John says that even your business model should illustrate competition based
in design.
This article making the rounds in todays media is a perfect example of
competing on design... selling fake vacations... very profitably. The info
below was part of a larger article on Russian counterfeiting, but the point
is well made for competing on business model design.
Malcolm
===============
Russians able to fake it like no one else
By Kim Murphy
Los Angeles Times
MOSCOW - Always wanted to brag to your friends about your trip to Brazil,
but couldn't afford to go? No problem.
For $500, nobody will believe you weren't sunning yourself last week on
Copacabana Beach, just before you trekked through the Amazon rain forest and
slept in a thatched hut. Hey! That's you, arms outstretched like Kate
Winslet on the bow of the Titanic, on top of Corcovado.
Persey Tours barely was keeping bill collectors at bay before it started
offering fake vacations last year. Now it's selling 15 a month - providing
ersatz ticket stubs, hotel receipts, photos with clients' images
superimposed on famous landmarks, and a few souvenirs for living-room
shelves.
If the customer is an errant husband who wants his wife to believe he's on a
fishing trip, Persey offers not only photos of him on the river, but a
cellphone with a distant number, a few dead fish on ice and a lodge that -
if anyone calls - will swear the husband is checked in but not available.
Dmitry Popov, founder and chief executive of Persey Tours, made $2,000 last
year helping a Siberian gas-station owner convince his friends that he had
rented a ride on the Russian space shuttle to the moon.
"Of course he was smiling when he ordered this," Popov said. "But he paid."
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Compete on Design
Compete on Design
Compete on Design
John says that even your business model should illustrate competition based
in design.
This article making the rounds in todays media is a perfect example of
competing on design... selling fake vacations... very profitably. The info
below was part of a larger article on Russian counterfeiting, but the point
is well made for competing on business model design.
Malcolm
===============
Russians able to fake it like no one else
By Kim Murphy
Los Angeles Times
MOSCOW - Always wanted to brag to your friends about your trip to Brazil,
but couldn't afford to go? No problem.
For $500, nobody will believe you weren't sunning yourself last week on
Copacabana Beach, just before you trekked through the Amazon rain forest and
slept in a thatched hut. Hey! That's you, arms outstretched like Kate
Winslet on the bow of the Titanic, on top of Corcovado.
Persey Tours barely was keeping bill collectors at bay before it started
offering fake vacations last year. Now it's selling 15 a month - providing
ersatz ticket stubs, hotel receipts, photos with clients' images
superimposed on famous landmarks, and a few souvenirs for living-room
shelves.
If the customer is an errant husband who wants his wife to believe he's on a
fishing trip, Persey offers not only photos of him on the river, but a
cellphone with a distant number, a few dead fish on ice and a lodge that -
if anyone calls - will swear the husband is checked in but not available.
Dmitry Popov, founder and chief executive of Persey Tours, made $2,000 last
year helping a Siberian gas-station owner convince his friends that he had
rented a ride on the Russian space shuttle to the moon.
"Of course he was smiling when he ordered this," Popov said. "But he paid."
Friday, July 14, 2006
buying other people's products from manufacturer
RE: [spiers] buying other people's products from manufacturer
To anyone that can verify the following,
I asked Edie Tolchin of EGT Global Trading the following:
I was looking for the HST number and statistics for a product that I will
soon be importing from China. One product is a bag or pouch made of
ballistic nylon 420 Denier a Man Made Fiber. Maybe you can direct me to the
appropriate site for such information. The other product for import is a
finished aluminum fabricated item built to my specifications made
essentially of aluminum hollow tubing with a rubber handle.
Thank you,
Roy Gilbert
RG PetComm
rgilbert11@cox.net
San Diego, CA USA
************************************
I received the following reply from Edie Tolchin of EGT Global Trading:
Thanks for your inquiry. Not sure if you know, but HTS numbers are subject
to each individual Customs Broker's interpretation. The surefire,
guaranteed way to be sure of how your product will be classified when your
shipment arrives at the port, and goes through the Customs Clearance
process, is via a Binding Ruling request. Please see my attached article
showing its significance, and this definitely applies to your products.
For example, one Customs Broker may classify it as "pet products", another
as "bags" and yet another by its fabric components. Although I have over
thirty years experience in import/export, I no longer make this decision
because I only work with inventions - which of course are new products, and
may not necessarily fall within an apparent Customs HTS classification.
That is why I would recommend a Binding Ruling, "straight from the horse's
mouth". I would be happy to handle that for you (we can do both of your
products on one Ruling request). My fee for this is $125 (plus postage to
and from Customs).
Also, have you already negotiated the pricing and shipping terms with the
China manufacturer? Who will be paying for the ocean freight and marine
insurance? Have you ever imported before? (Just want to make sure you are
confident in dealing with your supplier, because many China suppliers can
tell if a buyer is experienced or not, and sometimes try to take advantage).
If you are in any way in doubt, I can also assist you with this process. I
am also attaching a recent article called "To Source or Not to Source" that
I wrote for Inventors Digest. (Please scroll down to pages 2 and 3, as the
first page is just an ad for Yankee Invention Expo).
************************************
I've never heard of a "Binding Ruling". Can anyone verify the above?
Thanks,
Roy Gilbert
RG PetComm
rgilbert11@cox.net
-----Original Message-----
From: spiers@yahoogroups.com [mailto:spiers@yahoogroups.com]On Behalf Of
John Spiers
Sent: Thursday, July 13, 2006 10:57 AM
To: spiers@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [spiers] buying other people's products from manufacturer
I'll take this particular question at lest...
On Thu, 13 Jul 2006 10:21:11 -0700 (PDT), Brad Tayan
wrote :
I was interested in creating a site
> targeting men looking for cool yoga pants.
Can I use the same research techniques you
> describe to find these manufacturers?
>
***it's essentially a move into retail, and the answer is yes, use the
technioques to find the
source..but it gets easier with garments since there is a "RIN (?) " number
on every garment
imported for resale, which identifies its provenance... anyone on the list
expert on this RIN
number? If not, a customsbroker ought to be able to help you out.
John
Compete on Design!
www.johnspiers.com
buying other people's products from manufacturer
Re: [spiers] buying other people's products from manufacturer
Thanks, that pointed me in the right direction...
It's the "RN" number. From the FTC website:
RN stands for Registered Identification Number. It is
a number issued by the FTC to U.S. businesses that
manufacture, import, distribute, or sell products
covered by the Textile, Wool, and Fur Acts. Businesses
can use this number on product labels in lieu of the
company name.
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/rn/rn.htm/rnfaq.htm
--- John Spiers
> I'll take this particular question at lest...
>
> On Thu, 13 Jul 2006 10:21:11 -0700 (PDT), Brad Tayan
>
>
> I was interested in creating a site
> > targeting men looking for cool yoga pants.
>
> Can I use the same research techniques you
> > describe to find these manufacturers?
> >
> ***it's essentially a move into retail, and the
> answer is yes, use the technioques to find the
> source..but it gets easier with garments since there
> is a "RIN (?) " number on every garment
> imported for resale, which identifies its
> provenance... anyone on the list expert on this RIN
> number? If not, a customsbroker ought to be able to
> help you out.
>
> John
Hi John....
Valdir,
Always two questions, have you spoken with people who will be your customers,
and what do they say is the reason they will do business with you...?
John
Hello John...
I am thinking to start a business with clean company...
Clean homes after they finish the construction, offices, companies, events,
hospital, etc...
What do you thing about this market?
I am here in Mobile , Alabama state....
Take Care...
Valdir
buying other people's products from manufacturer
RE: [spiers] buying other people's products from manufacturer
The data research and analysis process depends on US government data, but its
presentation changes regularly. Therefore, I maintain a website with a tutorial
that you may consult to help achieve your ends. That website is:
http://www.johnspiers.com/NTDB.html
and I believe it is case sensitive.
Let me know if you have any problems.
John
To anyone that can verify the following,
I asked Edie Tolchin of EGT Global Trading the following:
I was looking for the HST number and statistics for a product that I will
soon be importing from China. One product is a bag or pouch made of
ballistic nylon 420 Denier a Man Made Fiber. Maybe you can direct me to the
appropriate site for such information. The other product for import is a
finished aluminum fabricated item built to my specifications made
essentially of aluminum hollow tubing with a rubber handle.
