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Coffee (and other things) -shipping business

Last activity 13 June 2018 by THIGV

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lolpol8912

Hello, I am not sure if this is in correct category or not, but I wanted to post and see if I can gain some useful feedback.

I want to start a small venture, selling coffee of the sorts that is not often selected for export.  The local favourites from "highland" cities such as Pleiku, avoiding Trung Nguyen from Buon Me Thuot due to the large amount of competition from their own selling-efforts.

I want to start a very small "side-venture" style business in the same manner that one would in the west. Preferably just selling a small amount of products and gradually increasing my range of products as my business evolves. I am basically sugar-coating, I do not want to invest large sums of money but am also not looking to make large sums of money.

The problem here is that one part of the selling-equation is shipping. Because of governmental issues with odd taxing-policies it is quite expensive to send packages. Based on the value of my packages, the price of shipping is three times higher than the buying-price of my product.

Basically, I am looking for any suggestions to my shipping dilemma. I have partially gone off the idea of international shipping, but if anyone has any suggestions (even ones that might seem a bit odd) I would appreciate to hear them.

- I need to ship 1kg (or less) packages to international addresses.

Alt.

- I need to ship 1kg or more to Cambodia, where I know people that could help me with sending packages.


If anyone has an idea or is curious about any information that I have not supplied, please just comment freely.

Wxx3

You need to find a person who does shipping

JayJones

DHL ...

You are either paying large fees for snail mail, or customs for large logistics containers .. ( pick your poison )

THIGV

lolpol8912 wrote:

I want to start a small venture, selling coffee of the sorts that is not often selected for export.  The local favourites from "highland" cities such as Pleiku, avoiding Trung Nguyen from Buon Me Thuot due to the large amount of competition from their own selling-efforts.


I have brought my own preferred brand to the US in lots of 20KG and it comes out just about the same net price as Trung Nguyen's Gourmet Blend in Honolulu Chinatown.  On Amazon, the same box is even cheaper.  Of course I think my brand is better but you won't beat Trung Nguyen on price.  Where they have you beat is probably in shipping.  They may be contracting (on bids) with the airlines for multiple LD3's or even with ocean shippers. 

lolpol8912 wrote:

The problem here is that one part of the selling-equation is shipping.


As I think I told you in another thread, you can bring the price of the parcel carriers (UPS, DHL, FEDEX) down a lot by establishing an account and a shipping record.  It may take some time and overpaying for a while.  Tying up with a company representative who wants to work with you is the key.

lolpol8912 wrote:

I am basically sugar-coating, I do not want to invest large sums of money but am also not looking to make large sums of money.


Don't worry, you won't.   :huh: Good luck anyway. :top:

lolpol8912

Haha! I am mostly interested in promoting the coffee of my wife's home-town, Pleiku. I am looking at importing to the UK. Mostly through contacts! My brother came and plugged my product without me even asking to a bunch of gym-freaks that love strong robusta-madness!

Yeah, I remember your advice actually. It was solid advice. However, I moved towards "Shipchung" which use the couriers, I can't tell if the price-difference is there.

I completely forgot my old post. I couldn't find it before when I looked. But yeah, I remember. I have now had two constructive ideas from you and one debate regarding the quality of teachers, haha!

lolpol8912

Also, about DHL. They seemed to require a company-registration from me. I don't have that, so I didn't apply when they called me up.

I just don't want to go through registration for a small-scale business that might not ever be profitable. Especially when I am doing it on the half-arsed basis I am doing it now.

yong.j.mun

Hello,
I don't see sending 1kg of coffee abroad would be a problem.  Is the issue you are having the cost of shipping?  But if you want to send more consistently, then I think you might need to get to know some customs agent.  That would make your life much easier but you need to "take care" of him/her.  My wife runs a "Starbucks" style coffee shop in D5 - The Daily Grind Coffee.  Swing by and we can discuss business if you would like.  Just inbox me.

Yong

Allan Gem

Hook me up we can discuss your shipping problem, we can DHL, UPS, TNT, FEDEX and may kind. but you know 1Kg will not be cheap. pm me for details

Madinah03

Hello,

It will be nice to meet you, contact me on ***

See you

Moderated by Bhavna 6 years ago
Reason : Contact details should not be posted on the forum but rather exchanged through the private messaging system. Thank you
We invite you to read the forum code of conduct
Thaiger

Uk will mostly ignore shipping freight. all air-freight will immediately be ceased and asked for your UK and VN company registration.

need 50k UK pounds before they will release it.

No legal shipping without 50k up front. so , basically forget about it - so many dreamers fall for this dum-stuff

Krishna252

Hi,
This is Krishna from India, Staying in D2 in HCMC, Vietnam
I am a business owner looking for friends and networking activities
Ping me if interested

***

Moderated by Bhavna 6 years ago
Reason : External link
We invite you to read the forum code of conduct
THIGV

Thaiger wrote:

Uk will mostly ignore shipping freight. all air-freight will immediately be ceased and asked for your UK and VN company registration.

need 50k UK pounds before they will release it.

No legal shipping without 50k up front. so , basically forget about it - so many dreamers fall for this dum-stuff


I read you as saying that there is a minimum 50 UK pound tariff no matter how small the shipment.  (I have dismissed "50k UK pounds" as a natural typo.)  Somehow this strikes me as highly improbable.  Can you cite a statute or regulation, or point to a UK government link that will verify your assertion?

Most countries establish tariffs to protect their domestic industries.  Not much coffee is growing in the UK except maybe a few trees in botanical gardens in glass houses.  Vietnam on the other hand is unusual in that it uses tariffs as a revenue source.

Allan Gem

Krishna252 wrote:

Hi,
This is Krishna from India, Staying in D2 in HCMC, Vietnam
I am a business owner looking for friends and networking activities
Ping me if interested

***


Hi Krishna how are you? pm me we can do some business too

Krishna252

Moderated by Bhavna 6 years ago
Reason : Advertising is not allowed on the forum
We invite you to read the forum code of conduct
THIGV

You would think that after the third time some people would begin to learn.  :dumbom:

stumpy

:offtopic:
The speed of the  penetration and absorption depends on the thickness of the epidermis

THIGV

stumpy wrote:

:offtopic:
The speed of the  penetration and absorption depends on the thickness of the epidermis


I would have thought it was the thickness of the cranium.  :joking:

On the other hand some people get it:  See my post #304  https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.p … =8#4234506

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