Possible wholesale partner in china.... what would you do? :)

[BagsUK]

HI guys, am just posting on here an idea my friend in china has, and well am just throwing it out their, to see if its a feasible idea, any feedback or response would be greatly much appreciated...

Basically i have a trusted Chinese friend in Shenzhen, and he wants me and him to become partners and sell on eBay and Amazon, i myself here am based in the UK, and have little knowledge about selling on either of theses platforms, tho i know i could pretty easily, but would be starting from scratch. we haven't talked too much about it yet, as hes just recently mentioned it, i think the idea would be to have basically a small warehouse in the UK to ship goods locally.

My guy speaks very good english, and knows alot about sourcing any products on the cheap, he also has great knowledge about logistics, but he has never sold online through ebay or Amazon tho, he is a manager in a small factory, and i believe he has friends that are making decent incomes with business partners in the US and Australasia, were they wholesale stuff to theses countries and then their partner ships locally, and its all types of items, from underwear to bike parts. He see's them making money independently (not a new idea, am sure) but he knows that i am out of work at the minute also, so he is excited to start something like this between us.....

I know its an idea that could work, yea this has many if's and buts, but what would be our biggest hurdles, or is their different platforms we could be looking at,possible products, possible designing items, or putting our own logo on items... What questions should i be asking...

as i said, am only brainstorming tonight about this, and thought this would be the forum to ask, so again any input however small would be greatly appreciated...

many thanks and look forward to any response lol

[jakobrockz]

I would say your biggest hurdle would be the startup funds, getting a warehouse, and being prepared for limitations (if it happens, be prepared for less amount of $$ coming in), being prepared for your tax situation however it is in the UK, and making sure you have a good supplier.

Remember, this is your money too. Don't just go off his word that X products from X supplier are great and drop $10k on it and end up getting crap. You need to test it

[BagsUK]

hiya, many thanks for quick reply

yea i meant to say start up funds are very low for both of us, my supplier/friend is really what I is driving me, as i know hes an investment in himself, i have done business with him and his company for about 4 years, hes the manager in a small electronics factory, we chat privately and are both after a change, and to work independently, the type of business we do is slowing up and is the type thing that never lasts forever, but this guy with his skills and intelligence, its valuable to have such a resource like him in china, hes straight as dye, very honest and can trust him, as we have both helped each other out of big holes in the past,, he just lacks the confidence i think when it comes to selling items outside china, as hes maybe just over aware how different the rest of the world is with every country having different wants/needs....

hes just threw this on me today, so am going to sleep on it the next days, and see what else my friend has to say, again buddy many thanks for your input, its appreciated this is all new to me and am just at the brain storming stage lol

[jakobrockz]

If you want to really be dedicated, I'd visit your friend and both of you go sourcing (unless you want to use his factory). Good luck

Startup cash is going to be the hardest

Seems a great idea.

Good luck with your venture.

If you're starting selling on ebay/amazon then you will have limits how much you can sell. I would advise reading up about exactly how they work.

Also check your competition, see if what you sell actually makes money. Work out your profit per item after all costs are deducted. Include all import costs, selling fees, postage costs, taxes etc.

[Geegee83]

Why not start small, do you have room at home to stock some goods? See how it goes, see if the products are good and if they sell well and then maybe decide about the warehouse and further investment?

Have you considered some items and worked out the profit margins on them?

Good luck, it sounds like an ideal situation in many ways, just don't put in anything more than you can afford to lose.

[GreenBean]

Fool and his money is soon parted.

Proceed with great caution.

Before parting with a penny of your monies, do a lot of research AND do a lot more then.


I would be wary of a supposed manager of a company making an offer.

Your major worry would be making sure the items being sold are honestly gained.

Dont think I am knocking dreams. They are what make us live. But you have to try to be a realist as well.

[rsot]

All the best with your decision - spread your money wisely - make sure you have some form of security.

[Banned]

I'm interested in the same thing

[storas]

All of them are big Chinas ( china plate = m8) until it comes to the business end of the deal.
Lets say your small warehouse on A2 lease is 14k a year.
You would need 1/4 deposit. £3500
The lease would be about £600
Then first qtr rent £3500
Insurance payable to council of about £1000
That is £8600 before you even get the keys .
Then you would need internet which is more for a business than it is for residential.
Lights, water, service charge (if any) , business rates, accountant , refuse collection account. Also comercial lease is for 3 years with a possible break clause (you negotiate that). You are looking at the best part of 10k before you even start. And if your China just changes mind or falls ill can you afford paying 14k a year for your premisses?

