Re: follow up to Importing Seminar @ SDSU

In a message dated 8/28/02 3:44:09 AM, a@t.biz writes:

<< We last communicated around the end of March/beginning of April & a lot
has happened since then. Here's where I'm at now. I've purchased my UPC
code from the UCC council,

***Whoa! What customers said you need a UPC code?***

my flight to China takes off this Monday (September 2, 2002 @ 1:00 p.m.) & I
will be meeting the Chinese manufacturer for the 1st time,

***Regarding...?***

I prevailed in my civil suit against a company that was marketing a copycat
and knock-off of a product that infringed upon one of my patents & I'm now
asking and G-d willing the court will grant an award for damage$. In the
meantime however, I don't have any money.

***For something you were not marketing at the time they were? Where is your
loss? Did your customers demand this lawsuit? I wonder if the time spent
pursuing this suit was spent pursuing customers where you would be?***


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here is my 4 a.m. dilemma and my questions: During your seminar, I believe
you mentioned it was possible for the manufacturer to finance the initial
orders by means of extending credit or giving me time to pay them for the
products.

***When you can show them customers who said your idea is good and does not
exist, then they have an interest in providing you samples with a view to
learning if there is enough business aggregate in the USA to cover one of the
suppliers minimum production runs profitably, in a workable amount of time.
If in turn you prove this, then the supplier has an interest in even
financing the deal... but you are very far away from those circumstances.***

When I go to China, what would you advise me to say to the Manufacturer? How
and about what would you advise me to speak with them? I've been told by
Chinese classmates that over there they believe all Americans are rich. I
don't want to fly to China just to tell the manufacturer that I don't have
any money but need to have the products manufactured. Advice please. Thanks.

***If I recall, your product is a toy item... and already out there in the
market in one form or another. Also, you have a patent, some legal and
business training, made some contacts, and are trying to somehow cobble
together something worthwhile out of all these parts.

My advice is to walk into the retailers you expect to buy these products and
ask if they will. They will say "no" (or say yes under conditions impossible
to meet). Then you will have all your questions answered. Then you can quit
this line of effort, cut your losses, and start over with something useful,
fun, doable, valuable and profitable. Plus, when you visit the manufacturer,
you'll have substantive talks. What to do and whether this is worthwhile is
entirely in your customers hands at this point. Visit them now.

John

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