Amazing amazing stuff! You motivated me even more now to start my own company! I'm sure I'll look back to this video many times more before my first visit! Thank you!
Great story! That’s about the best testament to “boots on the ground” I’ve heard. As always, glad you’re always so transparent and willing to share your insights!
I hope there were more people like you in TH-cam, specially in dropshipping where they all claim to have the best course while they make the video in the lambo they rent for a month. Thanks Nick!
Nick I like hearing about the process of finding a good Chinese manufacturer. Very interesting. Don't worry about video being too long...this process is super interesting to hear 1st hand...make it as long as you'd like.
Hey Nick, would you mind sharing the contact info of all the best Chinese factories/trade agencies you had a good experience with? I am going through what you already went through pretty soon here and would love to connect with the people you dealt with. I'd appreciate it.
I've watched couple of your videos, great job dude!! I'm so glad you can visit china in person, play by the local rules when you over shenzhen and you can win respect and business, since im from beijing. I will start my amazon fba product this week and good luck to you and myself! One more friendly tip is that try google translate your product into chinese and go 1688.com to see the price, find someone who have rmb in their wechat app and buy it from there, save you more money on your product.
Yang Hai thanks man appreciate it. If you’re in china and speak English and mandarin you have such a leg up on everyone in Amazon fba. I will definitely check it out. Thanks
Wanted to ask your thoughts on FBA product research. Curious to know your thought, in retrospect, now having launched a successful product, how important tools like Jungle Scout really are when researching an unknown niche. When you did research for your 1st product did you use Jungle Scout to actually identify the niche and product (I.e.: no preconceived product in mind and purely searching by the numbers), or did you already have a niche / product in mind, and use JS simply to confirm the numbers looked promising? Also, wondering if you have any thoughts on a relatively new competitor to JS....the Market Intelligence products (Viral Launch). Their offerings sound interesting, not only for product research but also for FBA launch support
HI Nick! Thank you for all the information. Your videos are really helpful. I'm starting my Amazon business and I'm trying to find suppliers with "fair trade" certifications and it's been quite impossible. How would you define the working conditions of Chinese people in these factories? I want to find a noble supplier that doesn't exploit their employees. Thank you so much. Wish you all the best.
Well Nick, lot of value and honest as usual, I got two questions for you nr.1 do all supplier rasing there prices, how do one handle this kind of issues? Question nr. 2 should one be honest and tell about one self and ones operation or should one give the the I am a employee story? One again, you are one great and unik guys on TH-cam, thanks Nick and godspeed, p.s the story was far from to long!!!
I guess no supplier is going to be 100% perfect or transparent in how they operate. Dont forget they are sussing you out too , at the same time . Are you exaggerating in what you can offer them in business and honesty in the future? Its a two way thing. Looking smart in a tie etc is a good thing but dont forget they have probably been in business a lot longer than you have. The've seen and heard it all before. Good luck.
