The Planning Stage Before Importing

1. Asia has a wealth of beautiful fabrics, handicrafts and clothes that are highly sought after in many foreign countries, and importing these items to the Western world is an excellent way to make money. However there is a lot of competition in this department, and therefore, a great deal of thought needs to be put into the logistics of the undertaking.

2. The best way to start off is to spend some time in Asian countries, getting acquainted with the culture, people, places and products of the continent. If you are thinking of importing Asian products to your country, the chances are you have already done so, and plan to maintain your connection to the region by pursuing this line of business.

3. The second stage of the process is to spend some time back in your own country, investigating the market, deciding where you would sell your goods, and seeing what is already out there. It is essential that you don't bring back the same items as everyone else - if the market is flooded with items identical to yours you will struggle to make sufficient sales. Try to source items that are unique and special – these will be far more attractive to potential buyers than repeats of things they have seen a thousand times before.

4. Talk to your friends, family and acquaintances to get an idea of what people would be most interested in buying from you, and how much they would be prepared to pay for it. This will help you to weigh up whether the products you have in mind would be realistically saleable.