Thank you,
Roy Gilbert
RG PetComm
rgilbert11@cox.net
San Diego, CA USA
************************************
I received the following reply from Edie Tolchin of EGT Global Trading:
Thanks for your inquiry. Not sure if you know, but HTS numbers are subject
to each individual Customs Broker's interpretation. The surefire,
guaranteed way to be sure of how your product will be classified when your
shipment arrives at the port, and goes through the Customs Clearance
process, is via a Binding Ruling request. Please see my attached article
showing its significance, and this definitely applies to your products.
For example, one Customs Broker may classify it as "pet products", another
as "bags" and yet another by its fabric components. Although I have over
thirty years experience in import/export, I no longer make this decision
because I only work with inventions - which of course are new products, and
may not necessarily fall within an apparent Customs HTS classification.
That is why I would recommend a Binding Ruling, "straight from the horse's
mouth". I would be happy to handle that for you (we can do both of your
products on one Ruling request). My fee for this is $125 (plus postage to
and from Customs).
Also, have you already negotiated the pricing and shipping terms with the
China manufacturer? Who will be paying for the ocean freight and marine
insurance? Have you ever imported before? (Just want to make sure you are
confident in dealing with your supplier, because many China suppliers can
tell if a buyer is experienced or not, and sometimes try to take advantage).
If you are in any way in doubt, I can also assist you with this process. I
am also attaching a recent article called "To Source or Not to Source" that
I wrote for Inventors Digest. (Please scroll down to pages 2 and 3, as the
first page is just an ad for Yankee Invention Expo).
************************************
I've never heard of a "Binding Ruling". Can anyone verify the above?
Thanks,
Roy Gilbert
RG PetComm
rgilbert11@cox.net
-----Original Message-----
From: spiers@yahoogroups.com [mailto:spiers@yahoogroups.com]On Behalf Of
John Spiers
Sent: Thursday, July 13, 2006 10:57 AM
To: spiers@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [spiers] buying other people's products from manufacturer
I'll take this particular question at lest...
On Thu, 13 Jul 2006 10:21:11 -0700 (PDT), Brad Tayan
wrote :
I was interested in creating a site
> targeting men looking for cool yoga pants.
Can I use the same research techniques you
> describe to find these manufacturers?
>
***it's essentially a move into retail, and the answer is yes, use the
technioques to find the
source..but it gets easier with garments since there is a "RIN (?) " number
on every garment
imported for resale, which identifies its provenance... anyone on the list
expert on this RIN
number? If not, a customsbroker ought to be able to help you out.
John
Compete on Design!
www.johnspiers.com
Thursday, July 13, 2006
buying other people's products from manufacturer
Re: [spiers] buying other people's products from manufacturer
I'll take this particular question at lest...
On Thu, 13 Jul 2006 10:21:11 -0700 (PDT), Brad Tayan
I was interested in creating a site
> targeting men looking for cool yoga pants.
Can I use the same research techniques you
> describe to find these manufacturers?
>
***it's essentially a move into retail, and the answer is yes, use the
technioques to find the
source..but it gets easier with garments since there is a "RIN (?) " number on
every garment
imported for resale, which identifies its provenance... anyone on the list
expert on this RIN
number? If not, a customsbroker ought to be able to help you out.
John
Re: [spiers] Advise Me on Intriguing Int'l Trade Oppty
On Wed, 12 Jul 2006 20:37:23 -0700, Paul Snyder
wrote :
> Are you competing on quality or price? I am unclear on the
> perceived advantage of the Hong Kong fabric selection and the HK
> style.
***Quality and charging a premium price. Now that I know the local price
points, I'll expressly
avoiod those areas. A big cost in this business is the management of what
fabric is where. A
tailor in new york can have fabric delivered to him in next day, and I can have
first fitting suit
delivered to me in 2 days from hong kong. Much management skill and time is
shifted to lower
cost managers in hong kong and in the distribution channel. A selection of
fabrics, the best from
the world over, takes skill to manage inventory and care for it. As, to HK
style, their ability to copy
anything, or create with you, is world class. I brought in patterns for both an
english riding jacket
and a levis jacket and we made 2 coats blending the two styles, one in harris
tweed and the other
in corduroy. Most people noticed nothing, but it was fun when the occasional
englishmen or
cowboy would pause and wonder...***
Given the American consumer preference for buying something
> they can see and hold, and for that which is "in-stock", the (huge)
> cost advantage may not be enough. At least for well-heeled impulse
> buyers. And most Americans are not aware that HK's fashions are the
> peer of Paris and Milan, but rather think HK suits are a "Chinese
> product" that should be sold at a discount. But ... sales will prove
> this point wrong.
***It hasn't occurred to me to promote these as Hong Kong suits, Hong Kong to my
mind
represents cheap management and selection and efficiency... and I agree, my
customers could
care less. this would be very much a seattle thing. All your observations may
be correct, but I
only need a few exceptions to make it pay. Indeed, the first suit will turn a
profit. My first
custoomer is an auctioneer who said he needs a new tux. He was going to pay
$1200 at
Nordstrom. He can pay me that, for better quality. "May I recommend something
in a paisley?"***
>
> You have found one retailer in HK to make suits. Presumably he sends
> the measurements to a factory in HK to do the work. Since you
> apparently have not identified this factory, then you will
> essentially be buying retail from HK. This poses 2 problems: 1) you
> pay too much (maybe not a problem); 2) you can't scale, because all
> the orders flow through a guy who is a retailer rather than through a
> factory.
***Well, paying too much is a noon issue when customers cover all costs and
profits... and as to
scale, well, something tells me a cantonese offered more biz will figure out how
to scale up.
Something that would cost too much to manage in USA.***
>
> When I had a suit tailored in Seoul, I sat for initial measurements,
> then sat again for a rough-cut, which consisted of coursely-cut
> segments of fabric, then sat again for a final tailoring, which
> necessitated some on-the-spot adjustments. In your biz process, you
> cannot support the rough-cut step, unless you incur 2 additional
> mailings, which would be expensive but more importantly, introduce
> delays (tho maybe not huge with overnight international Fedex).
>
*** that's the process... the rough cut is what is sent to USA, and it stays
here, local tailors do the
second and third fittings. $350 for what is fedexed from honk kong, $200 for
local tailoring,
$1000 suit, comparable to $2000 suits. Now you got me thinking, comparable but
you cannot get
the $2000 kitons fitted so well... so I must charge the same $2000 and offer
merely better fit.
or $2500, due to better fit. See what a challenge this is... As an american i
want to compete on
price and win ALL the business... I should resist being so greedy and charge the
$2500, and get
only a little bit of biz.***
> Finally, shouldn't you have a salesman pushing this product rather
> than acquaintances and the odd auctioneer? It may be a perfect way
> to get initial market testing accomplished, but does the industry
> have such a thing as "suit marketers" that can setup business
> arrangements with all the tailors around the country?
>
***Yes, the auctioneer is exactly what you said, test marketing.. i am selling
the sample to the
'"rep", and we'll see what happens. Full disclosure... my daughter appears
intent on a career in the
fashion biz, she is in high school, so at her request we are sending her to
Italy for a year to learn
italian and some art, etc, and she will be handed this when she gets back...
another garment biz
owner wants to do women's suits as part of this, and the idea is in a year this
established woman
and my daughter do what they will with what I am setting up now. She is only a
sophomore this
year, but she is tagging along at all the meetings, taking sewing classes etc. I
am setting up the
supply & logistics end, they will set up the market end as they see fit next
year. I hope I never
have to learn how the rag trade works, I'll leave it to them.
John
> On Jul 12, 2006, at 12:41 PM, John Spiers wrote:
>
> > Folks,
> >
> > My Hong Kong tailor is importuning me to open a biz here in USA
> > having custom clothes
> > measured in USA and made in Hong Kong.
> >
> > I think I mention in my book a fellow in Seattle who did exactly
> > this for 25 years here in
> > Seattle, but through in the towel when congress made the paperwork
> > process overwhelming
> > for this biz.
> >
> > I would never run such a business, but owning it would be fine. To
> > investigate this
> > possibility, I put on my 3 piece pinstripe suit made by these Hong
> > Kong tailors, and visited
> > the competition in the Seattle area. I walked in and introduced
> > myself, mentioned I lived
> > locally but bought tailored suits in Hong Kong. Then i said, "tell
> > me how come I should buy
> > from you and not from Hong Kong". (Mustn't ask "why"... "how come"
> > is much less
> > threatening...)
