You may have heard that you cannot import small quantities of products and that you have to wait many weeks, even months, for the products to arrive. Also, you may have heard about Customs issues.
Well, this is all wrong! We’ve been doing this for years! It is so simple that it amazes me. It’s all a matter of knowing how to deal with these companies in Hong Kong, Taiwan, China and South Korea. It is very refreshing to deal with them. I have never been scammed by any of them!
Even companies that advertise only their minimum quantities, such as a shipping container, will ship small quantities. The trick is to call your request a SAMPLE ORDER! Now, you may not know it, but these companies will accept the quantities for which you request prices on your sample order. His hope is that he will come back and send in a large order. Plus, you can get sample order shipments time and time again.
Some companies are set up to ship small quantities without the routine of sample ordering. You can tell from their price lists if they show small quantities. If not, ask them if they will send out a small sample order so that you can introduce their products to your customer base. They have no idea how big their company is.
It is important to have the appearance of a successful company. Use letterhead, not handwritten correspondence. If you don’t have a computer, you better get one fast. Join the crowd, or you won’t be on the same playing field. Email makes all of this work very well. In fact, you can email these companies in real time, when they are in the office in Hong Kong or anywhere. Late night here, it’s morning there.
This means instant communications and instant action. You can request a quote via email and they will email you everything you need to proceed. They usually send you what is called a proforma invoice, which is just an invoice in advance. You are expected to transfer the funds electronically. Your bank does it easily.
You can go to their website and see all the products and specifications. Very often if you don’t see what you want they will give you a price. You can never know, always compare prices. Some companies in the Orient represent other companies in the Orient. You want to buy from Prime Source, the manufacturer.
If you were to request a quote, it might look like this:
Greetings:
My company is dedicated to the distribution of security and protection products in the United States. I am very interested in getting prices from your most esteemed company.
Your product line is beautiful and I hope to be offering your quality products in my country.
Please give me prices for a sample order of 10 of each of the following items.
Thanks for your help.
Very truly yours,
Robert Nelson,
vice president
This is all it takes to get the ball rolling. But, a computer is a must. No company worth a penny does not communicate at least partially with email. Especially when the companies you will be dealing with are abroad. The letters take too long to come and go. When learning about a new product, time is of the essence.
These people you will be dealing with are very honorable. They appreciate that you show respect and will respond to you in a friendly way. Even if they don’t want to send small amounts, very often they will if you suggest that you understand and are willing to pay a little more for each item. Your costs will still be a fraction of what you are paying now.
Let’s talk about shipping. You can ship very heavy things like monitors via Steamship. This is a bummer because you have to use a Freight Forwarder, who will get it through Customs. Usually it takes up to 90 days. It seemed to us more profitable to buy monitors in this country. We buy small 5″ black and white monitors from Taiwan and ship them by air because they are small and light enough to be cost effective.
Normally you will request shipping via DHL, FedEx, UPS or EMS. EMS is usually the cheapest and is an extension of the US Postal Service. All of these methods are air freight and will be delivered right to your door! No customs problems! It’s easy to connect and open an account with all of them.
Remember, a sample order can be one or 100 or any quantity. It is a sample order because you are calling it a sample order. Don’t be afraid to transfer the funds in advance. Remember, these countries are not democracies, and are highly dependent on foreign trade. If you were to report one of these companies to your government for ripping you off, they could be jailed for life, or worse! Everything they do is scrutinized by their government agencies. We have sent up to fifteen thousand dollars at a time.
The first time you try to import some things. Place a small sample order just to get your feet wet.