16 and Importing

[JSM]

Hi all,

Little bit of background: I'm 16, and I live on a farm in a town with a population of 4,000. I'm a 4.0 honors student that's currently college bound. My view on college has changed after being on the forum and reading The Millionaire Fastlane . For me to have any chance at persuading my parents that college is a waste I'm going to need some proof. That proof will be in the form of a successful business.

With that being said I have chosen a product that has the potential to scale, and I can separate my time from my money. I'm currently focusing on learning digital marketing and seo. I am ordering samples from a company tomorrow and will be using the samples to build an instagram account and a facebook page. If anyone has any advice on threads to read, books to read, websites to visit I would appreciate that. I will try to update this thread weekly.

 

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[JSM]

Quick update: Bought samples today. Manufacturer said they would be here this weekend at the latest. Does this sound like it would be correct?

 

[JSM]

Update: Samples arrived today. Going to have my friend check them out for me tomorrow. He's pretty knowledgeable about what I'm working with. I'm excited to see where this goes.

 

[Motley crue]

Hey pilot, good luck in your eCommerce endeavors. If done properly it can be a very profitable avenue, but if done incorrectly it can be a money pit, but either way it's a good way to gain some experience. If you want to hear a few pointers from someone who flopped in his one attempt at an eCommerce store, I would give you two very important pieces of advice. 1. Find a product with a small amount of competition (I know you already have your product) and 2. (in my scenario my biggest failure) Do not cut corners, and find the cheapest way to do things, A good website and a good marketing campaign are vital. In addition ecom man and biophase each have very extensive threads on eCommerce that can give you a wealth of information.

Also, don't make this thread your daily log. It might not be a bad idea to keep a personal log but don't do it on the forum, rather share you're significant accomplishments/failures on here. Best of luck.

 

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[TheDutch]

Update: Samples arrived today. Going to have my friend check them out for me tomorrow. He's pretty knowledgeable about what I'm working with. I'm excited to see where this goes.

Great job, i'm tuned in.

What @Motley crue says, try to limit your posts here to only the big accomplishments and fails. Since it will be easier to read for everyone and backtrack for yourself too.

I've got a book you should read if not done yet:
- How to win friends & influence people , got to give credits to @JDx , good one bro!

 

[JSM]

Hey pilot, good luck in your eCommerce endeavors. If done properly it can be a very profitable avenue, but if done incorrectly it can be a money pit, but either way it's a good way to gain some experience. If you want to hear a few pointers from someone who flopped in his one attempt at an eCommerce store, I would give you two very important pieces of advice. 1. Find a product with a small amount of competition (I know you already have your product) and 2. (in my scenario my biggest failure) Do not cut corners, and find the cheapest way to do things, A good website and a good marketing campaign are vital. In addition ecom man and biophase each have very extensive threads on eCommerce that can give you a wealth of information.

Also, don't make this thread your daily log. It might not be a bad idea to keep a personal log but don't do it on the forum, rather share you're significant accomplishments/failures on here. Best of luck.

Great job, i'm tuned in.

What @Motley crue says, try to limit your posts here to only the big accomplishments and fails. Since it will be easier to read for everyone and backtrack for yourself too.

I've got a book you should read if not done yet:
- How to win friends & influence people , got to give credits to @JDx , good one bro!

Thank you guys!

 

[Dan1el]

I can highly recommend you to get trough this thread GOLD Sharing my lifetime experience in export/import.
Alot of value for anyone getting in to the importing business.

 

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[JSM]

I'm using this as a learning experience and am not as focused on making money. My instagram is @lockdownfishing. I'm not sure if i'm allowed to post my website. Mods any input on this? I would be posting the website for feedback and not sales. I have come to realize that my product photos aren't good at all. Are there any software programs for this? Feedback on my Instagram account and website would be greatly appreciated. This is my first shopify website and I only have the basics figured out.

Also, if anyone is worried about importing don't be. I ordered my samples and got them shipped here with zero help from my parents. They didn't even know about it until the package showed up. If some 16 year old kid can import stuff from China you can too.

 

[Dan1el]

I'm using this as a learning experience and am not as focused on making money. My instagram is @lockdownfishing. I'm not sure if i'm allowed to post my website. Mods any input on this? I would be posting the website for feedback and not sales. I have come to realize that my product photos aren't good at all. Are there any software programs for this? Feedback on my Instagram account and website would be greatly appreciated. This is my first shopify website and I only have the basics figured out.