> >
> > He looked at the suit, and his first best answer was "well, that is
> > a fall weight suit..." that was
> > his best shot!
> >
> > Then he explained how tailoring works in USA. The customer selects
> > fabric, the tailor takes
> > your measurements, and sends them to a plant back east which
> > executes the suit, and a
> > second fitting is done back here in the shop. Same with shirts,
> > but different factory.
> >
> > I read all about this in Forbes once, the biggest such plant being
> > Oxxford in Chicago. Inn
> > essence USA tailors are simply measurement taking storefronts, and
> > you select from a set
> > range of avaialble fabrics.
> >
> > Hong Kong on the other hand, with the worlds widest selection of
> > fabrics on hand, and
> > efficiently managed, can give one a wider range. Next, their
> > ability to accomodate outside
> > the box is unsurpassed. I've read several tests that put hong kong
> > tailors ahead of Saville
> > Row tailors.
> >
> > What occurred to me was these USA tailor shops are for people who
> > must wear suits, wheras
> > a Hong KMong tailored product would be for people who love to wear
> > suits.
> >
> > And the trick in buying suits tailored is not to get a $500 suit
> > for $300, but a $3000 suit for
> > $700. I was surprised the normal price point for the local tailors
> > suit is about $900 he said.
> > Rather low i thought.
> >
> > Seattle's premier tailor shop works on the same basis as the
> > others, so it seems to me there
> > is room for very high end, upscale tailor shop.
> >
> > Now some people do have suit made in hong kong and sent to USA. To
> > avoid the heavy costs
> > and taxes and paperwork, it is commonly misprepresented as to what
> > is coming in. A formal
> > entry done by a broker can be $90 - $150 .... and takes time... and
> > there isd I believe a 10%
> > tax... much is done to get around these legal hurdles.
> >
> > Avoiding the tax is foolish, i think, but the broker fees are
> > hefty. Happily I can fill out those
> > forms myself, or teach a clerk to do it cheap, since it will be the
> > same thing over and over. I
> > will have a reality check conferenced with a customsbroker on this.
> >
> > I have an associate who has connections with real tailors, so that
> > part is covered. Starting
> > small and financing a few suits a week is no big deal. And a
> > tailor shop can be anywhere.
> >
> > I am meeting with an auctioneer this afternoon, who often works
> > charity events. For
> > advertising, we'd auction off a tailored suit, such as the
> > auctioneer wears, one of ours. We
> > get our name in front of high rollers who in turn buy one of our
> > suits, named in the auction,
> > and then we sell the winner 2 other suits when he shows up to be
> > fitted for his tuxedo.
> >
> > By the way, this Tailor will be in Seattle on July 18 and 19 if you
> > want to meet him yourself
> > and get a gorgeous suit made to fit. he takes credit cards, and
> > you pay in advance, but I've
> > worked with him 30 years now...
> >
> > But to the point... anything I am missing here? Anything I should
> > cover...problems I should
> > look out for?
> >
> > john
Advise Me on Intriguing Int'l Trade Oppty
Re: [spiers] Advise Me on Intriguing Int'l Trade Oppty
On Wed, 12 Jul 2006 21:20:08 -0700, "Malcolm D"
>
> John,
>
> I love your "catch-line" or positioning:
>
> "For people who LOVE to wear suits!" I think that could be a key part of your
marketing.
>
> I am a person who hates to wear suits,... but you have to convince me you have
found the
panacea of comfortable suits.
>
***So we would need a tasilor here who is good enough to 'see" you and the
fabric and cut that
would make suit wearing a delight for you. An artist. ka-ching.***
> Back to your request... the first question I have... how will you turn the
greater number of fabric
choices into a competitive advantage? I assume you will have a full set of
"swatches" available in
the local store?
***yes, these tailors are going to leave their mountain of swatches behind with
me... what
astonishes me is in Hong Kong they have walls and walls of swartches, and I can
go to any book,
open any page, and yes it's available...the local tailors work with houses that
offer all the standard
stuff... if you want white linen, "well, this is sorta like linen..." local
tailor told me a customer
wanted a harris tweed jacket, reral harris tweed, well it took some doing to get
it out of Scotland.
Sheesh... We'd do everything else, not standard.***
>
> "World's largest selection of fine fabrics for tailored suits..."?
***Sure...***
>
> My next question is how will you identify, demographically and/or
economically, those folks
most likely to buy. While auctions "may" turn out to be a good marketing tool, I
have used
auctions for a number of promotions, and the auctioneer -- and how inebriated
the guests are --
can make or break the value of the donation. Often the item is sold with little
mention of the
business offering the service, and it becomes hard for folks to find you later,
even if they wanted
to. Since the auction is usually a fund raiser for a good cause, there is little
control over the quality
of the promotion from the standpoint of the business donating.
>
****So I should be careful which auctioneers, and which events? Good
advice...***
> Another method, understanding that wealthy folks put a lot of stock in
personal testimonials,
might be to target well known wealthy people, who network a lot and meet/know
lots of people.
Send them an offer of a free suit, in exchange for mentioning your company
and/or handing out a
business card any time they get a comment about the suit. I know a guy in Idaho
who wrote letters
offering free raft trips on Idaho's Salmon River, in exchange for a testimonial
letter. He racked up
an impressive list of big names sending testimonials he used in his promotions.
>
***I like it...***
> And certainly an article in GQ, Forbes, or other high profile magazines would
help build your
brand. Lots of ways to attempt that. Also, direct mail, if you can find the
right high income,
business audience is an obvious winner.
*** Exclusivity is important here, I'll let my daughter worry about how far it
goes... 100 suits a year
is $100,000 in sales, probably all the time we;ve got what with this will be
rather back burner.***
>
> If I was going to do the business you describe, I would do a web site, so as
not to limit the
market geographically. A few minutes of research indicates that about 7500
people a month do a
search on the internet for custom suits... since those folks are in the market
(you don't need to
convince them a custom suit is a good idea!), appropriate Search Engine
Optimization and Pay Per
Click advertising should net you all the customers you want, for a lot less
overhead and expense
than a retail storefront. The web site should include input forms for
measurements, and detailed
instructions on how to do the measurements, including an instructional video.
The enterprise
could also be set up as a "dealership", working with existing mens fine clothing
stores across the
country, who would take measurements, and input them into the web site's
password protected
intranet. You could market to stores via trade journals and trade shows, or
direct mail, or even
email.
>
***I was just going to put a fifth of good scotch in the box of every suit we
delivered, and figure
that would do it. When my daughter gets back from Italy, can she intern with
you a summer?***
> Of course, the inability to touch the fabric, could be problematic. A system
of high quality
photos and descriptions, combined with a "sample" fabric order system, could be
tested. But if
7500 people a month are searching online for custom suits, there must be some
understanding
about limitations on fabric selection. They can't all expect to be sent a fabric
sample book. The
web can also do a better job of outlining styles, at the customers leisure,
rather than the semi-
cumbersome efforts of live styling presentations by a (hopefully) well-trained
sales person.
***Or define more narrowly what we do, and thus better lead with our
strengths?***
>
> (Note that the 7500 searching online monthly for "custom suits" compares with
25,000
searching for "Armani suits", so positioning the custom suit option against
Armani, to pick up
some of those browsers on the search engines, and sell them into your system,
could be a good
idea.)
>
***As i unuderstnad it, one can buy the fabrics of Armani, etc, and use them,
and advertise them
as such... so "armani" is not hard to use..."
> Custom products are a competitive arena where the web excels, as much of the
world does not
reside where high quality custom products are available. Those of us living in
the hinterlands find
the uncertainty of web ordering much less intimidating than two days of round
trip travel to a
metropolitan area, to be served and greeted by big city im-personalities, high
prices, and
uncertain delivery. I know a guy in New York who does nothing but custom cigar
humidors, and
makes in excess of $100,000 annually, from his home shop (selling to customers
all over the
world). Customization done well, in a tight niche, is BIG online.
>
> Side question: Would drop shipping by your Hong Kong connection direct to
customers, by UPS
or other common carrier, get you around the customs issues?
***Yes, but that second and third fitting is critical, and the drop ship
directly is big biz right now...
