The mini importation business is now the trending business in 2022. I can still remember a viral video of a pastor making a financial sermon about how the world is advancing to look for shop/store, which is a total waste of time with the aid of the internet
You can chiefly run an advert to your product image and description when someone places an order
, gets a bike man and delivers it to the customer, and keeps recycling the process
The man is quite right, eCommerce and mini importation businesses have been making millionaires day in day out for years
Some see it and scroll by, some interact with it, even further make a purchase, but never question how lucrative it might be if they just give it a shot
Someone like me was wired with the mentality that it’s saturated, so it will be challenging, without me having the faintest idea that when many people are into a business, it’s just a telltale sign it’s working and it’s what customers/clients want with massive demand
Am not saying everybody should jump into a mini-importation business, but if you have less than #10 million [$16,000] to your name, it’s worth considering for myriad of reasons I will explain in the preceding section of this roadmap to start a successful mini importation business in Nigeria
Also Read: Business-10 untapped businesses to start with #50,000 in Nigeria
What is a mini importation business?
Mini importation is a small to large-scale business that allows you to buy or import goods from overseas directly from the manufacturers at an easy and affordable rate to sell high.
Mini importation business owners mostly source and buy their goods from countries like China and Turkey where it’s cheaper and produced in large quantity for their low labor cost with cheap materials, and then import to Nigeria for resale.
Also Read: 2 proven tips to set up a successful bakery business in Nigeria
Why you should start a mini importation business
Thinking of starting a mini importation business is for you or the right move? If these few points highlighted below do not reprogram your mind or blow it away, then nothing else will.
- Instant gratification: we often hear how advisable it is to get rid of instant gratification in any financial or business development expenditure, but it’s another way around with mini importation business, as you can start earning from your goods even right before it lands with enough monthly profit that can cover your 9-5 job annual income with the right products
- Wide market: you have access to millions of products to source for, likewise those you probably can’t get around you for years to come, which is a USP [unique selling proposition] that’ll quickly run you out of stock if your products fall into such category
- Time-efficient: It doesn’t require 100% of your time, not even 10%, from the delivery phase to selling, which is automated with social media advert [Instagram, Facebook]
- Less competitive: you have access to too many suppliers of a product or similar with enough room to weigh your options as much as you desire
Also Read: 10 Highly Profitable Handworks To Learn In Nigeria To Make Money
What are the things you need to start a mini importation business?
To start mini importation business in Nigeria and succeed, the following are the basic tools you need:
- Smartphone or PC.
- Valid email address.
- Internet connection.
- Valid Debit card (preferably Mastercard or Visa card).
- physical and accessible address, they could deliver your product.
- Minimum of startup capital of ₦30,000.
Required resources to become unstoppable in mini importation business, the next big question is just how can they work in synergy for you to kick start your mini importation business in Nigeria?
See the next line
What are the hot selling products or high in-demand products?
Clothes, Shoes, and Wristwatches,
These are the primary needs of people around the world. They always want more of it and regardless of the competition, there’s just already a market for these products. It depends on the product and how you position it.
Source the web for types, styles, trendy prototypes and start tweaking your sales funnel to profit from already vendor approaches or duplicate the system at once if possible.
Electronics/Gadget
This is at the top of Nigerians priority list. If you’re not selling out enough units or hit your intended target, physical vendors will surely get them from you, just to justify how lucrative electronics [smart gadgets] are especially.
Ensure getting products with high quality to sell off quickly while getting repeat customers
Wireless Smartphone chargers, Selfie Sticks, Engrave Pen, Mobile Phones, Laptops, Smartwatches, Watermelon slicer, LED light for the toilet.
Body fitness products
People struggling to lose some pounds [body fats] or get in shape will beg you to take their money if your product is effective
China suppliers have these fat burning products in abundance, you just need to do your homework
Innovative body shapers and Slimming tea
NOTE: Choosing a hot product for your mini importation business is not one size fits all, always know the demand for products may change from time to time, and keep your eyes on the trend in your niche
It doesn’t cost a penny to use feedback and perceptions of consumers on your intended product. Check out what others have to say about it If it’s possible, I’d say use it to validate your decision. This is money and sweat on the line.
Some products will always fall under unbearable or unfavorable government conditions of tax implication and limitation. Examine before you reflect.
Also Read: Starting A Supermarket business In Nigeria? 10 Things To Know
4 Simple steps to start a mini importation business in Nigeria?
Reliable import platform
Import portals are websites where your importation journey begins, so you have to be finicky about your desired platform to avoid getting into the wrong hands
In addition, there are reliable but pricey import portals that might eat into your profit right before you start or place an order
So, your best course of action is to seek both a reliable and cost-effective imports portal for your mini importation business
There are many but 1688, AliExpress and Alibaba will suit all your primary needs with their strong authority [ratings and review] and also being the most popular marketplace for manufacturers and suppliers with the cheapest products
Picking reliable product supplier
It only gets easier from here but not the end after getting your supplier website
Most of these websites are written in Chinese. You want to translate it to English first before sourcing for the ideal and genuine supplier to cater to your needs.
