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Health product store.

AllenCrawley

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Sourcing superfoods from Alibaba/China? Scary stuff. I have a motto, if it’s a product that ON your body or IN your body have it manufactured from legit and reputable US or European companies. No way I’d source from China.
 
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JM35

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Hello! I've been working on this idea for quite a long time, but recently I have chosen that this is what I will fully focus and work on.
The goal: to build and online store selling various superfood mixes and other herbal products with health benefits.
What have I done? Years long interest in health and food (since I adapted vegan lifestyle). Have learned a lot how plants and herbs can be used to improve our health and well being, have the knowledge. Working hard in 2 jobs (as full time student) and have side hustles that will generate enough money to launch this project. Working on becoming high level athlete which I will use as marketing tool - blog, instagram, youtube accounts on my training, race days etc. and promoting It trough higher level athletes and sponsoring them - exposure and social proof.
I have made exact product list with information and research on every ingredient. Soon ordering first samples for both packaging and products themselves. Source: Alibaba.
Plan now is to have 50 sample products which I would test on myself and give out to people in order to test and improve my products.
Final goal: launching online store and selling them in whole Europe.
What I am missing is lack of experience building a company. Registering company, importing? Fairly easy.
What comes afterward is bit confusing, such as do I need to do lab tests, what about licences to sell those products, how inspection works, regulations about storing them?
Basically I am missing all part between having product imported at customs and customer receiving It. Would appreciate any kind of advice, information on this. Both MJ's books are one the way to me (just ordered)!
I actually have extremely ambitious goals on how I will make global impact on whole healthy lifestyle, but this is where I would like to start. Thanks!
There are 9,000 results for "Superfood Powders" on Amazon (Amazon: Superfood Powders) what is going to make your product different and stand out from all these other brands?

I'd be careful sourcing consumable products from Alibaba. People, especially people who are conscious of what they are putting in their body's, want high quality ingredients.

Maybe pay $11 and check this course out: https://www.udemy.com/supplement-business/

Anyways, I think you are getting into a tough market with high levels competition. Every kid that chokes down creatine and can bench 185lbs. thinks he can start a successful supplement company. It's all about quality and effectiveness of product and then marketing.
 

Walter Hay

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Soon ordering first samples for both packaging and products themselves. Source: Alibaba.
I shudder at the risk you are taking in sourcing such products through suppliers on Alibaba. You need to put a whole lot more effort into sourcing. The yoursuper.com site doesn't impress me because I do know a lot about health and nutrition, but at least they appear to have made the effort to go direct to the producers. If you want to appear credible you need to do the same and that is a huge project in itself.

What I am missing is lack of experience building a company. Registering company, importing? Fairly easy.
Importing is not "fairly easy"!!! Importing is not like buying from the shop down the street. I teach it and it takes me over 100 pages in my book to explain it and guide newbies. You have made your first mistake in relation to importing by ordering samples from a supplier on Alibaba. Do you know if their product certifications are genuine? Will their products pass food and health regulations in your country? Are any of them prohibited imports? Do you know how to clear them through Customs? Do you know the difference between the various freight methods? Do you know why you should get freight quotes based on volumetric weight as well as kgs.?

I suggest you at least get a basic understanding of importing by reading the entire 64 pages of my AMA:
GOLD! Sharing my lifetime experience in export/import. Product sourcing specialist.

I have found two stores that are doing exactly the same yoursuper.com/ and bemore.ee/
Unfortunately like just about every business jumping on the super foods bandwagon, these two contain more hype than facts, and will attract people without much understanding of the subject, but who believe the massive amount of publicity this subject has received.

They have great expectations and unless you deliver they won't be happy repeat customers. Take care you don't make claims that you can't prove about health outcomes.

