The Official Alibaba.com Success Guide

The official guide to making a bundle buying and selling through Alibaba.com, the world's largest online B2B marketplace

Alibaba.com is the world's leading global business-to-business online marketplace. People around the world use it every day to import and export products for big profits. But newcomers are often overwhelmed by the sheer number of products and the quantity of information available.

The Official Alibaba.com Success Guide shows you how to ramp up your business or build an entirely new business, using the Alibaba.com brand and web site as your supplier. This practical guide provides simple answers for complex questions, from navigating the site, to finding products at the right price, to branding, and much more. Plus, the book includes best practices for importing, locating and vetting suppliers, and protecting yourself against online fraud.

• An answer-packed guide for all your questions about doing business through Alibaba.com

• Officially licensed and supported by Alibaba.com, this is the only guide you need

• Includes inspirational profiles of people who have used Alibaba.com successfully to launch new businesses or revive old ones

• The first and only step-by-step guide to using Alibaba.com effectively

Alibaba.com gives you the opportunity to make real money online. Here, you'll find a wealth of inside information that will help you use Alibaba.com safely and profitably.

Foreword Jack Ma, Founder of Alibaba.com xiii

Acknowledgments xvii

About the Authors xix

Preface xxi

Part I Alibaba.com: The Opportunity 1

Chapter 1 Alibaba.com Opens the Door to Global Trade 3

First a Little History 5

Alibaba.com’s Corporate Goals and Values 8

Alibaba.com’s Six Core Values 9

Alibaba.com Today 16

Alibaba.com Corporate Structure 17

Alibaba.com’s Programs, Tools, and Events 18

Alibaba.com’s 2008 e-Business Champion of the Year: Gene Rumley 22

Chapter 2 International Sourcing: This Isn’t Kansas Anymore 25

International Sourcing: Your Challenge and Promise 25

Your First Sourcing Decision 26

Let’s Put First Things First 27

Get a Tax ID Number and Register Your Business 28

Develop Your Product Idea 29

Build Your Prototype 38

Create and Test-drive Your Business Plan 39

Create a Business Calendar 42

Product Sourcing Basics 43

Calculate Your Budget 43

Safety Checks for Sourcing Products 44

Sourcing Internationally: New Challenges and Rewards 47

Leaving Kansas: Alibaba.com Opens a World of Opportunity 48

Importing Your Products 51

Chapter 2 Checklist 52

Chapter 3 Keys to Successful Importing 53

Your Education Begins 55

Your Partner’s Responsibilities and Your Own 56

Terms You Need to Know 57

Standards, Certifications, and Regulations 62

Partners Who Can Help You 63

Who Are the Major Players? 64

Can You Keep It Simple? 68

Chapter 3 Checklist 69

Part II Putting Alibaba.com to Work for You 71

Chapter 4 The Alibaba.com Web site 73

Let’s Start at the Home Page 74

Trade with the World 77

Keep Scrolling 79

Inspirational Success Stories 79

Alibaba.com Partners 79

Don’t Underestimate the Bottom of the Page 80

Let’s Get You Registered 81

Download TradeManager 85

A Tour of Alibaba.com’s Links 85

Buy 86

Sell 87

Community 88

My Alibaba 94

Help 94

Alibaba.com’s Search Engine 95

Chapter 4 Checklist 97

Chapter 5 Finding Business Partners 99

You Are the Boss, So It’s All Up to You 100

Education through Experience 101

Establish Realistic Expectations for

Your Suppliers 101

Set Criteria for Your Products Themselves 103

Build In Your Own Safety Checks 104

Fraud: Forewarned Is Forearmed 104

Qualify and Identify 105

Qualify and Legitimize 106

Let’s Find Some Manufacturers 110

Searching for Partners 110

Posting a Buying Lead 112

Those First Few E-mails 117

Vetting Prospective Partners 118

Do You Like Their Attitudes? 118

Quantify Them to Qualify Them 119

Communication, Communication, Communication! 121

Should You Travel to China or Anywhere Else? 123

Chapter 5 Checklist 125

Chapter 6 Working with Your Suppliers 127

A Two-sided Partnership 128

Alibaba.com Can Help You Learn 129

Getting Your Products Right 135

Get Graphic 135

Ask for Samples 135

What to Do When Things Go Wrong 138

Chapter 6 Checklist 140

Chapter 7 Closing the Deal 143

Getting the Details Right 144

Your Pro Forma Invoice 145

Payment Schedules and Options 149

Spread Out Your Payments 151

Wire Transfers 151

Escrow Services 153

Letters of Credit 153

Shipping Details 155

Forge Good Relationships 155

Bill of Lading: The Final Document 156

Chapter 7 Checklist 157

Chapter 8 Safe Trading 159

Educate Yourself 161

