Official Alibaba.com Success Guide

DEBRA SCHEPP and BRAD SCHEPP are widely respected e- commerce experts who have also written moneymaking books for users of Amazon and eBay. They conduct seminars on eBay selling and have been featured in such media outlets as Life, Good Housekeeping, and Entrepreneur magazines.

• Foreword Jack Ma, Founder of Alibaba.com xiiiAcknowledgments xviiAbout the Authors xixPreface xxiPart I Alibaba.com: The Opportunity 1Chapter 1 Alibaba.com Opens the Door to Global Trade 3First a Little History 5Alibaba.com’s Corporate Goals and Values 8Alibaba.com’s Six Core Values 9Alibaba.com Today 16Alibaba.com Corporate Structure 17Alibaba.com’s Programs, Tools, and Events 18Alibaba.com’s 2008 e-Business Champion of the Year: Gene Rumley 22Chapter 2 International Sourcing: This Isn’t Kansas Anymore 25International Sourcing: Your Challenge and Promise 25Your First Sourcing Decision 26Let’s Put First Things First 27Get a Tax ID Number and Register Your Business 28Develop Your Product Idea 29Build Your Prototype 38Create and Test-drive Your Business Plan 39Create a Business Calendar 42Product Sourcing Basics 43Calculate Your Budget 43Safety Checks for Sourcing Products 44Sourcing Internationally: New Challenges and Rewards 47Leaving Kansas: Alibaba.com Opens a World of Opportunity 48Importing Your Products 51Chapter 2 Checklist 52Chapter 3 Keys to Successful Importing 53Your Education Begins 55Your Partner’s Responsibilities and Your Own 56Terms You Need to Know 57Standards, Certifications, and Regulations 62Partners Who Can Help You 63Who Are the Major Players? 64Can You Keep It Simple? 68Chapter 3 Checklist 69Part II Putting Alibaba.com to Work for You 71Chapter 4 The Alibaba.com Web site 73Let’s Start at the Home Page 74Trade with the World 77Keep Scrolling 79Inspirational Success Stories 79Alibaba.com Partners 79Don’t Underestimate the Bottom of the Page 80Let’s Get You Registered 81Download TradeManager 85A Tour of Alibaba.com’s Links 85Buy 86Sell 87Community 88My Alibaba 94Help 94Alibaba.com’s Search Engine 95Chapter 4 Checklist 97Chapter 5 Finding Business Partners 99You Are the Boss, So It’s All Up to You 100Education through Experience 101Establish Realistic Expectations forYour Suppliers 101Set Criteria for Your Products Themselves 103Build In Your Own Safety Checks 104Fraud: Forewarned Is Forearmed 104Qualify and Identify 105Qualify and Legitimize 106Let’s Find Some Manufacturers 110Searching for Partners 110Posting a Buying Lead 112Those First Few E-mails 117Vetting Prospective Partners 118Do You Like Their Attitudes? 118Quantify Them to Qualify Them 119Communication, Communication, Communication! 121Should You Travel to China or Anywhere Else? 123Chapter 5 Checklist 125Chapter 6 Working with Your Suppliers 127A Two-sided Partnership 128Alibaba.com Can Help You Learn 129Getting Your Products Right 135Get Graphic 135Ask for Samples 135What to Do When Things Go Wrong 138Chapter 6 Checklist 140Chapter 7 Closing the Deal 143Getting the Details Right 144Your Pro Forma Invoice 145Payment Schedules and Options 149Spread Out Your Payments 151Wire Transfers 151Escrow Services 153Letters of Credit 153Shipping Details 155Forge Good Relationships 155Bill of Lading: The Final Document 156Chapter 7 Checklist 157Chapter 8 Safe Trading 159Educate Yourself 161Alibaba.com’s Safety & Security Center 161Safe Trading Forums 170Other Web-based Resources You Can Use 172Keeping Your Computer Safe 175Security Help Available through Alibaba.com 176Create Your Own Alibaba.com Sign-in Seal 177E-mail Fraud 177Trojans and Viruses 178Protecting Your Computer 178Chapter 8 Checklist 181Chapter 9 Keeping the Pipeline Full 183Your Customers Will Change Your Business 184Your Partnerships Will Change Your Business 186When You Are Ready to Travel, Get In Touch 187Your Expertise Will Change Your Business 188What Will You Do with Your Expertise? 190Turn Those Tables and Sell to the World 190Alibaba.com’s Selling Links and My Alibaba Selling Tools 191Now Is the Time to Consider a Paid Account 196Your Uncle Sam Stands Ready to Help 196Chapter 9 Checklist 198Part III Alibaba.com Success Stories 201Gene Rumley—Bell Performance, Inc. 203Valarie Moody—Fodeo.net 209Allison Taylor—Jack Webster, Inc. 213Mary Miller Pembleton and Gregg Pembleton—Thumball by Answers In Motion, LLC 219Joshua Crumbaugh—Platinum Mortgage, Inc. 223Valerie Johnson—Big Feet Pajama Company 229Index 235