The Official Alibaba.com Success Guide: Insider Tips and Strategies for Sourcing Products from the World's Largest B2B Marketplace
246
The Official Alibaba.com Success Guide: Insider Tips and Strategies for Sourcing Products from the World's Largest B2B Marketplace
246Hardcover
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Overview
• Officially licensed and supported by Alibaba.com, this is the only guide you need
• Includes inspirational profiles of people who have used Alibaba.com successfully to launch new businesses or revive old ones
• The first and only step-by-step guide to using Alibaba.com effectively Alibaba.com gives you the opportunity to make real money online. Here, you'll find a wealth of inside information that will help you use Alibaba.com safely and profitably.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780470496459 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Wiley |
| Publication date: | 11/16/2009 |
| Pages: | 246 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.90(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.00(d) |
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Table of Contents
Foreword Jack Ma, Founder of Alibaba.com xiiiAcknowledgments xvii
About the Authors xix
Preface xxi
Part I Alibaba.com: The Opportunity 1
Chapter 1 Alibaba.com Opens the Door to Global Trade 3
First a Little History 5
Alibaba.com’s Corporate Goals and Values 8
Alibaba.com’s Six Core Values 9
Alibaba.com Today 16
Alibaba.com Corporate Structure 17
Alibaba.com’s Programs, Tools, and Events 18
Alibaba.com’s 2008 e-Business Champion of the Year: Gene Rumley 22
Chapter 2 International Sourcing: This Isn’t Kansas Anymore 25
International Sourcing: Your Challenge and Promise 25
Your First Sourcing Decision 26
Let’s Put First Things First 27
Get a Tax ID Number and Register Your Business 28
Develop Your Product Idea 29
Build Your Prototype 38
Create and Test-drive Your Business Plan 39
Create a Business Calendar 42
Product Sourcing Basics 43
Calculate Your Budget 43
Safety Checks for Sourcing Products 44
Sourcing Internationally: New Challenges and Rewards 47
Leaving Kansas: Alibaba.com Opens a World of Opportunity 48
Importing Your Products 51
Chapter 2 Checklist 52
Chapter 3 Keys to Successful Importing 53
Your Education Begins 55
Your Partner’s Responsibilities and Your Own 56
Terms You Need to Know 57
Standards, Certifications, and Regulations 62
Partners Who Can Help You 63
Who Are the Major Players? 64
Can You Keep It Simple? 68
Chapter 3 Checklist 69
Part II Putting Alibaba.com to Work for You 71
Chapter 4 The Alibaba.com Web site 73
Let’s Start at the Home Page 74
Trade with the World 77
Keep Scrolling 79
Inspirational Success Stories 79
Alibaba.com Partners 79
Don’t Underestimate the Bottom of the Page 80
Let’s Get You Registered 81
Download TradeManager 85
A Tour of Alibaba.com’s Links 85
Buy 86
Sell 87
Community 88
My Alibaba 94
Help 94
Alibaba.com’s Search Engine 95
Chapter 4 Checklist 97
Chapter 5 Finding Business Partners 99
You Are the Boss, So It’s All Up to You 100
Education through Experience 101
Establish Realistic Expectations for
Your Suppliers 101
Set Criteria for Your Products Themselves 103
Build In Your Own Safety Checks 104
Fraud: Forewarned Is Forearmed 104
Qualify and Identify 105
Qualify and Legitimize 106
Let’s Find Some Manufacturers 110
Searching for Partners 110
Posting a Buying Lead 112
Those First Few E-mails 117
Vetting Prospective Partners 118
Do You Like Their Attitudes? 118
Quantify Them to Qualify Them 119
Communication, Communication, Communication! 121
Should You Travel to China or Anywhere Else? 123
Chapter 5 Checklist 125
Chapter 6 Working with Your Suppliers 127
A Two-sided Partnership 128
Alibaba.com Can Help You Learn 129
Getting Your Products Right 135
Get Graphic 135
Ask for Samples 135
What to Do When Things Go Wrong 138
Chapter 6 Checklist 140
Chapter 7 Closing the Deal 143
Getting the Details Right 144
Your Pro Forma Invoice 145
Payment Schedules and Options 149
Spread Out Your Payments 151
Wire Transfers 151
Escrow Services 153
Letters of Credit 153
Shipping Details 155
Forge Good Relationships 155
Bill of Lading: The Final Document 156
Chapter 7 Checklist 157
Chapter 8 Safe Trading 159
Educate Yourself 161
Alibaba.com’s Safety & Security Center 161
Safe Trading Forums 170
Other Web-based Resources You Can Use 172
Keeping Your Computer Safe 175
Security Help Available through Alibaba.com 176
Create Your Own Alibaba.com Sign-in Seal 177
E-mail Fraud 177
Trojans and Viruses 178
Protecting Your Computer 178
Chapter 8 Checklist 181
Chapter 9 Keeping the Pipeline Full 183
Your Customers Will Change Your Business 184
Your Partnerships Will Change Your Business 186
When You Are Ready to Travel, Get In Touch 187
Your Expertise Will Change Your Business 188
What Will You Do with Your Expertise? 190
Turn Those Tables and Sell to the World 190
Alibaba.com’s Selling Links and My Alibaba Selling Tools 191
Now Is the Time to Consider a Paid Account 196
Your Uncle Sam Stands Ready to Help 196
Chapter 9 Checklist 198
Part III Alibaba.com Success Stories 201
Gene Rumley—Bell Performance, Inc. 203
Valarie Moody—Fodeo.net 209
Allison Taylor—Jack Webster, Inc. 213
Mary Miller Pembleton and Gregg Pembleton—Thumball by Answers In Motion, LLC 219
Joshua Crumbaugh—Platinum Mortgage, Inc. 223
Valerie Johnson—Big Feet Pajama Company 229
Index 235