Also, if anyone is worried about importing don't be. I ordered my samples and got them shipped here with zero help from my parents. They didn't even know about it until the package showed up. If some 16 year old kid can import stuff from China you can too.

I saw your photos on your website and I agree they are not good, seems like you got a OK camera though? Personally I use my Iphone 6s and Photoshop CS6 to edit my photos. Im sure you can learn the basics by finding youtube turtorials on how to do it if you have no previous experience.
Your main focus should be getting a complete white background so your items get a more professional look.

Yours vs Competition. Do you see my point?

 

[JSM]

I saw your photos on your website and I agree they are not good, seems like you got a OK camera though? Personally I use my Iphone 6s and Photoshop CS6 to edit my photos. Im sure you can learn the basics by finding youtube turtorials on how to do it if you have no previous experience.
Your main focus should be getting a complete white background so your items get a more professional look.

Yours vs Competition. Do you see my point?

Yes, precisely. I just used my iphone 6 for the photos with a piece of a paper. I will try photoshop. Thank you.

 

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[miked_d]

Use this site to fix the photos:

FotoFuze.com is Photography Fused Together - The Picture Revolution

 

[dave773]

While ordering from china is easy. Whats not to say your supplier just bought the samples, and then when you make a big order, he will scam you. If this happens, you are screwed.

Just make sure you are really dealing with a supplier/manufacturer and i recommend reading Walter's book on import/export.

 

[Mikkel]

Instagram Marketing ($100K+ profit, 4M followers) is a great place to start in terms of Instagram.

My suggestion is to build your Instagram account but you should by no means rely on it solely... you will take to long to grow your IG account to a reasonable size to be able to sell anything substantial. I suggest Facebook ads and Google Ads. Make sure you lock down good product photos and a decent website before throwing money into ads though.

Great work, glad to see some action being taken!

 

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[Mad Scientist]

Great thread! Hoping to see some progress here.

Make yourself a lightbox and light it up with 3 bright LED's (from the dollar store) and lamps. I use this setup for my product photos and they always turn out great.

It makes the product look really good and professional. The photos will just need a tad bit of editing on Photoshop and it should look A+ (especially with your iPhone 6 camera).

Here's a great tutorial that I've used:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyxzC5kqbyw

 

[miked_d]

A light box is great suggestion, especially for small items. Do searches on how to make your own. You can buy a cheap pop-up light box online for about $15. A light box along the site I mentioned earlier will give you great results.

 

[Walter Hay]

While ordering from china is easy. Whats not to say your supplier just bought the samples, and then when you make a big order, he will scam you. If this happens, you are screwed.

Just make sure you are really dealing with a supplier/manufacturer and i recommend reading Walter's book on import/export.

That's good advice, but sometimes even the manufacturers will provide top quality samples and poorer quality production runs.

The best solution to this problem is to pay for an inspection service prior to shipment. Cost can be less than $300.

Walter

 

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[mrarcher]

A few little thoughts on your site:
1. All your descriptions for bait are the same, is it possible to go into a bit of more detail? What kind of fish is it best for, what's better about it than other bait, why would I buy a pink shad as opposed to drive shad?
2. Is it possible to add a blog? Give some info on fishing etc, for one it might help you get found by people looking for something else for 2 people love stories. They get hooked on it. Remember the time you were a boy fishing with your father, you had a great day on the calm lake, got your first taste of a beer and as the sun was starting to set between the trees you remember the orange glow as you put on your bait, cast out and caught your first fish. Looking at your dad you could see how proud of you he was and it was a day that brought you closer together that you'll never forget. Bring out the feelings then at the bottom add a link to one of the baits.
3. Is a monthly newsletter something to consider? That way if you don't get a sale you still get an email address allowing email marketing (same type of deal as the story)
4. Consider getting on facebook and join some fishing groups. Don't use the groups to promote but give some advice on fishing tactics etc.

Hope these help a bit. Good luck to you! Its good to see someone so young taking action and doing something. Its more than a lot your age do.

 

[JSM]

A few little thoughts on your site:
1. All your descriptions for bait are the same, is it possible to go into a bit of more detail? What kind of fish is it best for, what's better about it than other bait, why would I buy a pink shad as opposed to drive shad?
2. Is it possible to add a blog? Give some info on fishing etc, for one it might help you get found by people looking for something else for 2 people love stories. They get hooked on it. Remember the time you were a boy fishing with your father, you had a great day on the calm lake, got your first taste of a beer and as the sun was starting to set between the trees you remember the orange glow as you put on your bait, cast out and caught your first fish. Looking at your dad you could see how proud of you he was and it was a day that brought you closer together that you'll never forget. Bring out the feelings then at the bottom add a link to one of the baits.
3. Is a monthly newsletter something to consider? That way if you don't get a sale you still get an email address allowing email marketing (same type of deal as the story)
4. Consider getting on facebook and join some fishing groups. Don't use the groups to promote but give some advice on fishing tactics etc.

