It seems that the UK market is already flooded with foreign made goods, especially those from China. However, I believe that there must still be things that the British people need but can't get hold of easily or cheaply. As a consumer in the UK or West Europe, could you tell me what these things are? Personally, I think items of haberdashery or stationery are overpriced in the UK and the range of products is very limited. What do you think?
2006-08-29 00:32:07 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Business & Finance ➔ Small Business
If you are planning to sell online, there is more profit to be made from selling more expensive items.
To get visitors to your site, you'll need to advertise (Google's about the best available at the minute). This ends up costing you a nominal fee per click. If you were selling items for £1, you could end up paying more in advertising than you earn. Remember to look into weight and shipping costs. A reem of paper may cost £5, but the courier may charge £7 to deliver it.
Look for brand names that people recognise and buy pricise keywords. Buying FFA91 as a keyword is much more efficient than buying say fridge freezer. People typing FFA91 know exactly what they want and are looking for the best price. People typing fridge freezer are researching and will probably not buy anything.
There's a lot of things you need to look at, not just the product. Your more likely to sell something you have a passion for than something you don't, but there is no substitute for research.
Do as much research as you possibly can. If you find a product no-one else is selling, there's probably a good reason why.
It is also worth looking at Turkey as well as China. Most of this countries appliances come from there at the moment.
You also need to check out the genuinity of products originating from abroad. Many have CE labels but have never actually been tested. As the importer, it is you alone that is responsible for the safety of others.
To give you an example, a good friend of mine imported flame retardent safety gloves, which supposedly excelled CE standards. We put a flame to one and it caught alite in seconds. If he had sold these without testing first, he could well have ended up being sued for everything he has.
The best advice I can give to you is 'Do Your Homework, Double Check Everything and Watchout for Conmen'. You may well also find it best to avoid buying stock of anything with a shelf life. Start out small, get a dropshipper and try selling on ebay. If you find a product that's successful open an online store and start an advertising campaign, then look at sourcing the products from abroad once you know the market inside out.
Good Luck
2006-08-29 01:43:19 · answer #1 · answered by David S 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Seems like a good idea. This sort of research will tell you what sort of things people are after. The thing is with stationery, how will you reach the mass market in order for you to make a profit. All the best.
2006-08-29 00:37:28 · answer #2 · answered by scallywag 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Contact me I could help yo with some ideas, even with food products like Heart of Palm which is very wanted in Europe. Also I have good brokers in Taiwan if you want to import from Taiwan or China
2006-08-30 11:12:53 · answer #3 · answered by georgearana909 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do internet searches for products that you'd like to sell then contact those manufacturers and you can setup a deal with them for importing. There are also companies out there that can help you from picking the product up and the manuf and all of the shipping right to your door. They will also take care of customs documents and anything else.
2006-08-29 00:38:37 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If I were you I'd focus on more specialized merchandise that isn't as easily available as stationery. Something that large retailers don't have the market cornered on.
Collectibles, oddities and antiques etc.
2006-08-29 00:41:10 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Buyin from china is great i did it about a year ago its so cheep. i had lingerie made for me, when you start looking in to it you will see just how much everything is overpriced. Good luck and there is a market there for everything
2006-08-29 00:39:56 · answer #6 · answered by dreams 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
China has almost everything.... its just a matter of the qty that you wnat to purchase then prices differ
2006-08-29 00:45:59 · answer #7 · answered by Lee 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Have you tried profiling your thoughts here...its FREE to register too
2006-08-29 02:08:28 · answer #8 · answered by Jester 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I THINK U HAVE A GOOD IDEA
2006-08-29 00:45:49 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
that's what I need to know
2006-08-30 21:30:49 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