If I might - A humorous and slightly sarcastic and non sequitur aside based upon first-hand experience... First, let me qualify this by saying that China has absolutely amazing cuisine! Absolutely amazing!!! That said, for a newly arrived Westerner, one will be in for a 'bit' of a surprise! ...ESPECIALLY those who are vegetarian/vegan... ;-) In such a case, one arrives from the West, most likely having dutifully seen all the episodes of Kung Fu and thinking they 'understand' China and Chinese culture, and thinking that they will find vegetarian/vegan fare everywhere - not realizing that most Buddhists are NOT vegetarian, and that the Chinese eat almost 250% More meat (in particular pork) than do folks in the West, and that your attempt to describe yourself s, or to request, 'vegetarian food - or ANYTHING not swimming in oil - one is going to met with the most quizical of looks! And, IF you are even able to explain that you are a 'vegetarian', you will quickly learn what 'jazz hands' in China mean! - In short, if you think you will find 'vegetarian food' and that you are going to avoid oil, you are literally out of luck! And while this can be rather traumatic for one whose expectations are so inclined when they first arrive, once one becomes acclimated to the culture, this remains a source of schadenfreude to enjoy as one witnesses the trials of other newly arrived vegetarian Westerners... And so it is with So many aspects of the Western-Chinese culture divide! But if one is open and can minimize demanding that others capitulate to one's expectations and manner of doing things, that there is also much merit in the manner in which the Chinese do business - and where contacts are fluid documents used as guidelines and not rigid static documents as in the West. But, back to the food situation about which I know first hand, as I personally follow a whole food low fat plant diet for health purposes - not some animal rights religion... (Oh, and one quickly learns that one must be flexible and you eat whatever your host provides - and yes, aside from any philosophical issues you might harbor - the food WILL be amazingly tasty!) But the difficulty in finding a vegetarian/vegan restaurant or street food does Not necessarily constitute a situation wherein all is lost! Quite the contrary! The saving grace comes in the form of literally AMAZING 'wet'/open markets with an incredible variety of fresh varieties of fruit and veggies available at amazing prices of which Westerners can only dream! Thus if you cook, the sky is the limit for healthy inexpensive eating! But if one expects restaurant or street food (and NO!, street food is not the risky 'deathwish' adventure so many incorrectly imagine!) to be 'vegetarian', one will quickly discover that China (as well as any region of SE Asia) is the WRONG part of the world to be! The larger lesson being that one really does need to be prepared to undergo a radical reality check as one shifts from Western expectations to the wonderful Asian/Chinese reality. OK...sorry...I realize this is a bit non sequitur and long-winded, but sitting here during the Spring Festival in a large seemingly deserted city as all have gone to visit their families for the holiday - it's easy to reminisce about the culture shock that even one who thinks they are prepared will experience! If one is open-minded and retains a sense of humor mixed with a sense of adventure (and a dash of appreciation for the absurd!) and can overcome the tendency to view the world as Alice in Wonderland who is all too quick to impose her expectations and judgments, one will discover an absolutely amazing culture that is much different than what they expected.
It's interesting to listen to many folks who only know China in the abstract - folks who are often quick to judge China on the basis of politics and economics, but who do not realize that this culture is now dominated by free-market entrepreneurialism - NOT Communism. With the radical change where people were loosed to start a abusiness and get rich - this is precisely what is transforming China. And on a day-to-day basis, there is a dramatic lack of intrusive regulation. No one need fear the police. Its rather amazing to note the almost complete absence of police on the roads....And unlike in the West (or the US in particular), when you see a policeman (what was YOUR response the last time you saw a cop in your rear view mirror - especially as they are now being used by cities as revenue generators...?) your adrenalin does not rise. In fact, it's almost difficult to get their attention as they are NOT looking for problems or an excuse to stop you. And I have unexpectedly received an amazing amount of almost uncalled for assistance from them when I least expected it. All while many foreigners have fears of making the wrong move or saying the wrong thing and being whisked off to prison and never being heard from again. In fact, it's extremely difficult to get arrested. IN fact, I have heard it stated that in order to get arrested one must murder niot jsut anyone, but someone of very high station...;-) Again, Not what one's foregone conclusions established by the news media would prepare one for. On the other hand, there are indeed some very profound differences that can be a bit irratiating. Many people function in a manner that is almost oblivious to the surroundings. Driving is a prime example (and the best study in chaos theory one can practically experience!) But then there is NO road rage - which is amazing - especially given one;s Intitial reaction (shock and terror might be good terms!) to the right of way rules - or lack thereof - here. Buyt after a period of acclicamtin, it (almost) makes sense...or, perhaps I should rephrase that and say that it is a bit more predictable and seems normal! (Sorry, but driving here is a fascinating subject in an of itself - where rules are but guidelines and everything is a matter of probablity, not possibility - and hence why chaos theory is a good primer!!!) That said, many people will go out of their way to provide assistance in a most gracious manner. The people and culture are amazing. And one has ample opportunity to become immersed in this without any concern regarding politics (with perhaps the exception of maintaining a visa....arghhhhhh! ;-) China IS an Amazing place - and completely different than the cartoon images of 'old China' and expecially the cold war images creating an image of China as being akin to Soviet East Germany with police at every corner just waiting to arrest one.Neither are accurate! In fact, China remeinds me in many ways of the US during the 50's and 60's faced with many challenges and many amazing opportunities. The Chinese are fascinated by the US and the West. And the West would do well to increase their understanding of the culture of China. But I ramble! Thank you for your accounts of your experiences doing business in China. This particular aspect is indeed fascinating, and as you are decribing, Not the way business is typically conducted in the US in abstraction by having your lawyer call my lawyer and simply agreeing to the terms of a static contract! Its all about the guanxi - or personal relationships - the 'networking' if you will - cultivated, where individuals intercede on one's behalf to affect the relationship - the corrections, improvements, changes nvolved in an ongoing and evolving relationship. I am most interested in learning more about your experiences! I hope that you might also consider visiting Yiwu. And if you do, please contact me before you go, as I would love to visit this most amazing center of the universe for wholesale and share a few notes and impressions - and perhaps a beer or two - or at least some coffee or tea!
