Mini importation business is a lucrative venture that a lot of entrepreneurs are getting into.
As we already know, millions of Nigerians need items that are not produced in the country hence it is difficult to get access to those goods.
In mini importation, you get to bring those goods in bulk from other countries who produces and sell them here in Nigeria.
One good thing about mini importation is that the items imported are sold at a cheaper rate.
Mini importation is lucrative because you can choose to sell your goods in diverse ways which includes creating an ecommerce store, selling on Jumia or having a physical shop.
Many people who have plans to go into mini importation do not execute their plans because they think you need a high capital to kickstart your mini importation business but I’m here to change the narrative as I’m going to show you how to start a mini importation business with little capital.
Requirements For Starting Mini Importation
Every business have some certain requirements you need to meet to run the business successfully so does mini importation.
Below are things you need to put in place to start your mini importation business.
Have A Budget
The first thing to consider in your plan is having a budget.
Having a budget you want to work with will save you from the stress of purchasing goods more than you can handle.
Your budget should be determined on how you want to run your mini importation business, if you want to do it on a small scale then you should calculate the amount of money you need, vice versa.
Note that your budget should also be based on the type of products you are going to be importing.
Pick A Category Of Products To Sell
The next time is to pick the type of products you want to sell in Nigeria, you have to be smart while choosing this because there are certain type of products that are produced in Nigeria which means that their supply are in surplus, there would be no need to import those type of products.
According to my research, some of the improrted that sells well in Nigeria are mobile phone and mobile accessories, electronics and shoes, there are a lot of products that sell but these are the ones I could suggest.
While picking a product to sell, make sure to make research on you can sell them which includes knowing the target market and knowing where and how to advertise them.
Have A Supplier
You don’t have access to the countries you are going to be importing the goods from which means that you need dependable suppliers, what I mean by dependable is that you need suppliers who are going to send you the exact amount of goods you ordered and you also need suppliers who can deliver your goods on time.
Steps To Importing Goods To Nigeria
Mini importation mainly deals with buying goods from big ecommerce stores.
Many mini importers import goods from Dubai, China, Turkey.
But the biggest market for mini importation is China because their products are cheap and importing from there is easy.
I know that you might be confused on which store to purchase products to Nigeria from, don’t worry about that because I’ll be covering that in this post.
Stores To Import Product From To Nigeria
Like I said, China is the biggest market for mini importation, it is also the biggest ecommerce market in the world. 50% of products purchased via ecommerce in the world are from China.
There are many marketplaces to purchase products and import to Nigeria and I’m going to list them out below
Alibaba
The leading ecommerce company in China is Alibaba group, this ecommerce company has many subsidiaries in the ecommerce sector and have proven to be a haven for buying products and shipping them to different part of the world.
AliExpress
AliExpress is a subsidiary of Alibaba group.
The reason why many mini importers choose AliExpress is because they ship goods to every part of the world seamlessly.
In AliExpress, you don’t have to go through the hassle of discussing with different suppliers before shipping your goods because there is an option on the website to ship your goods to Nigeria and the most exciting thing is that there is no additional charges for shipping the items which means shipping is free.
1688
1688 is also a subsidiary of Alibaba group but works different from the other stores under Alibaba.
1688 makes it possible for different manufacturers to list their products on their website on their own terms as long as it doesn’t go against Alibaba group policies.
If your goal is to purchase extremely cheap products from China and Import to Nigeria then 1688 should be an option because products on the site are sold at a cheap rate due to the fact that manufacturers are the one who sell it directly on the website rather than vendors.
One downside of 1688 is that the website is written completely in Chinese, but you can still purchase from them by using an interpreter.
Taobao
Unlike the others, Taobao isn’t suitable for mini importation but can still be used to an extent.
Taobao is a subsidiary of Alibaba Corporation and the aim of this ecommerce store is to enable small businesses owners sell directly to consumer. This website works in the same pattern as Jumia.
Steps To Start Mini Importation Business
I have already explained some basic things you need to know about mini importation business, it’s now time to give you the steps you need to start Mini Importation in Nigeria.
Choose The Store To Buy From
I have already listed out the stores you can buy goods from and import to Nigeria.
Visit the websites individually and make research to know if they sell what you want to order and also take note of their policies to know if it sits well with you.
Test Products Before Importing
Some mistake beginners in mini importation make is buying good in bulk without knowing if they are durable or not.
Buying products that are low quality isn’t good for your business hence you have to make sure every product you are importing are of high quality.
To do this, you can purchase a single item of the products you want to sell and then Import it for testing purpose.
Before you buy, you also need to ask for recommendations from experienced people to know their opinion about the product.
Find A Location To Sell Your Goods
I always say that the location you place your business plays a crucial role in the success of your business.
The location of your business should be in accordance with the niche you are into.
For example, if you are into electronics, your shop should be located in a busy market where electronics are sold.
Have A Payment Method
You should choose a payment method in which you want your customers to make payment with.
There are diverse types of payment methods, if you are selling in a physical shop then you can receive payment via cash, POS or bank transfer.
Choose A Platform To Sell
It is not compulsory for you to have a physical store for you to start Mini importation because you can sell using social media platforms, you can also sell on Jumia which means that you become a vendor on the platform for a little or no extra cost.
If the goods are in bulk, then you need a physical shop.
How To Receive Imported Goods In Nigeria
Receiving imported good isn’t hard as it seems.
The time it takes for your good to get to Nigeria isn’t certain as it depends on many things like the courier company you are using and the amount of money you are paying for the delivery.
There are some companies who deliver goods in two weeks while some deliver within 30 days.
You might have a question of how will you know that the goods have arrived Nigeria, that isn’t a problem because your logistic company will contact you when the goods arrives.
Most logistic company warehouses are located in Lagos, you will have to waybill the goods to the state where you live in you don’t live in Lagos.
How To Market Your Imported Goods
Every mini importation business owner should have a marketing strategy.
If you don’t market your products, then people wouldn’t know what you have in stock.
You can advertise your goods on your social media accounts, it is advisable to create special social media accounts for the purpose of your business. It is more easier to sell when your business builds a name as a brand.
You can also tell people around you about your goods, you can also contact blogs and websites to showcase your products on their website.
Listing your products websites like Jumia and Konga is also another form of marketing your goods because they already have an audience willing to buy from the website.
Conclusion
From this post, you should know by now that starting a mini importation business in Nigeria isn’t as hard as it seem.
Succeeding in this venture is possible if you follow the right procedure, I wish you well through your journey in becoming a mini importer.
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