Walter
 
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Healthfulness

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Hello! I've been working on this idea for quite a long time, but recently I have chosen that this is what I will fully focus and work on.
The goal: to build and online store selling various superfood mixes and other herbal products with health benefits.
What have I done? Years long interest in health and food (since I adapted vegan lifestyle). Have learned a lot how plants and herbs can be used to improve our health and well being, have the knowledge. Working hard in 2 jobs (as full time student) and have side hustles that will generate enough money to launch this project. Working on becoming high level athlete which I will use as marketing tool - blog, instagram, youtube accounts on my training, race days etc. and promoting It trough higher level athletes and sponsoring them - exposure and social proof.
I have made exact product list with information and research on every ingredient. Soon ordering first samples for both packaging and products themselves. Source: Alibaba.
Plan now is to have 50 sample products which I would test on myself and give out to people in order to test and improve my products.
Final goal: launching online store and selling them in whole Europe.
What I am missing is lack of experience building a company. Registering company, importing? Fairly easy.
What comes afterward is bit confusing, such as do I need to do lab tests, what about licences to sell those products, how inspection works, regulations about storing them?
Basically I am missing all part between having product imported at customs and customer receiving It. Would appreciate any kind of advice, information on this. Both MJ's books are one the way to me (just ordered)!
I actually have extremely ambitious goals on how I will make global impact on whole healthy lifestyle, but this is where I would like to start. Thanks!
 
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Tommo

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Becoming a top class Vegan athlete is your best bet for a niche. Good luck but listen to the advice above too.:cool:
 

Healthfulness

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I have found two stores that are doing exactly the same yoursuper.com/ and bemore.ee/
First one has really nice sources mentioned on their site, but someone with basic knowledge about these products knows that they are not really the most effective, my knowledge will help me to create better products and honestly - average person has no idea what those products actually consist off, and what micronutrients each of ingrediens has, I would say those website products are pretty basic, but also can't use too serious herbal product as more effective they get, the more risk is involved. . That course is great recommendation, I will buy It. I'm studying herbalism books and will do all udemy courses on health, fitness, nutrition.

How I am planning to stand out? Being high level athlete, being part of different sports teams will help me to get exposure, build community around me and I can use other athletes for promoting my products.
If random kid who can bench 185lbs offers these products most people probably would be like: "Yeah, sure..", but what If instead of that kid there is athlete with somewhat decent results (too old to go pro), documenting his whole journey on social media, sharing lots on content of sports, health, lifestyle etc. Then I believe It's whole different story.

About having alibaba as supplier, yes, I agree, It doesn't sound that great, but I can't imagine any other way to source all products needed so I would go for best reviewed one. Later on, I would grow some of ingredients on my own as I have place where to do that.
Thanks, It's nice to have some realistic perspective as It's easy to get lost in the vision without realising how hard It will actually be to get there.

In future I'm looking on importing fruits, nuts and other similar edible products, but that requires high capital so that's not what I wan't to start with, another plans are herbal sports supplements (fairly easy to start, but need serious experience and knowledge in sports to be able to promote these products) and plant based protein powders (yeah, I know, there are already way too many, but right marketing is the key).
I realize that this is definitely not the easiest niche, but I can't stand that people are so unaware of how their diet and lifestyle in general shapes their lives. I wan't to become a brand myself. Brand that promotes health and fitness. It's not easy, but I could never choose anything else as this is really serious global issue and I wan't to educate people on this field.
 
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JM35

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I wan't to become a brand myself. Brand that promotes health and fitness. It's not easy, but I could never choose anything else as this is really serious global issue and I wan't to educate people on this field.
Why don't you focus on this first? Build your personal brand, become someone that everyone respects and trusts, and then build your product.

Start blogging, youtube videos, social media, etc. and build that brand and loyal following and then monetize once you know you will be successful. Once you know your loyal followers will buy your products.

I'm going to trust someone that is providing great free content way more than someone who is providing content for the sake of pushing his product. If this business is going to be centered around your personal brand, then you need to build that first. For example, you mention you are a "high level athlete". How many people know your name or consider you a high level athlete?

Tom Brady was drafted in the 6th round, pick 199. No one knew who he was. How many jerseys do you think he sold his rookie season? Probably less than you can count on both your hands. Today, he has sold more jerseys than anyone else in NFL history. My point:

You have to build your personal brand before you build your product.
 
