importing....

[callyboy]

Ok, trying to find a decent paid job is proving difficult to say the least. Being a single dad with 4 young kids narrows my options(school holidays etc)

So....been thinking of taking the plunge and doing something on my own. Self employed route.

Having worked in an office for 35 odd years my practical skills are pretty limited so i have come up with the idea of importing stuff from China and flogging it on ebay. Trouble is i am wondering what would be a good product to import. I would like it to be bike related if possible as thats my interest.Selling on ebay.

Anyone got any ideas?

Was also thinking about breaking a bike or 2 and selling parts on eblag.

Thoughts,piss takes and eureka moments please.

Pete

[bobster]

Good on ya m8..........I like your thinking! And if you succead it'll be 1 less dole-ite for me and all the other workers to support! Please dont bite Pete !

Now having been in the motorcycle trade before, I'll give you some advice! because you'll soon find that your once "enjoyable hobby" now becomes part of your job and it wont be Hobby anymore!!! Because who comes home from their day job and does the same thing when they get home..............er, Nobody!

When I left Crooks Suzuki back in 1999 it took me about 6 or 7 years until I could even look at a bike or even be remotely bothered with motorcycles at all! I couldnt even be bothered riding bikes for those 6 or 7 years !

What about becoming a classroom assistant or even training to be a teacher?

Youre obviously good with Children! Or at least making them!

[callyboy]

Just finished a year long course at college Rob. Teaching assistant level 2

Not had much luck at interviews. Had a couple. Schools dont seem to want male TA's or maybe they just dont want me. Most TA jobs nowadays seem to be SEN (special educ. needs) which is another course more money and i just want to get a job.

I know you said not to bite mate, but......its really tough getting a job. having 4 kids and being on my own dont help. most employers are probably put off by my circumstances tbh.

The media are doing a good job of putting the boot in to the unemployed. But at the end of the day there are 2 and half million people out of work and not 2 and a half million jobs minimum wage is now the going rate for most jobs because the there are enough people chasing the jobs to pay it. Its not about whats a job worth, its about how little you can pay. Working conditions are being eroded with zero hour contracts or by being forced into sub contracting rather than being an employee and thus not having to provide a pension and also being able to get rid of people more easily.

Could have a proper rant tbh honest but maybe another day

Pete

[callyboy]

Watcha Mick. I worked in my local school for 2 mornings a week for nearly a year it was part of my college work. Out of school club is tricky cos who would look after my kids ?

Have a current enhanced CRB already

My teacher at College is a reference as is the Headmaster of the school where i was helping.

Might not be bike stuff. Need to have a brainstorming session.

Pete

[lomsavage]

i agree with rob ??????

i despatched for few years, last thing i wanted to do at weekend was ride a bike.

also unless you got really good contacts in asia, economies of scale make import thing almost impossible to make any profit on,

"scenario, you import, pay postage/import cost/etc, then sell on you have to make profit, so you charge more. What's my incentive (in this e bay/internet world) to pay you to do it"

sorry mate i don't see it as a way to make a living

will get my thinking head on

best wishes mate

H

[fossie]

Couple fings, Firstly after 21 dispatching my "hobby" is still my hobby , even after 12 hours riding a bike my preferred transport is a motorcycle , so it possible .


More importantly to the thread a girl van driver at my place. Has a side line of buying and selling much as you describe.
At the moment she buys cooking books , screen covers for phones to name a few items.
The return on each item is to my mind very minimal after postage etc. the hassle isn't worth it , people buy a 99p item then insist on being shipped in a Jiffy bag, with frankly ridicules gripes hoping that she just refunds them. As it is not worth the postage!,,,,!

That said she must do ok else she wouldn't,t do it.. She searches Internet for the next possible deal then buys in bulk spending a lot on money on bulk purchase then get it out on eBay , amazon etc. before someone cottons on and undercuts her. Or someone launches a legal argument in the hope she backs off leaving the channel open for them. She doesn't! That takes time and balls . Both of which you have.
So if you have a bit of capital, a modest return can be made.

[bobster]

Maybe u could buy old knackered bikes from ebay and Gumtree then break them, and sell the bits off.

Mr Grumpy does quite well out of selling old bike bits, even though he is almost single handedly responsible for getting rid of more Katanas from the road than anyone else in history, and also driving the price of Suzuki and Katana spares up!

As for people doing their day job as a hobby..............I dont know many at all!

I know plasterers.....who hate plastering, electricians who hate doing electrics, painters who hate painting, and welders who hate welding..............the list goes on and on.....

So Fossie must be an acceptance to the rule..........



But......As Del Boy says "He who dares wins!"

[callyboy]

Was thinking about doing that Rob. I think i need a few things going on to earn a decent amount of money.

Going to have a good long think about it.

Pete

[Katman]

Pete, it is do-able. Like I said to you when I saw you the other week that's what I've been debating on doing but from Japan, the first thing you would need is a relaible agent (unless you plan on going to China to purchase the parts/load the container/sort the paperwork)?

Bikes is probs the way to go as it's a market that your familiar with (you know ya bikes/whats available/whats not...pages on facebook provide that info)

Yes others are doing it & others are making a healthy profit, the hardest decision is whether to actually take the plunge & make the investment.

[fossie]

The up coming bike market is the 250 400 due to new laws.
There are loads of CBR, NSR,GSXR,400 about Manchester and surrounding area in the last year.
Even * onda do a new 250 . Just a thought.