns that Will made reference to in his article. Google "airsoft guns" and see how many already compete in this market, not counting Ebay sellers. How do you provide more "value" in this market? What is going to set you apart?
 

WillMitchell

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Thanks Will!

Highly appreciate the follow-up as it comes at the perfect time for myself as well.

Awesome, glad to hear it! Hope it helps :)

I've been wondering about this too. I've studied all of Will's great info and re-read Vigilante's thread thinking about getting into this. Vigilante said to find a product that is not imported to anyone else in the States. I imagine this is tough to find. Whereas Will takes a different approach, finding products that are already imported and are just undersold, I guess. Two very different points of view.

Yes, but both definitely work. I once imported those inflatable "walk on water" balls for a while before they hit the States and made some good money on them. It eventually dried up though, and I got left with some inventory I had to sell at a loss, so I went with the "sustainable side business" approach in my articles. I found that less risky and easier to implement after you find a good product.

Excellent post!
Great way to explain to people how to start a valuable importing business.
I sell on ebay daily - I have a few different niche products that I sell and I have always thought about starting to import from China. I do about 30-40K in revenue with collectibles (comics, toys, video games) and profit always varies each year.
I really need to shift my focus towards a handful of things and find a nice that does bring in 50% of more in profit.
Again, great post - you have given people some extemely powerful knowledge

Thanks a lot for reading.
Congrats on your success so far, importing would probably be pretty easy for you to implement with some experience and money to play with. I would definitely try it out at least and see if you can find a good product! Hope this article can help you grow your business a little further :)

Bugsey and Mike.....if you both read Vigilante's and Will's information, then you may have missed the most important point. Its never about the product. Its always about the value that you can provide. I can find a million things to bitch about.....which means that I can find a million niches that can be profitable. I am highly motivated by what Vigiliante and Will have written and I am going to use the info to get into the niche that my wife and I have found. I'm not scared of the fact that there are many others selling the same product because the PROBLEM is always the same....those guys are trying to make a quick buck without really providing a great service. Its easy to find an importer that throws some crap on Amazon or Ebay, but its hard to find someone thats gonna give a shit if you arent happy with what you got in exchange for your money.

Beautifully written. This is exactly right, you can tell biggeemac knows the fundamentals. You have to have an abundance mindset!

In this case, I think it's all about the product. Value doesn't mean much in this market when you're competing on price most of the time. Maybe if your product is truly unique or in exceptionally high demand. Yes, customer service does play a role, but not so much when you are competing against 10 other sites that sell the same product. Take for instance the airsoft guns that Will made reference to in his article. Google "airsoft guns" and see how many already compete in this market, not counting Ebay sellers. How do you provide more "value" in this market? What is going to set you apart?

There is a lot of opportunity in funneling eBay and Amazon customers into your own marketing campaigns and ultimately recurring revenue. It is just how you think about the business and what your goals are in growing it. The importing business is very flexible with how much time, energy, and money you want to put into it.

Service can REALLY help you on Amazon. Featured Sellers are selected based on Amazon's customer service rating system. If you can keep your numbers running smoothly, they will feature you above other sellers. Big advantage.

Again, it all depends on how you want to grow the business. Of course price does matter, but I know plenty of people who wont buy from an ebay seller without 99.7%+ feedback, so of course service is helpful there too. And again, it becomes much more important if you want to start building a business outside of Amazon and eBay.

Hope this helps!
Will
 

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This is really helpful especially for those who want to start their own business. It's really terrible to invest so much money only to find that you failed. Money really matters a lot. It keeps the world turning.
 
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Love the article Will, you offer great information. I bet it would sell well as an ebook.

Sent from my Galaxy Note ll
 

machin576

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Is anyone else trying this? I have my fist pack of samples on the way. The tracking website is in Chinese, so I don't know when it will get here lol. I say we use this thread to keep track of our successes and failures as we try out will's methods.

Sent from my Galaxy Note ll
 

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