Interesting. But your imposed abstract Western expectations, while fine from your POV, simply do not correspond to the reality you will encounter. THAT IS the reality, rather than your expectations. The reality you fail to understand - unless you are dealing in EXTREMELY LARGE quantities - you WILL be dealing with small operations! Your expectations of encountering an extensive factory with written 'ISO900x' procedures is simply NOT going to exist for small orders. And yes, factories in the rural areas of western China Are government subsidized, as much of the rural populace outside of the eastern coast lives almost at a subsistence level. I could run on and on, but one needs to do a bit more research into Chinese society without the imposition of Western expectations. I know....having lived here (in China) now for 7 years it's humorous to listen to newly arrived Westerners!
He’s BACK 🧐🙀🙌 and in a suit! And at the top of my subscriber feed. Ya let’s chat again about this china trip 🤔🤔🤔 🇨🇳
Amazing amazing stuff! You motivated me even more now to start my own company! I'm sure I'll look back to this video many times more before my first visit! Thank you!
Great story! That’s about the best testament to “boots on the ground” I’ve heard. As always, glad you’re always so transparent and willing to share your insights!
I hope there were more people like you in TH-cam, specially in dropshipping where they all claim to have the best course while they make the video in the lambo they rent for a month. Thanks Nick!
I really appreciate you shared this kz I pretty much had almost same story but it didn’t get as bigger as yours... thanks again for sharing!
Nick I like hearing about the process of finding a good Chinese manufacturer. Very interesting. Don't worry about video being too long...this process is super interesting to hear 1st hand...make it as long as you'd like.
Hey Nick, would you mind sharing the contact info of all the best Chinese factories/trade agencies you had a good experience with? I am going through what you already went through pretty soon here and would love to connect with the people you dealt with. I'd appreciate it.
I've watched couple of your videos, great job dude!! I'm so glad you can visit china in person, play by the local rules when you over shenzhen and you can win respect and business, since im from beijing. I will start my amazon fba product this week and good luck to you and myself! One more friendly tip is that try google translate your product into chinese and go 1688.com to see the price, find someone who have rmb in their wechat app and buy it from there, save you more money on your product.
Yang Hai thanks man appreciate it. If you’re in china and speak English and mandarin you have such a leg up on everyone in Amazon fba. I will definitely check it out. Thanks
Wanted to ask your thoughts on FBA product research. Curious to know your thought, in retrospect, now having launched a successful product, how important tools like Jungle Scout really are when researching an unknown niche. When you did research for your 1st product did you use Jungle Scout to actually identify the niche and product (I.e.: no preconceived product in mind and purely searching by the numbers), or did you already have a niche / product in mind, and use JS simply to confirm the numbers looked promising? Also, wondering if you have any thoughts on a relatively new competitor to JS....the Market Intelligence products (Viral Launch). Their offerings sound interesting, not only for product research but also for FBA launch support
HI Nick! Thank you for all the information. Your videos are really helpful. I'm starting my Amazon business and I'm trying to find suppliers with "fair trade" certifications and it's been quite impossible. How would you define the working conditions of Chinese people in these factories? I want to find a noble supplier that doesn't exploit their employees. Thank you so much. Wish you all the best.
