Starting an Import Business

Take the following safety measures to ensure you do not end up in an unmanageable mess.

Not all costs are shown in the final quote, so make sure you know what to look for and calculate if missing.

All freight quotes can be broken down into the following basic sections.

Below are four ways to source a good quality product and therefore make it significantly easier to achieve success in trade.

When you’re dealing with somebody based in a remote location it is even more important than normal to clarify upfront exactly what roles each party is required to fulfil.

Every importer needs to familiarise themselves with the customs procedure of clearing imported goods.

To pay for your goods, you will need to access foreign exchange.

Once you have organised payment terms for your goods, you will need to organise to get them either shipped or air freighted to South Africa.

There are various categories of documents required in international trade transactions. Not all are needed for all importation.

Chinese imports have a notoriously bad reputation. But that doesn’t mean every company in China produces substandard products.

Cash flow often proves to be the biggest stumbling block for importers.

Research, research, research is to importing what location, location, location is to property.

As is often the case in business, deciding who you want to do business with is not easy.

South African homeware importer and founder of Ethereal, Claire Smith, has this advice to share on how to operate a successful and streamlined import business.

You only need to get an import permit if you are importing certain types of goods.