becoming a importer?i have a list of indonesian contacts&
- Thread starter eddie
- Start date
A couple of comments:
Since you will be a new customer, you will have to wire money for the order in advance to the supplier. Thousands of dollars.
To directly import you need a permit from the US Fish & Wildlife Service.
There are only a few designated ports of entry for marine ornamentals- you have to make sure you are near one of these. Even if you are near a designated port of entry, does that airport have good flights from Indonesia? You are on the opposite side of the country from where Indo is usually imported (California)- that means longer flight times and more mortality.
You must hire a broker to clear your shipment through customs unless you want to do the mountains of paperwork by yourself.
To get semi-decent freight rates from Indonesia, you must bring in at least 500kg. That's 1100 lbs of freight. Approximately 25 boxes, each with approximately 25 animals. Hope you have room for 600+ animals and a filtration system large enough to accommodate that kind of bio-load.
Know your market- There are already plenty of established importers in Florida. How are you going to compete with well-known names?
There's a lot to it and I do not recommend jumping into importation with NO previous experience. I had 7+years of retail experience and 3+ years of wholesale experience before I opened my importation business, and there was still plenty that I did not know and had to learn the hard way!
Since you will be a new customer, you will have to wire money for the order in advance to the supplier. Thousands of dollars.
To directly import you need a permit from the US Fish & Wildlife Service.
There are only a few designated ports of entry for marine ornamentals- you have to make sure you are near one of these. Even if you are near a designated port of entry, does that airport have good flights from Indonesia? You are on the opposite side of the country from where Indo is usually imported (California)- that means longer flight times and more mortality.
You must hire a broker to clear your shipment through customs unless you want to do the mountains of paperwork by yourself.
To get semi-decent freight rates from Indonesia, you must bring in at least 500kg. That's 1100 lbs of freight. Approximately 25 boxes, each with approximately 25 animals. Hope you have room for 600+ animals and a filtration system large enough to accommodate that kind of bio-load.
Know your market- There are already plenty of established importers in Florida. How are you going to compete with well-known names?
There's a lot to it and I do not recommend jumping into importation with NO previous experience. I had 7+years of retail experience and 3+ years of wholesale experience before I opened my importation business, and there was still plenty that I did not know and had to learn the hard way!
Eddie,,
To start your "business"-you need to have a GOOD plan made up first of what you are planning to do.
Then, you need to aquire a business license-sales tax license-commercial insurance-commercial electric account-business telephone account, have a building that will pass Labor and industry standards, conform to all your state business commercial rules,handicap access, etc.etc.etc.
You also will need double digit thousands of dollars that you can afford to lose (and you will )-be prepared to keep putting in thousands of dollars for the first few years also,know that you will not make any money for years and probably not even break even if you want to sell cheaper than us retailers, and I could give you many more of these examples.
Many hobbyists think we LFS are out to rip them off and that they can sell things much cheaper than we can.
I assure you that once they are in the business, they find out much differently.
This is not meant to be a "flame"-but is meant to help you think of things that many hobbyists do not realize are involved.
By the way- pressure treated lumber is NOT safe to use-it will give off chemical fumes even if it is painted !!!
It is not even used in building homes because of that.
bye,,
To start your "business"-you need to have a GOOD plan made up first of what you are planning to do.
Then, you need to aquire a business license-sales tax license-commercial insurance-commercial electric account-business telephone account, have a building that will pass Labor and industry standards, conform to all your state business commercial rules,handicap access, etc.etc.etc.
You also will need double digit thousands of dollars that you can afford to lose (and you will )-be prepared to keep putting in thousands of dollars for the first few years also,know that you will not make any money for years and probably not even break even if you want to sell cheaper than us retailers, and I could give you many more of these examples.
Many hobbyists think we LFS are out to rip them off and that they can sell things much cheaper than we can.
I assure you that once they are in the business, they find out much differently.
This is not meant to be a "flame"-but is meant to help you think of things that many hobbyists do not realize are involved.
By the way- pressure treated lumber is NOT safe to use-it will give off chemical fumes even if it is painted !!!
It is not even used in building homes because of that.
bye,,
thanks for the reply but alot of that dont apply to me as i live in a very lienant state and county
its considerd farming in my county
all i need is a tax id# so they can get thiers
far as treated lumber it's used in hydroponic greenhouses and as i said ill paint the rafters
the greenhouse will be open most of the time except winter & somthing to keep the rain and bugs out
i dont want to be a lfs but a online captive farmer mainly
i still need a good business plan though
also im skiping the importer idea
thanks agin
eddie
its considerd farming in my county
all i need is a tax id# so they can get thiers
far as treated lumber it's used in hydroponic greenhouses and as i said ill paint the rafters
the greenhouse will be open most of the time except winter & somthing to keep the rain and bugs out
i dont want to be a lfs but a online captive farmer mainly
i still need a good business plan though
also im skiping the importer idea
thanks agin
eddie
MaryHM's relpy pretty much sums up the situation very well. She is a wholesaler, so take her advice. Also: you will find that dealing with people thousands of miles away (and that you are sending money to) to be very frustrating, to say the least.