What factories did you visit and do they create any of your clothes design ?
Well Nick, lot of value and honest as usual, I got two questions for you nr.1 do all supplier rasing there prices, how do one handle this kind of issues? Question nr. 2 should one be honest and tell about one self and ones operation or should one give the the I am a employee story?
One again, you are one great and unik guys on TH-cam, thanks Nick and godspeed, p.s the story was far from to long!!!
Thank you Nick... you always reply, means more than the answer it self, l will be looking out for your next video
I guess no supplier is going to be 100% perfect or transparent in how they operate. Dont forget they are sussing you out too , at the same time . Are you exaggerating in what you can offer them in business and honesty in the future? Its a two way thing. Looking smart in a tie etc is a good thing but dont forget they have probably been in business a lot longer than you have. The've seen and heard it all before. Good luck.
I love the way you communicate things so clearly Nick. That's quite a gift! I look forward to watching more of your videos.
By chance can you send me that excel file of the companies that you mentioned in your video?
"...a worker's lounge"...LOL! You haven't been to China before, have you?.... ;-)
If I might - A humorous and slightly sarcastic and non sequitur aside based upon first-hand experience...
First, let me qualify this by saying that China has absolutely amazing cuisine! Absolutely amazing!!!
That said, for a newly arrived Westerner, one will be in for a 'bit' of a surprise! ...ESPECIALLY those who are vegetarian/vegan... ;-)
In such a case, one arrives from the West, most likely having dutifully seen all the episodes of Kung Fu and thinking they 'understand' China and Chinese culture, and thinking that they will find vegetarian/vegan fare everywhere - not realizing that most Buddhists are NOT vegetarian, and that the Chinese eat almost 250% More meat (in particular pork) than do folks in the West, and that your attempt to describe yourself s, or to request, 'vegetarian food - or ANYTHING not swimming in oil - one is going to met with the most quizical of looks! And, IF you are even able to explain that you are a 'vegetarian', you will quickly learn what 'jazz hands' in China mean! - In short, if you think you will find 'vegetarian food' and that you are going to avoid oil, you are literally out of luck!
And while this can be rather traumatic for one whose expectations are so inclined when they first arrive, once one becomes acclimated to the culture, this remains a source of schadenfreude to enjoy as one witnesses the trials of other newly arrived vegetarian Westerners...
And so it is with So many aspects of the Western-Chinese culture divide! But if one is open and can minimize demanding that others capitulate to one's expectations and manner of doing things, that there is also much merit in the manner in which the Chinese do business - and where contacts are fluid documents used as guidelines and not rigid static documents as in the West.
But, back to the food situation about which I know first hand, as I personally follow a whole food low fat plant diet for health purposes - not some animal rights religion...
(Oh, and one quickly learns that one must be flexible and you eat whatever your host provides - and yes, aside from any philosophical issues you might harbor - the food WILL be amazingly tasty!)
But the difficulty in finding a vegetarian/vegan restaurant or street food does Not necessarily constitute a situation wherein all is lost! Quite the contrary!
The saving grace comes in the form of literally AMAZING 'wet'/open markets with an incredible variety of fresh varieties of fruit and veggies available at amazing prices of which Westerners can only dream! Thus if you cook, the sky is the limit for healthy inexpensive eating!
But if one expects restaurant or street food (and NO!, street food is not the risky 'deathwish' adventure so many incorrectly imagine!) to be 'vegetarian', one will quickly discover that China (as well as any region of SE Asia) is the WRONG part of the world to be! The larger lesson being that one really does need to be prepared to undergo a radical reality check as one shifts from Western expectations to the wonderful Asian/Chinese reality.
OK...sorry...I realize this is a bit non sequitur and long-winded, but sitting here during the Spring Festival in a large seemingly deserted city as all have gone to visit their families for the holiday - it's easy to reminisce about the culture shock that even one who thinks they are prepared will experience!
If one is open-minded and retains a sense of humor mixed with a sense of adventure (and a dash of appreciation for the absurd!) and can overcome the tendency to view the world as Alice in Wonderland who is all too quick to impose her expectations and judgments, one will discover an absolutely amazing culture that is much different than what they expected.