Alibaba.com’s Safety & Security Center 161

Safe Trading Forums 170

Other Web-based Resources You Can Use 172

Keeping Your Computer Safe 175

Security Help Available through Alibaba.com 176

Create Your Own Alibaba.com Sign-in Seal 177

E-mail Fraud 177

Trojans and Viruses 178

Protecting Your Computer 178

Chapter 8 Checklist 181

Chapter 9 Keeping the Pipeline Full 183

Your Customers Will Change Your Business 184

Your Partnerships Will Change Your Business 186

When You Are Ready to Travel, Get In Touch 187

Your Expertise Will Change Your Business 188

What Will You Do with Your Expertise? 190

Turn Those Tables and Sell to the World 190

Alibaba.com’s Selling Links and My Alibaba Selling Tools 191

Now Is the Time to Consider a Paid Account 196

Your Uncle Sam Stands Ready to Help 196

Chapter 9 Checklist 198

Part III Alibaba.com Success Stories 201

Gene Rumley—Bell Performance, Inc. 203

Valarie Moody—Fodeo.net 209

Allison Taylor—Jack Webster, Inc. 213

Mary Miller Pembleton and Gregg Pembleton—Thumball by Answers In Motion, LLC 219

Joshua Crumbaugh—Platinum Mortgage, Inc. 223

Valerie Johnson—Big Feet Pajama Company 229

Index 235

DEBRA SCHEPP and BRAD SCHEPP are widely respected e- commerce experts who have also written moneymaking books for users of Amazon and eBay. They conduct seminars on eBay selling and have been featured in such media outlets as Life, Good Housekeeping, and Entrepreneur magazines.

If you operate a small or medium-size business, finding a reliable source of quality products can be tough—until you dis-cover Alibaba.com. The world's largest B2B e-commerce marketplace, Alibaba.com helps people around the world import and export products for big profits.

Whether you need a new supplier for your current business or want to start a new import/export business from scratch, Alibaba.com connects you with a nearly endless stream of products and suppliers from every corner of the globe. In fact, many people are overwhelmed by the huge amount of products, suppliers, and information they find when they first log on. With so many choices and money-making opportunities, you might not know where to start.

The Official Alibaba.com Success Guide shows you how to take full advantage of the world's biggest global bazaar—explaining how to navigate the site, find products at the right price, and much more. From the simplest to most complex questions, this book covers it all. Plus, it includes best practices for safe trading, including how to vet suppliers and protect yourself from online fraudsters.

This is the first and only official guide to using Alibaba.com safely and profitably. Licensed and supported by the company—with a Foreword by founder Jack Ma—this is the one guide you know you can rely on.

But don't just take our word for it. Inside, you'll find dozens of true stories from experienced Alibaba.com users who share their inspiring journeys to wealth and success using the site. Alibaba.com was founded to spread the dream of business ownership to people around the world. Say the magic words and walk through the door to wealth and independence.

"This is the first time I've seen such a detailed road map for importing goods from Asia. The authors mention most of the traps first-time importers tend to fall into, and even seasoned importers can learn new tips about the Alibaba Web site. A great book, both rigorous and easy to read!" —Renaud Anjoran, founder, Sofeast Quality Control

"A much-needed guide to product sourcing written by two e-commerce ex-perts. Brad and Debra Schepp take the daunting job of sourcing products and break it down into easy-to-understand and manageable tasks. Recommended for entrepreneurs, retailers, and online sellers who want to take it to the next level."
—Ina Steiner, editor, AuctionBytes.com and EveryPlaceISell.com

"Alibaba's B2B search engine is the most powerful business tool for SMEs ever developed. This book is a winning combination of training manual in how to use Alibaba.com and cutting-edge business information. It all adds up to a proven system for creating more business!"
—Gene Rumley, BellPerformance.net, Alibaba e-Business of the Year, 2008

"Want to learn how to profit from Alibaba.com, the world's largest international trading platform? This book's practical guidance and inspiring success stories can help you take advantage of Alibaba.com's powerful online product sourc-ing and partnership tools. Read it to learn how to grow your business and profit from the globalization of the Internet economy." —Scott Fox, author, e-Riches 2.0: Next-Generation Marketing Strategies for Making Millions Online