Yes, the import export business is an opportunity. However, the import export business opportunity is far removed from the hundreds or even thousands of what I refer to as “junk” business opportunities that you will find advertised on and off the Internet.
The import export business opportunity requires a dedicated period of learning on your part to become proficient, at the least, in understanding the processes of how an import export business operates.
Does this mean you have to be able to ‘do’ all aspects of exporting or importing to be successful. The answer is NO. But, the more you understand of the processes, the less likely you will be ripped off completely or lose a commission you earned.
Do not be fooled into paying thousands of dollars or more for some course or ‘program’ that “promises” you success – even if they are advertised on Google or other major search engines.
Remember:
A. Anyone can set up a web site (or multiple ones) for a few dollars per year and have a telephone number that gets you a boiler room sales operator who is highly trained on separating you from your money.
B. Anyone can ‘pay’ to have their advertised listing within Google or Yahoo or MSN’s search engine. The fact they are paying for advertising simply means they know that they are making a lot of money off the people who purchase their expensive ‘programs’ that promise to hold your hand while walking you down the yellow brick road to the enchanted city of being successful.
Let me share a recent email exchange with a potential customer for the Tool Kit training package we offer to train you for success in the import export business opportunity: (this email is on file in our email program)
1.) My first question is for a beginner like myself who has no previous experience in the import export business but wants to earn an income as an agent what are some ways I can go about learning this business the correct way?
My Answer: First, download all our FREE Small Business Resources including free reports and ebook about starting up an exporting business - they are located throughout our web site - if after you have read the ebook you are still interested in pursuing this type of business then the very best course we offer is the Import - Export Tool Kit.The tool kit is advertised in the Ebook and in our web site - first rule of this business or any business is to learn to do your research before taking action.
2.) Also recently I read about a course on google.com that being an agent bringing buyers and sellers together can earn a significant income doing this and would like your opinion on it based on your experiences?
My Answer: There are many different offerings on the Internet - some may be valid, some may not be - there are so many springing up each day, I pay little attention to them any longer. Our Import Export tool kit course costs a few hundred dollars, period.
There are courses on the internet offered for thousands of dollars - SAVE your money. If you are willing to expend $7-8,000 or more for your business, do this - Purchase our Import-Export Toolkit for a few hundred dollars and invest the rest in a certificate of deposit for the next year. At the end of a year you will either be a successful import or export agent/broker or you will not be, but guess what, you will still have almost all of your original money.
Our make money in international trade course (or any course or 'program') will not "guarantee" you success in any field - if they do - grab your wallet and run.
3.) Lastly in terms of being an agent in this business would there be a certain amount of startup capital I'd need to get started?My Answer: Generally if you have a computer, a telephone line, you can get a fax to email line for about $30 a year so basically beyond the training the only other cost I would recommend an expenditure for is a good "paid" trade leads service, either the Export Leads online service we offer. So in answer to your question, if you add up the cost of our make money in international trade course and a subscription to our online export leads and some other basics like a fax number, etc. you can come in under $600 TOTAL.
*** End of this email exchange ***
Another person inquired about an import export business opportunity provider they found on the Internet that stated they would provide the opportunity seeker "guaranteed" accounts. To this person I replied: if this is true, wouldn't it make more sense for the company offering these “guaranteed accounts” to simply hire people at minimum wage (or a little higher) and keep the accounts themselves??
Folks, what I am trying to tell you (not sell you) is USE A LITTLE COMMON SENSE.
If you apply that COMMON SENSE and a little bit of thought processing, wouldn’t you begin to ‘wonder’ just a little bit that if these ‘guaranteed accounts’ were so lucrative why would they be giving them to me? OR, could it just be possible that they are making more profit from taking my $7,000 or $8,000 plus than what these ‘guaranteed’ accounts might be worth (if they really exist at all???)
I don’t know about you, but $7,000 or $8,000 or more is a "LOT" of money. That is a LOT of house payments, groceries, Christmas presents (I guess you can still use the word Christmas??). $7,000 to $8,000 or more is not easy to come by, but you must make the decision of what is worthy of your hard earned dollars. I am sure of one thing, it probably took you a lot of mornings of getting up for work, commuting to work, working long hours at your job and commuting back home again to get those dollars.
What I have tried to do here is simply give you some things that "I" would think about and contemplate before I would give a total stranger $7,000 to $8,000 or more of my hard earned money.
Just a couple more things to think about and check out before deciding who you trust to provide you with training for the import export business opportunity:
1. Be sure to check out their web site thoroughly – visit their site maps and click on all of the links. If you find that many of the links take you to a “Page not found” – that should tell you something, I hope – remember use your common sense?
2. You should also perform a complete "due diligence" on the company or business you are considering handing your hard earned money over to, whether us or them (I know that isn't proper grammer). If you do not understand or know the meaning of “due diligence” go to http://www.webster.com/ and look it up.
Quite frankly, if you are too lazy to perform due diligence on an import export business opportunity provider, whether them or ‘us’, you should reconsider, entirely, if you are suited for starting and operating this business or any business. Blunt, yes, but a cold hard fact.
Here is a direct link to the "DUE DILIGENCE" resources that we have posted at our web site – I encourage you to use them to check us out and any other import export business opportunity provider you are considering doing business with.
Consider this a FREE lesson and resource for success in the import export business opportunity and be sure to bookmark it or save it to your own computer. The business resources listed on this page are all independent import export business resources that I have used and continue to use. These business resources will be very useful to you in your import export business.
I am also going to give you one more BIG resource, FREE of Charge, here today before ending my rant.
If you are going to focus on the Export business side of an import export business, one of the BIG things the high prices courses and training programs promise you is access to their super secret database of suppliers and/or manufacturers.
The largest database of USA manufacturers is now online and the last time I checked, access to it was FREE.
You simply have to register and you can search through tens of thousands of manufacturers, by name, products, services, etc.. That web site is http://www.thomasnet.com/index.html
The BIGGEST keys to success in dealing direct with a manufacturer or other potential supplier is having the confidence in knowing two things:
1. That you have viable trade leads (importers/buyers) you can bring to the table.
2. An understanding of the process of exporting so you are not perceived as a rank amateur or what many call a ‘wannabe’ in the industry.
3. Confidence in yourself (this is definitely elevated when you possess number 1 and 2)
Now for you potential Importers.
The primary method I recommend to people for locating a manufacturer or supplier from another country is to contact that country’s embassy and ask to speak or correspond with their on staff trade representative.
Most, if not all, embassies have these personnel on staff and their sole purpose is to help promote trade with companies in their country by helping potential buyers/importers (like you) get in touch with manufacturers in their country.
You can find contact information for just about every embassy located in the USA at http://embassy.org/
That is my rant for the day. I do not wish to scare you away from the import export business opportunity, but to hopefully help you in making a more ‘informed’ decision about it and about those with whom you are considering entrusting your money and your future.
The import export business is a great business. I will tell you about my first deal in a later post. But, I will tell you that I continue to receive checks to this day from a company that contacted us in 1997 and asked for us to help them develop new overseas markets. We did just that in early 1998 and still receive checks from them to this day.
Hopefully the last paragraph will also dispel those potential critics who I sometimes get phone calls or emails from who say something like “you have never exported or imported, have you”. The answer to that question is YES, I have done both and continue to work in the field as an export agent but only on deals that I decide are worthy of my time.
I hope that this ‘long’ post has been helpful to you and I wish you success in your future endeavors, whatever they might be.
Regards,
Ron Coble
Coble International
Import Export Business Help Center
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