Hope these help a bit. Good luck to you! Its good to see someone so young taking action and doing something. Its more than a lot your age do.

Thank you for the solid advice! I created a Facebook page but haven't done much with it. I will look into a newsletter. That is definitely possible. Could use it to give out tips for each month. I will talk to my buddy about a blog and product descriptions. I think he has a legitimate shot at becoming a pro so he will be a huge help. Thank you, I will work on all the things you suggested.

 

[JSM]

I completely overhauled the website today. I took the advice given to me and implemented it. I took new product photos and wrote descriptions for the better products. I also changed the theme and figured some things out. I did a little bit of seo and I'm on the first page for "Lockdown Fishing." FotoFuze made a world of difference. I highly recommend. I took photos on my iPhone 6 with the baits laying on a piece of paper and a light overhead. It was super simple, easy, and fast. The website is lockdownfishing.com (mods take down if I'm not allowed to post.) Now it's time to drive some traffic. I've been using instagress on Instagram and that is now up to around 60 followers. Will be joining groups and posting on facebook tomorrow. Will also look into adsense. Would you guys recommend me doing a giveaway on Instagram/Facebook to help grow my pages? Also, has anyone used fiverr for seo backlinks? Thanks everyone for the advice!

 

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[Mad Scientist]

I love the new look and pictures! Keep it up.

Giveaways are a great way to gain brand awareness. Be sure to use them sparingly.

Also, make sure your Facebook Pixel is installed on every page of your site. Shopify has a setting for this.

Free + Shipping offers through a sales funnel (profitfunnels or linear funnels) work great with low cost items as well.

I'll be watching your thread to see your progress! Best of luck

 

[JSM]

I love the new look and pictures! Keep it up.

Giveaways are a great way to gain brand awareness. Be sure to use them sparingly.

Also, make sure your Facebook Pixel is installed on every page of your site. Shopify has a setting for this.

Free + Shipping offers through a sales funnel (profitfunnels or linear funnels) work great with low cost items as well.

I'll be watching your thread to see your progress! Best of luck

Thank you! I never thought of doing free+shipping. I could see it working very well. I'm still learning the ropes on Shopify. Discovering new things everyday.

 

[miked_d]

A few thoughts:

- The tagline is very hard to read. move/change color
- When I click on "Shop Now" I go to the product page. I see A LOT of white. I had to scroll down to see any product. Crop the pics.
- I am not a fisherman but my father used to. I have only heard the term "bait" used with live stuff (worms/fish/etc). It may be a regional thing (East Coast). Everything else was a lure.

 

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[JSM]

Well...
I accomplished absolutely nothing this week. I went to basketball games instead of getting stuff done. On the bright side, I did come to a very important realization. (Thank you @PTP ) By importing, I was giving up CONTROL when I didn't need to. I can buy molds and make everything myself and it will be cheaper than importing in the long run. Having made in the USA will also help. This will require more TIME but will help me get started. I also realized that by importing I was providing zero VALUE. I was just another bait company with the same old stuff. By making the baits myself I will be able to do custom colors and create value for my customers.

I have created a to-do list for myself and laid it out step-by-step so that I will hopefully get something done.
1. Set up a bank account with a debit card.
2. Buy what I need. (Molds, Injector, Colors, Glitter, Bags, Labels, and Followliker.)
3. Make examples for every model and color I will offer.
4. Post pictures of the examples to social media and also update the website with those examples.
5. Contact influencers in the fishing industry. Also, would it be too early for me to contact fishing subscription box services at this stage?
6. Try adsense/facebook ads. I think facebook will be much more effective.

While I complete steps 1-6 I will post on instagram daily, and experiment and get comfortable with facebook. I know right, a 16 year old that isn't comfortable with facebook? I have never used facebook and think it will be a very important tool for business.

Thanks guys for following along and giving advice. I'll accept any advice with open arms.

 

[mrarcher]

Well...
I accomplished absolutely nothing this week. I went to basketball games instead of getting stuff done. On the bright side, I did come to a very important realization. (Thank you @PTP ) By importing, I was giving up CONTROL when I didn't need to. I can buy molds and make everything myself and it will be cheaper than importing in the long run. Having made in the USA will also help. This will require more TIME but will help me get started. I also realized that by importing I was providing zero VALUE. I was just another bait company with the same old stuff. By making the baits myself I will be able to do custom colors and create value for my customers.