I'd have to compete on price... so no can do.***
>
John
buying other people's products from manufacturer
John,
In your book and seminar, you mention that once you
design a product and have it manufactured, the
manufacturer may turn around and sell the product to
someone else. If I know of products that I like, how
would I find out where they are manufactured and if
the manufacturer would be willing to sell them to me?
I am interested in selling men's yoga pants. It is
extremely difficult to find stylish pants which one
can wear to yoga, and then wear after class and still
look cool. I have come across a few scattered
solutions to this problem, but they are not being
marketed very well, especially online.
Since I am a web designer with experience optimizing
web pages to come up on the first page of Google's
search results, I was interested in creating a site
targeting men looking for cool yoga pants. It seems
like a good product, as it is something which does not
exist and which solves a problem which is too small
for major companies to worry about. (From my
experience, there's roughly a 7 to 1 ratio of women to
men in yoga classes)
Does anyone have any ideas why this wouldn't work, or
something I'm missing? It seems to be a low risk
venture, since I don't have to pay someone else to do
the site. Can I use the same research techniques you
describe to find these manufacturers?
-Brad
Advise Me on Intriguing Int'l Trade Oppty
RE: [spiers] Advise Me on Intriguing Int'l Trade Oppty
Shel,
thanks for the excellent info... I have a ups account, so I'll request they send
it "expedited" and let
y'all know the results.
I have another sample shipment coming from China, handknotted carpets this
time... and this
particular person calls all express service "UPS" ... as in UPS post office, UPS
Fedex , or UPS UPS!
Not sure if this is a triumph of advertising from UPS, and not sure if it is
just her, but there you
have it.
John
On Wed, 12 Jul 2006 18:10:04 -0700, "Shel Weinberg"
wrote :
>
> John et al,
>
> I've been doing my research on best way to ship rather small orders of
> textiles from Asia. My business has been importing several packages per
> month ranging in value from $1000 to $10,000.
>
> My conclusion is that working with UPS, Fedex or DHL is by far most cost
> effective, even for orders of $8 - $10,000. UPS is my favorite and
> their "expedited" service is advertised to take a day or two more
> (although it usually gets here just as fast as express) and is the least
> expensive.
>
> Yes you have to pay the duty plus a $25 customs transaction fee, but the
> customs brokerage entry fees are built in to the price and perhaps more
> importantly, this system does not slow the shipment down as often
> happens with a customs broker. Usually get it in 2 - 3 days, even from
> India.
>
> The other advantage is that the rate includes carriage all the way to
> your (or the customer's) door unlike air cargo shipments where often you
> need to get the package at the airport.
>
> You can even go to the UPS website and get an all in quote online by
> entering the points of origin, destination, weight, size and value.
>
> Its working for me.
>
> Best
>
> Shel Weinberg
>
> phone: 360 299 3579
> mobile: 360 941 5443
> shel@sheldonweinberg.com
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: spiers@yahoogroups.com [mailto:spiers@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf
> Of John Spiers
> Sent: Wednesday, July 12, 2006 12:42 PM
> To: spiers@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [spiers] Advise Me on Intriguing Int'l Trade Oppty
>
> Folks,
>
> My Hong Kong tailor is importuning me to open a biz here in USA having
> custom clothes
> measured in USA and made in Hong Kong.
>
> I think I mention in my book a fellow in Seattle who did exactly this
> for 25 years here in
> Seattle, but through in the towel when congress made the paperwork
> process overwhelming
> for this biz.
>
> I would never run such a business, but owning it would be fine. To
> investigate this
> possibility, I put on my 3 piece pinstripe suit made by these Hong Kong
> tailors, and visited
> the competition in the Seattle area. I walked in and introduced myself,
> mentioned I lived
> locally but bought tailored suits in Hong Kong. Then i said, "tell me
> how come I should buy
> from you and not from Hong Kong". (Mustn't ask "why"... "how come" is
> much less
> threatening...)
>
> He looked at the suit, and his first best answer was "well, that is a
> fall weight suit..." that was
> his best shot!
>
> Then he explained how tailoring works in USA. The customer selects
> fabric, the tailor takes
> your measurements, and sends them to a plant back east which executes
> the suit, and a
> second fitting is done back here in the shop. Same with shirts, but
> different factory.
>
> I read all about this in Forbes once, the biggest such plant being
> Oxxford in Chicago. Inn
> essence USA tailors are simply measurement taking storefronts, and you
> select from a set
> range of avaialble fabrics.
>
> Hong Kong on the other hand, with the worlds widest selection of fabrics
> on hand, and
> efficiently managed, can give one a wider range. Next, their ability to
> accomodate outside
> the box is unsurpassed. I've read several tests that put hong kong
> tailors ahead of Saville
> Row tailors.
>
> What occurred to me was these USA tailor shops are for people who must
> wear suits, wheras
> a Hong KMong tailored product would be for people who love to wear
> suits.
>
> And the trick in buying suits tailored is not to get a $500 suit for
> $300, but a $3000 suit for
> $700. I was surprised the normal price point for the local tailors suit
> is about $900 he said.
> Rather low i thought.
>
> Seattle's premier tailor shop works on the same basis as the others, so
> it seems to me there
> is room for very high end, upscale tailor shop.
>
> Now some people do have suit made in hong kong and sent to USA. To
> avoid the heavy costs
> and taxes and paperwork, it is commonly misprepresented as to what is
> coming in. A formal
> entry done by a broker can be $90 - $150 .... and takes time... and
> there isd I believe a 10%
> tax... much is done to get around these legal hurdles.
>
> Avoiding the tax is foolish, i think, but the broker fees are hefty.
> Happily I can fill out those
> forms myself, or teach a clerk to do it cheap, since it will be the same
> thing over and over. I
> will have a reality check conferenced with a customsbroker on this.
>
> I have an associate who has connections with real tailors, so that part
> is covered. Starting
> small and financing a few suits a week is no big deal. And a tailor
> shop can be anywhere.
>
> I am meeting with an auctioneer this afternoon, who often works charity
> events. For
> advertising, we'd auction off a tailored suit, such as the auctioneer
> wears, one of ours. We
> get our name in front of high rollers who in turn buy one of our suits,
> named in the auction,
> and then we sell the winner 2 other suits when he shows up to be fitted
> for his tuxedo.
>
> By the way, this Tailor will be in Seattle on July 18 and 19 if you want
> to meet him yourself
> and get a gorgeous suit made to fit. he takes credit cards, and you pay
> in advance, but I've
> worked with him 30 years now...
>
> But to the point... anything I am missing here? Anything I should
> cover...problems I should
> look out for?
>
> john
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Advise Me on Intriguing Int'l Trade Oppty
Re: [spiers] Advise Me on Intriguing Int'l Trade Oppty
John,
I love your "catch-line" or positioning:
"For people who LOVE to wear suits!" I think that could be a key part of your
marketing.
I am a person who hates to wear suits, because I find them uncomfortable. Can
you turn people like me into a target market? I would love to wear suits, there
are lots of occasions where it would be advantageous, but you have to convince
me you have found the panacea of comfortable suits.
Back to your request... the first question I have... how will you turn the
greater number of fabric choices into a competitive advantage? I assume you will
have a full set of "swatches" available in the local store?
"World's largest selection of fine fabrics for tailored suits..."?
My next question is how will you identify, demographically and/or economically,
those folks most likely to buy. While auctions "may" turn out to be a good
marketing tool, I have used auctions for a number of promotions, and the
auctioneer -- and how inebriated the guests are -- can make or break the value
of the donation. Often the item is sold with little mention of the business
offering the service, and it becomes hard for folks to find you later, even if
they wanted to. Since the auction is usually a fund raiser for a good cause,
there is little control over the quality of the promotion from the standpoint of
the business donating.
Another method, understanding that wealthy folks put a lot of stock in personal
testimonials, might be to target well known wealthy people, who network a lot
and meet/know lots of people. Send them an offer of a free suit, in exchange for
mentioning your company and/or handing out a business card any time they get a
comment about the suit. I know a guy in Idaho who wrote letters offering free
raft trips on Idaho's Salmon River, in exchange for a testimonial letter. He
racked up an impressive list of big names sending testimonials he used in his
promotions.
And certainly an article in GQ, Forbes, or other high profile magazines would
help build your brand. Lots of ways to attempt that. Also, direct mail, if you
can find the right high income, business audience is an obvious winner.
