There has been in recent times an increased interest in side hustles because the main source of income cannot tide a family over until the month ends. Besides, jobs are hard to come by therefore making many mini businesses the main source of income. Many daily jobs (especially the ones that are not pensionable) have also been dropped for the more lucrative and less time-consuming side hustles. Young Nigerians are proving to be quite innovative by seeking out alternative means of making legit money instead of waiting for the government to create jobs for them. Mini importation has come to be a viable source of income for many young people who are business savvy. Access to the technical know-how is closely guarded and only released at a cost but Savvymomsville is going to let you have access for free because though I paid to learn how to import, I am committed to helping every stay-at-home mom make money to take care of her kids and also because times are hard enough already. Helping each other succeed is the only way we will succeed ourselves so take advantage of this great opportunity. Let's get started then.
What Is Mini Importation?
Simply put, it means buying fast-selling and high end goods outside of one's country at relatively cheap prices and shipping it to your own country for retail purposes. It differs from the regular importation business in that you can conduct your business online without having to travel, it is on a smaller scale and the size of operation is not large. When people hear of mini importation they usually ask questions like, How can I start a mini importation business? Is it profitable? How much capital do you need to start mini importation? What do I need to know about mini importation? All these and more will be addressed in this post.
Step by Step Guide on How to Start Mini Importation From China to Nigeria Using Alipay and 1688
- Know the requirements
- Set up an Alipay account
- Link your Alipay account with 1668
- Source for goods
- Alternative means of payment when you don't have an international passport
Step One: Requirements
- Smart phone
- Internet access
- International passport
- A valid email address
- Phone number
- A valid delivery address
- Capital (you can start with as low as N10,000)
Step Two: Signing Up On Alipay*Please before we start, note that these apps are very sensitive and if you make a mistake you jeopardise your chances. Everything is written in Chinese and it is hard to get hold of their customer service. That being said, let's begin.
Download Alipay app from playstore and when the app opens, click on the blue button as seen below:
Messages will pop up asking for permissions to be granted, you have to grant the requested permissions. Another page will open up, click on the country code and search for Nigeria's code then enter your phone number. Enter the confirmation code sent to you and the home page will open. Grant the request to access your location. At the bottom of the home page you will see the 'me' icon. Click on it and on the next page that opens, you will see nickname unset at the top left:
Click on nickname unset, copy out your Taobao number. It is preceded by TB... Your Taobao number will be used as your username in your 1688 account. Click on the arrow back button and you will arrive at the nickname unset page. Click on the settings icon at the top right and you will arrive at another page. Click on account and security, set your Alipay password. Note that your Alipay password must be six digits and it will always be required for transactions. Your login password will also be used on your 1688 account. Remember that your Alipay password is different from your login password. When both passwords are set, you are done with your registration. You now have your Taobao number, Alipay password and login password for the next step.
Step Three: Link Your Alipay Account With 1688
An updated Google chrome app is needed so that you will have the translate option. Enter 1688.com into your Google chrome browser and when it opens, click on the arrow-up button at the top right corner and then select 'translate' and a similar page will show on your screen:
Click the login button and enter your Taobao number and login password on the page that opens and login. A verification page will open, click on 'get SMS code' enter the code received and click on next step and you are done. Note: this is a very sensitive site, don't login too frequently or you might block your account. Browse through the site using the search button.
Step Four: Source For Products
Conducting a market survey at this point is very essential so that you don't buy goods that you cannot sell off. As you browse the 1688 site, compare the prices plus the shipping cost with what obtains in Nigeria. That will inform your decision on what to buy. Some high end goods in Nigeria actually sell for very low prices in the country where they are manufactured. Some products that will sell in Nigeria include:
- Clothes
- Kitchen wares
- Electrical appliances
- Phones accessories
- Hair and hair products
- Beauty products
- Weight loss products
- Shoes
I would advise that you go for products that have the ' wow' factor and are durable.
Step Five: Alternative Means of Payment For Those Without International Passport
In the absence of an international passport, you will have to go through an exchanger. He/she will pay your supplier at a slightly increase Yuan rate at your expense. If you prefer to go through an agent to source for goods, buy and send to you, that is also possible.
There will be a follow up post on mini importation from China but before then, if you need more information on exchangers, suppliers or any assistance at all, hit the comment button and drop your questions and I will get back to you. Please share this post and follow us on Pinterest and Facebook. Thank you.
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