Paying for Orders

After all of the initial work negotiating the products, it comes time to pay. This depends on the manufacturer. The ones I deal with, prefer 50% on order and then 50% on completion. Some people have suggested that I do not pay until the goods are checked and are the quality they should be.

I am happy to pay for these goods before they are put on ship. However, I have been "caught" twice doing this method and it has cost me a lot both financially and in business.

However, this is part of my learning and my journey. I wouldn't change what has happened one bit!

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.

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!!)

Making the decision

I have always wanted to start my own business - probably since my 20s. Then along come study, children, divorce, being a single parent and the thought disappears from our minds. Getting through the days seems to take priority. Then the children grow up and leave home!

Our priorities change. So do our responsibilities! What to do now?

I felt burnt out after teaching for 20 years. I felt I was doing the same things each year - fixing the students' problems. This can be very draining. I loved doing this - helping the underachievers. I loved allowing them to see their potential whether it was academic or in other areas. But it was losing its attraction! I needed a break.

My priorities had changed. So did my responsibilities! What to do now?

At the beginning of last year, I wrote a list of ALL of the things that interested me. I quite surprised myself. The list was quite long. I really had lots of choices!!

Often I get frustrated about because I want something and it is not available on the market!!

This led me to my starting my current business - selling cotton underwear sets online.

This is an amazing journey! I am not there yet! I am still learning!

The most amazing things have happened! Everyone is so supportive! I have been given advice and help from lots of different places.

Join me on my journey! I hope you may learn from this and at the same time I am hoping to learn from you as well!!