📚 China import course

After completing your first successful deals, how do you grow your business and increase your profits?

The stages of scaling up in importing

Stage 1: testing (0–6 months)
- Small deals (USD 500–5,000)
- Your goal: learn the process, test products, build relationships
- Do not focus on profit now — focus on learning

Stage 2: consolidation (6–18 months)
- Larger deals (USD 5,000–20,000)
- Knowing reliable suppliers
- Building a customer base in your country
- Improving margins by negotiating better prices for larger quantities

Stage 3: expansion (beyond 18 months)
- Full containers (USD 20,000+)
- Distributors in other regions or countries
- Private label (your own brand)
- Possibly regular visits to China

How to cut costs as you scale
1. Order larger quantities → lower unit prices
2. Move from LCL to FCL → cheaper shipping per unit
3. Build a warehouse or share one with other importers
4. Negotiate better payment terms (net 30–60 instead of 30% upfront)
5. Use a permanent Chinese agent to reduce purchase prices

Advanced growth strategies
- Combining products: instead of one product, diversify your products within the same shipment
- Entering new markets: Lebanon, Jordan, Morocco, Iraq…
- Considering your own brand once demand for a particular product is steady