If I was going to do the business you describe, I would do a web site, so as not
to limit the market geographically. A few minutes of research indicates that
about 7500 people a month do a search on the internet for custom suits... since
those folks are in the market (you don't need to convince them a custom suit is
a good idea!), appropriate Search Engine Optimization and Pay Per Click
advertising should net you all the customers you want, for a lot less overhead
and expense than a retail storefront. The web site should include input forms
for measurements, and detailed instructions on how to do the measurements,
including an instructional video. The enterprise could also be set up as a
"dealership", working with existing mens fine clothing stores across the
country, who would take measurements, and input them into the web site's
password protected intranet. You could market to stores via trade journals and
trade shows, or direct mail, or even email.
Of course, the inability to touch the fabric, could be problematic. A system of
high quality photos and descriptions, combined with a "sample" fabric order
system, could be tested. But if 7500 people a month are searching online for
custom suits, there must be some understanding about limitations on fabric
selection. They can't all expect to be sent a fabric sample book. The web can
also do a better job of outlining styles, at the customers leisure, rather than
the semi-cumbersome efforts of live styling presentations by a (hopefully)
well-trained sales person.
(Note that the 7500 searching online monthly for "custom suits" compares with
25,000 searching for "Armani suits", so positioning the custom suit option
against Armani, to pick up some of those browsers on the search engines, and
sell them into your system, could be a good idea.)
Custom products are a competitive arena where the web excels, as much of the
world does not reside where high quality custom products are available. Those of
us living in the hinterlands find the uncertainty of web ordering much less
intimidating than two days of round trip travel to a metropolitan area, to be
served and greeted by big city im-personalities, high prices, and uncertain
delivery. I know a guy in New York who does nothing but custom cigar humidors,
and makes in excess of $100,000 annually, from his home shop (selling to
customers all over the world). Customization done well, in a tight niche, is BIG
online.
Side question: Would drop shipping by your Hong Kong connection direct to
customers, by UPS or other common carrier, get you around the customs issues?
My two bits from rural Idaho!
Malcolm
----- Original Message -----
From: John Spiers
To: spiers@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, July 12, 2006 12:41 PM
Subject: [spiers] Advise Me on Intriguing Int'l Trade Oppty
Folks,
My Hong Kong tailor is importuning me to open a biz here in USA having custom
clothes
measured in USA and made in Hong Kong.
I think I mention in my book a fellow in Seattle who did exactly this for 25
years here in
Seattle, but through in the towel when congress made the paperwork process
overwhelming
for this biz.
I would never run such a business, but owning it would be fine. To investigate
this
possibility, I put on my 3 piece pinstripe suit made by these Hong Kong
tailors, and visited
the competition in the Seattle area. I walked in and introduced myself,
mentioned I lived
locally but bought tailored suits in Hong Kong. Then i said, "tell me how come
I should buy
from you and not from Hong Kong". (Mustn't ask "why"... "how come" is much
less
threatening...)
He looked at the suit, and his first best answer was "well, that is a fall
weight suit..." that was
his best shot!
Then he explained how tailoring works in USA. The customer selects fabric, the
tailor takes
your measurements, and sends them to a plant back east which executes the
suit, and a
second fitting is done back here in the shop. Same with shirts, but different
factory.
I read all about this in Forbes once, the biggest such plant being Oxxford in
Chicago. Inn
essence USA tailors are simply measurement taking storefronts, and you select
from a set
range of avaialble fabrics.
Hong Kong on the other hand, with the worlds widest selection of fabrics on
hand, and
efficiently managed, can give one a wider range. Next, their ability to
accomodate outside
the box is unsurpassed. I've read several tests that put hong kong tailors
ahead of Saville
Row tailors.
What occurred to me was these USA tailor shops are for people who must wear
suits, wheras
a Hong KMong tailored product would be for people who love to wear suits.
And the trick in buying suits tailored is not to get a $500 suit for $300, but
a $3000 suit for
$700. I was surprised the normal price point for the local tailors suit is
about $900 he said.
Rather low i thought.
Seattle's premier tailor shop works on the same basis as the others, so it
seems to me there
is room for very high end, upscale tailor shop.
Now some people do have suit made in hong kong and sent to USA. To avoid the
heavy costs
and taxes and paperwork, it is commonly misprepresented as to what is coming
in. A formal
entry done by a broker can be $90 - $150 .... and takes time... and there isd
I believe a 10%
tax... much is done to get around these legal hurdles.
Avoiding the tax is foolish, i think, but the broker fees are hefty. Happily I
can fill out those
forms myself, or teach a clerk to do it cheap, since it will be the same thing
over and over. I
will have a reality check conferenced with a customsbroker on this.
I have an associate who has connections with real tailors, so that part is
covered. Starting
small and financing a few suits a week is no big deal. And a tailor shop can
be anywhere.
I am meeting with an auctioneer this afternoon, who often works charity
events. For
advertising, we'd auction off a tailored suit, such as the auctioneer wears,
one of ours. We
get our name in front of high rollers who in turn buy one of our suits, named
in the auction,
and then we sell the winner 2 other suits when he shows up to be fitted for
his tuxedo.
By the way, this Tailor will be in Seattle on July 18 and 19 if you want to
meet him yourself
and get a gorgeous suit made to fit. he takes credit cards, and you pay in
advance, but I've
worked with him 30 years now...
But to the point... anything I am missing here? Anything I should
cover...problems I should
look out for?
john
Advise Me on Intriguing Int'l Trade Oppty
RE: [spiers] Advise Me on Intriguing Int'l Trade Oppty
John et al,
I've been doing my research on best way to ship rather small orders of
textiles from Asia. My business has been importing several packages per
month ranging in value from $1000 to $10,000.
My conclusion is that working with UPS, Fedex or DHL is by far most cost
effective, even for orders of $8 - $10,000. UPS is my favorite and
their "expedited" service is advertised to take a day or two more
(although it usually gets here just as fast as express) and is the least
expensive.
Yes you have to pay the duty plus a $25 customs transaction fee, but the
customs brokerage entry fees are built in to the price and perhaps more
importantly, this system does not slow the shipment down as often
happens with a customs broker. Usually get it in 2 - 3 days, even from
India.
The other advantage is that the rate includes carriage all the way to
your (or the customer's) door unlike air cargo shipments where often you
need to get the package at the airport.
You can even go to the UPS website and get an all in quote online by
entering the points of origin, destination, weight, size and value.
Its working for me.
Best
Shel Weinberg
phone: 360 299 3579
mobile: 360 941 5443
shel@sheldonweinberg.com
-----Original Message-----
From: spiers@yahoogroups.com [mailto:spiers@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf
Of John Spiers
Sent: Wednesday, July 12, 2006 12:42 PM
To: spiers@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [spiers] Advise Me on Intriguing Int'l Trade Oppty
Folks,
My Hong Kong tailor is importuning me to open a biz here in USA having
custom clothes
measured in USA and made in Hong Kong.
I think I mention in my book a fellow in Seattle who did exactly this
for 25 years here in
Seattle, but through in the towel when congress made the paperwork
process overwhelming
for this biz.
I would never run such a business, but owning it would be fine. To
investigate this
possibility, I put on my 3 piece pinstripe suit made by these Hong Kong
tailors, and visited
the competition in the Seattle area. I walked in and introduced myself,
mentioned I lived
locally but bought tailored suits in Hong Kong. Then i said, "tell me
how come I should buy
from you and not from Hong Kong". (Mustn't ask "why"... "how come" is
much less
threatening...)
He looked at the suit, and his first best answer was "well, that is a
fall weight suit..." that was
his best shot!
Then he explained how tailoring works in USA. The customer selects
fabric, the tailor takes
your measurements, and sends them to a plant back east which executes
the suit, and a
second fitting is done back here in the shop. Same with shirts, but
different factory.
I read all about this in Forbes once, the biggest such plant being
Oxxford in Chicago. Inn
essence USA tailors are simply measurement taking storefronts, and you
select from a set
range of avaialble fabrics.
Hong Kong on the other hand, with the worlds widest selection of fabrics
on hand, and
efficiently managed, can give one a wider range. Next, their ability to
accomodate outside
the box is unsurpassed. I've read several tests that put hong kong
tailors ahead of Saville
Row tailors.
What occurred to me was these USA tailor shops are for people who must
wear suits, wheras
a Hong KMong tailored product would be for people who love to wear
suits.