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Healthfulness

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Thank you and I totally agree. I honestly plan to start blogging, vlogging etc. in spring as that's when the season starts (competitions) and yes, the plan is to gain some amount of followers and then just sometimes advertise my products there, but I'm not doing documenting It just for the sakes of successful store, main goal is putting my name out there, I plan to launch shop bit later than I start blogging etc. and in beggining I wouldn't associate It with my name, just slowly work on It and when I have built considerable amount of followers, put it out on all social media platforms and start promoting It trough other athletes who do much better than me as mentioned earlier, I have started too late to become world know athlete, not even national level top athlete, but I can be average-pro like athlete with great content that people would love to watch, read.
I will have my sample products ready in about a month or two, will see how It goes when I will start using them and hand It out to friends, relatives and some not that close people. I kinda feel this is great project to start with as It requires pretty low investments and is closely linked to something I'm passionate about.
 

Bryan James

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You have to have a product and/or service that makes your business better in some vital way and more unique than your huge amount of competitors who have really deep pockets.
 
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Healthfulness

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What makes you different from Vitacost?

Or Thrive Market?

Could I be better than them? Probably not. But I believe what could be the main difference is that I wan't to put myself behind the brand, sure there might be some story behind those brands too, but my plan is to document myself, my training routines/results, health tips and wide range of other content related to health, fitness, development and well - being. I myself would be using the products, I believe after really working on the content of products my training partners and other athletes would use them too, that way I could promote It trought them. Another thing that Walter Hay mentioned would be hype, most people who use products from websites I mentioned don't really know much about these products, I still have a lot to learn, but that's not really high quality product If you throw spirulina with some fruits & berries in there. Sure It's healthy and ingredients probably have great sources, but they won't be as effective as the perception built around them.

I shudder at the risk you are taking in sourcing such products through suppliers on Alibaba. You need to put a whole lot more effort into sourcing. The yoursuper.com site doesn't impress me because I do know a lot about health and nutrition, but at least they appear to have made the effort to go direct to the producers. If you want to appear credible you need to do the same and that is a huge project in itself.

I have thought about this, but I can't find a way how to keep It profitable with Europe or USA based vendors, prices are really high, does It means I'm now like: "Whatever, I'll just build some hype and tell It works for me." I believe I can try different suppliers from alibaba and do laboratory analysis for them, It cost few hundred euros, but I will get same type of certificate as alibaba suppliers have, only mine will be provable and certified in Europe. I probably won't be able to have "certified organic", but I could get "Approved by European Health Organizations" that proves It's purity and that there are no harmful chemicals involved.

Importing is not "fairly easy"!!! Importing is not like buying from the shop down the street. I teach it and it takes me over 100 pages in my book to explain it and guide newbies. You have made your first mistake in relation to importing by ordering samples from a supplier on Alibaba. Do you know if their product certifications are genuine? Will their products pass food and health regulations in your country? Are any of them prohibited imports? Do you know how to clear them through Customs? Do you know the difference between the various freight methods? Do you know why you should get freight quotes based on volumetric weight as well as kgs.?

I suggest you at least get a basic understanding of importing by reading the entire 64 pages of my AMA:
GOLD! Sharing my lifetime experience in export/import. Product sourcing specialist.

I'm almost halfway in your thread and will definitely finish It (and take notes). First of all, thank you for all the amazing value there, Its truly amazing that I have access to such content which answers every question I have and will have. I haven't imported products myself, but have some friend experiences doing that and I know that process was fairly simple for them, products power tools and electronic cigarrettes + liquids. Why It might have been easy could be low amount. I really apologize for saying that It's simple, ordering 100 pairs of shoes could be easy, I just might pay more for my lack of knowledge, but about edible products I am worrying that they might not let It trough the customs. For samples I'm planning to order less than 5kg's to see how the process works and my first "big order" would have fairly low amount - 100kg's.



Unfortunately like just about every business jumping on the super foods bandwagon, these two contain more hype than facts, and will attract people without much understanding of the subject, but who believe the massive amount of publicity this subject has received.

They have great expectations and unless you deliver they won't be happy repeat customers. Take care you don't make claims that you can't prove about health outcomes.


I'm truly grateful for all this information, I really needed It. It's true that most of those companies are focusing on exposure and marketing aka hype not the effectivness on product Itself, honestly I also plan to start with more general products and then slowly implement more complex products (herbal supplements). Now It would be purely based on superfoods which would basically provide people with neccessary vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, amino acids etc. and in those mixes few adaptogens, on which later I would build seperate product line, but that will be focused on purely sports performance.
Thank you, a lot to think about and I will find institutions that could elaborate me on complexity and requirements of distributing those products.
Walter
 

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