Alibaba is a wholesale market where products are majorly purchased in bulk quantities. The catch to sales on Alibaba is that trading goes on without middlemen. So, you get your goods at very cheap rates. Asides from that, you also get as much discount as possible on your sales and can also buy from Alibaba without owning a company.
Below are a few more things peculiar to Alibaba.
- It offers a wider range of products to the buyers. The reason for this is because the website is filled with different manufacturers and sellers.
- You can create your customized products on the website.
- On Alibaba, you get the cheapest price possible for the sale of a product.
Most of those who trade on sites like Amazon purchase their goods on Alibaba and then, resell them at prices that would fetch them profit. Most of these people selling also have an advantage because the goods they purchase on Alibaba have no brands. That way, they can come up with personal brands and lay claim to any product in the website.
Can I buy from Alibaba for personal use?
Yes, you can buy from Alibaba for your personal use. Alibaba offers goods in wholesale quantities. What this means is that the lowest quantity you can get is in the unit of hundreds. However, if you find a supplier that is willing to sell out to you in single units, then, yes, you can buy.
Do I need a license to buy from Alibaba?
In most cases, you do not need a license to buy from Alibaba. Here are some procedures that you can take to get started;
1. Research the market and know which product suits you. This step is where you determine your area of functionality. There are several of these areas on Alibaba, and they include clothes, machines, tools, etc. To determine your area of specialization, use keywords.
You can easily know from certain websites the number of activity a particular niche is getting. Amazon, twitter (via hash tags), etc., are websites where you can check for keywords. The niche you choose should be one that has the highest number of searches every month.
2. After determining your niche, you’d need to get in touch with those offering the goods on the website. The purpose of this contact is to see how well the suppliers deliver, whether or not you can review their prices, and to see if there’s the possibility of you building a long-term business relationship with them. Ensure that you check out the reviews under each of the brands you visit, to know how reliable they are.
3. Once the two parties agree on a certain price, you can then order their goods in whatever quantities you want.
4. Once you receive the inventory for the bought goods, you can proceed with your online sales.
5. When selling, ensure that you package your products in a way that would get you favor from your customers.
Even though all of these procedures sound quite easy, you still have to be careful. Working without a license means that you can be legalized for selling products from Alibaba. Another thing is that most times, people who make payments to these suppliers end up getting something entirely different from what they paid for. If you are unable to have people buy these goods, you’d end up making a big loss at the end of the day.
How to buy from Alibaba without a company
Did you know that you can buy from Alibaba without owning a company? All you need to do is create an account in a jiffy and get started. For detailed procedures on how to buy from Alibaba without having company, check the steps below;
1. Head over to the Alibaba website and then, tap the Join Free tab. You would see it in an orange highlight.
2. You would be prompted to fill in some of your details. One is your email address. After filling it in, you’d need to go through a verification process. It is advised that you create another email account. That way, your personal accounts wouldn’t be filled with mails sent to suppliers.
3. Type out every other required information—your password, location, first name, last name, contact address, etc.
4. You would also be prompted to type in the name of your company. This stage is just as easy as the other stages you’ve run through. Create a name for yourself and then, type it in.
5. After typing in all of those details, review them to be sure they are accurate and then, finish with the account creation procedure.
6. You can now start to purchase from Alibaba.
How to buy from Alibaba without getting scammed
Let’s look at a couple guides that can help you avoid issues when buying on Alibaba website.
1. The first thing to do to avoid risk is to search for suppliers that can be trusted. When your supplier is trustworthy, you can be assured they’d deliver the exact products you ordered. Timeliness of the orders also matter. You want to ensure that they are known for timely delivery.
2. There’s also something on the Alibaba website and it is known as the suppliers with the golden tag. These ones at one time or the other paid the website for a tag that proves their validity. Once you see that tag, you can be assured that they aren’t the scammers you should be running from.
3. Regardless, always ensure that you check through their ratings, reviews, and every other detail that can assure you that they are valid and true.
4. Never buy a branded good from Alibaba. The reason is because these goods require that you have a license before you can sell them. If you also notice a product that seems to have too good a quality, take to your heels at once. Those are signs that a product is probably licensed.
5. Check out your suppliers on Google. That way, you can check them out more deeply and know if they are scammers. There are several faults you should always look for. For example, be sure they do not deliver products with faults or defects. If a supplier is offering a price too low for a product, you’ve just got to suspect him. It’s probably because the goods are either expired or of low quality.