I have created a to-do list for myself and laid it out step-by-step so that I will hopefully get something done.
1. Set up a bank account with a debit card.
2. Buy what I need. (Molds, Injector, Colors, Glitter, Bags, Labels, and Followliker.)
3. Make examples for every model and color I will offer.
4. Post pictures of the examples to social media and also update the website with those examples.
5. Contact influencers in the fishing industry. Also, would it be too early for me to contact fishing subscription box services at this stage?
6. Try adsense/facebook ads. I think facebook will be much more effective.

While I complete steps 1-6 I will post on instagram daily, and experiment and get comfortable with facebook. I know right, a 16 year old that isn't comfortable with facebook? I have never used facebook and think it will be a very important tool for business.

Thanks guys for following along and giving advice. I'll accept any advice with open arms.

Why don't you sell what you have, import some and get some experience selling and marketing? Build a client base then use that money to buy moulds etc.
You could also design your own and have the manufacturers make that. Then you could use ENGINEERED in the USA.
EDIT: on a little side note, on your site you have "sign up to our mailing list." Why should I? Look at the option to be on the mailing list for fastlane forum. what does it say? Which one would you be more likely to sign up?

 

[JSM]

Why don't you sell what you have, import some and get some experience selling and marketing? Build a client base then use that money to buy moulds etc.
You could also design your own and have the manufacturers make that. Then you could use ENGINEERED in the USA.
EDIT: on a little side note, on your site you have "sign up to our mailing list." Why should I? Look at the option to be on the mailing list for fastlane forum. what does it say? Which one would you be more likely to sign up?

The samples that I have are mostly weird models. It's stuff that I look at and think why did they even make this. It would be cheaper for me to buy molds and everything and make me own that it would be for me to import more. Thank you for pointing out the mailing list. I will try to put together a few tips and trick or something similar to that.

 

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[JSM]

Long overdue update.

I will admit that I haven't been working on this from January to now. I took a break, rethought things and then changed my products and I now have an entirely new store. I have an Instagram account that has a little over 1100 followers right now and a facebook page with 2 likes. I launched my store today, got my first sale today, and shipped it today. Awesome day, but I was hoping for a bit more.

To continue my momentum with sales I think I will do a giveaway on IG and promote it along with having people tag their friends. Hopefully this will allow me to gain popularity and get some more sales. How do you guys grow your facebook pages? I'm 16 and all but I never had a facebook up until now and I'm not entirely sure as to how to grow it. Any help is appreciated.

Also wanted to add that the INSIDERS is CRAZY. MJ convinces me to spend $60+ on a subscription and guess what? I read through some threads and then I end up getting on the forum less and less. Now I check in on here once in a while. The progress threads on the inside literally inspired me to take action and build a business (which means less forum time). It's crazy in there.

Edit: Woohoo! One in a row. @Andy Black

 

[YoungBroward]

congrats on getting your first sale, its nice to see other 16 year olds on this forum..... I ordered my first product about 2 weeks ago but it takes a month to arrive. I'm so excited for it to come in. It'll be my first taste in E-com (im tired of my current business that is made to order products, to time consuming and not the highest margins). Quick question, are you selling the product on amazon as well as your website?

 

[JSM]

congrats on getting your first sale, its nice to see other 16 year olds on this forum..... I ordered my first product about 2 weeks ago but it takes a month to arrive. I'm so excited for it to come in. It'll be my first taste in E-com (im tired of my current business that is made to order products, to time consuming and not the highest margins). Quick question, are you selling the product on amazon as well as your website?

I'm only selling on my website. My product isn't really one that people would get off amazon.

 

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[jpanarra]

Congrats dude! I see that you are marketing via Instagram and Facebook, I'm curious are you doing a Google AdWords campaign yet because you can always limit your budget spending and figure out what your consumer is thinking to get in front of them.. they're out there waiting to give you their money!

 

[JSM]

Congrats dude! I see that you are marketing via Instagram and Facebook, I'm curious are you doing a Google AdWords campaign yet because you can always limit your budget spending and figure out what your consumer is thinking to get in front of them.. they're out there waiting to give you their money!

I haven't ran an adwordw campaign yet. I haven't ran any paid ads yet. Solely just gaining instagram followers got me my first two sales yesterday. I'll advertise on Facebook and instagram before I use adwords.