It's interesting to listen to many folks who only know China in the abstract - folks who are often quick to judge China on the basis of politics and economics, but who do not realize that this culture is now dominated by free-market entrepreneurialism - NOT Communism. With the radical change where people were loosed to start a abusiness and get rich - this is precisely what is transforming China.
And on a day-to-day basis, there is a dramatic lack of intrusive regulation. No one need fear the police. Its rather amazing to note the almost complete absence of police on the roads....And unlike in the West (or the US in particular), when you see a policeman (what was YOUR response the last time you saw a cop in your rear view mirror - especially as they are now being used by cities as revenue generators...?) your adrenalin does not rise. In fact, it's almost difficult to get their attention as they are NOT looking for problems or an excuse to stop you. And I have unexpectedly received an amazing amount of almost uncalled for assistance from them when I least expected it. All while many foreigners have fears of making the wrong move or saying the wrong thing and being whisked off to prison and never being heard from again. In fact, it's extremely difficult to get arrested. IN fact, I have heard it stated that in order to get arrested one must murder niot jsut anyone, but someone of very high station...;-) Again, Not what one's foregone conclusions established by the news media would prepare one for.
On the other hand, there are indeed some very profound differences that can be a bit irratiating. Many people function in a manner that is almost oblivious to the surroundings. Driving is a prime example (and the best study in chaos theory one can practically experience!) But then there is NO road rage - which is amazing - especially given one;s Intitial reaction (shock and terror might be good terms!) to the right of way rules - or lack thereof - here. Buyt after a period of acclicamtin, it (almost) makes sense...or, perhaps I should rephrase that and say that it is a bit more predictable and seems normal! (Sorry, but driving here is a fascinating subject in an of itself - where rules are but guidelines and everything is a matter of probablity, not possibility - and hence why chaos theory is a good primer!!!)
That said, many people will go out of their way to provide assistance in a most gracious manner. The people and culture are amazing. And one has ample opportunity to become immersed in this without any concern regarding politics (with perhaps the exception of maintaining a visa....arghhhhhh! ;-)
China IS an Amazing place - and completely different than the cartoon images of 'old China' and expecially the cold war images creating an image of China as being akin to Soviet East Germany with police at every corner just waiting to arrest one.Neither are accurate! In fact, China remeinds me in many ways of the US during the 50's and 60's faced with many challenges and many amazing opportunities. The Chinese are fascinated by the US and the West. And the West would do well to increase their understanding of the culture of China.
But I ramble!
Thank you for your accounts of your experiences doing business in China. This particular aspect is indeed fascinating, and as you are decribing, Not the way business is typically conducted in the US in abstraction by having your lawyer call my lawyer and simply agreeing to the terms of a static contract! Its all about the guanxi - or personal relationships - the 'networking' if you will - cultivated, where individuals intercede on one's behalf to affect the relationship - the corrections, improvements, changes nvolved in an ongoing and evolving relationship.
I am most interested in learning more about your experiences! I hope that you might also consider visiting Yiwu. And if you do, please contact me before you go, as I would love to visit this most amazing center of the universe for wholesale and share a few notes and impressions - and perhaps a beer or two - or at least some coffee or tea!
Great, keep going
great video hope to get in touch what is your wechat.
Interesting. But your imposed abstract Western expectations, while fine from your POV, simply do not correspond to the reality you will encounter. THAT IS the reality, rather than your expectations.
The reality you fail to understand - unless you are dealing in EXTREMELY LARGE quantities - you WILL be dealing with small operations! Your expectations of encountering an extensive factory with written 'ISO900x' procedures is simply NOT going to exist for small orders.
And yes, factories in the rural areas of western China Are government subsidized, as much of the rural populace outside of the eastern coast lives almost at a subsistence level. I could run on and on, but one needs to do a bit more research into Chinese society without the imposition of Western expectations.
I know....having lived here (in China) now for 7 years it's humorous to listen to newly arrived Westerners!
close to a thumbs down just from what youre wearing,