And the trick in buying suits tailored is not to get a $500 suit for
$300, but a $3000 suit for
$700. I was surprised the normal price point for the local tailors suit
is about $900 he said.
Rather low i thought.
Seattle's premier tailor shop works on the same basis as the others, so
it seems to me there
is room for very high end, upscale tailor shop.
Now some people do have suit made in hong kong and sent to USA. To
avoid the heavy costs
and taxes and paperwork, it is commonly misprepresented as to what is
coming in. A formal
entry done by a broker can be $90 - $150 .... and takes time... and
there isd I believe a 10%
tax... much is done to get around these legal hurdles.
Avoiding the tax is foolish, i think, but the broker fees are hefty.
Happily I can fill out those
forms myself, or teach a clerk to do it cheap, since it will be the same
thing over and over. I
will have a reality check conferenced with a customsbroker on this.
I have an associate who has connections with real tailors, so that part
is covered. Starting
small and financing a few suits a week is no big deal. And a tailor
shop can be anywhere.
I am meeting with an auctioneer this afternoon, who often works charity
events. For
advertising, we'd auction off a tailored suit, such as the auctioneer
wears, one of ours. We
get our name in front of high rollers who in turn buy one of our suits,
named in the auction,
and then we sell the winner 2 other suits when he shows up to be fitted
for his tuxedo.
By the way, this Tailor will be in Seattle on July 18 and 19 if you want
to meet him yourself
and get a gorgeous suit made to fit. he takes credit cards, and you pay
in advance, but I've
worked with him 30 years now...
But to the point... anything I am missing here? Anything I should
cover...problems I should
look out for?
john
Advise Me on Intriguing Int'l Trade Oppty
RE: [spiers] Advise Me on Intriguing Int'l Trade Oppty
John, I have been buying suits in HK for 20+ years. Early on I was
cautioned that even though they are wonderful tailors and use European
fabric, they buy thread from PRC. Sure enough, my first two suites showed
no material wear after one year but the seams started separating. My tailor
now knows to use European thread on my suits but I'm not sure he does the
same for everyone. PRC thread has probably improved in the last 25 years,
but I still make it standard practice to request they only use European
thread. I have never had a problem since.
Keith
_____
From: spiers@yahoogroups.com [mailto:spiers@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of
John Spiers
Sent: Wednesday, July 12, 2006 12:42 PM
To: spiers@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [spiers] Advise Me on Intriguing Int'l Trade Oppty
Folks,
My Hong Kong tailor is importuning me to open a biz here in USA having
custom clothes
measured in USA and made in Hong Kong.
I think I mention in my book a fellow in Seattle who did exactly this for 25
years here in
Seattle, but through in the towel when congress made the paperwork process
overwhelming
for this biz.
I would never run such a business, but owning it would be fine. To
investigate this
possibility, I put on my 3 piece pinstripe suit made by these Hong Kong
tailors, and visited
the competition in the Seattle area. I walked in and introduced myself,
mentioned I lived
locally but bought tailored suits in Hong Kong. Then i said, "tell me how
come I should buy
from you and not from Hong Kong". (Mustn't ask "why"... "how come" is much
less
threatening...)
He looked at the suit, and his first best answer was "well, that is a fall
weight suit..." that was
his best shot!
Then he explained how tailoring works in USA. The customer selects fabric,
the tailor takes
your measurements, and sends them to a plant back east which executes the
suit, and a
second fitting is done back here in the shop. Same with shirts, but
different factory.
I read all about this in Forbes once, the biggest such plant being Oxxford
in Chicago. Inn
essence USA tailors are simply measurement taking storefronts, and you
select from a set
range of avaialble fabrics.
Hong Kong on the other hand, with the worlds widest selection of fabrics on
hand, and
efficiently managed, can give one a wider range. Next, their ability to
accomodate outside
the box is unsurpassed. I've read several tests that put hong kong tailors
ahead of Saville
Row tailors.
What occurred to me was these USA tailor shops are for people who must wear
suits, wheras
a Hong KMong tailored product would be for people who love to wear suits.
And the trick in buying suits tailored is not to get a $500 suit for $300,
but a $3000 suit for
$700. I was surprised the normal price point for the local tailors suit is
about $900 he said.
Rather low i thought.
Seattle's premier tailor shop works on the same basis as the others, so it
seems to me there
is room for very high end, upscale tailor shop.
Now some people do have suit made in hong kong and sent to USA. To avoid the
heavy costs
and taxes and paperwork, it is commonly misprepresented as to what is coming
in. A formal
entry done by a broker can be $90 - $150 .... and takes time... and there
isd I believe a 10%
tax... much is done to get around these legal hurdles.
Avoiding the tax is foolish, i think, but the broker fees are hefty. Happily
I can fill out those
forms myself, or teach a clerk to do it cheap, since it will be the same
thing over and over. I
will have a reality check conferenced with a customsbroker on this.
I have an associate who has connections with real tailors, so that part is
covered. Starting
small and financing a few suits a week is no big deal. And a tailor shop can
be anywhere.
I am meeting with an auctioneer this afternoon, who often works charity
events. For
advertising, we'd auction off a tailored suit, such as the auctioneer wears,
one of ours. We
get our name in front of high rollers who in turn buy one of our suits,
named in the auction,
and then we sell the winner 2 other suits when he shows up to be fitted for
his tuxedo.
By the way, this Tailor will be in Seattle on July 18 and 19 if you want to
meet him yourself
and get a gorgeous suit made to fit. he takes credit cards, and you pay in
advance, but I've
worked with him 30 years now...
But to the point... anything I am missing here? Anything I should
cover...problems I should
look out for?
john
Advise Me on Intriguing Int'l Trade Oppty
Re: [spiers] Advise Me on Intriguing Int'l Trade Oppty
Well, if this a test of what I should have learned from the Spiers
Approach, then let me see, I'm feeling ornery...
Are you competing on quality or price? I am unclear on the
perceived advantage of the Hong Kong fabric selection and the HK
style. Given the American consumer preference for buying something
they can see and hold, and for that which is "in-stock", the (huge)
cost advantage may not be enough. At least for well-heeled impulse
buyers. And most Americans are not aware that HK's fashions are the
peer of Paris and Milan, but rather think HK suits are a "Chinese
product" that should be sold at a discount. But ... sales will prove
this point wrong.
You have found one retailer in HK to make suits. Presumably he sends
the measurements to a factory in HK to do the work. Since you
apparently have not identified this factory, then you will
essentially be buying retail from HK. This poses 2 problems: 1) you
pay too much (maybe not a problem); 2) you can't scale, because all
the orders flow through a guy who is a retailer rather than through a
factory.
When I had a suit tailored in Seoul, I sat for initial measurements,
then sat again for a rough-cut, which consisted of coursely-cut
segments of fabric, then sat again for a final tailoring, which
necessitated some on-the-spot adjustments. In your biz process, you
cannot support the rough-cut step, unless you incur 2 additional
mailings, which would be expensive but more importantly, introduce
delays (tho maybe not huge with overnight international Fedex).
Finally, shouldn't you have a salesman pushing this product rather
than acquaintances and the odd auctioneer? It may be a perfect way
to get initial market testing accomplished, but does the industry
have such a thing as "suit marketers" that can setup business
arrangements with all the tailors around the country?
On Jul 12, 2006, at 12:41 PM, John Spiers wrote:
> Folks,
>
> My Hong Kong tailor is importuning me to open a biz here in USA
> having custom clothes
> measured in USA and made in Hong Kong.
>
> I think I mention in my book a fellow in Seattle who did exactly
> this for 25 years here in
> Seattle, but through in the towel when congress made the paperwork
> process overwhelming
> for this biz.
>
> I would never run such a business, but owning it would be fine. To
> investigate this
> possibility, I put on my 3 piece pinstripe suit made by these Hong
> Kong tailors, and visited
> the competition in the Seattle area. I walked in and introduced
> myself, mentioned I lived
> locally but bought tailored suits in Hong Kong. Then i said, "tell
> me how come I should buy
> from you and not from Hong Kong". (Mustn't ask "why"... "how come"
> is much less
> threatening...)
>
> He looked at the suit, and his first best answer was "well, that is
> a fall weight suit..." that was
> his best shot!
>
> Then he explained how tailoring works in USA. The customer selects
> fabric, the tailor takes
> your measurements, and sends them to a plant back east which
> executes the suit, and a
> second fitting is done back here in the shop. Same with shirts,
> but different factory.