Being chosen as the best doesn’t mean there are still no shady suppliers on these platforms. I discussed more on this in the next section.
Take your time to examine their page to perceive their authenticity and never make a payment of these websites for your good and you won’t have any issue
Order & Delivery
International freight forwarding companies always have 2 freight packages or options for importers based on cost and time of delivery.
Airfreight: this is the best if the importer can afford the cost, as the average delivery time is within 7-14 days
Sea cargo: this is also ideal if the importer has heavy-duty goods as it reduces shipping costs. The base charges per cubic meter of goods.
After getting the shipping methods concept, with the use of your smartphone or laptop, you can process your order from the comfort of your room with the below shipping models
Here are the 2 ways to pay for your order on the provided websites and get your goods shipped down to your address in Nigeria.
Pay suppliers
You may pay directly via the website’s portal with the payment system built on the e-commerce website’s checkout page.
The normal shipping is free, and shouldn’t take over 20 to 30 days before your goods successfully reach you here in Nigeria.
You can also make use of premium delivery, in which your products can arrive within 4-5 days, but require you to ante up more.
I won’t recommend paying directly to suppliers other than the said platforms, as the platforms have security measures put in place called escrow or buyers protection to secure your payment if they supply you wrong or defective goods
The payment security measures prevent you from fraudsters posing as genuine manufacturers or suppliers from the same secured websites. They are everywhere but lesser on these reliable platforms, anyway.
Your payment will always be withheld by the website as you pay and only be released to the supplier when you verify that they have received your order
You can sieve them out by checking out supplier reviews, scores, and previous interaction and engagement rates with customers
Pay international logistics company
Paying for your ordered goods is also possible using a logistics company, and this is very secure.
Logistics companies could be referred to as agents or middlemen. They simply get your money, contact your provided supplier’s link, then collect the goods on your behalf and chiefly ship them down to you.
Let’s say your targeted product’s website is Alibaba. Below is how it looks like, import your product from China to Nigeria through a logistics company.
- Visit Alibaba.
- Source and select your desired products.
- Copy the link to the product.
- Open an account with any logistics company, e.g. FEDEX.
- Paste the link copied from Alibaba into DHL’s website or agent.
- Alibaba will handle the rest from supplier to Nigeria.
- You’ll receive a pickup message when it arrives
- Pick your goods in their office in either Lagos or Abuja.
Ensure going through your logistics company terms and conditions before getting down to business, then the rest will be a breeze.
Also Read: How to start a successful delivery logistics business in Nigeria
Product Marketing
Social Media [Facebook, Instagram]
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter even YouTube have been all created in mind for businesses to reach their target audience with little investment coming back with huge returns if the profit margin is properly toned
- Sign up for a business account or page
- Setup your brand image and info
- Get an advertisement fund
- Set daily advert budget
- Launch your advert while also growing your page organically
Referral marketing
Take it or leave it, people have been wired to mostly make the slightest energy towards their benefit
So, if there’s nothing in it for your happiest customers, they may never recommend your brand or product to people, even if they require it of them to tell where they get your product
You’ll make a kill with referral marketing incorporating it into your business
Word Of Mouth
One benefit of referral marketing is word-of-mouth marketing. It's also a stand-alone marketing approach with significant advantages if you take the time to shamelessly advertise your product to family, friends, and strangers.
Local vendors
Who says retailers won’t say yes to placing the side of your product by side with theirs in exchange for a commission?
Reach out to as many as possible vendors, and the little fraction that says yes will be your passive income over time
Ecommerce websites
Big E-commerce sites like Jumia and Konga allow sellers to tap into their audience size of millions, only if you adhere to their policy, then your potential customers are already waiting you out
Conclusion
Deep down I still wish I could turn back the hands of time
it was a glorious day when I was surfing the web aimlessly and accidentally stumbled upon a “make money online” blog post on google that further conveyed me down to a landing page with starting a mini importation business in Nigeria
It was 2018; They glued me to the copy that I was totally up for payment until a marketer convinced me to let go for being way too risky.
Am just letting you in on this that if I had made the move with or without external influence, the peanut investment could have made me a multimillionaire within 2 years time frame
Just don’t make my mistake of, we are too smart to be defrauded; it is a poor man's mindset; they are never open-minded. With this mindset, you’ll only keep being stagnant without knowing billionaires lose millions to hit that figure, millionaires lose thousands to hit that figure.
Stop being afraid of taking risks and get started today
See you on the other side!!!