The Bitterness of Poor Quality Lasts Long After the Cheap Price is Forgotten
My auto mechanic had that sign posted at his counter. I read it the first time I had my car there to re-fix a problem another (less expensive) mechanic had corrected.
Eddie, for what it's worth, if you are really serious about entering the business, you should not disregard anything that's said here, even if you consider it flaming. It's a hard business, and if you have a thin skin, perhaps it's not for you.
Louey has a good point: Express yourself like a professional and you shall be treated as one. Do not dismiss the importance of the written word. Much of my correspondence with suppliers and customers is by written word, and if I send something full of spelling, syntax and grammatical errors, I'll be thought of as a dunce. A well written concise note will get me results every time. Be well spoken over the phone also. Professional means professional.
Flame Angel hit it on the head: PLAN. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Start at the VERY beginning. Look up the Small Business Development Center near you, and attend at least one of their startup seminars. You'll be amazed at how inexpensive and helpful they can be, and I wouldn't have got off the ground without them. Their ongoing support has been amazing, and even if you attend one seminar and realize you might be in over your head, this is the time to find that out, not after you've invested huge amounts of yours (or someone else's) money.
I am a retailer. I try to offer competitive prices on QUALITY merchandise and livestock. Am I cheapest? Perhaps for some things, not for others. Am I the biggest? Nope. Am I the best? I hope to be someday
It's about quality, honesty and customer service, and that is what brings people back to spend their dollars.
My question is, how do you expect to support a child (you mentioned your newborn) and presumably spouse and yourself if you don't plan to make money? So many in these forums consider a person in the trade evil if they actually turn a profit. God forbid....
I'm not drawing money from my store, but my husband makes enough money to support the family. We aren't depending on the store for an income. We hope to derive income some day, after all why else go into a business? Love of the hobby only goes so far, at the end of the day folks still need to make a dollar. If you are entering the business and don't ever plan to turn a profit, why are you entering it?
Do not put the proverbial cart before the horse. I'm sure whatever tranship invoice you saw or heard about that prompted you to want to become an importer looked appealing, but those costs are JUST the tip of the iceberg. Infrastructure, mortality, frieght, electricity, water, rent/mortgage, staff, vehicles...you have NO idea until the bills roll in. (Unless you planned...)
Read, learn, LISTEN to the answers to your questions. You might think that you are being talked down to, but just the manner in which you presented your questions, dictates the way the responses are handled. (Refer back to my comments about being well-written). Do not make the mistake that so many make, and keep asking the question over and over until you hear the answer that you want to hear...listen to those who have been there and know.
I'm off to work now.
Jenn
My auto mechanic had that sign posted at his counter. I read it the first time I had my car there to re-fix a problem another (less expensive) mechanic had corrected.
Eddie, for what it's worth, if you are really serious about entering the business, you should not disregard anything that's said here, even if you consider it flaming. It's a hard business, and if you have a thin skin, perhaps it's not for you.
Louey has a good point: Express yourself like a professional and you shall be treated as one. Do not dismiss the importance of the written word. Much of my correspondence with suppliers and customers is by written word, and if I send something full of spelling, syntax and grammatical errors, I'll be thought of as a dunce. A well written concise note will get me results every time. Be well spoken over the phone also. Professional means professional.
Flame Angel hit it on the head: PLAN. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Start at the VERY beginning. Look up the Small Business Development Center near you, and attend at least one of their startup seminars. You'll be amazed at how inexpensive and helpful they can be, and I wouldn't have got off the ground without them. Their ongoing support has been amazing, and even if you attend one seminar and realize you might be in over your head, this is the time to find that out, not after you've invested huge amounts of yours (or someone else's) money.
I am a retailer. I try to offer competitive prices on QUALITY merchandise and livestock. Am I cheapest? Perhaps for some things, not for others. Am I the biggest? Nope. Am I the best? I hope to be someday
It's about quality, honesty and customer service, and that is what brings people back to spend their dollars.My question is, how do you expect to support a child (you mentioned your newborn) and presumably spouse and yourself if you don't plan to make money? So many in these forums consider a person in the trade evil if they actually turn a profit. God forbid....
I'm not drawing money from my store, but my husband makes enough money to support the family. We aren't depending on the store for an income. We hope to derive income some day, after all why else go into a business? Love of the hobby only goes so far, at the end of the day folks still need to make a dollar. If you are entering the business and don't ever plan to turn a profit, why are you entering it?
Do not put the proverbial cart before the horse. I'm sure whatever tranship invoice you saw or heard about that prompted you to want to become an importer looked appealing, but those costs are JUST the tip of the iceberg. Infrastructure, mortality, frieght, electricity, water, rent/mortgage, staff, vehicles...you have NO idea until the bills roll in. (Unless you planned...)
Read, learn, LISTEN to the answers to your questions. You might think that you are being talked down to, but just the manner in which you presented your questions, dictates the way the responses are handled. (Refer back to my comments about being well-written). Do not make the mistake that so many make, and keep asking the question over and over until you hear the answer that you want to hear...listen to those who have been there and know.
I'm off to work now.
Jenn
Jenn,
Very Well Said !!!!!!