>
> I read all about this in Forbes once, the biggest such plant being
> Oxxford in Chicago. Inn
> essence USA tailors are simply measurement taking storefronts, and
> you select from a set
> range of avaialble fabrics.
>
> Hong Kong on the other hand, with the worlds widest selection of
> fabrics on hand, and
> efficiently managed, can give one a wider range. Next, their
> ability to accomodate outside
> the box is unsurpassed. I've read several tests that put hong kong
> tailors ahead of Saville
> Row tailors.
>
> What occurred to me was these USA tailor shops are for people who
> must wear suits, wheras
> a Hong KMong tailored product would be for people who love to wear
> suits.
>
> And the trick in buying suits tailored is not to get a $500 suit
> for $300, but a $3000 suit for
> $700. I was surprised the normal price point for the local tailors
> suit is about $900 he said.
> Rather low i thought.
>
> Seattle's premier tailor shop works on the same basis as the
> others, so it seems to me there
> is room for very high end, upscale tailor shop.
>
> Now some people do have suit made in hong kong and sent to USA. To
> avoid the heavy costs
> and taxes and paperwork, it is commonly misprepresented as to what
> is coming in. A formal
> entry done by a broker can be $90 - $150 .... and takes time... and
> there isd I believe a 10%
> tax... much is done to get around these legal hurdles.
>
> Avoiding the tax is foolish, i think, but the broker fees are
> hefty. Happily I can fill out those
> forms myself, or teach a clerk to do it cheap, since it will be the
> same thing over and over. I
> will have a reality check conferenced with a customsbroker on this.
>
> I have an associate who has connections with real tailors, so that
> part is covered. Starting
> small and financing a few suits a week is no big deal. And a
> tailor shop can be anywhere.
>
> I am meeting with an auctioneer this afternoon, who often works
> charity events. For
> advertising, we'd auction off a tailored suit, such as the
> auctioneer wears, one of ours. We
> get our name in front of high rollers who in turn buy one of our
> suits, named in the auction,
> and then we sell the winner 2 other suits when he shows up to be
> fitted for his tuxedo.
>
> By the way, this Tailor will be in Seattle on July 18 and 19 if you
> want to meet him yourself
> and get a gorgeous suit made to fit. he takes credit cards, and
> you pay in advance, but I've
> worked with him 30 years now...
>
> But to the point... anything I am missing here? Anything I should
> cover...problems I should
> look out for?
>
> john
Advise Me on Intriguing Int'l Trade Oppty
Folks,
My Hong Kong tailor is importuning me to open a biz here in USA having custom
clothes
measured in USA and made in Hong Kong.
I think I mention in my book a fellow in Seattle who did exactly this for 25
years here in
Seattle, but through in the towel when congress made the paperwork process
overwhelming
for this biz.
I would never run such a business, but owning it would be fine. To investigate
this
possibility, I put on my 3 piece pinstripe suit made by these Hong Kong tailors,
and visited
the competition in the Seattle area. I walked in and introduced myself,
mentioned I lived
locally but bought tailored suits in Hong Kong. Then i said, "tell me how come I
should buy
from you and not from Hong Kong". (Mustn't ask "why"... "how come" is much less
threatening...)
He looked at the suit, and his first best answer was "well, that is a fall
weight suit..." that was
his best shot!
Then he explained how tailoring works in USA. The customer selects fabric, the
tailor takes
your measurements, and sends them to a plant back east which executes the suit,
and a
second fitting is done back here in the shop. Same with shirts, but different
factory.
I read all about this in Forbes once, the biggest such plant being Oxxford in
Chicago. Inn
essence USA tailors are simply measurement taking storefronts, and you select
from a set
range of avaialble fabrics.
Hong Kong on the other hand, with the worlds widest selection of fabrics on
hand, and
efficiently managed, can give one a wider range. Next, their ability to
accomodate outside
the box is unsurpassed. I've read several tests that put hong kong tailors
ahead of Saville
Row tailors.
What occurred to me was these USA tailor shops are for people who must wear
suits, wheras
a Hong KMong tailored product would be for people who love to wear suits.
And the trick in buying suits tailored is not to get a $500 suit for $300, but a
$3000 suit for
$700. I was surprised the normal price point for the local tailors suit is
about $900 he said.
Rather low i thought.
Seattle's premier tailor shop works on the same basis as the others, so it seems
to me there
is room for very high end, upscale tailor shop.
Now some people do have suit made in hong kong and sent to USA. To avoid the
heavy costs
and taxes and paperwork, it is commonly misprepresented as to what is coming in.
A formal
entry done by a broker can be $90 - $150 .... and takes time... and there isd I
believe a 10%
tax... much is done to get around these legal hurdles.
Avoiding the tax is foolish, i think, but the broker fees are hefty. Happily I
can fill out those
forms myself, or teach a clerk to do it cheap, since it will be the same thing
over and over. I
will have a reality check conferenced with a customsbroker on this.
I have an associate who has connections with real tailors, so that part is
covered. Starting
small and financing a few suits a week is no big deal. And a tailor shop can be
anywhere.
I am meeting with an auctioneer this afternoon, who often works charity events.
For
advertising, we'd auction off a tailored suit, such as the auctioneer wears, one
of ours. We
get our name in front of high rollers who in turn buy one of our suits, named in
the auction,
and then we sell the winner 2 other suits when he shows up to be fitted for his
tuxedo.
By the way, this Tailor will be in Seattle on July 18 and 19 if you want to meet
him yourself
and get a gorgeous suit made to fit. he takes credit cards, and you pay in
advance, but I've
worked with him 30 years now...
But to the point... anything I am missing here? Anything I should
cover...problems I should
look out for?
john
tableware commission?
Re: [spiers] tableware commission?
I've always paid 15%, since tableware is generally the gift and housewares
market.
John
On Wed, 12 Jul 2006 15:07:47 +0000, g.paulazzo@comcast.net wrote :
>
> Hi,
>
> Can you please tell me the standard commission for reps selling tableware
lines?
>
> Many thanks,
> Gary
tableware commission?
Hi,
Can you please tell me the standard commission for reps selling tableware lines?
Many thanks,
Gary
Advise Me on Intriguing Int'l Trade Oppty
Re: [spiers] Advise Me on Intriguing Int'l Trade Oppty
John,
I love your "catch-line" or positioning:
"For people who LOVE to wear suits!" I think that could be a key part of your
marketing.
I am a person who hates to wear suits, because I find them uncomfortable. Can
you turn people like me into a target market? I would love to wear suits, there
are lots of occasions where it would be advantageous, but you have to convince
me you have found the panacea of comfortable suits.
Back to your request... the first question I have... how will you turn the
greater number of fabric choices into a competitive advantage? I assume you will
have a full set of "swatches" available in the local store?
"World's largest selection of fine fabrics for tailored suits..."?
My next question is how will you identify, demographically and/or economically,
those folks most likely to buy. While auctions "may" turn out to be a good
marketing tool, I have used auctions for a number of promotions, and the
auctioneer -- and how inebriated the guests are -- can make or break the value
of the donation. Often the item is sold with little mention of the business
offering the service, and it becomes hard for folks to find you later, even if
they wanted to. Since the auction is usually a fund raiser for a good cause,
there is little control over the quality of the promotion from the standpoint of
the business donating.
Another method, understanding that wealthy folks put a lot of stock in personal
testimonials, might be to target well known wealthy people, who network a lot
and meet/know lots of people. Send them an offer of a free suit, in exchange for
mentioning your company and/or handing out a business card any time they get a
comment about the suit. I know a guy in Idaho who wrote letters offering free
raft trips on Idaho's Salmon River, in exchange for a testimonial letter. He
racked up an impressive list of big names sending testimonials he used in his
promotions.
And certainly an article in GQ, Forbes, or other high profile magazines would
help build your brand. Lots of ways to attempt that. Also, direct mail, if you
can find the right high income, business audience is an obvious winner.
If I was going to do the business you describe, I would do a web site, so as not
to limit the market geographically. A few minutes of research indicates that
about 7500 people a month do a search on the internet for custom suits... since
those folks are in the market (you don't need to convince them a custom suit is
a good idea!), appropriate Search Engine Optimization and Pay Per Click
advertising should net you all the customers you want, for a lot less overhead
and expense than a retail storefront. The web site should include input forms
for measurements, and detailed instructions on how to do the measurements,
including an instructional video. The enterprise could also be set up as a
"dealership", working with existing mens fine clothing stores across the
country, who would take measurements, and input them into the web site's
password protected intranet. You could market to stores via trade journals and
trade shows, or direct mail, or even email.
