Getting samples

Buying something from overseas can be a bit scary. Samples are crucial to the process. Usually, they cost a lot. I pay about $150 for a few sets of underwear!!! But the supplier sends them to your door by courier, such as DHL.

With my business, I get the samples in my size. This allows me to check how well the bras fit. (Prior to this, I have provided the supplier with all of the measurements.)This gives me a good idea about what I am getting, the sizing, quality, etc. I ask everyone to comment on them. Usually, the samples are white because dyeing procedures can be quite complex.

Samples need to be perfect. I check them very carefully for any small imperfections. I still got caught and had to reorder some things because they were not good enough to sell to the general public. The shipment cannot be returned because of shipping costs, customs, etc.

I then discuss any changes I need to be made with the supplier. This takes me a few hours but well worth the trouble. I have suppliers who are very particular and make sure they understand everything. That is great for me even though I get impatient at times because we seem to go over things several times. (This is the same for all 3 suppliers I have dealt with!!) The language difference also plays a part in this, so we need to get everything right.

Next post will be about paying deposits.

Finding an underwear supplier

Last post I had no supplier and didn't know where to find one!!

I searched all of the websites for suppliers but no-one was making 100% cotton underwear.

So, I decided that the only way was to put an add on Alibaba - the site I felt was most user friendly!! I put my ad up for 100% cotton underwear!!

I had about 60 responses in 4 days!! Then another 60 in the next 3 weeks! How do I choose a supplier? Next big question!! I then deleted all of the ones that I felt could not make cotton underwear!! Guess what? I had none left! No-one was making 100% cotton underwear!!

However... I had a few people contact me through Trade Manager on Alibaba. They assured me that they could supply what I wanted. They asked the questions and I got what I wanted.

I met 2 great people. One was China Shine and he was an agent. He would find a manufacturer to make the underwear I wanted. He has been fantastic to me. He speaks to me everyday. If I am online he always says hello. Just as if we were walking down the street, he would not pass without saying hello!! He has a wicked sense of humour and teases me about evrything! Mind you, I give as good as I get!! We have become good friends online and I am looking forward to going to Guangzhou to meet him. Maybe next year for the Canton Fair.

I also met Cathy. Also a great girl who works for CHK Clothing. She worked so hard for me and then really extended herself at a later date to help me. I will be forever grateful to her and I love the friendship I have with her as well. Someone else I want to meet! So my trip to China will include Shenzhen as well.

I have also met people who supply Target, Best and Less and Rivers. I am always surprised at how helpful the Chinese people are. When I have any problems , there are several that I can ask for help. They are always so willing to help. I believe it is why their country is doing the trade they are doing.

So I began negotiations with 2 manufacturers. I thought that this time I would have 2 so I wouldn't be left without a manufacturer again. I now have contacts with several manufacturers, so I will always have a supplier.

The negotiations begin....

Where can I get cotton underwear?

I have interrupted my story with a news flash for the last 2 days. I am not sure how you can get these products from me yet but will include it in a later post!! (More homework for me!!)

My biggest quest was to find cotton underwear to sell. My searches in Australia all came to deadends. So I was forced to look out of Australia. Most clothing manufacturers get their products from Asia, so this became a logical place for me to start.

At the time, I was getting a list of websites from a weekly newsletter (for teaching). Then one of these mentioned a company in Asia that could be an agent to find products in China. I put in a query and found a lovely Chinese girl called Vanessa who could help me. I spent about 3 months negotiating with her about getting underwear I wanted.

Then....I found that the goods would not be coming...the manufacturer could not make the samples for me. At the same time Vanessa left the company, so now I had no contact in China!!!

This at the time was pretty bad!! My dream was going down the tube!!

But, it was a great place to be!! This gave me the opportunity to stand back and check what was happening!!! It became my life changing moment!!

I had 2 choices!! Will I continue to follow my dream or will I abandon it???