And I agree wholeheartedly that the manner in which one presents themselves, is of utmost importance.
Eddie,
Even if you are only coral farming,
you must get customers.
To get those customers, means people have to WANT to deal with you.
Very important !!
Every Tom,Dick and Harry is coral farming in some way now, so you
will need to compete.
Very Well Said !!!!!!
And I agree wholeheartedly that the manner in which one presents themselves, is of utmost importance.
Eddie,
Even if you are only coral farming,
you must get customers.
To get those customers, means people have to WANT to deal with you.
Very important !!
Every Tom,Dick and Harry is coral farming in some way now, so you
will need to compete.
thanks for the thoughtfull responce
far as money for the farm goes i should be ok
im very frugal on how and what i spend it on
like i mentioned above i've already scratched the importer idea
the whole goal was to be mainly a online captive coral farmer with the cheapest prices in the end (like dr mac & atlantis)
i may not have clarifyed that in the begining
far as my typing skills go. on these boards im a hobbiest and would hope you think id have since enough to do better as far as online sales & corresopdances gos (im not offended by anyones responce and welcome them all)
like i also mentioned im not trying to make a lively hood out of this
we are pretty well off already and i have a real job
i build and repair 3 phase transformers
but when our house is paid for and the demand is higher for captive stock it would be nice to be able to quit if i like
i thought i could just make a few large imports to get a good stock started to propagate
but now will get them from wholesalers
thanks agin for all the responces
far as money for the farm goes i should be ok
im very frugal on how and what i spend it on
like i mentioned above i've already scratched the importer idea
the whole goal was to be mainly a online captive coral farmer with the cheapest prices in the end (like dr mac & atlantis)
i may not have clarifyed that in the begining
far as my typing skills go. on these boards im a hobbiest and would hope you think id have since enough to do better as far as online sales & corresopdances gos (im not offended by anyones responce and welcome them all)
like i also mentioned im not trying to make a lively hood out of this
we are pretty well off already and i have a real job
i build and repair 3 phase transformers
but when our house is paid for and the demand is higher for captive stock it would be nice to be able to quit if i like
i thought i could just make a few large imports to get a good stock started to propagate
but now will get them from wholesalers
thanks agin for all the responces
judy i already have a market
5 lfs & several locals & lots who know me online (im sure ill get more without much effort)
all i got to do is get it all together on a larger scale
thanks
mabey ill start editing my posts on this particular board a little better if i continue using it
i was mainly looking for info on how to deal with importers
5 lfs & several locals & lots who know me online (im sure ill get more without much effort)
all i got to do is get it all together on a larger scale
thanks
mabey ill start editing my posts on this particular board a little better if i continue using it
i was mainly looking for info on how to deal with importers
btw if anyone would like i can give you my # and you can call collect
just email me
i think after talking with me you'll find im very educated in the skills needed to farm coral on a large scale
but still can use any pointers tips or advice
i would like to know it all (but dont)
and i hope i havent given anyone here the wrong impression
i just thought that this is what this forum was here for
just email me
i think after talking with me you'll find im very educated in the skills needed to farm coral on a large scale
but still can use any pointers tips or advice
i would like to know it all (but dont)
and i hope i havent given anyone here the wrong impression
i just thought that this is what this forum was here for
eddie":1gz4lqk1 said:
Don't underestimate how much effort it takes. I started with contacts from the place I used to work at AND the membership of the reef club I started, and it's still a struggle to get it going.
Advertising, word of mouth...you need to cast a large net. It's never "enough", but can be too much sometimes, all at the same time!
If you only take one piece of advice I'm offering, it's to contact the SBA Small Business Development Center near you and invest $30 or so in one of their seminars. It was the best money I have spent on the business so far, and you might find it to be a real eye-opener.
Not to sound harsh but I really don't think you're seeing the big picture here.
Jenn
well i take that back
i counted 26 at RC
but alot of them poped up within the last year
im sure theres a few more but to supply the nation when they ban exportation
i dont think that will cut it
also ill fell for all the wholesalers ,importers & retailers when and if that happens(truely)
im still going to dedicate myself to building a top notch coral farm(besides family of course) even if i dont sell the first piece when im done
besides most will be lit by the sun free of charge
i predict all wholesalers , importers & exporters will be out of business within 10 years or less anyway
all that will be left is poachers and farmers imo
and of course those that farm in the ocean
keep in mind i never had intentions of competeing with ocean farmers anyway
only North American land based
btw im looking into loading some editing software into my computer now
i counted 26 at RC
but alot of them poped up within the last year
im sure theres a few more but to supply the nation when they ban exportation
i dont think that will cut it
also ill fell for all the wholesalers ,importers & retailers when and if that happens(truely)
im still going to dedicate myself to building a top notch coral farm(besides family of course) even if i dont sell the first piece when im done
besides most will be lit by the sun free of charge
i predict all wholesalers , importers & exporters will be out of business within 10 years or less anyway
all that will be left is poachers and farmers imo
and of course those that farm in the ocean
keep in mind i never had intentions of competeing with ocean farmers anyway
only North American land based
btw im looking into loading some editing software into my computer now
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