Of course, the inability to touch the fabric, could be problematic. A system of
high quality photos and descriptions, combined with a "sample" fabric order
system, could be tested. But if 7500 people a month are searching online for
custom suits, there must be some understanding about limitations on fabric
selection. They can't all expect to be sent a fabric sample book. The web can
also do a better job of outlining styles, at the customers leisure, rather than
the semi-cumbersome efforts of live styling presentations by a (hopefully)
well-trained sales person.
(Note that the 7500 searching online monthly for "custom suits" compares with
25,000 searching for "Armani suits", so positioning the custom suit option
against Armani, to pick up some of those browsers on the search engines, and
sell them into your system, could be a good idea.)
Custom products are a competitive arena where the web excels, as much of the
world does not reside where high quality custom products are available. Those of
us living in the hinterlands find the uncertainty of web ordering much less
intimidating than two days of round trip travel to a metropolitan area, to be
served and greeted by big city im-personalities, high prices, and uncertain
delivery. I know a guy in New York who does nothing but custom cigar humidors,
and makes in excess of $100,000 annually, from his home shop (selling to
customers all over the world). Customization done well, in a tight niche, is BIG
online.
Side question: Would drop shipping by your Hong Kong connection direct to
customers, by UPS or other common carrier, get you around the customs issues?
My two bits from rural Idaho!
Malcolm
----- Original Message -----
From: John Spiers
To: spiers@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, July 12, 2006 12:41 PM
Subject: [spiers] Advise Me on Intriguing Int'l Trade Oppty
Folks,
My Hong Kong tailor is importuning me to open a biz here in USA having custom
clothes
measured in USA and made in Hong Kong.
I think I mention in my book a fellow in Seattle who did exactly this for 25
years here in
Seattle, but through in the towel when congress made the paperwork process
overwhelming
for this biz.
I would never run such a business, but owning it would be fine. To investigate
this
possibility, I put on my 3 piece pinstripe suit made by these Hong Kong
tailors, and visited
the competition in the Seattle area. I walked in and introduced myself,
mentioned I lived
locally but bought tailored suits in Hong Kong. Then i said, "tell me how come
I should buy
from you and not from Hong Kong". (Mustn't ask "why"... "how come" is much
less
threatening...)
He looked at the suit, and his first best answer was "well, that is a fall
weight suit..." that was
his best shot!
Then he explained how tailoring works in USA. The customer selects fabric, the
tailor takes
your measurements, and sends them to a plant back east which executes the
suit, and a
second fitting is done back here in the shop. Same with shirts, but different
factory.
I read all about this in Forbes once, the biggest such plant being Oxxford in
Chicago. Inn
essence USA tailors are simply measurement taking storefronts, and you select
from a set
range of avaialble fabrics.
Hong Kong on the other hand, with the worlds widest selection of fabrics on
hand, and
efficiently managed, can give one a wider range. Next, their ability to
accomodate outside
the box is unsurpassed. I've read several tests that put hong kong tailors
ahead of Saville
Row tailors.
What occurred to me was these USA tailor shops are for people who must wear
suits, wheras
a Hong KMong tailored product would be for people who love to wear suits.
And the trick in buying suits tailored is not to get a $500 suit for $300, but
a $3000 suit for
$700. I was surprised the normal price point for the local tailors suit is
about $900 he said.
Rather low i thought.
Seattle's premier tailor shop works on the same basis as the others, so it
seems to me there
is room for very high end, upscale tailor shop.
Now some people do have suit made in hong kong and sent to USA. To avoid the
heavy costs
and taxes and paperwork, it is commonly misprepresented as to what is coming
in. A formal
entry done by a broker can be $90 - $150 .... and takes time... and there isd
I believe a 10%
tax... much is done to get around these legal hurdles.
Avoiding the tax is foolish, i think, but the broker fees are hefty. Happily I
can fill out those
forms myself, or teach a clerk to do it cheap, since it will be the same thing
over and over. I
will have a reality check conferenced with a customsbroker on this.
I have an associate who has connections with real tailors, so that part is
covered. Starting
small and financing a few suits a week is no big deal. And a tailor shop can
be anywhere.
I am meeting with an auctioneer this afternoon, who often works charity
events. For
advertising, we'd auction off a tailored suit, such as the auctioneer wears,
one of ours. We
get our name in front of high rollers who in turn buy one of our suits, named
in the auction,
and then we sell the winner 2 other suits when he shows up to be fitted for
his tuxedo.
By the way, this Tailor will be in Seattle on July 18 and 19 if you want to
meet him yourself
and get a gorgeous suit made to fit. he takes credit cards, and you pay in
advance, but I've
worked with him 30 years now...
But to the point... anything I am missing here? Anything I should
cover...problems I should
look out for?
john
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
All Hail Nigeria!
Re: [spiers] All Hail Nigeria!
On Fri, 7 Jul 2006 15:51:38 -0700, "Malcolm D"
>
> John,
>
> It's my understanding that the Nigerian Scam is the second largest industry
> in Nigeria, or at least the second largest contributor to gross national
> product. If these former civil servants are looking for work, won't a
> significant number of those turn to online scams, which are in fact an
> illicit entrepreneural pursuit, supported in their culture (dinner table
> talk), similer to drug crops in Afghanistan which florished post-Taliban?
***Well, the Taliban brought order to Afghanistan, medieval as it was, and with
the US troops
the chaos has returned, and the drug trade is flourishing once again. How does
reform
flourish? Well, I am sure the Holy Spirit prefers sackcloth and ashes, but has
to settle for
something secondary, perhaps a difference in incentive allocation.
When the Chinese turned down Robert Mugabe's request for funding, I think it
marked a
turning point. Previously the Chinese were no more selective than USA when it
came to their
dictators and puppets. Pol Pot was just fine with China. Now china is showing
a little
discernment.
Are the Chinese taking a page from Jimmy Carter, and requiring that trade with
China mean
some basic rights? Will there be a better distribution than Nigeria got with
USA? Previously
USA Harvard MBA's and Nigerian Harvard MBA's got together and conspired to get
rich as the
first world blacks that populate Nigeria were forced to live in 3rd world
poverty. Locked out
of the system, but knowing the system, they scammed it.
Will a little justice and freedom go a long way? I think so, and it will be
interesting to see if
China is actually on this path.***
Or
> are the Nigerian scams goverment sponsored? I am unclear how firing workers
> considered "unfit" and "guilty of serious misconduct" will contribute to a
> turn around in the culture of their economy. I assume that more competition
> for the operation of Nigerian scams will not reduce the "cost" of the scams
> to victims. LOL
>
> Malcolm
>
***Well, is the Social Security scam government sponsored in USA? How about
Fannie mae,
Sallie Mae and Freddie mac. Yes, normally big time scams are usually big govt
backed
somehow. Or there is also money workng against govt backed scams.
Govt workers have coercive and police powers. the first step in any reform is
to reduce the
size of govt and cut taxes concomitantly. Let's see if Nigeria reduces taxes
too.
As people begin to take the oppty to earn an honest living, most people will
take it. the
whole tension in all of Puzo's Godfatehr books was a Don's desire to go legit.
This is human
nature. Will the Chinese be a beacon of Hope to the world?
John
USA Money
Re: [spiers] USA Money
Joseph,
Sorry about the delay in reply...
The letter of credit process is simple, bring in the desired amount to transfer,
say $5000 to a
larger bank like Wells Fargo, and they will "open" a letter of credit on your
behalf with the
supplier you name as beneficiary. And yes, banks do this for a fee, say $125
minimum
charge and 1/4 % fee,
What is becoming far more common is to simply pay by credit card. See if your
supplier will
accept a credit card, and if so, check with your credit card company if they
will back you up if
there are any problems. They may say no, which means you can still use the
card, it just
menas you cannot make the credit card company sort out any disputes if any
arises. In int'l
trade, sometimes the banks will, sometimes not.
With letters of credit banks will never sort out any disputes.
John
>
> John,
> How doyou do a letterof credit? Will a bank facilitate one for a fee?
>
> Joseph Gulotta
>