It was an easy decision for me!! I decided I really wanted to start a business selling cotton underwear.

I had to follow my dream!! Or regret it forever!!

This really was my chance to do what I had always wanted. I had taken a step back but it did allow me to form a very special relationship.

More about that tomorrow!!

World Internet Summit UK 2007 DVD review

Since this seminar, I have discovered The World Internet Summit. The organisers of this are Brett McFall and Tom Hua.

They organise seminars with speakers (from around the world) making a lot of money on the internet. We have all heard about people making a lot of money on the internet. Well, these guys all assemble together to show how we can do what they are doing. They run about 4 of these events a year I think.

One of the most powerful things they talk about is our own mindset about making a lot of money. The payoff is a completely different lifestyle and doing what you want to do, not working forever on a 9 to 5 job.

During the last few days I have been watching the DVDs of the World Internet Summit in the UK in November 2007. Again, this information is mindblowing! Shaune Clarke shows how to get a website up and running, the hits, advertising and the start of an amazing business. He does this onstage and shows all of the steps that need to be taken to get to that point. Very powerful!!

I now have the resale rights to sell the DVDs. There are 17 and the price is $997 for the set. Really, I believe that is amazing value. This event costs $997 to attend.

I don't know about you, but I can't afford the airfares, accommodation and food expenses that go along with a 4 day event! So for the same price of the ticket, you can purchase this set of DVDs.

Now, I know things change quickly on the internet but I truly believe that most of the content is still current. (I haven't seen all of the DVDs yet, so I cannot make a claim that ALL of it is still current.)

The other thing I wondered was how many people actually attend these events. Well, would you believe about 500? Then add in the statistic that from these 500, only 1% will actually do anything with the knowledge they have.

So, are you a doer? an action person? This is for you!! The best $997 you have ever spent. If you implement even one of these ideas, you can make way more than the cost of these DVDs.

Believe me, a whole new world will be open to you!!

Tomorrow...I will let you know how to buy these amazing DVDs. (I am not sure but will find out before tomorrow!!)

Mindblowing information

I know I am jumping ahead now but this is related to finding a product!!

I also wish I had had this information in February but I probably wouldn't have seen it as the opportunity it was!

I had started researching starting a business in February 2007.

Sometimes, opportunities just come along!!

In July 2008, I heard from a friend in Brisbane about an internet marketing secrets seminar. My website was up and running but the business was going slow. I decided to attend to help with getting traffic to my site!!

I found the information I got over the 2 days was mind blowing!! Definitely not what I was expecting!! These guys talked about $20 million as if it was $20!!! These guys were making megabucks!! It was so unbelievable that I couldn't help but laugh!!

The presenters included Brett McFall, Tom Hua, Armand Morin, Nikhil Parekh, Matt & Amanda Clarkson, Declan Barnett, Ari Galper and Andrew & Daryl Grant.

There were several ways to make money on the internet! All possible for ordinary people like you and me!!

The reason I have jumped ahead to this information is because I wish I had known about it before I started my underwear business.

Tomorrow....I will tell you more about this amazing information.

Finding a product

Many years ago, with time to spare (while my daughter was at a week long music workshop), I cruised the shops of Brisbane. Would you believe Myer were having an underwear sale? Great sale and I needed some new underwear!

I couldn't see any cotton underwear sets, so I asked the sales girl. I could not believe that there were only 2 pants of hipster knickers available. No bras to match!!

But the Bendon sets and Twisted Sista sets looked great. I bought 2 sets - a red floral and a blue floral! Gorgeous!

I think I wore them about 3 times each and then didn't wear the briefs again. I did wear the bras, though!! Very disappointing!

I continued to look for several years, but never did find lovely cotton sets.

When I made the decision to start a business selling cotton underwear sets, I spent hours looking for shops with cotton underwear! No luck!

There were no cotton underwear sets anywhere online or in shops.

So, the next problem became.... where would I find a product to sell?