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This is the part that many people get really worked up about but finding a reliable source for your chosen product is quite simple if you know how to do it. This session will show you how to select a reliable supplier for the product you want to sell in detail, as well as how to avoid frequent pitfalls. Buying things from China is frequently far less expensive even when delivery is considered. Furthermore, you have a considerably larger product range to choose from.
Most Alibaba suppliers are fluent in English; thus, language barriers are rarely an issue. There should be no need to call suppliers because all correspondence will be handled through Alibaba’s messaging system (and potentially email once you’ve established a connection with them). Furthermore, Alibaba is a usually safe location to conduct business; nonetheless, just to be sure, follow this module to the letter and you should have no problems.
By choosing ‘Join Free,’ you can create an account. If you don’t have a firm, simply enter your own name where it asks for it and the registration will go through without a hitch.
Look at the list of products you chose before. Enter your first product in Alibaba’s product search bar. There are frequently 1000s of results, which is to be expected on Alibaba given it is such a large gateway that has been in operation for almost a decade. By selecting ‘Trade Assurance,’ we may narrow down the choices. We wish to eliminate any vendors who do not have Trade Assurance. Tick the ‘Verified Supplier’ box as well.
Examine the costs (although at this point, price is only a general guide). I recommend looking for a pricing that is roughly one-third of the Amazon selling price. Look for things that cost around $6.50 or less if the selling price on Amazon is $20. The term “MOQ” stands for “Minimum Order Quantity.” We’ll then choose a few Alibaba listings to shortlist.
It’s crucial to understand that shipping prices are based on the ‘Dimensional Weight,’ or ‘DIM,’ for short. In practice, this means that the item’s size is usually more essential than its weight. Rather than the weight, the number of units that fit inside a shipping carton will most likely decide your shipping expenses.
Because they gain volume discounts from the big carriers, they can usually offer you a better shipping rate than you could get yourself. I recommend air express shipping to novice sellers who are placing little orders. Sea shipping is a little more complicated, and if you follow the product and supplier selection criteria outlined in this course, you won’t need to utilize it until your Amazon business has grown to the point where you’re seeking to expand into various sorts of products and higher order amounts
If everything on the supplier’s listing appears to be in order, the next step is to send a message to get the most recent price (unless the listing is ‘Ready to Ship,’ in which case the price displayed on the listing is always valid). Repeat this process with three or four providers (for the same or similar products), even if you’ll only choose one. Some may respond with a higher price than the listing, while others may not respond at all. As a result, we contact multiple people before narrowing it down to one.
You can now request a shipping quote once you’ve received some positive responses. You’ll most likely desire ‘Delivered Duty Paid’ shipping. view the ‘Shipping Terms and Options’ course. Once you have both the cost of the product and a quote for the cost of shipping, you can complete your calculations according to the profit calculation lesson (which can be found following the courses on identifying suppliers). If that works out, that’s fantastic! If so, move on to a different supplier or product from your list of ten acquired during the product research stage.
So, presuming you can make a profit based on your estimates, the next step is to order a sample. Here’s a sample template to get you started:
Hello there (supplier name)
Thank you for responding. I’d want to have a sample before I go ahead and place an order.
Hello there (supplier name)
Thank you for responding. I’d want to have a sample before I go ahead and place an order.
Could you kindly provide me with the shipping cost as well as the cost of samples for two pieces to the following address?
(Insert your mailing address here)
(Insert your courier’s phone number here)
I eagerly await your response. I eagerly await your response.
(Insert your name here)
Although many providers do not charge for samples, you will still be responsible for shipping costs. Allow the vendors to handle the shipping and provide you with a quote. Because there is always a minimum shipping cost to send a tiny box, the cost of shipping a sample will NOT represent the cost of shipping the actual goods. The reason you should request two pieces is so you can assess the product’s quality and consistency.
Most providers will take PayPal for sample payments. If not, you can use Alibaba’s payment system, which will hold your payments until the suppliers have dispatched the items to you.
Wait for the samples to come and then assess them. Use them, test them, and make sure they’re up to snuff. Examine the samples’ quality and finish. Would you be satisfied with this product if you bought it? Most Alibaba suppliers produces and supply high-quality goods. They must since the competition is fierce, with many vendors vying for business. Even so, before placing any orders, you must obtain samples and inspect them.
It’s time to place your first order as soon as you have a sample in your hands that you like. Send an email to the supplier expressing your interest in their sample and requesting an invoice for a deposit on an initial order of xx pieces plus delivery.
Note: Most suppliers want a 30% deposit, with the remaining 70% due right before shipping. You will not be ‘scammed’ if you choose a supplier based on the criteria in this module.
Phew! Give yourself a pat on the back since you’ve just accomplished something that most people will never achieve. That is, you’ve chosen a product based on thorough study, found a foreign supplier for it, and placed your first order.
You can have your products inspected for quality by Alibaba’s own inspection service if you want to. This is not a preparation service; it is merely an inspection. Before the products are dispatched, an independent inspector will visit your supplier’s plant or warehouse to inspect them. The size and value of your order will determine whether this is a suitable service. It is unlikely to be worth the extra cost for a modest order. Many students, however, inquire about this service, therefore here is the website that fully describes it:
*Shipping quote – In order to receive a quote, you must provide a delivery address to the supplier. If you ship straight to Amazon, the mailing address will be one of the FBA warehouses. However, some Amazon markets, such as the United States, have many FBA warehouses, and you won’t know which one to use until you set up your ‘incoming cargo’ in your seller central account. So, if we don’t have the delivery address yet, how can we acquire a quote?
The solution is to provide an interim address to the supplier, which you will modify with your supplier before the product is dispatched. Because your things are still heading to the same country, your shipping quote should not alter significantly. You’ll need to find the location of an FBA warehouse for the Amazon marketplace you’ll be selling on to get an interim address to use.
Here’s how to do it:
Search for ‘Amazon.com FBA warehouse address,’ ‘Amazon.co.uk FBA warehouse address,’ ‘Amazon.ca FBA warehouse address,’ and so on Google.