[BagsUK]

wow thanks for the replies guys, the more i read on this forum about online selling the more my head spins, my biggest hurdle i think would be a selling platform, as i dont have an ebay account nor an amazon one :( tho i am pretty good with computers, all my selling is small scale, through Facebook and local markets... ebay would be slow with seller limits, is their selling limits on Amazon for new sellers?

also again funds are an issue, if i do this i will start small and reinvest, my chinese friend who i have much confidence in is again the reason i keep with this idea, he can source anything and is always extremely cheap, he has buying accounts with taobao and 1688, and i believe i could sell online competitively, another idea i have just had, is if we act as UK wholesale agents? me being based in the UK could act as great insurance, again would have to start small, is this a feasible idea, is this something that anyone does? i need to start with something preety quick, working for someone is not for me and saturday markets slow up this time of year, i think i could have alot to offer and could really invest in myself selling online. I would be starting from the bottom up, so again any input wold be much appreciated...

thanks again guys

[rsot]

So taking a sample shot BagsUK?

[storas]

Not being the bubble buster, but I see this failing quicker than bottled water for pets.

[GreenBean]

Originally Posted by storas

Not being the bubble buster, but I see this failing quicker than bottled water for pets.

But rsot is so busy encouraging success :rolleyes;

Agee there sadly.

Danger, imo, is the main link: Manager of a factory diversfying with a complete stranger is not the way I know business would be done in that country.

[Callidus]

If I was in your situation OP, I would rather deal with someone like this.

They are a member on this forum, credible and run a very successful sourcing business in China for the past few years.

No need to worry about dealing with the Chinese, you deal with someone English, which is a massive plus.

Young Money China | Learn how to import and make money from China

www.Fetchchina.com - this is the company that does all the sourcing.

Not many people would give you a lead like this but cut out that middleman and go direct.

(NOTE: make sure to vet him yourself for peace of mind)

[storas]

Originally Posted by GreenBean

But rsot is so busy encouraging success :rolleyes;

Agee there sadly.

Danger, imo, is the main link: Manager of a factory diversfying with a complete stranger is not the way I know business would be done in that country.

Yeah rsot, wok you like. Stop encouraging this dangerous behavior :D

[BagsUK]

Thanks buddy, really appreciate you taking the time out to offer some useful advice have read through few blog posts your guy Daniel very straightforward, really useful information, very eye opening, and just what i needed to know the guy deserves everything that's coming to him, and you also for sharing this positive information, like I said just the stuff i was looking for, so I hope some some luck finds you also, and enjoy the rest of your weekend my friend!!

Originally Posted by Callidus

If I was in your situation OP, I would rather deal with someone like this.

They are a member on this forum, credible and run a very successful sourcing business in China for the past few years.

No need to worry about dealing with the Chinese, you deal with someone English, which is a massive plus.

Young Money China | Learn how to import and make money from China

www. Fetchchina.com - this is the company that does all the sourcing.

Not many people would give you a lead like this but cut out that middleman and go direct.

(NOTE: make sure to vet him yourself for peace of mind)

[flowclothingco]

Any update on this? I do some bike parts and id love to see what you guys are working on or do some business too! And id be interested in making some custom bike stuff!

For your situation tho id definitely fly there for awhile do skme ground work with your buddy

[lcfp]

I'm from Hong Kong and deal with alibaba wholesalers everyday. My suggestion is, some offer buy samples and it definitely help to know more the products quality.

[teedon]

My point is that go it for a try,and you would know all the answer within 2-3 months.

But you could go ahead from small invest at first,maybe you would sucess

[rsot]

Wonder how the OP worked out in the end...

[dan_ebay]

Originally Posted by storas

All of them are big Chinas ( china plate = m8) until it comes to the business end of the deal.
Lets say your small warehouse on A2 lease is 14k a year.
You would need 1/4 deposit. £3500
The lease would be about £600
Then first qtr rent £3500
Insurance payable to council of about £1000
That is £8600 before you even get the keys .
Then you would need internet which is more for a business than it is for residential.
Lights, water, service charge (if any) , business rates, accountant , refuse collection account. Also comercial lease is for 3 years with a possible break clause (you negotiate that). You are looking at the best part of 10k before you even start. And if your China just changes mind or falls ill can you afford paying 14k a year for your premisses?

14k for a small warehouse. Fuk me, mines 3k lol