Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Hi,

My wife and I are looking to start an import business but not sure how and where to start.  We already have contact with the foreign manufacturers and establish a relationship with them.  What do we need as an establishment over here to start receiving shipments?  Please apologize if my questions are vague or not to the point but this is totally new to me.

TIA.

Espressog,

Are the items large? If so, for freight shipments you might need to use a mailbox center for delivery; like a UPS store or Mailbox, Etc.(Unless your neighbors won`t complain.) If your items are small, you just need a UPS or DHL account. They ship global and deliver to residential addresses and mailbox centers. A small courier broker could also help arrange delivery. We`ve used one when we`ve had heavier items shippped by boat overseas.

Cissy

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Cissy

www.lattees.com

Hi Cissy,

Thanks very much for the reply.  The items are galvanized and ceramics planters.  They come in different size and I think  the best way is shipping the whole container.  I have the catalog from the manufacturer already but I guess I need to have samples here to present to my prospective customers as well?
1) Do I need to establish myself as an import business company before starting worrying about shipments?  Will sole propriertorship work or do I have to be a corp?
2) Do I want to be a saleperson for that manufacturer and earn a commission or do i want to be a sole direct distributor?
3) To be able to determince the price, I need to find out all of the costs which are the item itself, shipping cost, custom taxes and what else?

Thanks again.

Espressog,

I think the weight of the container is what you`ll need to find out. We`ve used Unishippers for our container shipments. They arrange the shipments and changes from boat to truck. They can give you a quote for different delivery options.

I don`t know about the sole prop or inc question. When we were sole prop we only needed DHL.(We started with a small item.) By the time we needed container shipping for larger things, we were a corporation.

Hope that helps,

Cissy

 

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Cissy

www.lattees.com

Thanks very much Cissy.  I`ll make some inquiry into Unishippers

Nice to see someone else asking the same questions I am interested in knowing.  I have been importing from Vietnam for some time now, in very small quantities, using the USPS, but its very expensive, and for ocean shipments, it takes over 3 months.  My other complication is that I am in Montana - not alot of Ports here!

In the process of trying to find other options, I ran across this place.  I don`t necessarily recommend them or not, but their online quote system gave me a great overview of just how many different costs are involved.

http://www.shipping-worldwide.com/

Good luck, and I will be hoping more people help out here. 

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mark OLDFRENCHY mark@ethingsworldwide,com